I woke up today to news of a dear friend saying an earthly goodbye to her last remaining parent, her father now joining her mother, who passed away earlier this year. Such events swiftly put things in perspective, as some among us recall the long day and even longer night when it was our turn to hear that we never wished to hear but knew would one day come calling. Others wait in quiet dread of when it will be their time, knowing the impact will be far, far worse than even their darkest imagining can muster.
At such times, seeking comfort in the familiar is a natural reaction. An artistic expression from happier times often brings peace regardless of whether said expression is, or ever was, considered “cool.” Such is the case with maestro guitarist Phil Keaggy’s 1976 album “Love Broke Thru,” which recently enjoyed a successful campaign to be remastered and rereleased alongside gobs of first-rate musicianship-driven goodness bonus tracks and extended jams. While waiting for this delight to exit the vinyl and CD pressing plants en route to eager ears, a look at the original album is more than warranted.
At the time of its release, the Christian music industry was barely in existence. Money was not the object, as there was none. Instead, it was artists and record labels, often one-person operations, struggling together to create and distribute sufficient product to keep the lights on while gladly suffering all temporal challenges for the sake of proclaiming the Good News as the Jesus Revolution was still reverberating throughout youth culture. The artists were a mix of homegrown talent and converts from the secular side, one of them being Keaggy, who first gained public attention as guitarist and primary vocalist for the early 1970s Ohio-based progressive jam trio Glass Harp.
For “Love Broke Thru,” Keaggy and company, including album producer Buck Herring, decided to go against the norm and scrape together sufficient funds for a top-tier recording budget, spending it wisely on the best. With Keaggy understandably handling all guitar parts, the backing band was up to the task. Leland Sklar, bass player by appointment to rock royalty whose studio credits include Whitney Houston and Phil Collins among literally hundreds of others, held down the rhythm section alongside drummer Jim Gordon, whose credits included Derek and the Dominoes before undiagnosed schizophrenia in later years drove him to madness and murder before he died in prison in 2023. Supplying primary keyboards was the late Larry Knetchel, best known for the dignified piano behind Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.” Synthesizers and string arrangements came courtesy of Michael Omartian, who, a few years later, would become known by all for his work with yacht rock master Christopher Cross. Supplying backing vocals were Buck Herring’s wife, Annie Herring, and Annie’s younger sibling Matthew Ward from the seminal Christian rock vocal ensemble 2nd Chapter of Acts, plus the warm Southern rock graininess of the late Mylon LeFevre, who, four years after “Love Broke Thru,” gave his life to Jesus … at a 2nd Chapter of Acts concert.
MORE: Look Up! Trains Up in The Sky, Carrying Mylon LeFevre Home
I mentioned yacht rock. With its sophisticated, smooth textures, musically, “Love Broke Thru” comfortably sits alongside other known albums of the genre, such as the Doobie Brothers’ “Minute by Minute” and artists like Kenny Loggins. So, yes, yacht rock, but with some noticeable differences. The yacht’s location is the Sea of Galilee, not Santa Monica. The owners are fishermen, not high roller financiers. Most noticeably, the boat’s best-known Occupant is fond of very early morning strolls outside the vessel’s confines, and instead of merely complaining about the weather, actually does something about it.
In a fair world, the album’s title track would have been a Top 10 hit. Primarily written by the late Keith Green, its melody was gorgeous then and remains beautiful today.
Keaggy’s penchant for maximum lyrical depth matches his pursuit of musical excellence. He often sets deep prose from the past to superbly instrumented and arranged backing. For example, on the “Love Broke Thru” album, he used C.S. Lewis’ “As the Ruin Falls” to tremendous effect.
The album is at once supple, serene, and sinewy, never sacrificing beauty or well-trained muscle to get its points across. Keaggy is not merely a world-class guitarist on both acoustic and electric. He is a true musician, an artist whose gift transcends even his brilliant playing and songwriting to create a synergetic whole. While unquestionably a product of its time, “Love Broke Thru” remains a pure delight. The expanded rerelease will be available after those who got in early through the now-concluded Kickstarter campaign get their copies first; for now, the original album remains available on Bandcamp.
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