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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
better than ever...., February 8, 2008
With a collection of songs that are as memorable as the events where they were recorded, God of This City is, without a doubt, the best album Passion/sixsteps has put out thus far.
Highlighting some of the best moments of both Passion'07 in Atlanta (with over 23,000 university students) and the USA regional events in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and soon, Dallas, DC, and Atlanta, the album features 6 new tracks from sixsteps' artist-worshipers, as well songs that will be familiar to those who follow the Passion movement closely.
Featuring the talents of Chris Tomlin, David Crowder* Band, Charlie Hall, and Matt Redman, God of This City is moving from start to finish. Naturally, the title track serves as one of the more captivating anthems on the album. Written by an incredible, Belfast-based group called Bluetree, and led by Chris Tomlin, with a chorus that is at least as memorable the Passion events themselves, the very heartbeat of God pours out of the lyrics of this song that will no doubt serve as a banner over the Passion movement - and all those it reaches - in the days, and even years, to come.
In all, God of This City is an incredible collection, a must-have for anyone who desires to draw near to the heart of God through music.
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12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another solid Passion album, February 5, 2008
While the last Passion album, "Everything Glorious," felt experimental and often strayed outside conventional worship, the new one by the Passion Tour team gets further back to the roots. It doesn't quite top the "How Great Is Our God" album, but individual moments surpass it in lyricism and musicianship. It's also the most anthemic album yet, with screaming chorus's and a pump-your-fist style. If this fits your brand of worship, you'll find a lot to like here.
Chris Tomlin rocks harder than ever, starting off with a not-bad rendition of his halfway-decent "Let God Arise." He fares much better with "Sing Sing Sing," which demands shouting at the top of your lungs and is perfect for an upbeat worship service. But the main treat of this album is "God Of This City," originally from the Irish band Bluetree and written for the hardened city of Belfast. This is pure ballad all the way, with poignant lyrics, a soaring melody, and all the right pauses and swells. It's one of those songs that will last a congregation for years to come. Tomlin closes the album with his great version of "Amazing Grace," which if you haven't heard already, is an appropriate update for a song that never grows old.
David Crowder Band gets shortchanged again with just two songs, a remix of the hymn "O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing" and the powerful "The Glory Of It All." I was hoping for a live rendition of "Foreverandever Etc", or at least "Remedy," which seem to be missed opportunities for the theme of the album.
Charlie Hall continues to fail to impress me. To me, he's still just the guy that wrote "Marvelous Light" and little else. "You Are God" and "Walk The World" are easily forgettable, with his usual strange melodies buried in glossy production.
I was hoping for more of Fee, as his last album was an excellent mix of high production and anthemic worship songs. But here, he has a barely adequate recording of "We Shine," an atypical praise rocker that displays his limited vocal range and his distracting worship style. While I appreciate original praise, it's only good when it's good, and Fee has room to grow.
Christy Nockels breathes life into "Hosanna," the good old Hillsong ballad that is perhaps the only contemplative song on the album. Kristian Stanfill, the guy who remixed the hymn "Jesus Paid It All," sings an anthem "Beautiful Jesus," an unoriginal but decent yelling-type song.
Matt Redman never disappoints, as he always writes the most lyrically sound worship with original lyrics and interesting composition. "God Of Our Yesterdays" is a simple song with moving lyrics about the timelessness of God, and "Shine," one of Redman's best new songs, is a call to take action in a broken world. It's even better in this live version. I'm unsure why "Dancing Generation" is here since it's almost an exact replication of the one from his album "Facedown," but it's a meaningful inclusion within this album's theme.
Bottom Line: A powerful album with a unified theme of timeless hope and a must-have for any worship team. Tomlin and Redman again show their best chops, with Tomlin expressing a new style and Redman again writing deep, heartfelt lyrics that stand out amidst the crowded worship genre. The best song on the album, "God Of This City," is worth the purchase alone.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful & Relevant, a few new classics on this one, November 2, 2008
My Background
I picked up a CD of theirs years ago and still listen to it, so I thought I'd pick up their new one.
Review
Passion music tends to be some of the best of modern worship music. Most CDs contain new songs that will be classics in the years to come, and this CD is no exception. Energy and emotion pour from these tracks. Another nice thing about Passion music is that it tends to be timeless. You'll enjoy listening to this CD today and in years to come.
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