Praise and Worship

Gospel vocal powerhouse Commissioned get compiled yet again, this time with an eye on their "Praise & Worship" material and their years on Verity/Zomba -- minus the inclusion of "Unworthy," which comes from 1984 album I'm Going On, originally released by Light. The collection is a fine introduction to the R&B-driven gospel act, and while the 1999 release The Best of Commissioned is a better value at 16 tracks, it didn't have "Unworthy" or the four live cuts included here, pulled from the energetic 2002 release The Commissioned Reunion: Live. If you already have the live album, this is a nice way to finish off the Verity years, since it collects many of the softer numbers that didn't get live showcases. ~ David Jeffries