The genre of gospel music has changed quite a bit in
the past hundred years. Traditionally,
gospel music was typified by the great choirs, men and women singing in unison
and creating ethereal tones that transported people with their simple, soulful
eloquence and vertical lyrics.
Gradually, however, as the face of music itself changed and new genres
were birthed, groups like the Blind Boys of Alabama would rise up and gather
together the sounds of rhythm and blues until Andrae Crouch came along and
brought even more change. In more recent
days, artists like Kirk Franklin and Tye Tribbett, among others, have marched
onto the scene, merging the contemporary pop and hip hop sounds with those traditional
notes into a new brand of gospel.
Peter Link is yet another artist set to add his
fingerprint to the soul of gospel music.
Link’s resume is varied, boasting experience as an award-winning
composer, lyricist, record producer, and performer, among other things. He’s written scores for film and television
as well as for large-scale Broadway productions and it’s that theatrical
element which plays heavily into his arrangements on his latest work, Goin’ Home: On Heaven and Beyond. In his own words, the recording was written
as a “gospel cantata,” as a composition of music written and based around a
spiritual text.
In this case, that text, or subject matter as it may
be, is the subject of Heaven or of passing from this life to the next. Link shares that after a spiritual reading
regarding those who had not prepared for their transition from life to death, “I
thought to myself, “I’d like to go through that experience, when it comes,
fully aware and alert, expectant joyful, and filled with spiritual curiosity.
When it comes to that transition, we Americans tend to look the other way and
pretend that it doesn’t exist. I don’t want to be like that." Thus, Link’s recording carries a sense of
straightforwardness and offers a head on look into the face of death and what
he believes lies beyond.
The recording opens up with a classic choral feel,
mining the traditions of the gospel genre with “Goin’ Home (Opening)” but
quickly opens up into something more modern with the funky bass guitar and
blowing horns of “To My Father’s House,” strengthened by powerful lead vocals
and a much more contemporary feel.
Things slow down a bit with the entry of “Heaven” which again boasts
great vocals alongside a building arrangement.
The theology of the song takes the road less traveled from more
traditional sects and offers a unique perspective here as well.
More funk in the intro and a touch of an island feel
color “I Ain’t Gonna Grieve My Lord No More/I Got a Robe,” which, sadly, is one
of the album’s least powerful tracks.
The arrangement and delivery, with a male and female vocalist trading
duties, just falls short, the song seeming trite and childish in the midst of
these heavier topics. Perhaps that sense
of new childhood is what is implied but, sadly, it fails.
Thankfully, there’s more to be heard and songs like “There’s
a Mountain in My Way,” with its rousing piano work and big horns that stand out
alongside a Latin-fueled bridge jam, “In Dat Great Gettin’ Up Mornin’,” and the
traditional that segues into the modern take of “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In”
that keep the train rolling. The latter
in particular fares rather well, particularly as it builds, adding in a solid
and successful infusion of hip hop into the arrangement and bridging the gap.
Without context, the rest of Link’s album falters
however, as pieces like “Embrace the Rainbow,” “I Can’t Go Home,” and “What
Could Have Been” tap far more into that theatrical bent and feel as though they
don’t fit the overall template. Taken in
context, though, the tracks make far more sense, seen as pieces of Link’s “gospel
cantata” vision and holding their own.
In an overall sense, Peter Link’s Goin’ Home: On Heaven and Beyond is a
work that reflects very much the heartbeat and experience of its composer. From the high profile performers heard to the
varied arrangements that tackle multiple genre choices, Link’s passion and
heart is heard here. And as an album it
works pretty well. But one can only
imagine that the artist envisions this recording as a live performance and that
is something that would be well worth seeing.
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