Reviewed by Chris Tozer

In his all too brief ministry the late great Keith Green left us with a catalogue of amazing songs that have stood up well since his untimely death over 25 years ago, as numerous tributes have proved. But even the greatest songwriters have their off days and to my mind the original recording of "The Prodigal Suite" would never have sold so well without Green's name on the sleeve. He was always more the Brill Building/Tin Pan Alley tunesmith than the singer/songwriter of the folk tradition. Like Elton John his strength lay in catchy hooks and short snappy songs that told it like it is in three minutes. But thematic albums from Sergeant Pepper to Tommy were norm for grown up musicians back then and for Green it was a natural progression but, in retrospect, can be viewed as a bridge too far. Put simply, there are no memorable songs here. Clearly the widely experienced British producer would beg to differ and has assembled a capable line-up of musicians to re-record the Suite. But, as there is no information about who sings or plays what, the anonymity adds to the sense of blandness. The writers of the songs tagged on after the Suite get better treatment so we know there are contributions from established writers of the likes of Brian Doerksen as well as lesser-known folk such as Mark Dunn and Daniel and Emily Norton. But, even the inclusion of an insipid arrangement of Graham Kendrick's classic "Father Me" adds little. The parable of the prodigal son exudes feelings of coveted-ness, hedonism, squalor, dejection, jealousy, forgiveness and much, much more. No wonder that is second only to that of the Good Samaritan in term of cultural impact across the western world. You simply don't show these feelings by just writing in a minor key. Such an incredible story deserves better treatment. Visual artists across the centuries have managed it - including Charles MacKay who provided a brilliant painting for the album. The truth remains that you can't judge a book by the cover.

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.