Champion of Love

Description

Champion of Love is the fifth studio album by the American vocal pop group Glad, released on Greentree Records in 1985, distributed by The Benson Company. The album was produced by Ed Nalle, Bob Kauflin and Glad.

Glad has undergone numerous personnel changes over the past ten years, but one thing that hasn’t change is their dedication to quality. The band continues to produce slick, synth-based pop with their trademark seamless vocals prominent in the mix. A contemporary point of reference might by White Heart with Glad leaning in a pop direction in the same places that White Heart leans toward rock.

The band has always proded itself on recruiting highly proficient players, but from time to time this “textbook” approach to rock fails to generate a great deal of excitement. That’s not to say that their writing is not exemplary. Glad alumnus Bob Kauflin contributes to seven of the nine tracks on ‘Champion of Love’, and the tunes are among his best compositions.

Glad is at their best when they stick to slower, worship-oriented material such as «Where Your Heart Is» and the title track, as beautiful a song as Kauflin has ever penned. Its place at the end of side one urges you to flip the disc, and when you do, you’re greeted by «God Is My Rock», an a cappella piece reminiscent of The Association. This gives way to «Giantkiller» with a spunky guitar solo that reveals the band as capable of rocking harder. «We Know» follows, built on a jazzy, Al Jarreau-flavored riff. The closer, «For So Long», is driven by a clever sax/guitar hook with background vocals that sound less choral and a lead vocal that seems more relaxed and casual. Once Glad shakes off their “laboratory” approach and gets their hands dirty, they’ve got the chops to play anything they set their minds to. I hope next time it’s a little more daring. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, May 1986]

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Still On The Side Of Love” – 3:33
A2. “Stand Or Fall” – 3:41
A3. “Where Your Heart Is” – 4:08
A4. “True To You” – 3:36
A5. “Champion Of Love” – 4:25

Side Two
B1. “God Is My Rock” – 1:08
B2. “Giant Killer” – 3:40
B3. “We Know” – 4:01
B4. “The More I Know Of You” – 3:59
B5. “For So Long” – 4:03

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Greentree Records. Re-issued on CD by Light Records. As well re-issued on CD (minus the last track on the LP, “For So Long”) by Benson in 1989 featuring Who Do You Love as well (two albums on one disc).