Music Video Monday: Pioneers

Welcome back to Music Video Monday. We usually share the latest Music Videos, but this Summer we are going back to the 80's and sharing some of the Classic Christian Videos, some of which got banned by MTV back when the letters meant Music Television. These are the Pioneers of Christian Music.

We begin with something new. For King and Country is on a roll, releasing a song a month until the new album. The first one up, done with their wives is appropriately called Pioneers. We begin with it this week.

On to the classics. One of the Pioneers of Christian Music is "Uncle Randy" aka Randy Stonehill. Randy is one of the original Jesus Music Era artist and was blessed with a "Slightly Unhinged" sense of humor. Definitely not PC. Of course that made him an instant hit with the youth. This is Love Beyond Reason.
Finally, we go with another artist who had an unhinged sense of humor. Steve Taylor. Get in the Lifeboat.
That does it for this edition of Music Video Monday. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

#PlatVnyl6 The Nominations Begin: Alternative Video of The Year

We move out of the "Spiritual Arena" into the Rock and Roll area. Now I don't really give much credence to Secular/Sacred boundaries in the CCM Arena, but a lot of people do. Hey, I get some of my best Spirituality from Kicked out of The Kingdom groups like Jennifer Knapp and Evanescence, so there you go.

Alternative Video of The Year for #PlatVnyl6 is gonna be good. The nominees are: Dreams by +Kings Kaleidoscope br ; For Those Who Can't Speak by +Tenth Avenue North ; Hurricane by +Lifehouse ; Moonshot by Steve Taylor and The Perfect Foil; and Volcano ft Jonathan Thulin by +Rapture Ruckus

The Playlist of the nominated videos follows:

Next up is Pop Video. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Best of 2014: Alternative

A funny thing happened on the way to my annual best of list. A whole whopper of Perfect 5's hit. Talk about a perfect storm. With all those entries narrowing it down to 10, or 12 was a Herculean task, and, face it, I'm not Hercules. So, I did the best I could, and that wound up being a double dozen (that's 24 for the rest of you).

Doing a single post of that size seemed to be a bit ridiculous, so I will be doing a series of posts based on genre, and finishing with a widows and orphans post.

We begin with Alternative, which accounted for 25% of the total. The list is in no particular order, so don't try to put one above another. These are all awesome albums, and get them.

Goliath , Steve Taylor and The Perfect Foil

A much welcome return to music from Christian Music's Clone Prince. Discovering acts like Sixpence None The Richer doesn't happen all the time. And how much Hollywood Hobnobbing can you do. Luckily for us his sarcasm (or venom, if you're the target) remains intact. The sound probably resembles Chagall Guevara more than Some Band, though Moonshot and Sympathy Vote should please the nostalgia buffs among us.

Lowborn , Anberlin

Talk about going out while you are on top. While I admit that I was late to this band, once I was in, I was in. We begin with the rocking We Are Destroyer, but the album soon takes on a more melancholy tone, as the band obviously knew the album was to be the swan song in the recording studio. "Everybody wants to see heaven but nobody wants to die" (Hearing Voices), "Is it okay If I call you lover, even though we don't know each other" and other such lyrics reach straight into the heart. While I have always held that The Choir was the undisputed King of Alternative, Anberlin seemed to have placed itself as the Heir Apparent. Until today. Long live the King, for there is no clear successor to the throne.

Fading West , Switchfoot

No pretender to the throne here, the San Diego Surf Band who taught us about a new way to be human and dared us to move took a bit of a page from Steve Taylor's later years and made an album based on a movie, or was that a movie based on an album. No matter, the result is pure platinum. You'll be singing along with all of these songs, and that's good, as most of them have been written sing along style. Love Alone Is Worth The Fight, Who We Are, Slipping Away, The World You Want. I could go on but there are only 11 cuts on the album.

Rhythms of Grace , The Remission Flow

Ireland is becoming a hot spot for CCM these days. And no, it sounds nothing like Riverdance. Originally mis-classified among the vast wasteland that is Modern Worship, they are more accurately classified as Alternative. Between the fact that they released the album on my birthday and they use a quote from The Message in the title, they were on my good list from the start. And then the music, which is extremely Biblical as it is Grace-Centric (sorry Theologians, if you would actually open and read the Bible, you would find that you have been wrong about Faith, Grace, and just about everything else).

Becoming Who We Are , Kings Kaleidoscope

Another messenger of the Grace Revolution. Kings Kaleidoscope isn't a band from Ireland, however they do resemble one in one respect. They have embraced the concept of having a fluid membership, adding or dropping members as necessary. (And you got to love it when they NEED a Xylophone). At first I heard their Live In Color EP and I thought that their slightly off key style for the song meant they were bad. And then I heard Felix Culpa (which means Fortunate Fall). I mean you can't get Bible and Cool in most albums, but these guys should be on everybody's must have list. 

