::ALBUM REVIEW::

Fred Hammond created the ultimate gospel record with "Pages Of Life: Chapters I & II" (1998), after experiencing a great run of album releases prior ("The Inner Court", "Spirit of David"). Probably one of the earlier double-disc successful efforts in Gospel's history, this project helped launch Hammond's brand of urban worship to the immediate gospel audiences and only solidified his reign as a modern day David. "Pages Of Life: Chapters I & II" is divided into two efforts: one being an all studio collection while the other presents a special live recording of Fred Hammond & Radical For Christ at the Straight Gate Church in Detroit, Michigan featuring live versions of material from the studio side while incorporating a good dose of his classics. While the live album may be a favored choice to hearken to for repetitive listens, the studio mix is more polished and has a earthy feel to it incorporating elements of smoldering funk, mixes of adult-contemporary/R&B and innovative gospel techniques.

Serious highlights from the first disc are great and are easily compared to Hammond's previous works. The encouraging "Your Steps Are Ordered" has a splendid groove and is saturated in choral fire from RFC. And the live hard drum licks from Marvin McQuitty bring out a sudden effectiveness that brings a greater spunk to the notes. "Jesus Is All" is a neat contemporary revision of the classic hymn; blending in soft synth sparks and Fred's dirty bass. "Please Don't Pass Me By", probably one of Hammond's overlooked ballads, is tailor-made into a glorious and sweet perfection. It has a laidback Quiet Storm presence and showcases a sincere and emotional vocal from Hammond. Another meaningful ballad, "All Things Are Working" captures the special traditional choir structures as Hammond vocally drives the lyrics to heart. "Just To Be Close To You", a two-minute worshipful interlude that actually sounds like a vamp to one of an unreleased number, is a clean representation of the brand of sensitive worship Hammond is noted for creating. Other funk tunes like "Let The Praise Begin" (which appears on the live set), "He's God" and the hip-hop-spiced "I Wanna Know Your Ways" help to complete the studio offering, even though the ballads are still the most effective.

The second disc contains the hits most expect to hear in a Fred Hammond concert: "When The Spirit Of The Lord", "Glory To Glory To Glory", "No Weapon" and a mine-minute closing of "We're Blessed/Shout Unto God". "Your Steps Are Ordered" is also slowed down a little more on the live offering and possesses a special gospel-tinged vibe that is sure to set gospel choirs afire. And the neat closer on "Jesus Is All" drives the experience of the sanctified church into the mix as Hammond shouts out charismatic lyrics upon holiness phrasing and the band's breakdowns. Donald Hayes joins the band with a few saxophone solos, while Kim Rutherford delivers a few powerful spoken word segments that elevates the live recording to a higher level of enjoyment. Noel Hall also showcases a musical brilliance of mastering the keyboards; which is synonymous to Hammond's trademark sound.

When making a close observation of Fred Hammond's composition skills on "Pages Of Life: Chapters I and II", one can easily witness his attempts to create a crossover sound, but he doesn't stray from thick gospel lyrics and is quick to jump from any attempt to sugarcoating his message. To best sum up this project, it is a brilliant contemporary record showcasing a great chunk of Hammond's propulsive rhythms and enriching melodies; possibly the best during his glory period of the nineties. "Pages Of Life: Chapters I and II" was nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel album in 1999.