::ALBUM REVIEW::

Sounds of Blackness, without any doubt, was one of the most influential figures in all of contemporary gospel that successfully presented their brand of versatile music dipped in a crossover sound to the masses and in their zenith, recorded some of the most memorable R&B hits to date for any gospel artist. Who would have expected that from a 30-member choir hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota. But they did the unthinkable and invaded R&B/Hip-Hop and even pop stations across the globe from 1991 to 1994; with the help and guidance of their label founders' Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

"The Best Of" is a quick introduction to their sensational catalog and piles the bulk of their hits and favorites from the Perspective recordings ("The Evolution of Gospel", "Africa To America: The Journey of the Drum" and "Time For Healing"). Familiar songs like "Testify", "I Believe", "The Pressure", "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright", "Hold On (Change Is Comin')" and their biggest hit single which climbed to #3 on Billboard's R&B single charts, "Optimistic", can all be located here. Only thing to mention: the album versions and a few edits are what you get here. While these songs are true to the hits from their best-remembered projects, radio remixes are probably best remembered for songs like "Optimistic" and "Testify". And while the collection offers a surprising sixteen track collection, much of the action surrounds the production of R&B heavyweights Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. SOB was always known to deliver amazing interpretations of classic standards and very brilliant choices of music ranging from various modes of classical music to big-band jazz. The Best Of is true to the heart as it brings the hits to the table, but most of the memorable selections found on the albums that didn't gain major airplay show no sign here. The closest to that styling is "Chains"; a brief moody Negro spiritual that poses itself as a nice intro to "Optimistic". It's also nice to see "Black Butterfly" and the moving "Soul Holidays" (taken from their "The Night Before Christmas" 1992 project) presented.

With a few strange omissions including WOW Gospel 1998's "God Cares", Ann Nesby's powerful performance on "A Place In My Heart" and those irresistible dance workouts remixed by favorite DJs like Frankie Knuckles and various remixes of "The Pressure", this project only scratches the surface of indefinite hits from the Sounds of Blackness, but the careful chronological flow of offered songs, wise choice of songs from their peak years and a wonderful linear notes penned by the British Ambassador of Soul, David Nathan, makes this collection a wise resort to turn to for those interested in finding the definite greatest hits project for the famed vocal aggregation.