::ALBUM REVIEW::

Winning an incredible three GRAMMYs in one year is an astonishing feat for any gospel artist - especially since there’s very few categories for gospel artists to be nominated in at the prestigious award show. But the Clark Sisters achieved such an accomplishment with their reunion project, Live - One Last Time - at the 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards and to top it off they performed on the live telecast in front of millions with the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin by performing their super crossover hit, “You Brought The Sunshine (Into My Life).” Still, it was the perfect opportunity for the famed gospel group to reach a much greater demographic and to gain new listeners with their highly televised performance. And with this new spotlight of fame, T.D. Jakes’ Dexterity Sounds, along with Warner’s Rhino music label, decided it was definitely the right time to zoom in on the Clark Sisters’ rich legacy by assembling the group’s first ever greatest hits compilation. On Encore: The Best of the Clark Sisters, the bulk of the material places its focus around the group’s tenure at the now-defunct Rejoice label (supported by Word Records) in which they recorded three albums for them from 1986 to 1989.

While it is certain that the Clark Sisters, according to Billboard and unit sales, enjoyed their greatest tenure on the high-profiled music label of Rejoice, denying their important contributions on the Detroit-based Sound of Gospel label is certainly unavoidable. 'Encore' does just that by pulling eleven tracks from the Word catalog into a collection also featuring snippets of autobiographical commentary from Karen Clark-Sheard and Jacky Clark-Chislom. Opening up the project is a Cedric & Victor Caldwell-arrangement of “You Brought The Sunshine;” featuring American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle. The newly-crafted version, dipped into a slower rhythm, is so sophisticated in its sound that it loses the funky authenticity of the original. The intention of the tribute may be well intended, but the performance can be easily ranked to a four-minute transitional interlude. Even the inserted commentaries, irritatingly placed in between the song selections, faces rebuke from listeners with the anonymous background personnel offering chatter and even laughter throughout the enclosed interviews. What the album does excel in doing is bringing to light some of the Clark Sisters’ out-of-print hits. “Balm In Gilead” and “Pray For The USA” - both from the GRAMMY-nominated Heart and Soul (1986) project - are easily heralded to be album stand outs, while songs like the Steve Wenger dance hit “Time Out” and “More Than A Conqueror” showcase the group’s undeniable talent on 80s synth-driven R&B. The live version of ”My Redeemer Liveth,” powered by funky percussion, thick bass and Dorinda Clark’s jazzy riffs, simply redefines Twinkie Clark’s stunning songwriting performed at its best in a live recording setting. The power ballad “Take Me Higher,” featuring a stunning lead performance from Karen Clark, is also featured and almost feels revelatory in uncovering a definite solo career for the popular singer.

Possessing great expectations with such a title labeled “the best of” usually disappoints when shortcomings of improper song selection enters into the equation. Rhino, being one of the super juggernauts in modern music compilations, have succeeded in manufacturing some of the best compilations on this side of heaven for a number of artists like Aretha Franklin, the Winans and Anita Baker. And even though the previously mentioned have their Detroit connections, their compilations also are packaged with big hits from other labels besides the Warner-owned library. The failure to not include the original version of “You Brought The Sunshine (Into My Life)” is hard to accept; especially since the song was shopped through Elektra for mass distribution in the early 80s. Maybe one or two songs from the Sound of Gospel empire or even a few obscure tracks like “Is My Living In Vain?” or “Expect A Miracle” (from the Tomato Music Group - currently owned by Sony Music) would have been suffice. It probably wouldn’t have hurt the compilation if a remix of “Sunshine” was presented, rather than the Doolittle rendition or the dated version found on the closing medley taken from the Bringing It Back Home project. It’s also hard to not forgive the omissions of “Jesus Forevermore” or “Scars Into Stars” - also from the Rejoice/Word catalog. But the Clark Sisters have nothing serious to worry about - they are still making hits with their best-selling Live - One Last Time album. Maybe, just maybe, Rhino might be preparing to work on a cohesive, defined compilation best summarizing this group’s colorful musical legacy. The Clark Sisters certainly deserve much more than a mediocre, bargain-tinged and unfair “greatest hits” compilation.