Everyone’s been banging on about the Adele album all this week. Sure, it may be the most anticipated album of the year, but there’s another record that looks likely to beat it on the gravitas front. The Pope’s releasing a rock album.
Yes, His Holiness has even handed the music over to streaming site Deezer, so people can have a listen before it hits the shops. Sadly we won’t be hearing the pontiff step up to the mic and belt out a rendition of My Way, for example.
The blurb sent out by the Vatican states: ‘Pope Francis: Wake Up! is a collection of 11 tracks containing antiphons and sacred hymns, reimagined by contemporary composers and musicians with Pope Francis’ voice, while he recites in four different languages excerpts of the most significant speeches he has made.’
But a BBC reviewer is unconvinced about its musical credentials. Chi Chi Inzundu wrote: ‘On first listen, I would have to say the album is stretching the truth when it comes to branding itself rock.
‘Nothing really gets traditional rock until the title track, Wake Up! Go! Go! Forward!
‘It has a vibe of 80s rock on that track.’ She added, though: ‘But all in all, a very pleasant listen, or at least it calmed me right down for a Friday.’
