Reviewed by Tony May

The world of country music has been overrun by glamour-guys and gals, precisely tailored and heavily marketed. Van Shelton himself originally seemed part of the pack, until his sound started to come strongly through. Various commentators noted an authenticity and genuine respect for the roots of the music, indicating we had the real thing. This all-gospel set, originally a Sony recording and a big hit Stateside, is kept very much in the time honoured style of Southern gospel country a la Bible Belt. If you heard Elvis' gospel music, well this is in much the same vein, complete with a wonderful Southern gospel quartet, The Cumberland Boys. Instrumental skills flow from such giants as mark O'Connor, Steve Gibson and Mark Casstevens - the best! At times it's a bit too reminiscent of those syrupy Jim Reeves gospel albums, and tracks like "Mansion Over The Hilltop" and "I Saw A Man" really do drag. Quite a pleasant recording but very much "White Gospel" if you know what I mean.

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.

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