Faithlift

Infobox Album |
Name = Faithlift
Type = Album
Artist = Spirit of the West


Released = 1993
Recorded = 1993
Genre = Folk rock
Length = 50:00
Label = Warner Music Canada
Producer = Michael Phillip Wojewoda
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:rb7uak3khm3v link]
Last album = "Go Figure"
(1991)
This album = "Faithlift"
(1993)
Next album = "Two Headed"
(1995)

"Faithlift" is a 1993 album by Spirit of the West.

It is the band's best-selling album, and includes their biggest Canadian Top 40 hit, "And if Venice Is Sinking." The album peaked at #27 on "RPM"'s Top 100 albums chart the week of October 30, 1993. [http://www.collectionscanada.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.2283&volume=58&issue=16&issue_dt=October%2030%201993&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=ccntousk30frf6h4jsn237nm12]

Although "Faithlift" is one of the band's rock albums, several songs (particularly "Sadness Grows" and "Death on the Beach") retain the Celtic folk flavour that the band was previously known for.

The album includes many topical songs drawn from the news headlines: "Bone of Contention" mocks society's hypocrisy in the Pee-Wee Herman controversy, "Mum's the Word" is about the 1992 Giant Mine explosion, "God's Apprentice" addresses the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal (which hit Canada several years earlier than it did the United States), and "Guildhall Witness" is about a race riot which the band encountered during its tour of England with The Wonder Stuff. "6th Floor" is about visiting Dallas and finding it impossible to resist going to see Dealey Plaza, the spot where John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

The album was reissued in 2008 on Rhino Records, concurrently with the release of the band's career retrospective "".

ingles

* "And if Venice is Sinking":: "RPM" Top 100: #30, November 20, 1993:: "RPM" adult contemporary: #12, January 31, 1994
* "5 Free Minutes":: "RPM" Top 100: #55, February 28, 1994:: "RPM" AC: #29, March 14, 1994
* "6th Floor":: did not chart
* "Sadness Grows":: "RPM" Top 100: #52, October 3, 1994:: "RPM" AC: did not chart
* "Is This Where I Come In":: "RPM" Top 100: did not chart:: "RPM" AC: #28, February 13, 1995

Track listing

All songs by John Mann and Geoffrey Kelly.

#"5 Free Minutes" – 4:00
#"Sadness Grows" – 3:02
#"Is This Where I Come In" – 3:47
#"Bone of Contention" – 5:38
#"Slow Learner" – 4:19
#"And if Venice Is Sinking" – 3:52
#"Mum's the Word" – 5:56
#"Death on the Beach" – 5:01
#"Sincerely Yours" – 2:32
#"God's Apprentice" – 3:39
#"Guildhall Witness" – 2:25
#"6th Floor" – 5:49