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Track Listing
1. How Great Is Our God (The World Sings) (New Recording)
2. Our God
3. Forever (New Recording)
4. The Wonderful Cross (with Matt Redman)
5. Famous One
6. We Fall Down (New Recording)
7. Indescribable
8. Holy Is the Lord
9. Enough
10. Made to Worship
11. Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)
12. Jesus Messiah
13. God of This City (Live from Passion)
14. I Will Rise
15. How Great Is Our God
Chris Tomlin - How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection
If ever there was an album to demonstrate which worship songs have captured the church's imagination over the past few years, this has to be it. Chris Tomlin has introduced us to so many songs that have gone on to become firmly established in our churches - even the secular establishment that is Time Magazine, the world's largest weekly news magazine with a global audience of 25 million, acknowledges that Chris Tomlin is the "most often sung artist anywhere", with over 40 million people estimated to be singing his songs each week in church congregations worldwide.
All fourteen songs on this... Read More If ever there was an album to demonstrate which worship songs have captured the church's imagination over the past few years, this has to be it. Chris Tomlin has introduced us to so many songs that have gone on to become firmly established in our churches - even the secular establishment that is Time Magazine, the world's largest weekly news magazine with a global audience of 25 million, acknowledges that Chris Tomlin is the "most often sung artist anywhere", with over 40 million people estimated to be singing his songs each week in church congregations worldwide.
All fourteen songs on this album appear in the Top 120 most sung songs at churches (according to the CCLI Chart), and to make this Greatest Hits collection even more special, the album features several new recordings of those songs, starting with the current number 1 CCLI song, 'How Great Is Our God'. Subtitled 'The World Sings', this new recording starts with a warbling guitar and some gentle Indian or African sounding chants before Chris kicks off the singing. "The splendor of the King, clothed in Majesty. Let all the earth rejoice", but then worship leaders from all over the world take it in turns to sing a few lines of the song in their native languages. Chris' vocal is interspersed throughout the song, guiding it along, before other languages take over again. It all helps to provide this immense sense of all the world singing out together, worshipping one God. It is truly spine tingling, especially when the African echos in the chorus add a new layer to this ultimate worship anthem.
'Our God' is one of my favourite worship songs at the moment, but then again - looking through this track listing, how many of these songs have featured in my favourites list in recent times? It seems incredible that one man is responsible for all these songs: 'Indescribable', 'Famous One', 'Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)', 'Forever', and the list just goes on. The new version of 'Forever' recorded for this project opens with a backing choir singing while a gentle piano and guitars play, before the familiar opening line begins. "Give thanks to the Lord our God and King, His love endures forever." The chorus has been given added strength with some new guitars providing a louder feel whilst the message continues to ring out as clear as ever, "Forever God is with us". The song ends with more of the backing choir and some jangling guitar riffs, making for a beautiful piece of music.
British worship leader Matt Redman joins Chris for 'The Wonderful Cross', singing the opening verse of this modern version of the familiar old hymn: "When I survey the wonderous cross on which the Prince of Glory died". Then Chris takes over to sing the new chorus, "Oh the Wonderful Cross, bids me come and die and find that I may truly live". This wonderfully updated song is still a favourite whenever it gets sung at my church.
'We Fall Down' has also been newly recorded for this Greatest Hits collection. Opening with a piano and gentle strings, it is a hushed prayer to God. Mid way through, the strings and piano build up to be accompanied by an ever increasing guitar riff that erupts as a Chris sings "We cry holy holy holy is the Lamb", again backed by a choir.
'God Of This City', originally by Bluetree but quickly picked up and given worldwide exposure by Chris, features backing vocals from the large crowd in attendance at the Passion Conference in the US where it was recorded live. The crowd singing along during the chorus and that wonderful sense of live worship, plus a magnificent guitar solo in the middle, makes this an electrifying version of a stunning song.
Sometimes artists release a 'Greatest Hits' prematurely (I'm sure we can all think of bands who think that the words 'third album' and 'greatest hits' are one and the same), but Chris Tomlin not only has more than enough suitable songs to fill such a collection, he also delivers ground breaking new versions of some of those already incredibly popular songs. If 40 million people sing these songs each week, the guy must be doing something right. It's not called the Essential collection for nothing. You will not find a better album of church worship songs anywhere - truly incredible.
Review By Dave Wood
LTTM Rating 5 Out of 5 Stars Standout Tracks
How Great Is Our God
Our God
God Of This City
Chris Tomlin, the renowned worship leader and songwriter, has now released his first greatest hits album 'How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection'. Referred to by Time Magazine as the "most often sung artist anywhere"…
One of the world's most popular worship leaders, Chris Tomlin, will release a collection of all his most sung worship tracks on one album, titled 'How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection', on 15th November 2011. According…
