a cursory listen to Christian pop radio in the ‘90s or ‘00s has heard dozens of times by now. It's hard not to see this release as the result of a zeal on the part of the Wow organization to reduce contemporary Christian music to the sort of bite-sized, sales-driven, best of the best mentality that fuels so much of secular consumer culture. For the most part, the result is a blanched and overproduced mess: very little of the music remotely urban or exciting, almost all of it overly sentimental. Rather than a hearty meal, it's like eating a cake made entirely of frosting. Many if not most of the artists themselves are talented, of course, and if even one more listener can get turned on to the highly personal rock of Rich Mullins or the sublime, beyond-div...  (less)

Jack Blades chunk-a-chunking his pickups to create that rock-locomotive sound. The band slows things down with "Sister Christian," a not-so-powerful power ballad that gave Night Ranger another significant single. Packaging a select portion of their catalog under the Greatest Hits banner is a bit of a stretch, though. Blades didn't even stick around for long, breaking away to join former Styx guitarist Tommy Shaw and Ted Nugent in Damn Yankees. For true devotees of '80s metal, Night Ranger's Greatest Hits is a must-have; for everyone else, enjoyment will last as long as a Night Ranger video. --Steve Gdula  (less)

display here, a relatively brief disc (43 minutes) that samples nine of the 10 recordings released during the first decade (1994-2003) of Brickman's career. The breakdown: Five instrumental tracks (one of them "Partners in Crime," his oversaxed, smooth jazz-targeted duet with Dave Koz), six older vocal selections, and two new vocal tracks--the winner being "'Til I See You Again," an engaging, upbeat piece authored by producer David Grow and sung with from-the-mountaintop vigor by Christian vocalist Mark Schultz. Outside of the straining, Mariah Carey-like excesses of "Destiny," the selections here are easy to digest, yet they exhibit a level of sophistication that smartly counteracts their modest saccharine/sentimental...  (less)

Home Yet" and "I Am Found in You," and rerecordings of "Lord of the Dance" and "The Walk," from the brilliant Signs of Life release. The latter two, labeled "Abbey Road versions," sound live, with soulful harmonica and additional guitar work not heard on the originals. Chapman's catalog of hits traces a developing and masterful artist who gains confidence and quality with each new release. --Michael Lyttle  (less)

"Save Your Love for Me" (the latter from Wilson's 1962 collaboration with Cannonball Adderley), she blends strong, bluesy chops with bittersweet sentiments. The more recent stuff is hardly as straightforward; most of the time, her vocals are swamped by ricky-tick adult-contemporary production that renders the music fit only for smooth-jazz radio. And when Wilson does slip into a stripped-down trio format with the likes of Brad Mehldau and Christian McBride on Stephen Sondheim's "Loving You," she still has to contend with bland duet partner Peabo Bryson. Greatest Hits serves mainly to point out the fact that Nancy Wilson best uses her voice these days as host of public radio's Jazz Profiles . --Rickey Wright  (less)

God," and the worship standard "He Is Exalted." However, Paris is a notable songwriter and had always had a keen ability to match her contemporaries. New cuts "Sparks and Shadows" and "Faithful Father" are as good as anything on Christian radio, and the ending "God of Miracles" is a personal, moving tribute to Paris's newborn baby. Special highlights include the folksy "The Joy of the Lord" and the guitar-slick "Run to You." In both cases, Paris--in true songwriter form--molds her music to the producer's style (Richard Souther on "Joy of the Lord" and Charlie Peacock on "Run to You"). This release proves that Paris is by no means finished with her great career. --Michael Lyttle  (less)

on hits including Southtown a shout-out to their hood and Rock The Party (Off The Hook). Both featured here. Other signature stand-outs include Boom, Alive, Satellite, and Roots In Stereo. Originally released in 2006, this essential collection also features two tracks that were previously unreleased at the time Here We Go and the then-newly recorded Going In Blind.  (less)