My favorite band of all time is probably Delirious?. Their unique blend of
rock and worship makes their live show a unique experience, as I have
experienced numerous times. With their latest, Access:d, my apartment gains
access to the concert experience too. Check out our review below, and make
sure to check other numerous new reviews on the site this week.

GOT COMMENTS?? - We want your input on cMusicWeb.com! Send it to
webmaster@... or find me on AOL IM.

UNSUBSCRIBE?? - Logon to http://groups.yahoo.com to do so, or drop us an
e-mail telling us why you're annoyed by hearing from us.


ACCESS:D - DELIRIOUS? (2002/2003)
by Hollie Stewart

Delirious? has long been the heavyweight champion of rock, let alone rock
with a spiritual theme. In my opinion they're the only band that holds a
chance of meeting the level of U2. The music industry as a whole would be at
an extreme loss if these five English boys had never decided to invest years
into making songs. Their influence spans nations, bringing aggressive
guitars, passionate lyrics, and bold vocals into the limelight.

Delirious? has had success with two live recordings in the past (d:tour Live
1997 and Live and in the Can), but now listeners can access the culmination
of the band's best for the new millennium. After watching the band perform,
after feeling yourself washed in the current of electric sound, you
understand just how much Delirious? was intended to be a live band. Their
energy explodes on this two-disk compilation, Access:d. This is required
listening material for anyone who has fallen in love with songs like
"History Maker," "Deeper," and the every-popular "I Could Sing of Your Love
Forever." Twenty songs comprise the collection, including spur of the moment
melodies that come to the band in every concert.

One of those moments that made me fall in love with the album was track
eight on disk one, "Rain Down." Martin Smith's shouts dissolve to the
background, and Tim Jupp fingers an absolutely gorgeous piano moment, almost
lullaby-ish in nature. Martin sings a call for God's rain to descend upon
His church ("We are thirsty for Your rain / Deep calls to deep / We're
singing rain down"), and the single piano notes descend the scale like a
light drizzle-the beginnings of a deeper storm. Martin sings, as always,
with sincerity, passion, and beauty to the ear. It invokes such a sense of
peace and wonder in the listener. It's a true moment of worship as Martin
cries for God's presence. My only complaint was that the moment felt too
rushed. I could have remained on "Rain Down" for another 5 minutes at least.
In fact, several other songs moved on too quickly for my taste.

Perhaps that's the problem of a band like Delirious?. When they make a
compilation album, even two disks cannot contain an adequate serving of
their diversity. Several highlights include "Happy Song" a classic from the
early 90s. It leaves the country feel it held on Cutting Edge and turns into
an almost-punk rendition. I enjoy the new version so much more than the
original. When Martin tells this crowd, "This song is not sad. It's very
happy," Stu G turns on the overdrive and Stewart Smith attacks the drum set.
And of course, the screaming crowd sings along, but they sing along with
every song. That's the charm of a live recording.

Another highlight is "King of Fools," for it is sung entirely by Stu G. What
sounds like a steel guitar and an acoustic accompanies his vocals. The crowd
yells along as Stu sings slightly flat, but it's delightful just the same,
because it's Stu G. The man whose vocal solo sat in the middle of "Heaven"
now has his own song to sing: "I'll live for You / and I'll try to be the
king of fools."

I must mention just a few more songs. "Jesus Blood" is quieter than the two
original recordings, allowing the synthesizer and audience to shine, and
"Hang on to You" still ranks higher than the Luna Halo version. And while I
enjoy track twelve on disk two, "Dance in the River," it's almost identical
to the version on Passion: Our Love is Loud. I have to wonder who copied
whom.

But the band redeems themselves by ending the journey with "Investigate,"
the new "Obsession." Stu G absolutely shines on this song, playing licks
that could cause even Eric Clapton to take notice. Martin and the crowd
sing, "Fly away / I'll never be the same." I love how the collection ends on
a song calling for God to investigate the lives of His children, to "shine
upon the darkest place" of our souls, and before the lengthy (yet not
lengthy enough) guitar solo, Martin screams "Fire!" a call for God's
consuming fire to descend. First there was the rain to wash; now the fire to
burn arrives.

Unlike other compilation CDs, these disks can be enjoyed separately from
each other; they each stand as their own creation. I highly recommend
Access:d, for it showcases the band's heart for intimate worship and
top-of-the-line music, a marriage much needed in the industry.

Read more about delirious? on cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/rock/delirious


OTHER NEW STUFF ON cMUSICWEB.COM

Review: What Are You Waiting For? - FM Static
http://cMusicWeb.com/rock/fmstatic/whatareyouwaitingfor.shtml

Review: The Beauty of Simplicity - Telecast
http://cMusicWeb.com/worship/telecast/beautyofsimplicity.shtml

Review: City of Pain - Mark J
http://cMusicWeb.com/hiphop/markj/cityofpain.shtml

Review: Access:d - Delirious?
http://cMusicWeb.com/rock/delirious/accessd.shtml

Review: Love, Peace, and Joy - Various
http://cMusicWeb.com/christmas/lovepeaceandjoy


THE LATEST NEWS HEADLINES
- LifeWay Stores Launch New Music Download Service
- Rev. Al Green Returns To His Roots
- And more!

View all the latest stories on cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/


Thanks for reading this week's cMusicMail, and we'll be back next week with
even more great content. 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
AOL IM - dMusicWeb