On Closed Doors, New Opportunities, Reunions and Partings

It was the Best of Times, It was the Worst of Times. Sorry, that's already been used. I'm starting this post from my motel room after attending the dinner dance portion of my 40th High School Reunion. Where I finish is anyone's guess. Reunions can be a time of great joy, great sadness, and great stress. Joy for seeing the ones you loved and shared memories with. Sadness for the ones who were not there, either of their own choice, or because of an unexpected and sudden passing from this time we call life, and stress, because of this need to compare ourselves among ourselves, which the Bible says is not wise.

On a side note, sometimes that unexpected passing happens not to us as individuals, but to the institution which brought us together.. While preparing for my 40th High School Reunion I learned that my College Alma Mater, of which I would this year celebrate 36 years since graduation, wouldn't reach another year itself, as it was shutting down due to declining enrollment. At least that is the official position. Perhaps the decline in enrollment was preceded by a decline in purpose. When I passed through the Hallowed Halls of Eastern Nazarene College we were the Crusaders, and our colors were red and white. Our color remained the same, but future classes were just Lions. Meow. I shall rather take pride in being a purple and white Canalmen.

This was my third reunion. The ten year was my first. I registered and looked for someone I knew to sit down. I found the table of Michelle Basset and Maureen Robello, my Freshman and Sophomore crushes. My second reunion was the thirtieth. If we had others I did not receive an invitation. Once again I found myself at Maureen's table. This time I was determined to expand my horizons ànd find someone else that I knew. I found a table that had one person that I knew and two that I thought I knew as it was I had discovered my canal side crew. The person I knew was Robbin Benoit. When I was a little eight year old boy just moving to the Cape from Central Mass, I met Robbin and was somewhat intimidated by her. She soon moved to the other side of the Canal and was forgotten. The other two were Vaughn Jones and Melissa Almeida, who also came across as tough and intimidating. My educational and social growth were soon to be thrown into disarray during a period of grades six through eight, where the State decided I needed special needs education which could only be accomplished by shipping me off to a neighboring town. All that was accomplished was destroying social ties that were just beginning to form. That uprooting was felt by them too, though I was unaware of it until just recently.

In the end it's all about roots, both the putting down and the pulling out. I have gone through 5 such cycles iny life. It is some sort of miracle of God that during one of those cycles that I can best describe as going through hell that God used another uprooted soul by the name of Kimberly Anne Moore to ba a rock, anchor, and lifeline to me, and he did it without her knowing. Perhaps I was too naive in thinking that two uprooted souls could somehow take hold securely. I will leave that, however to the wisdom and mercy of God.

It is one of life's great ironies that uprooted people learn to cope by building walls. I have many. God has managed to poke some holes in those walls through music and my writing. Sometimes a song pops into my head to address a situation, even so silly as a botched Uber reservation triggering Don't you forget about me. The music of Chicago, and a lot of other 80's tunes can reduce me to tears before they end. And my novel in progress for the past 40 years has a main character a Teenage girl running from destiny while hoping to put down roots, set in the Wild West. The biggest tool, however, are hugs. During this 40th Reunion Weekend the hugs that I have received from my classmates has acted to pull down great chunks of wall. Thank you. 

And so,  as I once again begin to set down new roots with a new apartment on Cape Cod, I hope to be able to get by with a little help from my friends. This reunion time, it really seems that I have felt in my heart coming from you all, WELCOME HOME.

Sweet Salvation Song: The Top 10 Songs of The Seventies

Every decade can be defined by its music, and the world of CCM is no exception. It's just that nobody has bothered to. Part of the problem is that CCM is pretty much a niche market, and the charts reflect it, so when any list is made it is mostly based on subjective feelings and not sales or airplay figures. And that applies to the so called "respected" genres like pop, adult contemporary and the like, when dealing with fringe genres like heavy metal and rock, the numbers are microscopic. So perhaps we should call this the Top 20 most influential songs of the 70's, at least to this author.

1. Father's Eyes, Amy Grant (1979) The Song that Launched Contemporary Christian Music. She wasn't the first female Christian artist, not even among those who became known by a mononym. The 70's gave us EVIE (Tornquist-Karlsson), Honeytree (Nancy Henigbaum, Honeytree is the English Translation), REBA  (Rambo-McGuire), and even Stephanie (Boosahda), but none attained to AMY, the Georgia Born, Tennessee Raised Girl with a Guitar that the girls wanted to be like and all the guys wanted to marry. Father's eyes was a Number One Christian Hit, and the Album was the first by a Christian Solo Artist to go Gold. Whatever your musical preference, this song deserves the number one spot.
   
