Stride For Stride by Liberation Suite

CD-R is a Write Once, Read Many optical media (though the whole disk does not have to be entirely written in the same session) and retains a high level of compatibility with standard CD readers. Source: Wikipedia.

CCM Magazine

July 1981

Stride For Stride

Liberation Suite

Chapel Lane

Imported by Star Song

(CLS 8002)

What do you do if you’ve got this really great Christian rock band from San Marcos, Texas and nobody in U.S. Christendom thinks the market is ready for you? Well, first you work in a “tent” ministry and then you head for England where you find all kinds of work waiting for you and you have an opportunity to reach out to all kinds of people -- like Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland and audiences at the Royal Albert Hall. Then you sign with this new English label called Chapel Lane and make an album. Of course somebody mixes back the music and files the rough edges off the rock when you’re out of the studio, figuring no one in the U.S. will distribute it otherwise. And then you come back to L.A. with your LP under your arms and everybody thinks you are an English band. In fact, no matter how many people you tell about your southwestern origins, they just don’t listen. So you finally decide to move back to Texas. The nearby Christian record company, Star Song, finally decides to distribute your new album. (By this time, a whole year has passed since you recorded it, but, luckily, you were far enough ahead of the U.S. Christian music scene that it really doesn’t matter. And besides, you have a sound all your own.)

Anyway, Barry Bynum has this wonderful voice and writes these beautiful songs. And Jim Hazel can play lead guitar. And Howard Lyon also has a great voice and plays, get this, rock trombone. And Randy Hill does beat dem drums. And Fred Perez (who decided to stay in L.A.) plays an Ampegpatch 2000 bass guitar synthesizer and sings. Sometimes they all sound a little like Chicago or Boston or New Orleans or Kansas, but maybe that’s just because they’re from Texas via Los Angeles via London. Anyway, they believe in the Lord and play majestic rock.

-Karen Marie Platt

Campus Life

March, 1982

Liberation Suite

Stride For Stride

Star Song/Benson

Originally a Texas band, these old friends have been playing the U.K., and this import album has the British feel. Though harder in concert, for this light rock album, Liberation has muted the brass and de-emphasized the hard intrumental edge. But the lead singer has a raspy seasoned voice that adds spice to the catchy tunes; among them: “Lay Your Sadness Down,” “How Do I Get To You,” “You Are Worthy.”

Average Customer Review: