Night Beat Rewind: September 2013

The End is Here. The end of the 4th Platinum Vinyl Awards Eligibility Year. For those new to The Night Beat, the Platinum Vinyl Awards Eligibility Year runs from October 1 to September 30 inclusive. With the end of September the Pool is Closed. Well, sort of. A new pool opens October 1 and new entrants start to fill it.

First, though, we must say goodbye to the old before we say hello to the new. One little extra to take care of for the next few months. Christmas Music. Not to be too much of a scrooge, but Christmas in July is just a marketing campaign. It's not to be taken seriously. With the first Christmas releases happening in SEPTEMBER, it is time to put our foot down. No releases until November 1. Is that too much to ask.

Christmas Music (Non-Eligible)

• David Ian - Vintage Christmas Wonderland 4.75 Emeralds
• Sidewalk Prophets - Merry Christmas To You 5 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Wow Christmas 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Wow Gospel Christmas 4.25 Emeralds

The highest rated Christmas releases had one thing in common. Jazz. These releases went the Jazz Christmas route, with Denver and The Mile High Orchestra sound. That's always a winner in my book. The problem with Gospel Christmas, not enough Gospel in it. Was kind of Modern Worship flat sounding.

I guess that provides a good segue to our first official grouping, those entries which

Missed The Mark

• Bread of Stone - The Real Life 3.75 Emeralds
• Darrell Evans - Awesome God is He 3.75 Emeralds
• For King and Country - Hope is What We Crave: Live 3.75 Emeralds
• David Glenn - Relentless 3.75 Emeralds
• Sara Groves - The Collection 3.75 Emeralds
• Hillsong United - Oceans EP 3.75 Emeralds
• KIDD - Murder My Flesh 3.75 Emeralds
• Jonny Lang - Fight For My Soul 3.75 Emeralds
• Leaders - Indomitable 3.75 Emeralds
• Patrick Levis - Extravagant God 3.75 Emeralds
• New Hope Oahu - Hope is Alive 3.75 Emeralds
• Switchfoot - Fading West EP 3.75 Emeralds
• UM Worship - Our God is Faithful: Live Worship from the University of Mobile 3.75 Emeralds

All these entries are very good, just not award worthy. One does stand out for special notice, however. It is a rare talent to make an album set in Hawaii that sounds like it was recorded in Kansas City. Or Sydney, Australia. I'm not asking for Don Ho, but a little local flavor would be appreciated.

Pure Platinum

• Cloverton - Patterns 5 Emeralds

  Semi-Precious Metal   

   
• Bethel Music - Tides 4.75 Emeralds
• The City Harmonic - Heart 4.50 Emeralds
• Andrae Crouch - Live in Los Angeles 4.50 Emeralds
• The Devil Wears Prada - 8:18 4.75 Emeralds
• Keith and Kristyn Getty - Live at the Gospel Coalition 4.75 Emeralds
• Gungor - I Am Mountain4.75 Emeralds
• Deitrick Haddon - RED (Restoring Everything Damaged) 4.75 Emeralds
• Hardie Avenue - Party at the End of the World 4.50 Emeralds
• David Huntsinger - Autumn Daydreams 4.75 Emeralds
• Donald Lawrence - Best For Last 4.50 Emeralds
• Love and Death - Between Here and Lost Expanded Edition 4.75 Emeralds
• Dara Maclean - Wanted 4.75 Emeralds
• Derek Minor - Minorville 4.75 Emeralds
• Jimmy Needham - The Hymn Sessions, Volume 1 4.50 Emeralds
• The Neverclaim - The Neverclaim 4.75 Emeralds 
• Newsboys - Restart 4.75 Emeralds
• Matt Papa - Look and Live 4.50 Emeralds
• Ernest Pugh - The W.I.N. (Worship In Nassau) Experience 4.50 Emeralds
• Matt Redman - Your Grace Finds Me: Live 4.50 Emeralds
• Search The City - Flight 4.50 Emeralds
• 7eventh Time Down - Just Say Jesus 4.50 Emeralds
• Dustin Smith - Rushing Waters 4.50 Emeralds
• The Sonflowerz - Love Walked In 4.75 Emeralds
• Ryan Stevenson - Holding nothing Back EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - WoW 2014 4.50 Emeralds
• Derek Webb - I Was Wrong, I'm Sorry, and I Love You 4.50 Emeralds
• Phil Wickham - The Ascension 4.50 Emeralds

That concludes the 2013 Night Beat Rewind. October starts a whole new year of eligibility. Things are already proceeding at a quick pace. If you would like to join up with The Night Beat on a trial basis as a judge in next years Platinum Vinyl Awards, look for a post in the near future which will spell out the need. In the meantime, keep it tuned here and, as always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.