::ALBUM REVIEW::

If one could pull out the perfect project from all of Yolanda Adams' extensive discography, "Mountain High...Valley Low" (1999), her sixth studio album, stands out by a long shot. While it is true that the accolades and fame from this musical effort exceed her other projects, the obvious truth about this offering is that there is plenty of versatility celebrated here and Adams doesn't hold back vocally even on the safe, inspirational tunes. She is confident on each track and the music has a splendid edge of freshness that shows no sign of being outdated. And it's pretty difficult in finding the better cuts, since all of them possess a strong visibility after a couple of listens.

Amongst the eleven-track offering, the irresistible "In The Midst Of It All", written by Kevin Bond, and Jam & Lewis' Quiet Storm-influenced "Open My Heart" share the thickest glory cloud with their special lyrics and musical movements. Both songs bear different vibes, but strongly possess the status of being gospel classics. The other cuts are also impressive and should not be overshadowed. "The Things We Do" has a CeCe Winans' posture - and it would make sense to believe that when Keith Thomas (producer and renowned songwriter for BeBe & CeCe Winans) co-writes and produces this cut. The encouraging lyrics and the smooth string arrangements of the Nashville String Machine, along with moving snippets of JFK's inaugural presidential speech Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech, all play a significant part in making this cut a special listening experience. "That Name", penned by Richard Smallwood, explores Adams' signature moves on powerful ballads such as on songs like "The Good Shepherd" and "Through The Storm". With delicate string arrangements from Darrin Atwater and powerful background vocals provided by Vision, this song remains true to Smallwood's sound while Adams showcases one of her most memorable vocals performances. "Wherever You Are" once again finds Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis delivering the goods with their urban-styled R&B grooves on a classy, first-class production. The closing number and the third presentation from Jam & Lewis' lab, "Already Alright", has a fun, dance vibe dipped in infectious hip-hop rhythms and encouraging lyrics. Fred Hammond delivers a uptempo, contemporary track to the mix with "Continual Praise" which contains his juicy bass thumps and Radical For Christ's zealous harmonies. When the vamp sounds off, the music takes on a spunky funk while Adams showers out soulful ad-libs.

Elektra Records believed that Yolanda Adams, after the release of this project, would reach a new audience with her impassioned, flawless vocals. With singles like "Open My Heart" (aimed mostly to R&B/Hip-Hop radio) and "In The Midst Of It All", she did just that. But to just look at those cuts without exploring the beauty of the cuts surrounding these tunes would be an unwise move. Adams pulled out a great list of her greatest hits on the Benson/Tribute and Verity music labels, but Elektra's "Mountain High...Valley Low", with its fluid, creative textures and intense range of versatility, is her greatest album to date.

"Mountain High...Valley Low" received a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album in 2000 and "Open My Heart" was a Top 10 R&B hit and won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song.