With the exception of a release in 2002 and another compilation a few years later, this was the final official release from David Meece. It’s a "hits" compilation of sorts, but it misses a little too much to be considered a "greatest" hits collection. Indeed, with the exception of 1 radio edit from each of his previous 2 albums, they aren't represented here at all. Instead, this collection seems to toss a bunch of Meece's older hits into one collection. While this might make the flow a lot more jarring, it's a definite comprehensive collection of the best Meece had to offer prior to Learning to Trust.

 

The album's hits include the Mozart-inspired "Falling Down," the Bach-inspired "You Can Go," the passionate "Higher Ground," and the Good Friday ballad "Forgiven." All of these are fine examples of Meece's fine songwriting. The Christmas classic "One Small Child" finally gets an official release on a Meece album. Meece wrote this song when he was a teenager, I believe, and it became a classic covered by many other artists. It's almost ironic that Meece's recording of his own song isn't better known. The classical influence is on powerful display here, and despite it being a Christmas tune, it fits right in thematically and musically is a treasure of an inclusion.

 

The classic rock "Tumblin' Down" provides a higher-energy moment on the album and is an excellent example of Meece’s ability to shake things up. "His Love Was Reaching" is another classic Meece ballad. But Meece's signature ballad that has been covered many, many times and is arguably his most well known song is the powerful declaration of Christ's love for us "We Are The Reason." This one can also double as a Christmas song, and often does in many covers. With its profound chorus, it's truly a lyrical gem: "We are the reason that He gave his life / we are the reason that He suffered and died / to a world that was lost, He gave all He could give / to show us the reason to live." 

 

The new song from Meece’s previous compilation returns here and is a great inclusion. Truly "Seventy Times Seven" is probably one of Meece's better-known songs. Rightfully so due to its intense, rocking delivery and timeless theme of Christ's famous teaching on how often we are to forgive, and how we need Christ to forgive us. With a piano-driven melody with a splash of Latin flare, the song is one of Meece's most unique, but the pre-chorus establishes the song as a Meece classic. Lyrically, it’s also one of the stronger offerings on an already deep album, with profound and personal words such as "This prison has no walls / This bondage has no chains / My memories have no mercy / There's no one left to blame/Wish I could force back / The hands of time / And right every wrong / Grant me just this one last chance / Before it's gone, gone, gone."

 

As great as all of these hits are, the greatest inclusion on this album is arguably the album's sole original cut, the opening track "God’s Promise/Rainbows in the Night." Following in the tradition of Meece songs being inspired by a classical piece, this song is built around what is perhaps one of the most famous pieces of classical music today, Pachelbel's Canon. 

 

The song is a dynamic and breathtaking roller coaster ride, balancing the soft and loud to perfection. The chorus singing of God's promises to us is one of the most memorable in Christian music history: "God's promises are rainbows in the night / Shining hope inside when shadows cloud my eyes / His promises are rainbows in the night / Guiding through the darkest times / God's promises are rainbows in the night." If you listen to nothing else in Meece's catalogue, check this one out. That will be harder as this is one album of his that isn't available for download, to my knowledge. But this song is a true underrated treasure of Christian music.

 

All of Meece's music is arguably quite dated, taking many influences from the times it was released in. Yet, it also speaks to timely themes and thus should have lots of relevance to us today. The classical elements likely make the music more "timeless" than dated, as they’d always sound a tad out-of-place. Some of the ballads still hold up terrifically as well. So it's a bit of a mixed bag. Many of these songs could definitely still fit in with today's music, many are pleasant throwbacks, and many are just grand pieces of music that transcend musical trends. Meece is a fine musician and his music still offers much for us today. 

 

Meece still writes and plays a decent amount of shows. He hasn't released an album since 2002, but I’ve heard he's hoping to release more music with the songs he's written lately. He might not be on the frontlines of CCM anymore, but he's still there on the outskirts of the industry poised to hopefully deliver more classic tunes.

 

As greatest hits albums go, this is a worthy collection. While it misses most of the previous two albums (which should be bought on their own anyway), it covers most of Meece's biggest hits and its new song is one of the best Meece ever penned. Odyssey is one hits collection worth checking out.

 

I don't believe this is available for download but if you can somehow find it one day: "God's Promises/Rainbows in the Night"