Two Miles High Music

Song List: Eden, Coming Alive, The Time is Now, Hold on, Safe, I'll always Love You, In Your City, Your Arrival, Because of your love, Cielo, and Heaven Song.

There is no way to write about Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth without acknowledging that the album was inspired by the 1996 death of Cindy Bullens's 11-year old-daughter, Jessie. Bullens had taken a long break from recording when tragedy prompted her to write and record these songs. But to dwell on the particulars of her awful experience would be to diminish the universal nature of a song such as "The Lights of Paris" (which could be about anyone who has lost the love of another) or the redemptive power of "I Gotta Believe in Something." Bullens has a voice that is honest and simple, yet capable of the assured performance that only experience brings. It cuts through the ringing guitars with pure rock & roll passion. Truth be told (and herein it is) these songs and performances represent the best of what popular music has to offer: the delineation of our pain and the tools to see us through it. Had she exorcised her sadness with a dark, highly personal work, Bullens might have felt better, but what would have been gained? Instead, with a little help from friends Bonnie Raitt, Bryan Adams, Lucinda Williams, and Rodney Crowell, Bullens reminds us why we listen to music in the first place. Michael Ross

''Heaven on Earth is the GREATEST song (for the CHURCH) I have ever heard!''-Israel Houghton ''Heaven on Earth takes you into another realm of God's presence! It's like no other song I ve ever heard!''-Martha Munizzi

The rise of Bollywood soundtracks in the West has led to an increased awareness of the unique and often kitschy music and their composers, which have a popularity in India that rivals that of top pop stars in the West. With hundreds of song credits ranging from ad jingles or film soundtracks, as well as the music for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Bollywood Dreams, the 38-year-old Rahman's resume is such that he's now considered one of the great composers of India. Based on his original score to the film Warriors Of Heaven And Earth, this album adaptation is Rahman's first full-fledged orchestral work. Eschewing tabla and sitar cliques, Rahman takes in influences of Turkey and China as well as India and integrates them into sweeping orchestral arrangements that recall the East-meets-West panoramic beauty of the The Last Emperor soundtrack. Rahman has the rare ability to articulate complex emotions without lyrics, and Between Heaven And Earth is the work of this master in full bloom. --Tad Hendrickson

One of the most underappreciated releases of 1999, Heaven & Earth features some of the most exciting and creative female talent in the Christian music world. Michelle Tumes's worshipful ballad "For the Glory of Your Name" leads off the release, and could be one of her better recording efforts. Producer John Hartley, who wrote and managed this pleasing project, magically segues Tumes's wistful number into Jennifer Knapp's Celtic-oriented "Whisper My Name." It's a device tastefully used throughout as artists Nichole Nordeman, Margaret Becker, and Rebecca St. James blend one into the other. The seamless threading of Tumes's "My Dwelling Place" into St. James's "River of Life" explains why these singers are so well drawn together. Although stylistically different, each woman approaches the music in a spirit of worship. This is so much more than a collection: it's truly a well-woven celebration of talent. --Michael Lyttle