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| Synopsis | ||
 Conner: I can’t believe I’m saying this but I LOVE THIS CD! Now, Hillsong has had a slow burn on me. I’ve only joined the bandwagon in the past few years and probably because they’re starting to graduate some musicians and they’re sound is (as I’ve “complained” about in the past) is becoming blurred between what Hillsong and Hillsong United is. This release also shares musicians as well as songs between the two camps but I absolutely love it.I split this CD into quarters: Tracks 1-3 have an awesome flow starting off with a Unitedish opener and rush through to Glow with it’s in your face swing. Tracks 4-6 hit the worship stride with each song being 7+ mins. Tracks 7-9 pick it back up again with a United Cover. Track 10 stops you immediately, the most stunning track of the CD and sweeps you through to the final track witch is another United cover and probably one of my most favs! |
 Joel: A live CD from all things Hillsong? Sounds good to me. This CD brings in Alumni vintage crew with some of the united crew further more confusing the heck out of us listeners. Which band is which?…and…How do they have so much time to write, record, tour and be in two or three different. I barely have time to pee myself.Any way it is a classic Hillsong CD with classic Hillsong sound, but some added twists. I came at this CD a tad worried because the joint just reviewed Sojourn with the highest rating and I was not too keen on last United CD. |
 Al: It wasn’t that long ago when we reviewed the latest Hillsong United album. This new album from Hillsong shares a song (No Reason To Hide) with the United album. The album sound is certainly not as ‘rowdy’ as United’s. Instead it is more of the signature Hillsong sound we’ve heard over recent years.The album starts off great, then kind of slumps. There is a little peak a few songs near the end, but not enough to revive the rest of the album for me. It kind of slips into neutral with no drive. Don’t hate me, I’m just stating what comes to me listening to it.
Maybe they need to bring Mike G back to write some killer songs? Just a suggestion. |
 Mike: Disclosure: I listen to, and play, a lot of Hillsong music. Hardly a week goes by in our church that there’s not a Hillsong tune somewhere in the setlist. There’s so many of them! And while I listen to both live and studio albums, my preference (and Hillsong’s strenght) is the live worship CD.
Faith+Hope+Love is right in Hillsong’s wheelhouse. This has everything one could want in a live worship album: intimate moments, worship anthems, and musical themeatic consistancy. You can put this in an feel like you are at a worship service, even though it was recorded at three different venues. What’s more, this album combines the talents of Hillsong’s main worship band with the youth band Hillsong United. So you wind up with the talents of “mates” like Joel Houston, J.D., Darlene Zchech, Reuben Morgan, Brooke Fraiser, Mia Fields, and Nigel Hendroff all on one record. It’s like a Hillsong All-Star game. |
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| Bottom Line | ||
| 4 out of 5 For fans of Hillsong United but wanting more congregationally friendly worship for “big church” this is such a solid release! Get you some! It’s got something for everyone and a great flow for a worship CD! |
4.5 out of 5 3 words folks! Brooke Fraser Ligertwood. Seriously can she write a bad song? I swear I would listen to her sing menus at Dennys. While I came listening to this CD a tad worried I was so surprised that while I am sick of the Hillsong sound this CD was awesome. Pulled me right into worship and got me centered on Christ. Rueben Morgan, Brooke, and Joel are brilliant and they shine on this CD. This CD has a wall of sound kind of feel that makes you feel like you are right there worshiping with them |
3.5 out of 5 Have Hillsong hit the end of the road? |
| 4 out of 5 That said, there’s only a few songs that seriously “pop” out for me personally, but the record is consistantly good throughout, and has several songs easily converted to congregational worship. And there is enough musical variety here to please a great many people, and a great many worship moods. This album certainly keeps the bar high when it comes to live worship albums, and should be in anyone’s collection. |
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| Must Have Songs | ||
His Glory Appears is one of those stop you in your tracks songs (harkens to Soon.) Glow is a fun swing song! I Will Exalt is my favorite +7 minute song  You Hold Me Now is such a killer song as well. |
Actually many on this one, but a few major standouts for me. I love “For your Name” what a great song and awesome lyrics. Almost anthem like. “Yaweh” is a great song by Morgan. When “I will Exalt You” came on the ipod I had to click repeat 3 more times. It took me a while to actually get to the songs after it because Brooke’s voice and heart and worship was so captivating. Glow is a real cool song as well. I love “His glory Appears” |
The First And The Last – great start to the album. It’s Your Love – My favourite track on the album. No Reason To Hide – Ok, I’m not sure I liked this on United’s album, but it stands out above the other tracks here. His Glory Appears – nice song, but not sure how it would work congregationally. You Hold Me Now – I like the song lyrics. |
| “God One and Only.” – I’ll admit to being a bit of a United junkie, and this is the kind of worship anthem I like. “I Will Exalt You” – Two words: Brooke Fraiser. “Yahweh” – I’m a sucker for Reuben Morgan worship anthems, and this is a good one. |
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| Songs For Church | ||
| Again, I think that Hillsong’s releases are more “big church” friendly and this is a worship CD so if you’ve got the talent then you’ve got the songs! |
For Your Name, Yaweh, I will be doing “I will exalt you” in a few weeks at a multichurch prayer meeting, His glory appears is a great communion song. |
The First And The Last, It’s Your Love, You Hold Me Now. |
| As stated, we are very used to doing Hillsong and United songs, so some of these will be easy for us. “God One and Only” for sure. “Yahweh,” “Glow” stand out for me, but almost anything on the record will work in a worship setting. |
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This week The Joint is brought to you by Conner Byrd, Joel Klampert, Mike Mahoney and Alastair Vance.
