Worship & Faith

1	He's My Rock, My Sword, My Shield 2:30
2	Farther Along 3:39
3	How Great Thou Art 4:29
4	Just a Closer Walk With Thee 4:37
5	Shall We Gather at the River? 3:16
6	You Are Worthy of My Praise 4:18
7	Love Lifted Me / Mac Powell 3:11
8	Softly and Tenderly 3:19
9	Sweet By and By 2:27
10	Blessed Assurance 3:28
11	I'll Fly Away 2:59
12	Turn Your Radio On 2:37
13	Open the Eyes of My Heart 3:55
14	In the Garden 3:21
15	Above All 4:14
16	Will the Circle Be Unbroken? 3:08
17	We Fall Down 3:40
18	Peace in the Valley 3:58
19	The Unclouded Day 2:56
20	Room at the Cross for You 1:30

Barnes & Noble

His recent "inspirational journey" has created an unexpected career renaissance for Randy Travis, and for his latest faith-based foray, he turns his burnished baritone toward classic church hymns. This choice may have given Travis fans some pause -- his previous Christian albums focused on original gems such as "Three Wooden Crosses" and "The Carpenter" -- but no fear, Travis is a song stylist to his core, breathing new life into this familiar fare. Give credit to longtime producer Kyle Lehning, who deftly countrifies these hymns, allowing Travis's vocals to fully express their message. Thus "Just a Closer Walk with Thee" and "He's My Rock, My Sword, My Shield" become country shuffles, "Peace in the Valley" is a delicately uplifting ballad, "Sweet By and By" becomes a bluegrass hymn. Travis is less convincing on the album's worship standards -- "You Are Worthy of My Praise," "Open the Eyes of My Heart," and "Above All" are too lyrically bland and repetitive to fit his vocal style. Thankfully, with 20 tracks, Worship & Faith has more hits than misses. Special guests John Anderson, Joy Lynn White, and Mac Powell of Third Day round out the surprises offered here. Lisa Zhito

All Music Guide

This may be Randy Travis' second gospel album in three years, but that doesn't make it redundant. Travis, like George Jones, Merle Haggard, and George Strait, could sing the back of a can of peas and make it sound inspired. When the material he takes on is the absolute core of country gospel and public domain spirituals, the result is nothing less than soul-stirring, powerful, honest, and truly beautiful. Here Travis takes on the reverential hymns such as "How Great Thou Art," "Peace In The Valley," "Room at the Cross For You," and "In The Garden," and makes them sound fresh and new. They are startling in their intensity and bare bones homage. In addition, the great nuggets of country gospel, such as "The Unclouded Day," "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," and "I'll Fly Away," are taken back to the country church where they came from. From the bluesy, honky tonk alleyway, Travis sings songs from the cannon like "He's My Rock, My Sword, My Shield," and "Just A Closer Walk With Thee." He reports from the dancefloor as the barroom clock is crossing over from Saturday night into Sunday morning. This is direct, unfiltered, hard-line gospel at its best, by a master. Thom Jurek