Cathedrals , Tenth Avenue North

No man is an Island announces one of my favorite alt bands. Mike Donehey and company have been producing music on the fringes of alternative and worship since 2008, that is before this blog has been in existence, although the Night Beat radio show was on in 1985. They have never been afraid to take risks with their music (and one of the biggest. Latin Gregorian Chant. Iesu, Dulcis Memoria feat Audrey Assad).

I think that should just about do it. I had hoped to put each one with its album cover, but upon previewing it seemed a bit messy, so I just did the first two. Don't read anything into that either. We shall Rock out next. Until then, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat Rewind: November 2014

November is over. I hope everyone had a safe and happy Thanksgiving Day. Though the industry has given me a few week break on the release schedule. That doesn't mean there is nothing to do, however. 

The end of November means a new edition of Night Beat Rewind, our second for #PlatVnyl6. It is the Christmas Music Season, so a lot of the releases are ineligible this time of year (15 entries this month), but I still give them a rating. Wouldn't want any of my friends to get stuck with an album full of grandma got run over by a reindeer.

Christmas Music (Non-Eligible)

• 7eventh Time Down - A Christmas Wish List 4.75 Emeralds
• Cloverton - We Sing Joy 4.75 Emeralds
• Everfound - Resolution: Christmas EP 4.25 Emeralds
• Shaun Groves - Christmas, Vol 1 4.50 Emeralds
• House of Heroes - Hark! The House of Heroes Sing 4.75 Emeralds
• The Modern Post - Lowborn King 4.75 Emeralds
• Rend Collective Experiment - Campfire Christmas, Vol 1 5 Emeralds
• Solid State Records Christmas - Midnight Clear 4.75 Emeralds
• Smalltown Poets - Christmas Time Again 5 Emeralds
• Temple Veil - One Star 3.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Christmas Goes Gospel: Tis The Season 4.50 Emeralds
• Various Artists - This is Christmas 4.50 Emeralds
• Visible Music College Presents - A Visible Christmas, Vol 3  4.75 Emeralds
• Kim Walker-Smith - When Christmas Comes 4.50

From the Christmas Music to Singles (songs that is), I am still working out how the song ratings will work, but there are enough releases to merit this section, so here goes.

The Singles Scene

• Jason Bare - Christmas All The Time 4.50 Emeralds
• Capital Kings - In The Wild 4.75 Emeralds
• Mr. Del - When Men Worship on Dat 4.50 Emeralds
• Family Force 5 - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 4.50 Emeralds
• Ellie Holcomb - Hope Is Alive (Christmas) 4.50 Emeralds
• Mat Kearney - Heartbeat 4.50 Emeralds
• Aaron Ray - Beautiful ft Z.G. 4.75 Emeralds
• Matthew West - A Christmas To Believe In 5 Emeralds

Now we go on to our regularly scheduled edition of rewind. We begin our album coverage with those albums that didn't make the cut for the awards. Maybe it is the season but there was only one, so I am going to mention it here instead of in List Format. Phillips, Craig and Dean did not impress with Above It All, and I gave it the maximum rating of 3.75 Emeralds. It just seemed like they mailed it in.



The next group surely didn't mail it in. This is the cream of the crop.

Pure Platinum Perfection

• The Katina's - Sunday Set 5 Emeralds
• Project 86 - Knives to the Future (Special Edition) 5 Emeralds
• Steve Taylor and The Perfect Foil - Goliath 5 Emeralds
• Tenth Avenue North - Cathedrals 5 Emeralds
• Tenth Avenue North - Cathedrals (Deluxe Edition) 5 Emeralds
• Thousand Foot Krutch - The Ultimate Collection 5 Emeralds

I don't usually give Best of collections perfect ratings, but this one from TFK was simply awesome. Ultimate is an understatement. Most of them are in the middle, however.

Semi-Precious Metal

• Abandon - Love Prevails 4.75 Emeralds
• Christ For The Nations Worship - Kingdom (Deluxe Edition) 4.50 Emeralds
• Citizens and Saints - Join the Triumph 4.75 Emeralds
• Copeland - Ixora 4.75 Emeralds
• Day One Worship - From The Dust (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• The Digital Age - Rehearsals Vol. 2 4.50 Emeralds
• Elevation Worship - Wake Up The Wonder [+video] 4.75 Emeralds
• Brooke Fraser - Wake Up The Wonder [+video] 4.75 Emeralds
• Ta Randa Green - Stronger 4.50 Emeralds
• Group 1 Crew - #Stronger 4.50 Emeralds
• Fred Hammond - I Will Trust 4.50 Emeralds
• Hardie Avenue - Hardie Avenue 4.50 Emeralds
• Japhia Life - The Profit 4.75 Emeralds
• Jericho - Road 2 Redemption 4.50 Emeralds
• Kutless - The Ultimate Collection 4.75 Emeralds
• Toby Mac - Eye'M All Mixed Up 4.75 Emeralds
• Andrea McCaffrey - The Push and Pull EP 4.75 Emeralds
• VaShawn Mitchell - Unstoppable (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• J Moss - Grown Folks Gospel - 4.75 Emeralds
• Newsboys - Hallelujah For The Cross 4.75 Emeralds
• Reschad Oliver - Pharaoh 4.50 Emeralds
• Ginny Owens - I Know A Secret 4.75 Emeralds
• Passion - The Essential Collection (Live) 4.50 Emeralds
• P.O.D. - The So Cal Sessions 4.75 Emeralds
• Jackie Hill Perry - The Art of Joy 4.75 Emeralds
• Andrew Peterson - After All These Years 4.50 Emeralds
• Jessica Reedy - Transparent 4.75 Emeralds
• Shuree - Be The Change EP 4.75 Emeralds
• Silent Planet - The Night God Slept 4.50 Emeralds
• Nathan Tasker - Man on a Wire 4.75 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Come Alive: Live From The Centric Worship Retreat 4.50 Emeralds

