Description
The Broken Christmas is multi-artist Christmas album featuring all of the current Broken/BAI (Brainstorm Artists International) roster as well as some upcoming artists, released on Broken Records in 1988, a Brainstorm Artists International imprint manufactured and distributed by Word. The album was produced and recorded for Brainstorm by Ojo Taylor (of Undercover) and Gene Eugene (of Adam Again) at Neverland Studios in Los Alamitos and Whitefield Studios in Santa Ana, California. Featuring cover artwork by Michael Knott.
‘The Broken Christmas’ is an edgy release from Broken Records. This is a compilation album of Broken artists performing mostly traditional carols generally in an offbeat manner.
The highlights include an Undercover reunion for «O Come All Ye Faithful», with vocals by the last two Undercover lead vocalists, Bill Walden and Sim Wilson. J.C. and the Boyz, a new Broken act from New York, perform a rap interpretation of «Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer», calling it «Rudy Red».
There is a Mellencamp-like version of «O Holy Night» from The Reign; a raw garage performance of «Silent Night» by The Holidays; and a smooth R&B/pop original Christmas song called «Follow the Star» from House Party, with Chris Brigandi (Wild Blue Yonder, Lifters) and Brian Ray (Lifters). A great standout is Adam Again‘s number and solo artist Riki Michele‘s lovely (and somewhat out-of-place) version of «The First Noel». [Mike Atkinson, CCM, December 1988]
Once upon a time long ago (about ten years ago), in a land far away (California), there was a label run by and for artists called Broken Records. While this special label was alive it put out several great records and one great Christmas collection. These days, you’d be very lucky to find anything on the Broken label, yet The Broken Christmas was one of the coolest Christmas records ever when it was first released in 1988. Although this collection is next to impossible to locate, should you happen across one, grab it!
With all time greats like Ojo Taylor and Gene Eugene guiding the recording and music, the result is an almost dark Christmas in minor keys. An excellent example, Adam Again does a wailing «Angels We Have Heard On High», with Eugene and Riki Michele (his wife at the time) moaning the gloria’s over screaming guitars. With his brother and mother as guest musicians, Ojo takes «Hark the Herald Angels Sing» to a cooler, jazzier place then we are used to hearing. In several spots on this album, the choruses are effectively slowed down for a more serious impact, such as The Reign’s «O Holy Night», Riki Michele’s memorable «The First Noel», which features Gene Eugene on all instruments and opens the record, and 411’s «What Child Is This».
There are lighter moments as well, mostly in the form of upbeat and fun originals such as: «Born In a Stable» by the Level Heads, the bouncy «Follow the Star» by House Party (which is Rob Watson and Brian Ray), and «Rudy Red» by rappers J.C. & The Boys, which is down right giddy. The great Undercover with Gym playing a howling guitar, Gary Olson on drums, Sim Wilson on vocals, and Ojo playing keyboards, rocks through their version of «O Come All Ye Faithful». The only low spot is The Holidays’ wrecked version of «Silent Night» with its bar room beat and bellowing vocal.
The record closes with the aforementioned «Follow The Star», featuring a terrific bass line and smokey blues guitar leads at every break by Chris Brigandi. That song leads nicely into the last and most haunting arrangement on the collection, in which Gene Eugene and Riki Michele’s voices lament Israel’s waiting for the Christ child’s coming on «O Come, O Come Immanuel». With Ojo on keyboards, Marcus Carman on guitar and Gary Olson on drums, it is a moody masterpiece.
A mix of up and down, light and dark, broken and fixed, The Broken Christmas celebrates Christmas from a couple of directions and successfully leads the listener along these different paths to a manager in a cave stable, covering a Savior who has left glorious places to come to humble people’s hearts. From the dark cover painting by Michael Knott, to the music inside this CD, one would be hard pressed to find a cooler Christmas collection. [Tony LaFianza, The Phantom Tollbooth, December 11/9/98]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-broken-christmas/476752932)
CD tracklist:
01. Riki Michele – The First Noel – 4:09
02. Undercover – O Come All Ye Faithful – 3:31
03. Level Heads – Born In A Stable – 4:29
04. J.C. & The Boyz (M.C. Scroller) – Rudy Red – 2:53
05. Ojo – Hark The Herald Angels Sing – 3:48
06. 4-4-1 – What Child Is This – 3:55
07. Adam Again – Angels We Have Heard On High – 6:02
08. The Reign – O Holy Night – 3:54
09. The Holidays – Silent Night – 3:58
10. House Party – Follow The Star – 5:50
11. Gene Eugene, Riki Michele, Ojo – O Come O Come Immanuel – 5:08
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Broken Records.
Ojo Taylor talks about Undercover and the Broken Christmas album.
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