Music Reviews (by Kim Gentes)
Back in the mid-90's Kim began writing impromptu reviews of church music CDs (worship music) so that people who were looking for CDs would have an opinion from someone who is also a worship leader and is garnering music for local church use. Up to this point, this was rarely something that was done, because church music was revered as sacred and it was thought that any offering of that sacred worship shouldn't be criticised or evaluated. In fact, Kim wasn't as much a critic as he was an evaluator, helping people find what fit their church. He began posting his reviews on line in a email discussion forum, called the Worship List (website). After a while, when he helped launch Worshipmusic.com, he continued that same concept of trying to help other local church worship leaders and musicians find music that might be applicable to their situations. The reviews continued to be a part of that. Worshipmusic.com went on to grow a staff of writers that would add many more reviews to the collection they have, but Kim continued to participate as a key reviewer. This journal logs all the reviews Kim has written on worship music CDs and projects.
Kim's reviews of CD projects of worship music includes independents, label and main stream recordings, but all having to do with worship music.
Entries in jennie lee riddle (1)
Living For You - Gateway Worship (2006)
Monday, August 20, 2007 at 9:24AM 
Once in a while an album comes along that surprises you with great songs, capturing melodies and effusive worship. In the "normal" course of things, a strong project might contain one great song and maybe another good song. Rarely would you find a project with 3 or 4 truly top notch songs. But in 2006, a growing church in the Dallas metroplex released an album called "Living For You". The ministry of Gateway Church and its worship department was introducing its cadre of songwriters and leaders to the country for the first on a broad scale. This inaugural release was not the first project Gateway worship had produced, but it was the first one released through Integrity Music, a group that has consistently mined a large portion of the most used songs in America over the last 25 years.
"Living For You" delivers no less thirteen prestine tracks, with four phenomenal songs, including one of the most popular songs in the world today in the blissful modern rendition of the trisagion prayer entitled Revelation Song. If you haven't heard this top 5 CCLI song at least once in the last 5 years, its likely you haven't been to church. For pastoral leaders and teachers Revelation Song was quickly accepted because it both glorified God with direct language and used mostly Scriptural quote and reference to fill and inform its lyrics. For worship leaders and musicians everywhere Revelation Song proved an irrisistable combination of excellent lyrical content and refreshing musical variety, giving the pop-worship 1-4-5 musical mantra a needed rest. Which of us worship leaders wasn't delighted to find a well-written song with a great melodic hook that made good use of a minor 5th and flatted 7th prominently styled into the song?
Other songs from this album, which have also found broad acceptance across the church, are You, You Are God, The More I Seek You and Thomas Miller's modern revision of the classic Come Thou Fount, Come Thou King. These songs are all incorporated with a top notch musical presentation into the "Living For You" album. Listening to this project, you will find moments of explosive praise, enthralling worship and absolute abandon. One forgets that the musical leaders on this project have become well known, because this project reflects none of the trappings of "stardom" that seem to come as quickly to Christian worship leaders as they do to pop stars. The album feels and sounds like an authentic voice of a local church giving its all in song and worship to God. You will be drawn in and find yourself prayerful, praiseful and heavenward as you take the journey of the songs represented here.
If you haven't already put this project on your playlist, get the mp3 album and enjoy some great songs as you worship.
Product Link: Living For You - Gateway Worship
Review by Kim Gentes