By Lydia Akinola
GENRE: CCM/WORSHIP
LABEL: FURIOUS? RECORDS
RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 17, 2009
RATING: 4.5 OUT OF 5
Despite the many and varied failings of the Christian music industry, there are some incredibly bright spots, some extraordinarily talented musicians, some Christians whose art is a testimony to their faith, and a real one, at that. Acts like Sixpence None the Richer, Keith Getty and Audio Adrenaline come to mind, but for me, Delirious? may just be the epitome of great. Their excellence is renowned, and I certainly feel they merit the significant praise freely given to them. As the band originated from Littlehampton, and myself being a fellow Brit, I feel it may be part of my psyche to wax lyrical about all their many talents, and hardwired into my DNA to see only exceptional gifts at work. Martin Smith, Stu G and the band are legendary in not only my mind, but also in the minds of their peers.
Naturally, I was devastated when I learnt that what I consider to be one the greatest worship acts of all time were going to disband. Their ministry has been alive almost as long as I have, and I grew up on hits such as “Did You See The Mountains Tremble” and “Paint the Town Red”. But then came (to ease my sorrow) the arrival of this vast collection of Delirious? hits. To be perfectly honest – all- every single one of the noteworthy are included in this 3 disc special. History Makers: The Greatest Hits (Limited Edition) contains two-CDs with a 31-song collection and a DVD featuring all 13 of Delirious? music videos. There is honestly no song that I could question, either with ‘why is not here’, or wonder ‘why has it been included’. Make no mistake, when you buy this album, you will literally being buying a history’s worth of greatest hits.
But there is a significant price tag. Again, speaking as a foreigner to CD sales in the US (although I do know that on average I pay 2.5 times what you guys pay for any CD), I believe that many way be wondering if it is worth it. Personally, I think it is. But not without condition. If you have all of this anyway, don’t waste your money. There is not a lot here that a few clicks on iTunes cannot obtain. The music videos and songs are all readily available, but have just not appeared together in any project like this.
In my opinion, there are two types of ‘die-hards’. There are those who would rather forsake their next breath than forgo the latest offering from their heroes. And then, there are those who instead seek out the B-sides, the unedited cuts and the multitudes of songs which never made it to any of the big releases. History Makers: The Greatest Hits is what is says, a comprehensive collection of the Delirious? bestsellers. Most devotees will have most of these songs on the albums they originally appeared on, and the second type of ‘die-hard’ may be disappointed that there is any previously unheard live recording or b-side. This would have been the perfect opportunity and could act as a deterrent, as it is a significant loss, and should be taken into consideration. However, the main pulling points are the amazing collection of music videos, the spectacular 56 page booklet that charts their musical journey and then the fact that you get it autographed.
This is an unusual review in that I haven’t commented much on the music itself. It is… amazing. End of. I honestly don’t feel the need to explain anymore. If you are unsure as to why not, then that is an obvious indicator to your need to go get this. And that brings me to my next point, History Makers is the perfect Christmas gift for anyone who has not been introduced to Delirious?. (In fact, really, for those poor souls, you are morally obliged to help them out). The two-disc collection strikes the balance completely between contemporary and worship, the new and the old and the result is terribly satisfying.
I apologize for my bias in this review. Some of you may find it unprofessional; others frustrating. But I hope you understand that in terms of content, this is definitely the best ‘Greatest Hits’ release, and amongst the best albums released this year.
