Reviewed by Tim Holden

The CCM star released his first album, 'First Hand', in 1987 and nearly 20 years on he is still cutting Christian radio hits. This compilation, part of the Early Years series, brings songs from that and his second album, 'Real Life Conversations', to the attention of his modern fans. Sounding a little like Michael McDonald at times and with a definite country tinge on other tracks, there is some wonderful '80s pop music here. From the opening "My Turn Now" through "Tuesday's Child" to the dynamic "Dying To Live" the songwriting and vocals are strong throughout. While it would have been easy to sound very dated, the track selection manages to avoid the worst excesses of '80s pop and most of the songs have survived well. As the original CDs are still available, this compilation is really for those who want the best of the early stuff.

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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