Reviewed by Tony May

This tape includes two of Karen's classic early albums, 'Sweet Communion' from 1978, and 1980's 'Life Pages: Love Of The Ages'. Both were originally on the Maranatha label, and abound with hordes of the West Coast USA's finest session musicians and singers. These include Hadley Hockensmith, Kelly Willard, Al Perkins, Jeff Lams, Ron Tutt, Michele Pillar, Bob Bennett, and a host besides. "Sweet Communion is smoothly fitted into the Califomian brand of folk/coun­try, featuring nifty picking on banjo, steel guitar, and mandolin alongside usual instru­mentation. Karen's song writing peaked with such classics at "Father Of Lights', "The Letter", "Life Pages.." still has it's country traces but majors on superb folk - based tracks such as "Streets of Amsterdam" "Timothy Tucker" "Aegean" and John Whytock's magnificent expressive song about the cross which gives this album it's name. This tape offers timeless, classic music, chock-full of songs of lasting beauty, and featuring the best of everything backing on achingly beautiful voice.

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