The Greatest Rescue Ever!: Starring Inspector Smart And Michael 'Mikey' Tinker by Michael J Tinker

Reviewed by Stella Redburn

This is a CD of 14 new songs, loosely connected by dialogue, based on a touring stage show by a South Yorkshire-based full-time singer, Michael J Tinker. The production is designed to share the Gospel with children and their families and is a whole lot of fun. Kids will love the funny voices and the huge variety of musical styles as Inspector Smart solves a mystery. Tinker manages to explain clearly what Jesus has done, while never losing our interest. He plays a host of whacky characters. I loved the nativity song "God's Special Son Is Here" with its country feel and its switch of rhythm between the verses and the chorus. Other standouts for me were the folky accordion in "Donkey Riding", the animal noises in "Are You Listening To The Word?", the spaghetti western feel of "I Am The Light Of The World" and the gospel spiritual "O Mary Don't You Weep". The high quality of the music reflects Tinker's experience on the folk scene, where he has a parallel career. An album many parents should seek out.