2003-Wow Gospel

Compilation producers: Joseph Burney, Ken Pennell, Desmond Pringle. This is part of Verity's "Wow Gospel" series. World events in the first years of the new millennium prompted many people to re-evaluate life's purpose and the individual's place in the universe. Perhaps not so coincidentally, gospel music continued to find ever-greater acceptance among mainstream music listeners. For the uninitiated, however, the sheer variety and volume of faith-based music can be extremely daunting. That's where the Platinum-selling WOW GOSPEL series comes in. WOW GOSPEL 2003, like its predecessors, features upbeat, exciting performances from the cream of the contemporary gospel crop, and makes for a comprehensive and highly enjoyable introduction to the genre. Though the collection primarily traffics in the heavily '80s funk/R&B-influenced sound that is contemporary gospel's stock in trade, there are a few nods to old-time religion. The double-disc set includes exemplary performances from legends like the Five Blind Boys Of Alabama (who turn in a stirring version of the Curtis Mayfield standard "People Get Ready"), Shirley Caesar, and The Rance Allen Group, one of the very first combos to combine rock and soul with traditional spirituals. Most of the time, however, it's just a party, as one belter after another feels the spirit and testifies to the truth of faith's healing power.