Reviewed by James Lewis

Dating from '86 and '87 respectively these two albums must surely stand as seminal. Since they were both released on a secular label, I reckon it's safe to say they were widely missed out on by the Christian community which is a shame, but you now have a chance to catch up with them on CD. Michael Been is probably without equal as a chronicler of the struggles of faith - "I Still Believe (Great Design)" is (rightly) reckoned by our esteemed editor as a classic (as recorded by Russ Taff and originally from 'Reconciled'). The band have always been held in great esteem by their peers and a number of them turned out for the recording of 'Reconciled' - Robbie Robertson of The Band (who The Call have been compared to), Peter Gabriel (who called them the future of American music) and Jim Kerr all help out. Critics of artists working in the secular field should listen to these albums - Michael Been's lyrics are very personal, rather than evangelical, but he has never shied away from talking about his faith. For example, "Everywhere I Go" is basically a contemporary Psalm 139 and "With Or Without Reason" reminds us that love has paid the price for you. Personal favourites are "The Morning", the apocalyptic "Oklahoma" and "Even Now", where Michael Been really shows his expressive vocals. "Into The Woods" is basically a metaphor for the dark night of the soul and the second and last album for Elektra is a stark and honest exploration of this. The subject will obviously not appeal to everyone, but those who struggle with their faith at times, like myself, will find much to identify with here. Even in the darkest moments here, though, there is always hope, as the conclusion of the title track reveals, "Sinless child can you save me/Guilty man, freedom is yours." Standouts are the title track, "It Could Have Been Me" (a reminder that there are always people both better and worse off) and the mystical "In The River", which is as perfect an example of American Gothic as I can find.

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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