ROCK MASS FOR LOVE

The album is credited to Bakery on this site, and on many other lists, but that does a disservice to that band, who contribute only four tracks, apparently heavily edited (especially "Do You Really Care"). This is a live recording of a church service - one of a series of 'Rock Masses" held at the Perth Cathedral - and the people who put this recording together assumed we'd be more interested in the rest of the church service than the music. So we get to listen to Dean Hazelwood's sermon in full, as well as the bible readings and most of the liturgy, while the musical excerpts are edited for length, and at one point (during the communion), interrupted by an intrusive commentary about what was going on in the church at the time. Bakery's four tracks include a cover of "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother", and three originals, none of them among their most interesting work, with "Trust In The Lord" particularly saddled with some fairly banal lyrics (despite being one of the more memorable tunes, similar to Traffic's folkier moments). We also hear the cathedral's jazz ensemble - an organ-driven fusion outfit, they seem to be going for a similar sound to Syrius - who are charged with providing music for the ordinary of the mass, and whose music I actually find more interesting than Bakery's in this case.

The two star rating is not a reflection on the music, which deserves a higher rating, but the overall package. If the album had been just the music, without editing, then at least three stars would have been merited.