LLS3

Description

LLS3, sub-titled Music From The Late Late Service 3, is the third album by the Glasgow dance worship pioneers Late Late Service, released on Sticky Music in 1993.

Andy Thornton rather took Cross Rhythms by surprise this Greenbelt, taking ‘alternative worship’ into territories new at the communion service with a ‘choir’ of Greenbelt worshippers crammed onto Mainstage who over the weekend had been trained to sing ‘beat box’. Over their vocal percussion we all sang some simple words of worship, taught by the so-talented Andy. On this album, the third stemming from the producer/songwriter/engineer/singer/musician and his team of Glaswegian alternative worship pioneers, we have more of what he’s done before, house-orientated dance music mixed with some quieter meditative pieces with drum computers and layers of synths creating the bulk of the instrumental stuff. Frustratingly the Late Late Service are following the long tradition of MOR praise and worship albums in not identifying lead vocalists, but in no other way does this resemble the saccharine sweet output of much of the praise and worship. But neither is it particularly on the edge if you’re dance-orientated things like industrial dance like Deitraphobia or R&B-orientated worship from Scott Blackwell). But for alternative worship without being so rad it alienates all but a few hipsters this is a marvellous album, from the Song Of Ascent opener «Going To Jerusalem» to the absolutely haunting «Love One Another». The voice (Thornton’s) and piano version of the spiritual chestnut seems a tad out of place, and doing a dancey version of «Hail Mary» won’t please hot prots. But there’s freshness, creativity and considerable integrity on this album and I urge readers seeking to escape from dusky hymnody or happy clappy strums to get this album and begin to explore alternatives. [Tony Cummings, Cross Rhythms, October 1993]

CD tracklist:

01. Going To Jerusalem
02. Babel Dream
03. Lost And Wandering
04. Love One Another
05. Build A New House
06. Holy Mount Zion
07. Babylon
08. Shine Your Light
09. Hail Mary
10. Swing Low
11. Holy Space

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Sticky Music.