The Prince of Egypt [Inspirational] (CD - 1998)

Engineers include: Buster & Shavoni, Steve Sykes, Steve Hodge.

Personnel: Fred Hammond (vocals, keyboards, drum programming); Keite Young, Danielle Stephens, Dalon Collins, Celeste Collins, Donnie McClurkin, Tosha Brown, Pamkenyon Donald, Kirk Franklin, Myron Butler, Tiffany Palmer, Boyz II Men (vocals); William "Bill" Williams, Doug Grigsby, Darryl "Major D" Dixon , Todd Parsnow, Ray Fuller (guitar); Dan Schwartz (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Mark Harper (acoustic guitar); James "Big Jim" Wright (piano, electric piano); Greg Phillinganes (piano); Dana Sorey, Steven Lewis (organ); Thomas T. Tribbett, Wayne Lindsey, Noel Hall, Rickey Grundy, Tim Carmon, Bobby Sparks, Bryant Pugh (keyboards); Eric Morgan, Leonard Tribbett, Jr., Marvin McQuitty, Ricky Lawson, Scott Crago (drums); Len Barnett (percussion); Pamela Clark, Aldisa Slaughter, Ida Pittman, Roosevelt George, Jennifer Barnett, Oscar Edwards, D'Labrea Blakely, James Grear & Company, Kevin Bond, Lisa Bevill, Mark Hudson, Tim Davis, Jack Yates (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Manny Marroquin; Dave Way; Donnie McClurkin; Erik Zobler; Fred Hammond; Buster; Kevin Bond; Mark Williams ; Mick Guzauski; Ray Hammond; Shavoni; Steve Hodge; Tim Kimsey; Tom McCauley; Victor Caldwell; Bryan Lenox; Cedric Caldwell.

Recording information: Bonded Music Studios, Charlotte, NC; Embassy, N.Hollywood, CA; Reflections Sound Studios, Charlotte, NC; Studio.

Arranger: Kevin Bond.

How confident was DreamWorks about the success of their animated Bible epic The Prince of Egypt? So confident that they decided to simultaneously release three soundtracks for the film, each targeted at a different audience. It was an audacious move, since there were few songs in the film -- which means that not only did "the official soundtrack" feature only a handful of tunes from the movie, but there were two companion records that had nothing to do whatsoever with the actual picture, other than existing as tributes. Ironically, those two records turned out to be better and more focused than the original soundtrack. None of the songs on The Prince of Egypt [Inspirational] were used in the film -- they're simply "inspired" by the movie, or the book of Exodus. As it turns out, that isn't a problem, because the material is, by and large, effective. The producers rounded up most of the movers and shakers in contemporary Christian music, from contemporary gospel artists like Take 6, CeCe Winans, and Kirk Franklin to Christian rockers like Jars of Clay and DC Talk. Since it covers so much ground, the collection is a little stylistically uneven, but the music is all strong, which is all that matters. Chances are, the music won't appeal to anyone who isn't already a fan of CCM, but the already converted will likely appreciate this disc quite a bit. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Talk about a marketing masterstroke; leave it to Speilberg's Dreamworks company to get three simultaneous soundtrack albums out of the same film. THE PRINCE OF EGYPT is an animated version of the story of Moses in Egypt, characterized by some famous voices (Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, etc.). While all three albums are related to the events depicted in the film, each represents a distinct musical style. The inspirational version features contemporary Christian artists, the country disc presents the best of modern-day Nashville and the third is a mainstream pop offering. So whether you go for Mariah Carey or Shirley Caesar, you're bound to find something to your taste on one of these releases.

While the inspirational disc is focuses on the more spiritual aspects of the story, it's anything but traditional-sounding. Take 6's "Destiny" is a syncopated, Eastern-flavored variation on the group's rich harmony sound. Jars of Clay and dc Talk offer up some rootsy but modern-sounding pop-rock on "Everything in Between" and "My Deliverer" respectively. Carman works his quirky, genre-bending magic on the unpredictable "God Will Take Care of Me" and Brian McKnight adds a bit of R&B flavor with the touching "Father." minimize