Christian Contemporary Music owes a lot to Scott Stapp. Not only was Creed and its Spiritual lyrics instrumental in forging a new Alternative Music like U2 before them. Though not having as prolific offspring as contemporaries Evanescence, Kutless and Jeremy Camp owe their existence to the "Creed Sound".
Creed has been gone for a while now, but frontman Scott Stapp has forged a solo career that like his former band has found a welcome home among the CCM faithful. The Space Between The Shadows is his third Solo outing and the second covered by this iteration of The Night Beat.
The Space Between The Shadows is Stapp's "Hardest" album to date in this reviewers opinion. There really is no letup on this album. The Album begins with the near metal World I Used To Know, and except for a few breathers, (Heaven In Me, Wake Up Call, Gone Too Soon and Mary's Crying) doesn't let up. Heaven in Me has a definite Third Day/Mac Powell vibe going on. He does Southern well.
It's hard to pick a favorite on this one. Part of Me wants Purpose For Pain with it's screaming guitar solo, and part want's Gone Too Soon which deals with premature death.
"Gone Too Soon My Friend, I know that you're dancing with angels on the wind. It's not the end. Until I reach forever, and we're together, you will always be Gone Too Soon." Hearing this song I remember my college friend Ben Rieder, who was hit by an auto at the Grand Canyon. At the time, it hit all of us at ENC hard, but I really got to heal when I heard For Whom Does The Bell Toll by Messiah Prophet. This got to me the same way.
I am giving The Space Between The Shadows a Perfect 5 Emerald rating. Even this Word of Faith Protestant can overlook Mary's Crying. The World I Used To Know Rocked and I thing The World I Know Now is on the right track. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
The Home of the Platinum Vinyl Awards. Reviews of New CD releases, mostly CCM but also mainstream releases that may interest the Christian Music listener. Music News and Commentary, especially when there's a CCM connection.
Showing posts with label Creed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Creed. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Friday, January 8, 2016
New Year, New #NightBeatniks
2016 (aka #PlatVnyl7) is underway. As is customary things take a little while to get up to speed after the Christmas Music Rush. Fine with us, as it gives us time to get our end of year posts and 1rst Quarter wrap finished. For those of you who are new here who are asking "First Quarter 2016 Wrap? But This is The First Quarter of 2016." Maybe on your calendar, but we are operating here on the Platinum Vinyl Award Calendar. That calendar began on October 1 of 2015 and will continue until September 30 of this year.
Back in College in the Mid 1980's I was a Disc Jockey or DJ. We played Vinyl Records on Turntables. The 45 (a vinyl disc about the size of a CD that had 2 songs on it, one on each side) was slowly disappearing and the 33 or Album would soon be replaced by the CD. An uninformed person once said that the 8 Track Tape Replaced the Vinyl Album. No. I was there. The 8 track was a blip on the Musical Timeline. While the Cassette Tape and the 8-Track Were Prone to the same malady ("eating of the tapes"), the cassette could simply, in most cases, be rewound into the casing and played without effort many more times. The 8-Track, however, no. Probably because of the "eating malady" the Cassette never replaced the 33RPM Vinyl but coexisted alongside it. It did have the benefit of portability however,especially after the introduction of the Sony Walkman in 1980. By the end of the Decade the CD was on its way to prominence. It had portability with the size of a 45, and Durability, and could not be eaten. It still has not been overtaken. What about the mp3, you ask. Yes it has portability, but it can be accidentally or otherwise deleted. The CD is permanent.
Musically speaking the 80's were the Golden Age of Music, Christian or Otherwise. There was this little group out of Ireland released an album entitled Boy in 1980. You might have heard of them. U2 anyone? Bono and several other members of the band are Born Again Christians so the band was among the first Crossover acts to become popular in the Christian College Radio crowd. And that really began a crossover trend both ways. We gave the mainstream the likes of Amy Grant and Switchfoot, and you gave us U2, Evanescence and Creed. U2 and Creed managed to stay in the good graces of CCM throughout their careers, and Evanescence got kicked out of the kingdom for swearing during an interview. Still, both Creed and Evanescence managed to latch on to the "Hillsong Effect". By that I mean that they have birthed a horde of imitators, much like Hillsong Church created a horde of "Zschechies" with all these blonde female worship leaders adopting the dress and hairstyle of Darlene Zschech. Modern Worship itself as a genre is still trying to break free from a Hillsong Sound where they all sound alike. Creed gave us Jeremy Camp and Kutless, among others, and Evanescence gave us Eowyn to start.
