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- Dennis Ahearn -- guitar

- Steve Conserva -- lead vocals

- Tom Coughlin -- vocals

- Nick De Los Reyes -- banjo

- Pete Farrell -- bass

- Bill Fournier -- vocals

- Mike Hanson -- trumpet, clarinet

- Ron Meyer -- leader

- Fulvio Pirozzi -- percussion

- Tom Rush -- vocals

- Charles Weckend -- harmonica

- Bob Wright -- guitar
   

- none known

Genre: Christian rock

Rating: ** (2 stars)

Title:  Listen To the Silence

Company: F.E.L.

Catalog: 552

Year: 1970

Country/State: various

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: still in shrink wrap

Available: SOLD

Catalog ID: SOLD 4254

Price: SOLD $80.00

Cost: $43.00

Geez, talk about being the victim of hype ...  Here's one that some dealers have pushed off as a lost Christian psych masterpiece.  It ain't.

This 12 piece outfit apparently came together in 1969/1970 when the members were attending seminary school in Rome (get it - The Roamin' Brothers).  Most members were American, but percussionist Fulvio Pirozzi was Italian, while harmonica player Charles Weckend was Canadian.  Discovering a common interest in music, they started playing at local church events, discovering their "happening" sound was actually somewhat popular with younger Italian church goers.

Recorded at Rome's RCA Studios, 1970's "Listen To the Silence" sounds like something you'd hear at a folk mass (which kind of makes sense since these guys were Catholic seminarians).  All 12 songs have an acoustic folk flavor, layered with overtly religious lyrics.  Largely written by group "leader" Ron Meyer, a track such as 'Shout Out, Sing of His Glory' pretty much sums it up.  Strumming guitars, group harmonies and occasional horn blasts, any Catholic who grew up in the late 1960s or early 1970s will be familiar with this kind of stuff.  Pretty much forgettable, though the flame cover is kind of cool.  Wonder how many of 'em are still in the Church?  

"Listen To the Silence" track listing:

(side 1)

1.) Listen To the Silence   (Ron Meyer) - 3:58

2.) I'm Looking   (Ron Meyer) - 2:25

3.) Come with Me   (Ron Meyer) - 3:00

4.) Christ Is Near   (Ron Meyer) - 2:35

5.) Forming God's People   (Ron Meyer) - 1:57

6.) Shout Out, Sing of His Glory   (Mike Hanson) - 1:29

(side 2)

1.) Sing of Our God   (Ron Meyer) - 1:42

2.) Get Up and Live   (Ron Meyer) - 3:45

3.) Praise the Lord My Brother   (Mike Hanson) - 2:53

4.) A Promise Has Been Made   (Dennis Ahearn) - 2:14

5.) Gift's of Bread and Wine   (Mike Hanson) - 2:33

6.) What Shall We Give   (Ron Meyer) - 2:22

The internet constantly amazes me.  Never in a million years did I ever think I would get an answer to the question I poised above.  Out of the blue I got an email from Ron Meyer.

Dear Sir/Madam/y'all,
Greetings. I've just received an emailed heads up on a LP being offered by Badrecords: "Listen to the Silence" by the Roamin' Brothers!  If you've looked at who is sending you this email, you've probably already guessed that I'm that RON MEYER who wrote many of the tracks. Your review is just about right on, though it wasn't 'Chris Weckend' but 'CHARLES WECKEND' on harmonica - one of our group who left the Priesthood years ago and is now happily married in northern Alberta, Canada.

You wondered how many are still 'in the church.'  Here's what I know: Pete Farrell and Dennis Ahearn left the seminary before ordination. Pete is married in Rome. Dennis is living somewhere on the East Coast. Whether or not he's an active Roman Catholic, I don't know. Steve Conserva, Tom Coughlin, Tom Rush, Bob Wright and myself were all ordained as Roman Catholic priests and are still very much active "in the church" as Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Bill Fournier was also ordained, but left the Oblates and is now a Diocesan priest in Duluth, MN. Nick De Los Reyes, Mike Hanson and Charlie Weckend were ordained RC Priests but have left the priesthood and the Oblate order. As far as I know, all three married. Charlie is very much involved in the Roman Catholic Church in northern Canada. I don't know how Nick or Mike are faring regards the Roman Catholic Church. And finally, Fulvio is married to lovely Barbara - or at least was when I last met him in the mid 1990's in Rome - and very much a Roman Catholic man. Italian-style, of course.

I still have a couple unopened copies of the LP (500 were minted). And while 'pretty much forgettable' as you say, it was quite an experience for us when it happened - and caused a minor stir within the Vatican walls (thanks to the percussion and beat!). I like to think the Muse Within is still at work as I compose and deliver homilies as part of an upbeat Clergy/Laity teamed parish mission group: The Oblate Missionary Parish Program.

Thanks for your kind words and largely accurate review. You've rekindled a pretty cool flame in this almost 35-years-a-priest 61-year-old former Roman Seminarian/composer. God bless.

Fr. Ron Meyer, OMI (January 2006)

(Living in Lowell, MA - but working border to border, coast to coast, throughout the USA and Canada - and still enjoying the Roman Catholic Church from people to pope as an ordained priest!)

Meyer and I exchanged a couple of emails over the next year.  I'd owned this album for a couple of years and nobody had ever expressed any interest in buying it.  On the spur of the moment I told Meyer that if I ever sold the album, I would donate the full proceeds to his church (yes, I grew up Catholic),  Well, within a month the album had sold.  Yes, I sent an $80 check to Meyer.  The first one disappeared in the mail, but the replacement got to him.   There's a marketing message buried in there somewhere.  LOL