Texas band Liberation Suite cut their teeth in the mid seventies on mission work and solid Christian ministry over here in the UK. Working in Ireland at the worst time of "the troubles" the band always were an outfit who liked to ensure the message was at the front of everything they did.
Their self titled debut album in 1975 became a classic piece of CCM, recorded in London. It would be six years before they ventured back into a studio for a follow up, again recorded in the UK. Over the years the line up has changed but the message hasn't. They haven't exactly flooded the market with Lib Suite releases but have managed to maintain a fan base interested in what they do. Having re-released a 25th anniversary version of their debut, it's nice to get a set of new songs from the current line up.
Musically, there isn't anything new here but the band seem to be having a great time rocking out on "Oh Lord You Know" which gallops along in a fifties rock'n'roll vein. And the band aren't afraid to turn everything up to eleven for some heavy blues rock on "Don't Forget Love"! Overall though this is within the blues rock genre, there's enough variety to keep things interesting.
Upbeat stuff like "Little Bit of Heaven" and "Babes & Fools" is solidly presented as the band demonstrate their chops when it comes to mastering a variety of blues styles. Highlights for me include the funky vibe to "Fight For the Light" which visits the truth of the need for us to be masters of our own thinking before the enemy tries to deceive us.
"Angel of Light" chills things out a little bit, slowing the pace but not for long because there is some blistering guitar to be enjoyed on "To Serve Mankind" as the band get down to a blues funk workout. There's even a Gospel tinged version of "Were You There" bringing their own slant to the traditional spiritual.
Overall, like Glenn Kaiser, it seems totally appropriate for one of Christendom's pioneering rock bands to still be making music more than a quarter of a century later and for them to join the myriad of rockers who have embraced the blues as an effective communication of their creativity. And it's also reassuring to find this bunch of rockers still passionately communicating their faith.
Welcome back Liberation Suite!
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