That does it for November. You all know the drill. I am forgoing links for the moment to get out the post. I am so behind it is not even funny. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

No More Meltdowns Goliath

The ratings system of the WENC Night Beat isn't exactly a closely guarded secret, but that doesn't mean that it's haphazard. One of the biggest factors, however, is expectations. With a debut artist, expectations, you would think, would be non-existent, but that really isn't true. In that case I judge them against the standard of what I feel would be the "Perfect Album" for the genre that they are in, or at least resemble for most of the album. Now in the case of an established artist, while I still have that perfect album in my mind, I also judge the album against what I feel is my expectations of a perfect album BY THAT ARTIST. Now sometimes an artists tries to make life difficult by promising never to make two albums that sound alike, like Project 86, but usually even there you can catch some similarities.

Now with a comeback things can get kind of crazy. And when an artists hasn't recorded an album in over 20 years. People change. But still, you can come up with something fairly accurate, as I did this past year with Sweet Comfort Band, which hadn't recorded in 30 years.

Speaking of crazy, it usually helps if the artist is certifiable, like Randy Stonehill or in this case Steve Taylor. After all age and maturity may pass, but crazy is forever. Goliath  is the title of Taylor's return to the music industry. No longer saddled with just Some Band, he has finally found the Perfect Foil. 

Now this isn't your daddy's Steve Taylor by any means (his heyday was between 1983-1987). The synthpop is gone. He never thought it aged well. Of course since I love techno and synthpop I have always begged to differ. There is no meltdown on this album or any tricks like Am I In Synch. A few throwbacks exist. Sympathy Vote has a distinct Whatever Happened to Sin vibe, but the sound is more mature. Mature sound, but the sarcasm (some might say venom, but it isn't) is still thick on tracks like Double Negative or Comedian ("I'm sick as a dog but I still fetch" is a new classic). The title track, a spin on the David/Goliath story in the Bible, has a video out. This is one mean little bunch.

I'm handing out candy here at +The WENC Night Beat as the Holiday Season approaches. Actually I seem to do it all year long. How else can you wind up with 30 or so perfect albums. I'm going to do it again, as I'm going to give Goliath a perfect 5 Emerald Rating. It's good to have the Clone Prince behind the mic again. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Flashback Friday: Return of The Clone Prince

No I didn't spell the title wrong, the word is cloned. No, this isn't a Bob Dylan Post. Don't worry, things will become clearer soon. I could have used Send in The Clones or A Clone Again (Naturally).

Earlier in our Flashback Friday journey we met Randy Stonehill, someone whom, while a great musician, also had a fairly warped sense of humor, and has been the counterbalance to the often over serious CCM Universe. While Uncle Randy may have been Christian Music's Clown Prince, our latest subject excelled not in humor but in biting satire.

Roland Steven Taylor was born December 9, 1957 in Southern California, the son of a Pastor. The family soon up an moved to Denver Colorado. Maybe it was a mis-wiring of the brain, maybe it was the lack of oxygen in Denver. Whatever the reason, it is quite obvious that Steve (aren't you glad he didn't go by Roland) Taylor doesn't think like the typical Christian, and while the Industry may have rued the day he was born, Christian College Students and DJ's loved him.

One of the few Academic Elites of Christian Music (alright, alright, he was a Music Major). He started his adult career as a Youth Minister and Janitor at his father's Church. Musically he says The Clash, specifically London Calling "saved his life". While at Colorado University he recorded a few demo songs, and he went to Southern California after graduation to try to get signed by a mainstream label. He was unsuccessful, but one man, Jim Chaffee, was impressed and got him a job as assistant director of The Continentals.


Anyone who knows of Taylor's music knows he wasn't anything like the continentals. Chaffee got him another job, this time with Chuck Bolte's Jeremiah People, a Musical Comedy Troupe with heavy doses of satire. I remember them back in the 80's. They were great. Of course for pure comedy value Isaac Air Freight was superior.

Chaffee's Cheer leading finally paid off when he convinced Tayor's first boss, Cam Floria, founder of The Continentals, to give Taylor a two song slot at his Christian Artists Conference in Estes Park, Colorado. Maybe it was the home crowd, but the Crowd Acclaim convinced Billy Ray Hearn, President of Sparrow Records, to sign Taylor as he came off the stage.

