Pastor TL Barrett And The Youth For Christ Choir - Like A Ship (Without A Sail)

Published Saturday 2nd June 2012
Pastor TL Barrett And The Youth For Christ Choir - Like A Ship (Without A Sail)
Pastor TL Barrett And The Youth For Christ Choir - Like A Ship (Without A Sail)

STYLE: Gospel
RATING 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 105234-17758
LABEL: Light In The Attic
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Tony Cummings

The unexpected appearance of this album from 1971 on CD in 2010 shows that even when the African American audience for which albums like this were originally targeted have moved on to newer styles there still remains a small enclave of white record collectors and adventurous music buffs willing to give old school gospel a listen. Chicago Pastor T L Barrett formed this youth choir (nothing to do with the Youth For Christ organisation) from young members of Mount Zion Baptist Church. The original independent vinyl pressing of 'Like A Ship (Without A Sail)' never made it out of the mid-west but now a new niche audience has discovered its fiery power. The album is considerably better than most church-financed gospel efforts and producer Gene Barge, by bringing in such top rate musicians as bassist Richard Evans and Phil "You Can't Sit Down" Upchurch, is able to add some raw funk power to the rich dynamics of the voices. Standouts are "Ever Since", brimming over with call-and-response urgency, and the title track, which showcases the good Reverend in fine voice. Not quite in the same class as the Edwin Hawkins Singers' "Oh Happy Day", but then few choir records are and it's certainly good to see an album brim full of spiritual proclamation spreading the word amongst atheistic soul fans (for example, reviewer Dave Segal wrote about the album, "Pastor T L Barrett and the Youth For Christ Choir work some serious miracles on 'Like A Ship (Without A Sail)'. I now loathe religion a tiny bit less."

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.