Pray (CD - 1998)

Personnel includes: Rebecca St. James (vocals); Ted T. (guitar, programming); Charles Garrett, George Cocchini, Vince Emmett, (guitar); Byron Hagan (keyboards); James Gregory (bass); Scott Williamson, Raymond Boyd (drums).

Recorded at Antenna Studios, Brentwood Tennessee; The Border Studios, Franklin, Tennessee; Sunset Boulevard Studios, Brentwood, Tennessee.

PRAY won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.

Personnel: Rebecca St. James (background vocals); Michael Quinlan (vocals, guitar, programming); Byron Hagen (vocals, keyboards); Josh Smallbone, Daniel Smallbone, Tasia Tjornhom (vocals, background vocals); Pearl Barrett, Ben Smallbone, Evin Smith, Mark Sizemore, Kay Dekalb Smith, Rock Williams, Jeanette Sullivan, Luke Williams, Michael Jones (vocals); Tedd T. (guitar, programming); Vince Emmett, George Cocchini, Charles Garrett, Lynn Nichols, Brent Milligan (guitar); Eric Hauck (cello); John Catchings, Kris Wilkinson, David Davidson , Carl Marsh (strings); Julian Kindred (keyboards); Derek Wyatt (drums, loops); Raymond Boyd, Dan Needham (drums); Scott Williamson (programming); Honor Tjornhom (sound effects); Holly Burt, Luke Smallbone, Matthew White (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Salvo; Julian Kindred; Marcelo Pennell; Shane D. Wilson.

Recording information: Antenna Studios, Brentwood, TN.

Editor: Kevin B. Hipp.

Photographer: Mark Tucker .

Arrangers: Michael Quinlan; Rebecca St. James; Tedd T.; Byron Hagen.

This is definitely not your father's gospel music. Which is to say that Australian-born Rebecca St. James will never be mistaken for Mahalia Jackson; in fact, she sounds more like Alanis Morissette, assuming Ms. M had a personal experience with God. Basically, this is a state-of-the-art post-Nirvana alt-rock package that just happens to feature lyrics praising Jesus at every opportunity, which can be a tad disorienting at first. Fortunately, St. James's songs are almost as tuneful as her musical role models, and the various guitars employed here channel Kurt Cobain with brisk efficiency (that is, when they're not also summoning the Edge). minimize