Freedom

Description

Freedom is the sixth studio album by the American rock band White Heart, released on Sparrow Records in 1989. The album was recorded by Jeff Balding at The Bennett House Recording Studios and The Castle Recording Studios in Franklin and at Digital Recorders and OmniSound Studios in Nashville, Tennessee; with Brown Bannister producing. Mixed by Balding.

The band lineup on this album is Rick “Rikk” Florian (lead vocals), Mark Gersmehl (keyboards, lead and backing vocals), Billy Smiley (guitars and backing vocals), Gordon Kennedy (guitar, lead and backing vocals), Tommy Sims (bass, lead and backing vocals), and Chris McHugh (drums and backing vocals). Backing vocals provided by guests Eddie DeGarmo, Margaret Becker, Stan Armor, and Steven Curtis Chapman. “The River Will Flow” features lead vocals by Mark Gersmehl with Dave Perkins on harmony vocals.

The personnel in White Heart, which changed with alarming regularity prior to 1986, has remained constant for three years now. The maturity and cohesiveness that only time can bring are readily evident on ‘Freedom’. It is perhaps the band’s best and most consistent album of its career.

Original members Mark Gersmehl and Billy Smiley have vacated the producer’s chair in favor of Brown Bannister, with surprisingly terrific results. The shift has allowed Gersmehl and Smiley to concentrate on their writing and playing, which exceed their usual high standards. And it’s given Brown Bannister the opportunity to prove that he can ramrod a rock recording. Even Bannister’s previous benchmark, Amy Grant’s ‘Unguarded‘, did not bristle with the unbridled passion of ‘Freedom’.

The first, and most obvious, directional shift on ‘Freedom’ is the vocals of Rick Florian. Some pre-production rehearsals with Bannister and a vocal coach have helped Rick hone his considerable vocal prowess to a fine edge. You can judge the results for yourself on the metallic-pop of «Bye Bye Babylon» or the more controlled, but equally searing «I’ll Meet You There». Florian also shines, in tandem with Gordon Kennedy, on «Over Me» and Tommy Simms and Kennedy on «Invitation».

Kennedy’s guitar work is often the centerpiece of the 10 tracks. Never a flashy soloist, Kennedy is content to lay down crunching chords with Smiley («Power Tools», «Invitation») and carefully pick his spotlight moments. «Bye Bye Babylon» and «Let the Kingdom Come» are driven by Kennedy’s forceful lead bursts and choppy rhythmic support. Kennedy also contributes one of the album’s better lyrics – the satirical «Power Tools». He takes a topic that has been overdone (just what will happen when the last days come?) and gives it a new twist.

In assessing the album, Billy Smiley contended that “there was no emphasis on formula, or what the radio single would be.” For the most part, he’s seems right. White Heart has always built its songs around crisp, solid guitar and vocal hooks, and lyrics that avoid cliches. They’re largely successful on ‘Freedom’. Occasionally, they slip, and a phrase like, “If I could just love myself the way God loves me,” or “a high-flying eagle” or “after the storm, there’s a ray of gold” bogs down a song for a few seconds. But even in retreat, Florian’s voice and the seamless musicianship nearly always rescue the moment. In fact, until you reach the last two songs on the album, the sequencing and pace is excellent.

With ‘Freedom’, White Heart has finally captured the boundless enthusiasm for the Lord that has long distinguished its stage presentation. With a smidgen of airplay and a generous fan base, this album could quickly rise to the top. (CD contains bonus track, «Set the Bridge on Fire», unavailable for review at press time.) [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, July 1989]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/freedom/724606387)

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Bye Bye Babylon” – 4:09
A2. “Sing Your Freedom” – 4:53
A3. “Let The Kingdom Come” – 5:03
A4. “Over Me” – 5:15
A5. “Eighth Wonder” – 4:18

Side Two
B1. “Power Tools” – 4:21
B2. “Invitation” – 4:52
B3. “The River Will Flow” – 6:52
B4. “Let It Go” – 4:11
B5. “I’ll Meet You There” – 4:18

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette, 12-inch vinyl LP, and CD by Sparrow Records, with the CD edition including a bonus track, “Set The Bridge On Fire”.