Heart of a Champion

Even in Contemporary Christian Music, a field in which musical styles are often adopted as a means of promoting the Christian message of the lyrics, Carman is a special case. Extraordinarily eclectic, this New Jersey native of Italian ancestry, who was in his mid-forties when he released this compilation, jumps from one popular music style to another, unafraid to turn to rap and funk for one song ("Who's in the House") and adult contemporary light pop for another ("I Promise"), before switching to the early-'60s rock & roll style of Gary U.S. Bonds ("Sunday School Rock"). Nor does he restrict himself to conventional pop and rock styles. He seems to be a big fan of the movies, and he delights in constructing recitatives based on movie genres, complete with appropriate music, some of which he is not above lifting. Thus, "Mission 3:16" sounds like something from a James Bond film, while "Satan, Bite the Dust!" has a Western feel that includes musical quotes from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and the TV series Bonanza, among other Western themes.

That Carman is so aggressive in his musical acquisitions may indicate a broad taste, but it is also evidence that, more than many other CCM artists, he isn't just out to give testimony to his faith, he's out to earn converts. His songs are often highly dramatic, with simple lyrics and exaggerated effects that, accompanied by an elaborate stage show, seem intended to turn the average basketball arena into a house of worship, if not a Christian Right political rally. On record, the songs can often seem wildly overdone, but onstage (and in his series of videos), they find their true context. This compilation reportedly was put together by asking fans to name their favorites, and the result is not a hits collection (The Absolute Best pretty much covered that aspect of Carman's career), but it does demonstrate the range of the singer's talents. Six new songs only extend things. Not surprisingly, Carman delves into trendy Latin pop with the title track and "Just Like He Said," while "Jesus Period" sounds like something from Alice Cooper's repertoire (except for the lyrics, of course). The single "Faith Enough" is heavily produced synth-rock, and "Prayer" and "I Promise" are AC ballads. Heart of a Champion is a generous, two-CD selection of a decade's worth of Carman's particular oeuvre. Not all of his fans are likely to have musical taste as broad as he does, but then that's what the select buttons on the CD player are for.