Last week we went retro, but this week is definitely CURRENT. We've
had it for months, and have been listening to the latest release from
the British singers at Sparrow. The biggest names in British modern
music come together and go All Around the World with their latest CD,
which just hit stores yesterday. Check it out! Also, there's a
bunch more great releases this week, so don't miss them.

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ALL AROUND THE WORLD - MATT REDMAN, TIM HUGHES, PAUL OAKLEY, AND NEIL
WILSON (2001)
by Josh M. Shepherd
Take flight on a God-fueled vessel of worship as four prolific lead
worshipers share the cockpit to attain lift, thrust, and pitch like
never before. Shunning worldwide status by staying on as a young
church's music pastor, Matt Redman has long been a prime example of
local service. Time ran its course, and this propeller of songwriting
originality recently co-founded Soul Survivor, intended to spark
worship; Redman's duties include mentoring the music department,
notably sublime lyricist Tim Hughes. Paul Oakley is an apostle of
sorts to many England churches' praise ministries, not providing
subsidy to the poor but pursuing priestly duty to his Father. Though
Forefront Records has just signed Neil Wilson's band Steve, those who
frequent England's clubs (yes, the unchurched kind) have long
relished his atypical pop/rock that scours blessing and intimacy.
Completely studio-recorded, All Around the World lifts off with a
Paul Oakley/Tim Hughes duo on "Jesus, You Alone" and "Be Glorified,"
twin engines that bring the album's spirit to a proper take-off
altitude. Guided by a worshipful dead reckoning, a new day's dawn is
the pursuit of Neil Wilson "All Around the World," as his cry "Revive
us again" rides on an airflow of digitally-generated beats and
oddities. Airplanes rarely reach hypersonic speeds, yet it is the
combustible Matt Redman who achieves this feat in a cross-current of
brazen guitar and a dreamy string symphony. This stealth track, "Lord
Let Your Glory Fall," is singular as one of the album's only new
songs, with many previously heard on 2000's Live and Unreserved and
1997's The Friendship and the Fear. The duration and depth of praise
is exhausted on Paul Oakley's "I Will Always Love Your Name,"
glorifying at length God's habits like restoration, curse-breaking,
and resurrection. Like a brief island fly-by, one finds a Survivor-
esque chant buried in "Beautiful Savior," where Tim Hughes takes the
lead vocal for a longing, pouring, trusting love song that glides on
a full range of sentiments: "Clothed in majesty ~ Lord of history...
Star of the morning ~ Glorious in holiness... Heaven's Champion ~ You
reign over all." Track seven goes into a stall with its high-
pitched "Ooohoohoo" opening, though it has good intentions of
navigating past sin and human limits only "Because of You" (referring
to Christ). Favored by producers Dwayne Larring and Jason Halbert,
the "techno" style of computer-altered vocals, tones and rhythms is
the only turbulence experienced up to this point--however, British
sensation Neil Wilson engineers that very style to streamlined effect
in "Through the Veil." A solo single, it gazes at the cost of
Christians' release from captivity: the violent punishment of a
faultless Lamb. Introduced by a stabilizing bass line, the
classic "Once Again" banks into a smooth turn, reciprocating the
preceding upbeat material with a refrain given an unrestricted mix.
Weighted by the gravity of glory, the tenth melody overcomes any drag
to come, run, and bow before God--a very "Holy Moment" indeed.
The "pilots" give their craft one last thousand-foot lateral climb,
as the album closer is a four-part harmony that intones, "We're on
our knees." This Redman/Hughes/Oakley/Wilson labor is neither
pressurized nor interfering, rather a balance between spontaneity and
experience (clearly, a flight path plotted by the Holy Spirit).
Denying himself fame for a time, Matt Redman's leadership mantle now
soars far beyond his peers; similarly, the Lord has shaped Paul
Oakley, Tim Hughes, and Neil Wilson into a leading edge of the modern
worship movement. Never heeding the advisories of others, these men
transport worshipers All Around the World over the highest clouds of
human limits, staying aloft in the presence of the Almighty God.

Find out more about All Around the World at cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/worship/allaroundtheworld


AVAILABLE YESTERDAY, JUNE 19 (at cMusicWeb.com or at your local store)

ALL AROUND THE WORLD - MATT REDMAN, PAUL OAKLEY, TIM HUGHES, AND NEIL
WILSON
The PICK OF THE WEEK. See review above.

CECE WINANS (self-titled)
After her highly-acclaimed worship collection, Alabaster Box, CeCe is
back! One of the pioneers of modern gospel music brings more of here
raise-the-roof praise.

OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART - VARIOUS
This isn't wOw Worship. This isn't I Could Sing of Your Love
Forever. But, it's just about the same thing. Vertical Music
releases a two-disc compilation of modern worship, featuring a lot of
tracks from their best artists, including Lincoln Brewster and
Darrell Evans.

PAIGE (self-titled)
She's 16. She's an all-star Softball player. But, she's not going
to the Olympics. No, God told her that she's supposed to make
music. So, she is! Yeah, unlike those other teenage artists, Paige
wrote every song on the CD, and has more of a rock flair that those
who open for Destiny's Child.

RHYTHMS OF REMEMBERANCE - APT.CORE
For the first time in Christian music history, we have some
dance/trance music that can compare. That's right, Rocketown Records
brings you apt.core, a production masterminded by drummer Will Hunt,
which puts together the beats of the best dance music and great
lyrics based on scripture.


AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER (on cMusicWeb.com)

ROCK: http://cMusicWeb.com/rock
Live - P.O.D. [6/26]
Empty - Tait [7/03]
Disappear - PFR [7/17]

POP: http://cMusicWeb.com/pop
Invitation to Eavesdrop - Shaun Groves [7/17]
Let's Fly - Cheri Keaggy [7/17]

WORSHIP: http://cMusicWeb.com/worship
Created to Worship - Rita Springer [7/03]

Click on the album titles on the genre page to order them and recieve
them on the release date.


Thanks for reading this week's cMusicMail, we hope you'll check it
out next week. We plan on doing more reviews of the albums as they
hit stores, so get ready for more! If you have any comments or
questions, please reply to this e-mail or send them to
webmaster@... We'd love to hear from you!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
ICQ - 43224317 AOL IM - dMusicWeb