Jesus Culture With Martin Smith - Live From New York
STYLE: Pop RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 130616-19768 LABEL: Elevation ELE1816D FORMAT: CD Album ITEMS: 2 RELEASE DATE: 2012-11-20 RRP: £12.99
Reviewed by Tony Cummings
Occasionally, recording a live worship album completely blurs the distinction between deft musical expertise and audience participation atmosphere, between Holy Spirit-blown improvisation and thoughtful theological songwriting, between popular art and timeless anointing. This is one of those occasions. Redding, California's Jesus Culture have long stated that their ultimate vision is to herald in revival to the world wide Church while Martin Smith has demonstrated down the years that he is up there with this century's finest hymnwriters and worship songsmiths. Though Martin's voice may occasionally show the strain away from the thunderous support of the Littlehampton d:boys the collaboration of Jesus Culture and Smith has here produced one of Christian music's finest moments and the gathering at New York's Nassau Veterans Coliseum will surely go down in worship music history. In fact, the way the audience take up the singing at the close of "Majesty", taking over as the band leaves off, is possibly the most effecting moment of all in an album brimming with emotion and passion. 'Live In New York' brings together new and old songs from both Smith's and Jesus Culture's worship catalogues. New songs such as "Fire Never Sleeps", "Waiting Here For You" and "Sing Of Solomon" first heard on Smith's 'God's Great Dance Floor' EPs take on a new power and resonance in this setting while the Delirious? classic "Did You Feel The Mountains Tremble" completely sidesteps any problems of over familiarity. Jesus Culture's Kim Walker is in fine voice, her gutsy contralto bringing passion and power to One Sonic Society's "Walk With Me" and Bryan & Katie Torwalt's "Holy Spirit" while the Chris Quilala songs "Alleluia" and "Oh How I Love You" are both memorable. When listening to this album I found myself remembering again that renowned prophecy given in the early years of Cross Rhythms that one day "contemporary Christian music was going to be a spearhead for revival in Britain." This release may well move that long anticipated event a little closer.
The opinions expressed in this article are
not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed
views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may
not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a
later date.
Interested in reviewing music? Find out
more here.
Product Description
Prepare yourselves for the live worship album of the year!
When Jesus Culture and Martin Smith (Delirious?) get together in New York City then you know something of Kingdom significance is about to take place.
This brand new live album from Jesus Culture was recorded live at the Hope is Alive Conference in New York when people came from far and wide to discover what would happen if a generation of people gave themselves fully to Jesus to pray for a nation to be transformed by Him? Not everyone could join them in New York, but now you can relive that spectacular night when thousands came together to worship the Lord, to call upon His name and to experience the blessing and power of the Holy Spirit. Hungry hearts and fully devoted followers of Christ worshipped with the Jesus Culture band - now you can join them.
Posted by T Sturgess in Stockport @ 19:07 on Jun 12 2013
Fantastic album and easily worth the price tag. Wish I could
have been there but this is the next best thing. I
particularly love 'waiting here for you' through to 'song of
solomon', but its all good.
Fantastic album and easily worth the price tag. Wish I could have been there but this is the next best thing. I particularly love 'waiting here for you' through to 'song of solomon', but its all good.