Anointed (CD - 1999)

Additional personnel includes: Tony Rich (vocals, keyboards); Herchel Boone (vocals); John "Jubu" Smith (guitar, bass); Chris Rodriguez, George Cocchini, Pete Moore (guitar); Keith Crouch (drums).

Producers: Mark Heimermann, Tony Rich, Keith Crouch, Wayne Tester, Kern Brantley.

ANOINTED was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album.

Anointed's eponymous album is a head-on collision of spiritual themes, R&B, pop, and club-oriented dance music. The steady, pounding dance beat, chattering synthesizers, and wah-wah guitars offer easy access to the dance floor. The soulful, note-perfect three-part harmonies bespeak more than a nodding acquaintance with the pop verities. There's a higher power at work here, though. Though a casual listener could conceivably miss the message behind the music, there are strong spiritual themes running through the lyrics. From the exultant, celebratory "Revive Us" to the feathery ballad "It Must Have Been Angels," the trio sings of things far beyond the earthly realm. Aspirations toward the world beyond never get in the way of solid pop hooks and supple R&B grooves, though. minimize