Gold City - "A Gold City Christmas"

With Christmas coming, I figured I'd focus on Christmas projects for reviews. This is actually the second Christmas album I am reviewing thus far, with several more to come. I always love listening to Christmas music. It's almost like rediscovering forgotten treasures each year when pulling out the different CD's.

In the case of A Gold City Christmas, I must say that it is one of those "sleeper hits." It was originally released independently (then distributed by Cathedral Records) in 2003, then reissued in 2005 by New Haven Records. I was actually pleasantly surprised when I found it while stocking shelves at Family Christian Store, as there was little-to-no publicity regarding its re-released (save for an ad in the Singing News).

What makes this album an interesting treat is the mixture of personnel. The group lineup at the time it was originally recorded consisted of Jay Parrack on tenor, Jonathan Wilburn on lead, Danny Riley on baritone, and Tim Riley on bass. When the reissue was produced, however, some minor (and some major) changes were made. First of all, by 2005, Jay had left the group and Steve Ladd was making a name for himself as tenor, so Jay's lead vocals were replaced by Steve; some of the harmony vocals were also replaced by Steve, but there are still songs where Jay can be clearly heard in the mix. Secondly, featured on the cover is Bill Lawrence, who had a short tenure with the group on bass. However, all of Tim's previously-recorded vocals (including leads) are left intact (I guess being owner of the group has its perks!). The only songs to include Bill are "Silent Night" and "O Come All Ye Faithful," which were added to the project for the reissue. As a result, you wind up with at least three different lineups on one project.

Personnel aside, however, I must say that this album is by far the best of those produced by the late Doug Riley. The arrangements are fresh and enjoyable and the production is reminiscent of the Garry Jones era. The Band of Gold (which, at the time, consisted of Doug, Adam Borden, and Channing Eleton) were just as good as any standard studio musicians (and their familiarity with the singers probably was a huge plus). Also, given the fact that the final product included several changes and two new songs, the album plays as smooth as any. Unless you're listening for them, you'd be hard pressed to pick out the differences, which I believe says a great deal about Doug and Danny's work as producers. It's a real shame that Doug left us so early....he could've easily made the transition to in-demand studio producer.

The song selection includes 11 tracks of Christmas standards and one newer cut. As mentioned above, the standards are given fresh approaches, so they don't sound rehashed. "Go Tell It On The Mountain" is given an up-tempo, hand-raising gospel arrangement. "Let It Snow" and "Winter Wonderland" are both jazzed up, but without abandoning the quartet feel. Jonathan Wilburn sure seems to have fun with them, too (I've always found it interesting when gospel acts include these two songs, as they are essentially secular love songs with a winter theme as opposed to actual Christmas songs). GC doesn't seem afraid to sing about the "holiday" aspect of Christmas, including songs like "It's Begining To Look A Lot Like Christmas" and a medley of children's favorites about Santa. Far-right religious figures view this as compromising the birth of Christ; I look at it as playing into the fantasy of a child's Christmas holiday.

The two a capella songs are top-notch. The album kicks off with "Angels From The Realms of Glory," and right off the bat, the group sounds as tight as ever (and that Tim can still rattle any subwoofer). "The First Noel" takes the singers into the stratosphere with amazing range. What I really appreciate about these two cuts is the fact that the voices weren't stacked to the point of sounding like a choir. The vocals are full, but do not sound overdone, which is lacking in quite a bit of a capella studio recording (and in some cases, live performances!!).

My favorite cut on the project has to be "I Have Seen The Light" (big surprise, since I recorded the same song with the same basic arrangement the following year myself!!). While the rest of the album pretty much sticks with the classics, this song takes the listener into a different direction, making them actually listen to the true Christmas meaning, as well as witnessing to the deity of Christ, something that is often lost when listening to what are often too-familiar carols and standards.

When stocking up on Christmas music for this season, keep your eyes peeled for A Gold City Christmas. I highly recommend it!