Oh, one final thing. My radio show in college was called The Night Beat. When looking for a nickname for my fans I coined Night Beatniks. Now the stereotypical Beatnik loved Poetry and Jazz. Now I like my poetry classical (Iambic Pentameter and Rhyme) but I would be very happy in a Jazz Club. As we move into the year and the nominations for #PlatVnyl6 are announced you shouldn't be surprised if you see a few artists that most folks wouldn't consider "Christian". We honor a lot of good music that a Christian (and anyone else) should like. Stay tuned. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Back in College in the Mid 1980's I was a Disc Jockey or DJ. We played Vinyl Records on Turntables. The 45 (a vinyl disc about the size of a CD that had 2 songs on it, one on each side) was slowly disappearing and the 33 or Album would soon be replaced by the CD. An uninformed person once said that the 8 Track Tape Replaced the Vinyl Album. No. I was there. The 8 track was a blip on the Musical Timeline. While the Cassette Tape and the 8-Track Were Prone to the same malady ("eating of the tapes"), the cassette could simply, in most cases, be rewound into the casing and played without effort many more times. The 8-Track, however, no. Probably because of the "eating malady" the Cassette never replaced the 33RPM Vinyl but coexisted alongside it. It did have the benefit of portability however,especially after the introduction of the Sony Walkman in 1980. By the end of the Decade the CD was on its way to prominence. It had portability with the size of a 45, and Durability, and could not be eaten. It still has not been overtaken. What about the mp3, you ask. Yes it has portability, but it can be accidentally or otherwise deleted. The CD is permanent.
Musically speaking the 80's were the Golden Age of Music, Christian or Otherwise. There was this little group out of Ireland released an album entitled Boy in 1980. You might have heard of them. U2 anyone? Bono and several other members of the band are Born Again Christians so the band was among the first Crossover acts to become popular in the Christian College Radio crowd. And that really began a crossover trend both ways. We gave the mainstream the likes of Amy Grant and Switchfoot, and you gave us U2, Evanescence and Creed. U2 and Creed managed to stay in the good graces of CCM throughout their careers, and Evanescence got kicked out of the kingdom for swearing during an interview. Still, both Creed and Evanescence managed to latch on to the "Hillsong Effect". By that I mean that they have birthed a horde of imitators, much like Hillsong Church created a horde of "Zschechies" with all these blonde female worship leaders adopting the dress and hairstyle of Darlene Zschech. Modern Worship itself as a genre is still trying to break free from a Hillsong Sound where they all sound alike. Creed gave us Jeremy Camp and Kutless, among others, and Evanescence gave us Eowyn to start.
Oh, one final thing. My radio show in college was called The Night Beat. When looking for a nickname for my fans I coined Night Beatniks. Now the stereotypical Beatnik loved Poetry and Jazz. Now I like my poetry classical (Iambic Pentameter and Rhyme) but I would be very happy in a Jazz Club. As we move into the year and the nominations for #PlatVnyl6 are announced you shouldn't be surprised if you see a few artists that most folks wouldn't consider "Christian". We honor a lot of good music that a Christian (and anyone else) should like. Stay tuned. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
INSYDERZ Launch Kickstarter Campaign For The Sinners Songbook
I hate fads. Especially music fads. There, I said it. I feel better. In a lot of cases the Christian Music Industry is no different than any other industry. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery there's a whole lot of flattery in the world. As a former DJ I know whereof I speak. The funny thing is, though everything is a copy of something else, everyone thinks they're an original.
A few years back we had a rap fad, where everyone was a rapper. Things have calmed down and the good ones remain, and the bad, well, they've gone on to obscurity (no one really goes away). The mid 90's gave us the Creed Craze, with everyone in Christian Rock sounding like Scott Stapp. Notable among the entries of that time were Kutless and Jeremy Camp. Kutless has since ditched the Creed sound, and has achieved success.
The late 90's and turn of the century gave us the Ska Craze, a sub-point of this post. Ska is basically Rock with Horns, with a bit of Rap thrown in for good measure. The OC Supertones, Five Iron Frenzy, The W's, Flight 180, and The Insyderz (The Grammatically Challenged subject of this post). They all thought they were trailblazing a new musical style, but horns and pop music go way back. I'm not talking Classical here, but Swing. Most of the Swing bands of the 40's and 50's in a way made Ska possible, as well as Swing/Big Band Revival Acts like Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. The 80's brought about a Pop Band with Brass Orchestra by the name of Truth, and when I came upon one of their albums I thought "this is so cool" Truth later went on to Pop/Rock/AC band status and dropped the Orchestra. It was during this phase that Natalie Grant was a part. Right no we're in a string craze, with everybody adding strings to their act. This and the horns are two fads I hope survive. Just like synthesizers, they just make good music that much better. Let me toss out a few names: Skillet, Apocalyptica, Mannheim Steamroller, Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Let me toss out a few that you may not know, but should Annie Moses Band, Reilly.
Up here in the northeast we didn't get to see Insyderz much, kind of strange since they are from Detroit. Instead, we just got a steady stream of Five Iron Frenzy and The Supertones. Personally I still like the Insyderz better. More rock, less rap. Their "Worship Album"/Remix Album The Insyderz Present Skalleluia (1998). Like most good remix/remake albums, any resemblance to the original song is purely accidental.
