RIOT CD

More a showman than a recording artist, Carman continues to be one of Christian music's top-drawing concert acts--he sold out the 55,000-seat Houston Astrodome in 1997 by himself. His sense for the theatrical carries over in R.I.O.T.: Righteous Invasion of Truth, a 1996 release that proves to be quite entertaining. Catch the clever airline motif in "God Is Exalted," the hip-hop edge of "R.I.O.T.," or the B-52's-ish "No Monsters" and you will hear a man that keeps his musical boundaries open. Whether it's old-time gospel, rap, rock, or even the countryish "Step of Faith," with Ricky Skaggs, Carman and producers Brown Bannister and Tommy Sims yield a lively and worthwhile release. --Michael Lyttle