Reviewed by Peter Smith

Russ has been one of the big guns in American CCM for one and half decades now and this retrospective is a fitting showcase for his remarkable talent. The son of an Arkansas preacher, his earliest musical influence was black gospel and, whether he is delivering gritty, gut level rock and roll, upbeat funk or heart wrenching ballads (like "I Cry"), his roots shine through. Russ's vocal technique has been honed and refined through years of working with some of the best musicians and producers in the business and his later songs in particular show a spiritual integrity and reality that's encouraging for anyone who might find that the road to glory is a rocky one. It's difficult to single out any individual songs but Russ' definitive version of The Call's "I Still Believe" reduces me to tears with the honesty of it's message. The collection finishes with the previously unreleased "Your Love Stays With Me" which takes us right back to Russ's gospel roots.

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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