Clone Wars 

I Want To Be A Clone (1983) was a hit. The Six Song EP sold 85,000 copies, and in an industry dominated at the time by The Imperials, that was quite a showing. Christian Kids everywhere were introduced to attitude. Taylor launched his sarcastic wit directly on the Church, as Clone focused on the Christian Churches penchant for turning out cookie cutter Christians. Churchianity as it is called. Let Taylor tell you in his own way.

 Taylor's Meltdown

Meltdown (1984) was Taylor's full length debut, and anyone worried that he couldn't find enough targets to fill an album needn't have worried. The title cut focused on our celebrity obsession, and was sparked by a trip to Madame Tussuad's Wax Museum. He saw the statues and wondered "What would happen if someone turned up the heat". Kids, remember, he only THOUGHT it. Due to clone's success he decided to form a permanent touring band. He raided the studio musicians from clone to do it, and lest we forget who was the real star, he named them Some Band, as in Steve Taylor and Some Band. Meltdown was Taylor's first Music Video, and it also "starred" Lisa Welchel (The Facts of Life) in a supporting role as a TV Reporter.

Two memorable songs came out of Meltdown. While the title cut focused on our obsession with celebrity, the other song targeted bigotry in the Church, and apartheid as well. This is We Don't Need No Color Code Taylor was on a roll, and he kept up a pace of an album a year. Taylor's fertile mind, 80's Pop Culture, and the budding Televangelism Scandals, provided plenty of material for Taylor's Wit to focus on. For On The Fritz (1985) Taylor, in a most memorable "Fashion" turned his satire on the Public School system and the practice of teaching "Values Clarification". to the young skulls full of mush. For the song "Lifeboat" and its accompanying Music Video, Taylor enlisted the support of Mrs. Aryan "the world's ugliest woman". See if you agree. Even though I went to Public School, I seem to have missed out on the Lifeboat game. That's not saying I had to fight liberal indoctrination. Even though I wasn't tasked with deciding who lives and who dies, I did hear about "situational ethics". You know the drill "In certain situations Lying, Stealing, Cheating, etc is the best thing to do. People's feelings will be hurt or worse if you told them the truth. For the poster boy of the teaching, look no further than our 42nd President, William Jefferson Clinton.

1986 brought Limelight, a filler EP recorded in London during the 1985 Greenbelt Festival. 1987 Gave us "I Predict, 1990, an album which was more controversial than successful. It was attacked for its cover by some who thought that there were images of Tarot Cards on it (there weren't). Jimmy Swaggart included an entire chapter of his book Religious Rock and Roll, A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing on Taylor, and even the NOW gang was outraged when they protested against the song I Blew Up The Clinic Real Good. Considering that Taylor's forte was Satire, that meant that the NOW gang actually was protesting for bombing, since Taylor was saying it was wrong. Tayor Retired soon after I Predict, 1990, but soon resurfaced as frontman of the MCA band Chagall Guevara (don't be ashamed if you can't pronounce it). This is Violent Blue Taylor returned for one more album, Squint in 1993. This is Cash Cow.


Taylor has had a very busy retirement. He has produced 5 Newsboys albums, as well as Guardians Buzz and Bottle Rocket, among others, and his Label Squint Entertainment brought both Sixpence None The Richer and Chevelle to the limelight. That's a nice ending Cash Cow-Hat's off to the bull.

Recently Taylor has turned to the Movies. He is the Director of Blue Like Jazz, which came out this year. Of course his fans wish, even now, that he would make another album. We need his satire more today than ever. After all there is only one Steve Taylor. We can't clone him.
UPDATE 2014: The Clone Prince Is Back. He's still working with Peter Furler and Guardian and the like, but like a true artist, he just cant stay retired. His latest band is called Steve Taylor and The Perfect Foil. The Debut album, and its video is called Goliath. That is it for this week. I Am Awaiting Your Reply.
 

A Classic Replay: Flashback Friday - Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music?

(We continue our Friday Replays of Classic Flashback Friday. It gives me a chance to update new readers on the origins of Modern Christian Music. And a chance to update some broken links.)

Welcome to the latest edition of Flashback Friday. By way of introduction to my new readers, Flashback Friday is where I introduce my readers to the pioneers of Contemporary Christian Music, beginning with the Jesus Music Era of the Late 1960's and the 1970's. As we progress each week we shall move into the Seventies, and Eighties and perhaps beyond. Not exactly sure where I should end a flashback. Maybe with the year 1999/2000.

If any one person could be labeled the "First Father" or "Adam" of Christian Rock, that person would be, by almost unanimous choice (dare I say consensus), Larry David Norman (April 8, 1947 -February 24, 2008). He certainly was recognized by Servant.

S: No, No, Doctor, you've got it all wrong. Oh Well. Now then, I've also brought you some Servant.

L: Oh, what a stroke of luck, why two of my servants ran away last week, Larry and Normany. They ran into the shallow water and the crocks got them. I suppose they're in another land now.

