Reviewed by Tony Cummings

Having missed the CR review net when it came out, and with Integrity now switching to Word, this review is long overdue. Ever since Ron emerged onto the worship scene in 1990 with 'Jesus Is Alive',.his synthesis of old-time gospel, call-and-response black church and the mushy sounds of easy listening white worship have brought him gigantic popularity. However, as this 1998 release demonstrates, a style which was once innovative, has now become a tired stylistic millstone. The weight of that millstone is not lifted here with the 7,000 people gathered at the Vines Centre at Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia giving the whole project an air of portentous theatricality rather than the joyous worship intended. There are a couple of standouts, "We Declare That The Kingdom Of God Is here" and "This Kingdom" both have verve and deserve their UCB Europe exposure. But elsewhere the "grandeur" referred to in the sleevenotes for the oldie "We Shall Behold Him" is actually everything-but-the-kitchen-sink overproduction. Hopefully, the next album will do away with the mass choirs and huge orchestras and return to something far less portentous.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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