Since Ska seemed to be more fad based than say, traditional rock, as interest cooled, the bands did too, beginning with the W's and the second tier, followed by FIF and finally the Insyderz and Supertones. Now, several years later, many bands are realizing that if they are a ministry, they just can't retire, and so, to borrow the title of the Supertones latest, they Reunite.
The Insyderz have tentatively titled their release The Sinners Songbook. They have decided to go without a major studio backer and launch a fan based Kickstarter campaign. You can read all about it
here, as well as find a link that you can use to help contribute to the effort.
Welcome back to two of Ska's biggest Christian Bands. You never can have too many horns in Christian Music, in my opinion. We shall see if the people agree.
A few years back we had a rap fad, where everyone was a rapper. Things have calmed down and the good ones remain, and the bad, well, they've gone on to obscurity (no one really goes away). The mid 90's gave us the Creed Craze, with everyone in Christian Rock sounding like Scott Stapp. Notable among the entries of that time were Kutless and Jeremy Camp. Kutless has since ditched the Creed sound, and has achieved success.
The late 90's and turn of the century gave us the Ska Craze, a sub-point of this post. Ska is basically Rock with Horns, with a bit of Rap thrown in for good measure. The OC Supertones, Five Iron Frenzy, The W's, Flight 180, and The Insyderz (The Grammatically Challenged subject of this post). They all thought they were trailblazing a new musical style, but horns and pop music go way back. I'm not talking Classical here, but Swing. Most of the Swing bands of the 40's and 50's in a way made Ska possible, as well as Swing/Big Band Revival Acts like Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. The 80's brought about a Pop Band with Brass Orchestra by the name of Truth, and when I came upon one of their albums I thought "this is so cool" Truth later went on to Pop/Rock/AC band status and dropped the Orchestra. It was during this phase that Natalie Grant was a part. Right no we're in a string craze, with everybody adding strings to their act. This and the horns are two fads I hope survive. Just like synthesizers, they just make good music that much better. Let me toss out a few names: Skillet, Apocalyptica, Mannheim Steamroller, Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Let me toss out a few that you may not know, but should Annie Moses Band, Reilly.
Up here in the northeast we didn't get to see Insyderz much, kind of strange since they are from Detroit. Instead, we just got a steady stream of Five Iron Frenzy and The Supertones. Personally I still like the Insyderz better. More rock, less rap. Their "Worship Album"/Remix Album The Insyderz Present Skalleluia (1998). Like most good remix/remake albums, any resemblance to the original song is purely accidental.
Since Ska seemed to be more fad based than say, traditional rock, as interest cooled, the bands did too, beginning with the W's and the second tier, followed by FIF and finally the Insyderz and Supertones. Now, several years later, many bands are realizing that if they are a ministry, they just can't retire, and so, to borrow the title of the Supertones latest, they Reunite.
The Insyderz have tentatively titled their release The Sinners Songbook. They have decided to go without a major studio backer and launch a fan based Kickstarter campaign. You can read all about it
here, as well as find a link that you can use to help contribute to the effort.
Welcome back to two of Ska's biggest Christian Bands. You never can have too many horns in Christian Music, in my opinion. We shall see if the people agree.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Last One Standing
The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday, the most recent release by 12 Stones, Wind-Up Records most prominent Christian band (Creed and Evanescence being the other two) is a too-short 5 song EP that bridges the gap between alternative and the fringe. The last cut, enemy
, reminds me very much of Skillet. All in all 12 Stones now sounds like Pillar before Pillar decided to sound like Red. Lead Vocalist Paul McCoy comes through Loud and Clear on majestic rock anthems such as We are One, and even does a good thrash/metalcore growl. A CD that clocks in at under 20 minutes is way to short for a 3 year absence. If you've never heard of 12 Stones before, this is a good first purchase. If you came in like I did with the first album and the Creed like vocals, I think you will say that they have matured into a very good sound. It has been said that a Rolling Stone gathers no moss, well these 12 stones will not just Disappear
. I Give the Only Easy Day Was Yesterday by 12 Stones 5 Emeralds.
, reminds me very much of Skillet. All in all 12 Stones now sounds like Pillar before Pillar decided to sound like Red. Lead Vocalist Paul McCoy comes through Loud and Clear on majestic rock anthems such as We are One, and even does a good thrash/metalcore growl. A CD that clocks in at under 20 minutes is way to short for a 3 year absence. If you've never heard of 12 Stones before, this is a good first purchase. If you came in like I did with the first album and the Creed like vocals, I think you will say that they have matured into a very good sound. It has been said that a Rolling Stone gathers no moss, well these 12 stones will not just Disappear. I Give the Only Easy Day Was Yesterday by 12 Stones 5 Emeralds.
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