That was the closing line of the Jungle Music Skit, and two artists were referenced here, Larry Norman and Servant. We shall get to Servant next week, and we will get to still more bands as we move into the eighties, which is known as Christian Music's Golden Age. If you didn't get the reference, Livingstone had two servants Larry and Normany (Larry Norman). Referenced also was In Another Land (1976), which was Normans sixth release as a Christian artist. He had actually been in the music industry since 1965 with the bands Back Country Seven (1964-65) and People (1965-68). He had a hit single "I Love You", with People, which reached #14 on Billboard's Hot 100. After a brief musical hiatus he returned to lead the nascent Christian Rock scene with Upon This Rock (1969).

With the rise of Christian Rock as a major force, a reactionary movement arose among the mainstream Christian community. A reaction in itself wasn't surprising, in fact Newton's Third Law of Motion required it (For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction). What was always surprising was where the reaction came from. It would be easy to slough off an attack from "the world". It really hurt when the bullets were fired by your fellow brothers and sisters. Christianity has always been plagued with friendly fire casualties.

1 Corinthians 9:19-22 lays out the principle of "All things to all men" or "every available method" to getting out the Gospel. Paul would have been on TV, Radio, the Internet, etc. (He would have also booked passage on The Titanic, but that's another story). Organized Christianity (aka Christen-dumb) has opposed just about every major technological innovation of the 20th Century as being of "the devil", with the result that, with a few rare exceptions, the Christian Church has always been seen as a bunch of Luddites.

Norman struck back with one of the most well known "defense songs" ever released entitled Why should the devil have all the good music. Even though a live video of this exists, the quality is poor. Here is an audio only version for your enjoyment.

One of the best things about this song is it's biting sarcasm, with the parts like "I grew it out long to make room for my brain". Boldness like this was a rarity, and paved the way for CCM's Caustic Clone Prince Steve Taylor, but we shall deal with him at another time.

Six Degrees of Larry Norman

Larry Norman isn't only one of the most influential and respected people in CCM History, his is also one of the most "well-connected" people in CCM history. His Street Level Artists Agency represented legends such as Randy Stonehill, Daniel Amos and Mark Heard, but the connections go much further, and include artists as diverse as DC Talk, Switchfoot and Rebecca St. James. Even more surprising, he is also one of the founders of a Protestant Denomination of sorts. Not surprising, they don't have a problem with Rock and Roll. For more information on these connections, check out my Six Degrees Page.

That concludes this edition of Flashback Friday. We shall return next Friday with Servant, the last band listed in the Jungle Music Skit. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

p.s. - Check out the Larry Norman page to purchase music on Amazon and support The Night Beat at the same time. Thanks.

Flashback Friday: Kiss Me

Welcome back to an all new edition of Flashback Friday. We are concluding our current three post rotation with A Real Alternative. This weeks band toiled fairly obscurely in the CCM world until a simple request for a kiss thrust them into the mainstream.

Sixpence None The Richer, or simply Sixpence, was one of the Pioneers of Christian Alternative in the late 90's. It was fitting perhaps, that they were launched into the forefront by probably the most Alternative Artist of them all, Steve Taylor. Taylor, like Sixpence, and a lot of artists with crossover appeal, was uneasy with the "Christian Band" Label. Though there was no doubt about Christian bona-fides. They never fit in with the mold the industry tried to fit them in. Unlike other bands, however, (Evanescence, Creed, and recently P.O.D. come to mind) they were able to walk the tightrope fairly easily.

Kiss me started it all, on their self titled album back in 1997, which was actually their third album, though for all intents and purposes, most people think it is their debut.

The album also featured a hidden track cover of "there she goes" by the La La's on a later pressing.

It took five long years for Leigh Nash and company to come up with another album and Divine Discontent (2002) was the result. With this album the Crossover was complete, and some would say that they were no longer "Christian". Breathe Your Name was the big single, and they did another cover, this time of Don't Dream it's Over by Crowded House. Ironically, the name was prophetic, because within to years the band broke up.

The breakup lasted a decade, and was finally fixed last year, with the release of Lost in Transition (2012). The album was released to mixed reviews. While it doesn't have the magic of their eponymous release, it marks a fitting entry point back in the market. As they say, better sooner than later.


That concludes our look at sixpence. There is one additional note. During their decade long hiatus Leigh teamed up with one of my favorite Techno bands in Delerium and the result was known as Fauxliage. I think Sixpence needs to look in this direction in the future. Who knows. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Flashback Friday: Read All About It

"I come from a land down under..." The Commonwealth of CCM continues, and we move from Great Britain to Australia. Right now we will only be stopping for a short while on the continent, but we may return if I find more artists. Right now I am doing my best to exclude Hillsong Church from the list.

Our first bunch of Aussies can claim ties to Elvis (at least in a roundabout way). Newsboys hail from Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, and have been around since the 80's. Originally called The News. Upon making the jump to the States they ran into a problem, there was a band called Huey Lewis and The News. So Newsboys it was.

From the start there was always Peter Furler. He started out on drums and eventually, after the departure of John James after Take Me to Your Leader (1986), he assumed both Lead Vocal and second drum duties. Duncan Phillips came on as drummer, and during every concert (at least during festival season), the Newsboys had a tilted rotating dual drum set in which Furler and Phillips had a dueling drum solo. It was awesome.

