Published on Dec 2, 1998
I normally don’t sit on records for a year after I receive
promotional copies in the mail. But I had to make an exception in
the case of
A Star In The East – A Spiritual Christmas from Thomas
Young. You see, the disc arrived in the mail a short time after
Christmas had passed, and it would have seemed very strange to be
reviewing a Christmas album in January. Fortunately, my friends at
Ocean Records (as well as another label, whose disc also suffered
the same fate, and will be reviewed later this week) were very
understanding and patient.
Young (who made an appearance on “The Daily Vault” earlier this
year with
Claire De Lune And Sister Moon), along with The American
Pops Orchestra and Timeline (Choral Ensemble), put a spin on
Christmas music that many people have forgotten about. With all the
sanitized, sterilized music we hear in the shopping malls at this
time of year, Young tries to remind us just what the season really
is about – and he does this with twelve songs that focus on the
spiritual aspect of the holidays.
Now, from the description of the disc, you’d probably expect
this to be gospel-based – and I was happily prepared to settle in
for an afternoon of gospel chorus fronted by Young’s rich tenor. In
fact, there is very little gospel (at least in the sense that many
people know it) in
A Star In The East – and I was more than a tad disappointed
at that.
Having made this admission, I also have to come forth and say
that the music contained herein is quite good, once you’ve made the
adjustment to it. Both a collection of songs to worship the season
to and a primer in black history (“Rockin’ J”, which is the least
Christmas-like to me), I can understand why I got this disc in
between Christmas and Black History Month.
Granted, I didn’t always get the vibe that this was a Christmas
disc – the opening minute of “Who Was Mary?” has a funeral dirge
atmosphere to it, though the song improves over time. Fortunately,
these moments don’t occur too often on this album; tracks like
“Mary Had A Baby” and “Behold The Star” quickly erase any doubts
one might have had about the quality of this disc.
The biggest roadblock that
A Star In The East has to face is its difference to much of
the Christmas music that we’ve all grown up listening to. While
selections like “Rise Up, Shepherd” might not have the pop
catchiness that we’re used to, it has something else –
texture, and heart. For the most part, this disc doesn’t
sound like it was recorded just to have a holiday album out on the
market. No, it sounds a little more honest – I like that.
Whether Young’s voice is blending in with the choral ensemble
(and a selection of talented vocalists) or he’s backed only by a
piano, it is on this album – moreso than on his last effort for
Ocean – that his voice truly comes into its own, no disrespect
meant towards Young or his previous efforts.
A Star In The East is not your typical Christmas album – and
in some ways, that’s its strongest suit. Although its style takes
some getting used to, this is a pleasant album for the season, and
one that shouldn’t be ignored… ahem, even by me.