Barnes & Noble
Kathy Troccoli's diva-licious vibrato has brought the
singer numerous accolades in her 21-year career. Troccoli
first made a name for herself as a crossover dance-pop star; her
sparkling production and use of words like "You" and "Love" as
euphemisms for God had her poised to take on Amy Grant as the nascent Christian pop genre's first crossover sensation. Ironically, some of Troccoli's most
convincing Christian performances are from this era: the Diane
Warren-penned smash hit "Everything Changes" and "Mission of Love,"
both offered here, are two prime examples. Regardless, by the
mid-'90s Troccoli made herself over as a strictly inspirational
singer. "I Will Choose Christ" and "Love Has a Name" are two fine
pop-inspirational selections found on this retrospective. The subsequent
years have seen Troccoli perform in a torchier style, often
overwhelming her songs with heavy drama. A new recording of her
earlier hit "Stubborn Love" and "You're the Heart of Me" off her 2002
release are examples of this more ham-fisted approach. With 14 tracks,
Greatest Hits covers a lot of ground, though, and it's easy to
overlook a few low points when Troccoli's gifts are so resplendent throughout. Lisa Zhito
All Music Guide
Kathy Troccoli began her successful recording career in 1982 when Reunion Records issued her immediate hit album, Stubborn Love. Over the next 20 years she amassed numerous number one hits on the contemporary Christian singles chart, made 12 solo albums, and even had a couple of songs cross over onto the mainstream pop charts. Adding to her legacy, Reunion finally issued a well-deserved Greatest Hits disc that celebrates one of CCM's most popular vocalists and songwriters. Troccoli's voice has always been the main attraction as her deep, smoky tones uniquely envelope songs of inspiration and worship that comfort like a warm blanket. It also helps that she has the ability to both write and choose material that matches her instrument to great effect as heard on the majestic "A Different Road," where she confidently leads a surging orchestra and choir without resorting to the kind of vocal pyrotechnics used by her pop diva counterparts. The same could be said for the newly recorded version of her 1984 song "Holy Holy." Originally a slight, chugging '80s synth track, Troccoli transforms the painfully dated song with a beautiful arrangement and performance that easily becomes one of the best in her catalog. The title track from Stubborn Love also gets a makeover with fine results while the balance of the songs retain their original hit versions. With such an extensive catalog, Reunion should already be issuing a second volume of Troccoli's hits, as the mere 14 songs on Greatest Hits are not enough to cover the breadth of her career; and since space on a single disc is limited, omissions have been made. While Troccoli's biggest crossover hit is included, the Diane Warren-penned "Everything Changes," her other pop entry, "Tell Me Where It Hurts," is missing from the lineup along with other major CCM hits. Nonetheless, this is a fine collection that should please fans as well as newcomers who are discovering the gifts of song and inspiration offered by Troccoli. Aaron Latham