Due to the changes at Lead Vocal, like Petra, Newsboys can be divided into era's

The John James Era

• Read All About It (1988)
• Hell is for Wimps (1990)
• Boys Will Be Boyz (1991)
• Not Ashamed (1992)
• Going Public (1994)
• Take Me To Your Leader (1996)

The last three albums of the John James era were also notable in that they featured the Production and songwriting talents of Clone Prince Steve Taylor. His somewhat? demented form of humor can be seen on songs like Take Me To Your Leader, Reality, and others. Shine from going Public shows a hint of Taylor's insanity.

The Peter Furler Era

• Step Up to the Microphone (1998)
• Love, Liberty, Disco (1999)
• Thrive (2002)
• Adoration: The Worship Album (2003)
• Devotion (2004)
• Go (2006)
• In The Hands of God (2009)

Furler left to spend time with his family, and that is where we find our Elvis connection. Peter Furler married Summer LeFevre, the daughter of Mylon LeFevre, and Mylon wrote a song 'Without Him" that was recorded on Elvis Album How Great Thou Art. One of the videos from this era would be Entertaining Angels from Step up to the Microphone.

The Michael Tait Era

• Born Again (2010)
• God's Not Dead (2011)
• Live In Concert: God's Not Dead (2012)

After Furler's departure the band turned to former DC Talk singer Michael Tait. Of course this move effectively put do death all hopes of a DC Talk reunion. (A second nail in the coffin came when Kevin Max was hired by Audio Adrenaline). The sophomore album in the Tait era was God's Not Dead, and the official music video for that is below.

Outside of Hillsong Church, Newsboys are the most successful group in Australia. Inside of Hillsong Church of course, it is Hillsong. On Black Friday we will cover the group that, outside of Petra and the Newsboys, has thrived by change, and that is Skillet. Until our next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Flashback Friday: Trains Up In The Sky

What do The Newsboys, Elvis Presley, Steve Taylor and Southern Gospel have in common? On the surface, absolutely nothing, but this is Flashback Friday, and there is a connection, I promise you.

Actually, the connection is a person, and the subject of our profile this week. Our connection is Mylon Lefevre.

The youngest son of Eva Mae and Urias LeFevre, Mylon grew up in a famous Southern Gospel Music household The LeFevres. Mylon's mother was a Whittington, which may explain why I heard them promoted via Televangelist Jim Whittington in the Late 70's into the 1980's.

I know I may catch Hell for this, but along the way Mylon finally found God. As a teenager his Gospel Song "Without Him" Caught the attention of the King himself, Elvis Presley. The song made an initial royalty of $90,000. Pretty good for a teen in 1961.

Between a stint in the Stamps Quartet and collaborating with the 2nd Chapter of Acts, Mylon rose through the Christian Music ranks. Eventually he struck out on his own in the 80's, with Mylon Lefevre and Broken Heart. I got to see Mylon three times in concert, once at ENC while a student. That was during their Sheep in Wolves Clothing Tour, which featured most of these videos. The other two were in Leominster and Worcester (boy did he enjoy wrapping his tongue around our towns "Lemon-ster?") The last video I will share is I will rejoice, which is done live. At the beginning you will notice the group headbang, which I believe they pioneered in the Christian World and Fireflight has resurrected.

The band brole up in 1990 after the Crank it Up tour. Since then Mylon has been pretty quiet, trading his former Church (Mount Paran Church of God, Atlanta) for Fort Worth Texas Eadle Mountain International Church pastored by George Pearson. Though the band never attained Superstar status, the bands of today owe them a great deal.

Oh, as to the other people in the list? We've already told you Mylons links to Southern Gospel (the LeFevre's) and Elvis (Without Him). Aussie Band the Newsboys. Mylon's Daughter Summer is married to former Newsboy Lead Peter Furler. Clown Prince Taylor? He Produced the Newsboys albums and wrote a lot of their early songs. Now you know.

Due to an abundance of Subjects for Today's post I missed the original Friday Deadline. I will be making up for it by having two Flashback Friday Posts this week. This Special Tuesday Edition and the normal one this Friday. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Flashback Friday: Everybody Must Get Cloned

No I didn't spell the title wrong, the word is cloned. No, this isn't a Bob Dylan Post. Don't worry, things will become clearer soon. I could have used Send in The Clones or A Clone Again (Naturally).

Earlier in our Flashback Friday journey we met Randy Stonehill, someone whom, while a great musician, also had a fairly warped sense of humor, and has been the counterbalance to the often over serious CCM Universe. While Uncle Randy may have been Christian Music's Clown Prince, our latest subject excelled not in humor but in biting satire.

Roland Steven Taylor was born December 9, 1957 in Southern California, the son of a Pastor. The family soon up an moved to Denver Colorado. Maybe it was a mis-wiring of the brain, maybe it was the lack of oxygen in Denver. Whatever the reason, it is quite obvious that Steve (aren't you glad he didn't go by Roland) Taylor doesn't think like the typical Christian, and while the Industry may have rued the day he was born, Christian College Students and DJ's loved him.

