David Meece was born on May 26, 1952 in Humble, Texas. His bio says he “distinguished himself as a
child prodigy and began touring as a concert pianist at the age of ten. By fourteen, he performed the Mozart Piano
Concerto in F Major with the Houston Chamber Orchestra”. He went on to tour internationally. He gave his life to Christ while studying at
the Peabody Conservatory of Music. His
debut album, DAVID, came out in 1976.
Fast forward to 1987, and he released CANDLE IN THE RAIN (Myrrh), on
which he used six different producers including Gino and Joe Vannelli, Brown
Bannister, and Brian Tankersley.
The album opens with the Gino Vanelli/Roy Freeland
composition ‘All is God’s Creation’.
It’s an adult pop song of praise about God’s sovereignty: “All is God’s
creation/Fashioned by one hand/Satan and salvation/Under one command/All is
God’s creation/All is in His hands/A day of celebration/Is coming to this
land”. ‘Nothing to Forgive’ is a
pop/rock song about not holding grudges: “And who am I to call you the guilty
one?/Every man’s a sinner under the sun/Been through the fire/We been through
the rain/They say nothing’s forever/But I say some things don’t change/You
turned on your brother, you did what you did/But when you love someone/No
matter what it is, when you really love someone/There’s nothing to
forgive”. ‘God Only Knows’ is a pop
ballad that includes these words: “There’s a voice from a distant place/It
calls my name/There’s a hand that pulls me up to a higher plane/There are
mountains high to climb/And rivers deep to cross/Though His love may lead me
blind/My soul will not be lost”.
‘The Water is Fine’ speaks of baptism: “You been high and
dry and afraid to get wet/Take a chance on Jesus and wash your debts/Now hush
your mouth and swallow your pride/Take a leap in the Jordan and come alive/Walk
right in/The water is fine”. Gino
Vannelli and David Meece co-wrote ‘His Love Was Reaching’, a beautiful,
inspirational song of testimony: “When I thought I had nothing, yet I had so
much/Through the years that it seemed we were out of touch/His love was
reaching/An invisible hand pulling me through/His love was reaching/Touching my
life in more ways than I ever knew”.
‘Amor Conquesta Todo (Love Conquers All)’ speaks of the events of
Easter: “So, remember this/When you see a weeping willow cast its shadows on
the leaves/It speaks through the wind and it tells of the Martyr nailed to its
friend/And there on the willows we hung up our lives/But man could not kill
something that cannot die.../Love conquers all”.
‘Higher Ground’ is a pop anthem that serves as a prayer for
help: “I see the light on a distant shore but I’m too tired to row
anymore/Won’t You give me the strength to get through the rain?/Won’t You show
me the way to get home again?/Lift me up to higher ground/Lift me up, I’m
sinking down/And I know the water’s cold and I might drown/Lord, lift me up to
higher ground”. David is the sole writer
of the title track, ‘Candle in the Rain’, a pop ballad calling Christians to
action: “Light a candle in the rain/Light an everlasting flame that burns the
night away/Let’s burn the night away.../Frightened people, they need a second
chance/Can you help them?” Last up is
‘Hold On’ penned by Meece, Jonathan David Brown, and Lynn Barrington. It’s a song of encouragement with Howard
McCrary and Debbie McClendon on background vocals: “The Lord is bringing a
turnaround/He’ll fight your battle on holy ground/Hold on for a miracle/Hold
on, if it takes another day/Hold on for a miracle/Hold on, and a miracle will
come today”.
CANDLE IN THE RAIN has 80’s written all over it, from the
cool picture of David on the front cover to the musical sounds contained
within! Six of the nine tracks are
upbeat 80’s pop music, while the remaining three are ballads. These are songs sung by a man of the
Christian faith. Varying topics are
presented, including: trusting all to God, God’s love for us, our call to be a
light in the darkness, and our opportunity to forgive one another. Fans of the musical stylings of Michael W.
Smith and Billy Joel will find something to appreciate on this album, which I’m
rating 94%. For more info visit: www.davidmeece.com.