Kathy Troccoli - Greatest Hits (2002)

Kathy Troccoli began her successful recording career in 1982 when Reunion Records issued her immediate hit album, Stubborn Love. Over the next 20 years she amassed numerous number one hits on the contemporary Christian singles chart, made 12 solo albums, and even had a couple of songs cross over onto the mainstream pop charts. Adding to her legacy, Reunion finally issued a well-deserved Greatest Hits disc that celebrates one of CCM's most popular vocalists and songwriters. Troccoli's voice has always been the main attraction as her deep, smoky tones uniquely envelope songs of inspiration and worship that comfort like a warm blanket. It also helps that she has the ability to both write and choose material that matches her instrument to great effect as heard on the majestic "A Different Road," where she confidently leads a surging orchestra and choir without resorting to the kind of vocal pyrotechnics used by her pop diva counterparts. The same could be said for the newly recorded version of her 1984 song "Holy Holy." Originally a slight, chugging '80s synth track, Troccoli transforms the painfully dated song with a beautiful arrangement and performance that easily becomes one of the best in her catalog. The title track from Stubborn Love also gets a makeover with fine results while the balance of the songs retain their original hit versions. With such an extensive catalog, Reunion should already be issuing a second volume of Troccoli's hits, as the mere 14 songs on Greatest Hits are not enough to cover the breadth of her career; and since space on a single disc is limited, omissions have been made. While Troccoli's biggest crossover hit is included, the Diane Warren-penned "Everything Changes," her other pop entry, "Tell Me Where It Hurts," is missing from the lineup along with other major CCM hits. Nonetheless, this is a fine collection that should please fans as well as newcomers who are discovering the gifts of song and inspiration offered by Troccoli.© Aaron Latham /TiVo