One of the few Academic Elites of Christian Music (alright, alright, he was a Music Major). He started his adult career as a Youth Minister and Janitor at his father's Church. Musically he says The Clash, specifically London Calling "saved his life". While at Colorado University he recorded a few demo songs, and he went to Southern California after graduation to try to get signed by a mainstream label. He was unsuccessful, but one man, Jim Chaffee, was impressed and got him a job as assistant director of The Continentals.


Anyone who knows of Taylor's music knows he wasn't anything like the continentals. Chaffee got him another job, this time with Chuck Bolte's Jeremiah People, a Musical Comedy Troupe with heavy doses of satire. I remember them back in the 80's. They were great. Of course for pure comedy value Isaac Air Freight was superior.

Chaffee's Cheer leading finally paid off when he convinced Tayor's first boss, Cam Floria, founder of The Continentals, to give Taylor a two song slot at his Christian Artists Conference in Estes Park, Colorado. Maybe it was the home crowd, but the Crowd Acclaim convinced Billy Ray Hearn, President of Sparrow Records, to sigh Taylor as he came off the stage.

Clone Wars 

I Want To Be A Clone (1983) was a hit. The Six Song EP sold 85,000 copies, and in an industry dominated at the time by The Imperials, that was quite a showing. Christian Kids everywhere were introduced to attitude. Taylor launched his sarcastic wit directly on the Church, as Clone focused on the Christian Churches penchant for turning out cookie cutter Christians. Churchianity as it is called. Let Taylor tell you in his own way.

 Taylor's Meltdown

Meltdown (1984) was Taylor's full length debut, and anyone worried that he couldn't find enough targets to fill an album needn't have worried. The title cut focused on our celebrity obsession, and was sparked by a trip to Madame Tussuad's Wax Museum. He saw the statues and wondered "What would happen if someone turned up the heat". Kids, remember, he only THOUGHT it. Due to clone's success he decided to form a permanent touring band. He raided the studio musicians from clone to do it, and lest we forget who was the real star, he named them Some Band, as in Steve Taylor and Some Band. Meltdown was Taylor's first Music Video, and it also "starred" Lisa Welchel (The Facts of Life) in a supporting role as a TV Reporter.

Two memorable songs came out of Meltdown. While the title cut focused on our obsession with celebrity, the other song targeted bigotry in the Church, and apartheid as well. This is We Don't Need No Color Code Taylor was on a roll, and he kept up a pace of an album a year. Taylor's fertile mind, 80's Pop Culture, and the budding Televangelism Scandals, provided plenty of material for Taylor's Wit to focus on. For On The Fritz (1985) Taylor, in a most memorable "Fashion" turned his satire on the Public School system and the practice of teaching "Values Clarification". to the young skulls full of mush. For the song "Lifeboat" and its accompanying Music Video, Taylor enlisted the support of Mrs. Aryan "the world's ugliest woman". See if you agree. Even though I went to Public School, I seem to have missed out on the Lifeboat game. That's not saying I had to fight liberal indoctrination. Even though I wasn't tasked with deciding who lives and who dies, I did hear about "situational ethics". You know the drill "In certain situations Lying, Stealing, Cheating, etc is the best thing to do. People's feelings will be hurt or worse if you told them the truth. For the poster boy of the teaching, look no further than our 42nd President, William Jefferson Clinton.

1986 brought Limelight, a filler EP recorded in London during the 1985 Greenbelt Festival. 1987 Gave us "I Predict, 1990, an album which was more controversial than successful. It was attacked for its cover by some who thought that there were images of Tarot Cards on it (there weren't). Jimmy Swaggart included an entire chapter of his book Religious Rock and Roll, A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing on Taylor, and even the NOW gang was outraged when they protested against the song I Blew Up The Clinic Real Good. Considering that Taylor's forte was Satire, that meant that the NOW gang actually was protesting for bombing, since Taylor was saying it was wrong. Tayor Retired soon after I Predict, 1990, but soon resurfaced as frontman of the MCA band Chagall Guevara (don't be ashamed if you can't pronounce it). This is Violent Blue Taylor returned for one more album, Squint in 1993. This is Cash Cow.


Taylor has had a very busy retirement. He has produced 5 Newsboys albums, as well as Guardians Buzz and Bottle Rocket, among others, and his Label Squint Entertainment brought both Sixpence None The Richer and Chevelle to the limelight. That's a nice ending Cash Cow-Hat's off to the bull.

Recently Taylor has turned to the Movies. He is the Director of Blue Like Jazz, which came out this year. Of course his fans wish, even now, that he would make another album. We need his satire more today than ever. After all there is only one Steve Taylor. We can't clone him.

