A number of copies of the album were sent to various Christian publications and distributors. Most of them declined to comment.

New Christian Media magazine gave it a real good write up. (See below). Strait magazine gave a real negative review, but did allow me a 'Right of Reply'.  Some negative comments were passed on by critics, such as  "Well.. The vocals are too quiet" or "It's not my kind of music" and even "There's too much variety on it".

Some of the most encouraging replies came from individuals.

Jake "I loved Psalm 150..  Very uplifting.."
Keith "Like it very much.. Very YOU, very individual… grows on you the more you listen to it"
One lady wrote to say "I've worn the grooves out!"
Another person called on the phone immediately after listening to the first side to say how much they were enjoying it

Ewan Gilchrist (one time writer of a youth page in the Scottish Presbyterians magazine "Life and Work") wrote to say, "Enjoyed the album, not least the lyrics. Thankfully you go beyond simply recycling biblical verses (except for Psalm 150, but that's a different thing if you know what I mean). And I loved the album title. Someone once said "Any Christian is a jester in the court of a king, a dissident in a society of rules, someone who makes mischief and laughter and flirts with danger… and in doing so flirts with a higher authority than the one which physically confronts him."

ADRIAN'S POSTSCRIPT

"A few years after it was released I was running a youth week at which a number of the kids must have obtained copies of the album when it first came out. The last night we decided to cram into one room and have a sleep-over. I crashed! About 3 in the morning  I woke up to the sound of the 'Jester' album. One of the kids had put it on. What surprised me was that almost all of them knew the words and were singing along to the songs.  And there was I thinking it was just a distant memory! Kind of gratifying."

"Mid-eighties economic realism at the major Christian record companies means less corporate finance for grassroots Christian rock bands and worship groups. In response, recent years have seen an avalanche onto the market of self-financed cassette releases recorded in the cheaper confines of an 8 or 16 track studio. In this special round-up, Dave Roberts searches for the best amongst the good, bad and indifferent.

    After working for Kingsway Music for a number of years, as I did, you tend to become a little battle-weary and even cynical when the subject of demo cassette or independent releases comes up.

    Sackloads of tapes with accompanying letters which tell you "God has called me to be the next....(insert your own name-- Sheila Walsh, Cliff Richard, U2, Graham Kendrick)...' have thankfully been supplanted in recent years by items of more tangible quality, made by artistes seeking to develop their own identity rather than merely offerpale imitations.

    One of the more original offerings ……. A number of demo's are reviewed till at the end of the article….

    Adrian Pratt completes our lightning survey of independents with his 'Jester Before the Throne' LP & cassette. Adrian, another rocking reverend, is the man to spend your money on if funds are short.

    A fine grasp of musical structure, confident vocals and some tasteful lead breaks, keyboard runs and associated musical flourishes put this one head & shoulders above its independent contemporaries."

DAVE ROBERTS