Description
Greenbelt.25 (1973-1998) is a multi-artist compilation released on ICC in 1998. It is a retrospective featuring various artists who during the years from 1973 to 1998 have graced the stage at Greenbelt, Britain’s pioneer Christian music festival.
A fascinating but chronologically confusing retrospective of 25 years of Greenbelt music, featuring well known and fondly remembered bands and singers who have graced the various stages at the various sites of Britain’s pioneer Christian music festival. Chronologically confusing, because the tracks are in no particular order (Liberation Suite are followed by Eden Burning, for example), and there’s little information given as to date of recordings. I wouldn’t have minded more live cuts as well, but at least what live cuts there are, are excellent; Steve Taylor («We Don’t Need No Colour Code»), Why? (the positively manic «Good For My Old Mother»), Martyn Joseph & Tom Robinson’s definitive reading of «He Never Said», all hit the spot. Other artists featured: Fat And Frantic («Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head», that hasn’t as far as I know been available on CD for most of this decade), Michael W Smith, Charlie Peacock, Runrig, Split Level, Mike Peters & The Alarm, All Star United, The River City People, Lies Damned Lies, Vigilantes Of Love, Tribe Of Dan, Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue, Ian Archer and Garth Hewitt & Ben Okafor. I don’t doubt that there’s lots more equally good stuff in the archives, so can we expect “GB 25 II”? Meanwhile, this is hog heaven for nostalgia freaks. [Trevor Kirk, Cross Rhythms, April 1999]
The most diverse festival in Christendom celebrated its 25th birthday this year. Many of the artists took the opportunity of their platform at this year’s event to explain why they enjoy the festival and how much it means to them. This album is a collection of recordings from some of the artists that have become favourites with festival attendees.
The obvious favourites from the past few years are all present. This album could not have been made without including Iain Archer’s phenomenally successful (at the festival at least) «Wishing» – a delicate song of unrequited or distant love in a John Martyn vein. Archer didn’t have to sing the words when he performed this track on the mainstage a few years back. Similarly Fat And Frantic’s rather more manic «Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head» – a song which shows many sides of the group’s persona, the nods to 50s rock ‘n’ roll and folk rock, with some quirky sides and distinctly odd lyrics:
Last night my wife hoovered my head
Was going a-round the house
Hoovering about
My wife got the hoover
And my hair fell outEden Burning’s «Deep Blue Sea» is perhaps an odd choice, their earlier material was probably more popular at the festival, but it shows the band as they were hitting their mature stride. They are still missed. Steve Taylor is another artist who has been missed for several years, the version of «We Don’t Need No Colour Code» will be familiar to fans from the ‘Limelight‘ live album (recorded at Greenbelt) and the ‘Now the Truth Can Be Told‘ box set retrospective. Maybe Taylor will return for the new look festival. Vigilantes Of Love’s «The Opposite’s True» is also a nice addition, the band have only played Greenbelt twice, but they more than made up for their many years of absence with the quality of their sets.
The festival’s refusal to accept a Christian musical ghetto is apparent in the inclusion of tracks by Runrig, Mike Peters & The Alarm, and Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross, all of whom have proved popular at the festival, and had mainstream success, over the years. Of these the Mike Peters & The Alarm track appeals the most to this reviewer, building from acoustic openings and returning to them after moving through a track that manages to be anthemic and atmospheric without being cliched. Runrig’s track is a slight anti-climax as an album closer. It’s very obviously an album closer, spacious and with lyrics which seem to suggest moving on, but lacks quite the substance that would have been nice.
Festival chairperson Dot Reid’s band Lies Damned Lies are present, with the track «The Divine Image» from their 1993 album The Human Dress. Showing the band’s much lauded ability to make spacious arrangements say much more than many bands can do with much orchestration, the acoustic underlay and the exquisite harmonies make this a standout. Martyn Joseph and Tom Robinson are present with their recording of Joseph’s «He Never Said», a song listing the many sayings that are wrongly attributed to Christ. Another song which has become an anthem for many festival goers, the chorus breaks everything fown to get to the crux of matters:
He said:
Answer a stranger’s cry for help
Love your brother as you love yourself
Don’t judge others and you won’t be judged
You only need to seek and you will findFrom the more mainstream CCM market, Michael W Smith and All Star United are both present. Smith’s track, «Secret Ambition» is an older song, with very strong 80s pop influences, but fits in nicely. «Bright Red Carpet» from All Star United has been popular over the past couple of years as ASU have conquered the guitar-pop loving portion of the festival. The recording doesn’t match the energy or fun of their set on the tiny bandstand in 97, but is one of the standouts from their self-titled debut. The only new track on the album is from Split Level. «Window Shopping» was written for this album as the band wanted to produce a tribute to the festival.
Always looking through the glass
Making movies in my head
I’m dreaming
About the things that might … me
Should I stick with what I see
I’m waitingThe song is slightly more muscular than their last album, global, thankfully the drums have more presence, but retains the harmonies and melody which characterise the best Split Level offerings.
Like any album, this one has its weak points. But the songs all portray some of the many faces of the diamond that is Greenbelt. Many people will have favourites that are missing from the album, (I’d love to know why Bruce Cockburn isn’t present) and a number of tracks do veer towards the mainstream, but it is a good retrospective collection and you needn’t worry about predictability. [James Stewart, The Phantom Tollbooth, 09/26/1998]
CD tracklist:
01. River City People – (What’s Wrong With) Dreaming – 3:56 (from the album Say Something Good, 1989)
02. Michael W. Smith – Secret Ambition – 5:06 (from the album I 2 (Eye), 1988)
03. Vigilantes Of Love – The Opposite’s True – 4:18 (from the album To the Roof of the Sky, 1998)
04. Iain Archer – Wishing – 4:10 (from the album Playing Dead, 1994)
05. Mike Peters & The Alarm – Down The Road – 5:23
06. Split Level – Window Shopping – 4:19 (new recording – live version available at Live!, 2000)
07. Ricky Ross – Blue Horse – 2:30 (from the album New Recording, 1997)
08. Lies Damned Lies – The Divine Image – 5:40 (from the album The Human Dress, 1993)
09. Liberation Suite – Run, Run Lucifer – 4:43 (from the album Liberation Suite, 1975)
10. Eden Burning – Deep Blue Sea – 3:03 (from the album Brink, 1996)
11. Steve Taylor – We Don’t Need No Colour Code – 3:00 (from the album Limelight, 1986)
12. WHY? – Good For My Old Mother – 1:57
13. Martyn Joseph & Terry Robinson – He Never Said – 4:56 (from the album Full Colour Black and White, 1996)
14. Charlie Peacock – Down In The Lowlands – 5:28 (from the album Charlie Peacock, 1986)
15. Garth Hewitt & Ben Okafor – Blood Brothers – 4:10 (from the album Blood Brothers, 1992)
16. All Star United – Bright Red Carpet – 3:57 (from the album All Star United, 1989)
17. Tribe Of Dan – Shook Up, Shook Up – 4:03 (from the album Shook Up, Shook Up, 1991)
18. Fat and Frantic – Last Night My Wife Hoovered My Head – 2:46 (from the album Quirk, 1990)
19. Runrig – Every River – 4:07 (from the album Searchlight, 1989)
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