Filed under: Leading, New Music, Resources, Worship, the joint | Tagged: Album, Faith, Hillsong, Hope, love, Review, the joint
[...] Post on Live to Worship [...]
[...] Post on Live to Worship [...]
Dear,
Why the sound between Hillsong United and Hillsong itself is becoming a bit blurred is because youth at Hillsong Church isn’t separated and there is no difference made between how old, how young. The “non-youth” people that attend the church seem to love that style of music so that’s just the way it is. Youth is so much part of the church life itself that it’s not easy to make a difference, they founded the church with a main principle of involving youth full on and without any limits (you can see this on one of their documentaries). I think it’s absolutely great to see older people dance and jump and worship to wild music, raising a shout. Why should the music from Hillsong itself sound any different, or any slower or any less harder than the Hillsong United one, I think it’s encouraging to see how involved youth is in the main church-life, often in churches youth is separated and their is no interaction. If the congregation loves it, why not!! :) People often say the lyrics are main stream and the “Hillsong-sound” is becoming ‘typical’. I think these comments are seriously misplaced when we look at the “This is Our God”, “Faith+Hope+Love” and “Tear down the walls” albums. The creativity used in technology, guitars, piano, violins, the creativity in the melodies and especially lyrics, the stories behinds the songs, the hearts behind the songs and their ‘outreach goal’ with the message of “Faith+Hope+Love” is a necessity in this world, a necessity in their own backyard and they pick that up really well. I think it’s quite a wrong thing to say “Have Hillsong hit the end of the road?”, how is that praising God for the good works and the blessings from a bunch of enthusiastic people that write songs FOR God and sing them TO God? I praise God that there are people out there whom write music and get their music out in the world so we can be blessed by them and sing them to our creator even if it often sounds the same. Do we not recognize U2, Coldplay, etc immediately on the radio? Yes, because it’s their sound, it’s their style, so good on Hillsong for having their own sound to praise God. I’m not angry or whatever, just so you know, it’s just really misplaced to say something like “have they hit the end of the road”, bless them instead and pray they may keep impacting the world, their church and their community with their music :) Nice initiative though to have this, really good and helpful! Keep ‘er lit, be blessed! Samuel
Hi Samuel, you’re right, it is a little harsh to say that Hillsong may have hit the end of the road. They will probably continue to be a major trend setter for “worship” music as we know it. So, I apologize for that.
However, we want these reviews to be as honest as we can make them, each from our own individual perspectives. It’s what came into my head while listening to it for the first time. Perhaps it was simply summing up my disappointment with the album.
Reviewing “worship” music is always going to be weird in a way. I’m glad you still found it helpful regardless of my remarks!
Alastair.
Hey Alastair,
No need to apologise. Just thought it was important to share. I totally agree with having reviews to be as honest as you can and as individual as you can, it’d be stupid if we were all to say the same thing, where would the individuality be in the world. We all have different plans, tastes, interests, passions, dreams, which is great. But in the end we all serve the same God you know.
Hillsong is indeed a great trend setter for worship music (most likely for young people) but there are many other kinds of worship as well, especially in mainland Europe. Where I live there is a great need for a new refreshing kind of worship for the young people (we’re still stuck with songs from the 80’s and early 90’s and most people don’t even really know Hillsong) and Hillsong really provides for us younger people a way to worship the way we want to worship. Either way I love how God created diversity in all of us, in cultures and nations.
I was thinking earlier, how wierd must it be to review worship music, but I think this whole concept here is really a cool thing. Especially where it is said which songs are more likely to be “congregational” songs, really helps a lot. The thing you said somewhere else about teaching the church a new song was some really good stuff, short but true.
I’m gonna stop here, but keep up the passionate heart mate,
Samuel.