Flashback Friday: Daniel Amos

We continue our journey into CCM history using Servant's Jungle Music skit as our guide. When we began our Journey with Stanley and Livingston we discussed their opening band, The Heavy Metal and Female Fronted Rock Band Resurrection Band (which is commonly known as REZ or REZ Band)

If you didn't read the Tribute to REZ, please, click on the link and check it out. This small 90 second or so is a name dropping treasure trove of CCM History. I will briefly mention that the reference is to Awaiting Your Reply (1978) the band's Major Label Debut on Star Song Records.

S: Dr. Livingston I presume!
L: Why Stanley Ole chap, did you bring those rock and roll tapes that I requested?
S: Yes I did Doctor, I brought some Resurrection Band
L: Capitol! I was Awaiting Your Reply.

We now join the conversation in progress.

S: However, I lost the Daniel Amos in the river. It was a pity.
L: How Alarming.

The band and album referenced this time is Daniel Amos, and more specifically, the album Alarma! (1981) the band's fourth album. Losing Daniel Amos in the river is more than alarming, it is quite the tragedy.

Christian music has always been a tale of two Taylors (and I don't mean Swift). In this case the two are Terry Scott Taylor of Daniel Amos (aka DA) and Clone (or is it Clown?) Prince and Political Skewerer (is that a word?) Steve Taylor. We shall eventually come round to Steve, but we shall stay with Terry Today.

Daniel Amos started out as a Country-Rock group at the Prime of the Jesus Music Era, though they were called Jubal's Last Band at the time. They Changed their name to Daniel Amos and released their eponymous debut in 1976. Yes, that's early but even Petra was earlier. By the time their third album Horrendous Disc (1978) they had seen the light and ditched country, becoming the Father of Alternative Rock (though some would attribute that to The Choir, which came along several years later. By the time Vox Humana came out in 1984, the band had a slight complaint.

I thought by now I'd walk the moon
And ride a car without no tires
And have a robot run the vacuum
And date a girl made out of wires
No thing's don't change that much, do they?
We are still out of touch, by now we should discover
Just how to love each other, like Klattus' robot man
Your looks have killed again

The Song was titled "It's the eighties, where's our rocket packs". Well we didn't get rocket packs yet, at least not commercially available ones, but in the midst of break-ups and reunions, Daniel Amos is amazingly, still together and working on new material. A 2011 planned new album didn't pan out, but there is 2012 to hope for.

I finish this edition of Flashback Friday with Sanctuary from the Cornerstone Jesus Rally. Watch and enjoy. Until Next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Nine

The Top 20 await. This is where things really get heated.



The 100 Greatest Christian Albums Ever, 2001

• 20 - Crimson and Blue, Phil Keaggy, Word, 1993
• 19 - Sixpence None The Richer, Sixpence None The Richer, Squint, 1997
• 18 - Meltdown, Steve Taylor, Sparrow, 1984
• 17 - White Horse, Michael Omartian, ABC/Dunhill, 1974
• 16 - Slow Train Coming, Bob Dylan, Columbia, 1979
• 15 - Love Life, Charlie Peacock, Sparrow, 1991
• 14 - Jesus Freak, DC Talk, ForeFront, 1995
• 13 - Welcome to Paradise, Randy Stonehill, Solid Rock, 1976
• 12 - Romeo Unchained, Tonio K, What?, 1986
• 11 - The Way Home, Russ Taff, Myrrh, 1989

Only two question marks this time around. I played Romeo Unchained Plenty of times (especially Romeo and Jane) during my time at WENC, but I'm a little rusty on the album, and Russ Taff, I don't know if it was the Pop or Country Taff. The Legends are all here: Omartian, Stonehill, Taylor, Peacock, Keaggy, Sixpence, Dylan (Dylan? you exclaim. Yes even Bob Dylan made his mark in Christian Music at one time, putting out three Christian Albums, the others being Saved(1980) andShot of Love(1981).


"Meltdown at Madame Tussaud's, the Queen is losing face. Meltdown at Madame Tussaud's, a national disgrace."

It was a simple rhyme scheme and catchy beats, but it signalled a sea change for Christian Music's King of all Media and one time? Clown Prince. His debut EP I want to be a clone was a hastilly put together afair, and it showed, but rather than have a sophmore slump that would forever plunge him into obscurity Meltdown was a scathing social commentary on fame (Meltdown), The Media (Meat The Press), Infanticide (Baby Doe) and Racism (We Don't need no Colour Code). Though officially "retired" from Christian Music, Taylor is founder and President of Squint Entertainment, the label that signed co-listees Sixpence None The Richer. The man knows Talent."

The Album that launched a phenomenon. A simple chorus. "What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus Freak. What will people do when they find that it's true. I don't really care if they label me a Jesus Freak. There ain't no disguising the truth."
Simple Lyrics sometime bring a profound truth. If Jesus is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, and THE LIFE. Then there should be no apologies for our beliefs, whether in the religious or political arenas. Rock on Guys.

The Top 10 Await. It has been quite a ride through history, and we are about to embark on our own adventure as we attempt to construct a new list for a new century and a new millennium. Until tomorrow, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Related Posts:

• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Two
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Three
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Four
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Five
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Six
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Seven
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Eight
• The Top 10 Christian Albums Ever?