   
2. I Wish we'd All Been Ready, Larry Norman (1969) aka The Song From Thief In The Night or the Rapture Song. To a lot of Christians back then this was probably our introduction to Larry Norman. It was pretty much an Acoustic Guitar Only ballad, though they added some orchestration in the studio. While Just As I Am may have been the standby altar call song in adult Church, this was the standard in Youth Group for many years. 
   
   
3. Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music, Larry Norman (1972) aka The Other Song That Norman Wrote. From the start, Christian Rock has come under fire from ministers of the Gospel who decried it as "The Devil's Music", while espousing their own, usually Southern Gospel, or in a least one case, a brand of Campmeeting music best described as Honky-Tonk, which to this blogger is somewhat hypocritical. The first and best known of the Rock Defense Songs, which were Christian Rock's answer to these ministers. It would be covered by just about every CCM artist afterward in concert, though to the best of my research the only recorded Cover was done by Geoff Moore and The Distance in 1993.
   
   
4. Love Broke Thru, Phil Keaggy (1976) The "Testimony Song" which became the unofficial anthem of the Jesus Music Era, with Keaggy, Randy Stonehill and Keith Green all having recorded it. Again it was the simplicity of the song, which made it easy for Church Youth Groups to sing, which helped propel the song forward.
   
   
5. Afrikaans, Resurrection Band (1979) Christianity has always been about missions. "Jesus Commands Us To Go" is an actual Bible verse ("Go Ye Into All The Earth and Preach The Gospel') and not just the title of a Keith Green song. And when the Church goes into the World, it sees things in the World which are wrong, and call it out. The Abolitionist Movement in the United States was a Christian Driven movement, although not all abolitionists were Christians. The same with the war against Apartheid in South Africa. First on the scene by at least a year before any mainstream artist noticed things was Chicago's REZ, who would never be timid in taking on social issues. Lyrics such as "God Made The Colors, but the Color doesn't make you God." would be impetus Young Christians would use to tear down racism.
   
   
6. Easter Song, 2nd Chapter of Acts (1974) The debut album by siblings Annie, Matthew and Nellie Ward would have us "Hear the Bells Ringing, they're singing, that we can be born again". Every Easter Season this song would be heard in just about every Church, at least in America, but possibly around the world. The Hallmark of the Jesus Music Era was simplicity, and the lyrics were framed around the words of the Angel at the empty tomb "He is Risen, just as He Said" with very few other embellishments, something the modern era has lost.
   
   
7. Time, Phil Keaggy (1976) CCM's initial entry into the Progressive Rock Era. Before this all that could be said was that some songs went on for a long time, but there was no real reason for it except that they didn't know how to end the song. As to have a purpose behind the length to showcase the artistry of the artist, it is fitting that when Christian Music planted its first banner, it chose the artist who would be known as the Master of the Guitar, Phil Keaggy. A nearly seven minute song which concludes with a four minute instrumental virtuoso performance. A task which would terrify the modern musician so greatly they would not attempt it.
   
   
8. Love You With My Life, Sweet Comfort Band (1978) Coming of age in the 1970's and 80's my musical heart was taken with the stylings of the Chicago Transit Authority, which was soon shortened to simply Chicago. The combinations of Rock Music with Horns was captivating to my ears, and as I began my transition from Mainstream to Christian Music I began my search for a Christian Alternative to Chicago, or more appropriately a Christian Music Twin to Chicago, because I never gave them up. I found it in the Southern California Jazz fusion-Rock band Sweet Comfort Band, which at the first traveled with their own horn section, and throughout their history Keyboardist/Vocalist Bryan Duncan could rock a ballad toe to toe with Peter Cetera.
   
   
9. Why Should The Father Bother, Petra (1979) For their third album Petra decided they needed to stop playing around and get a full time lead vocalist. They turned to Greg Xavier Volz who had toured with Chicago, Janis Joplin and others. The result gave the band its first signature sound and the hits began. This song reached number 3 on the Christian Charts, and maintained its position for 25 weeks.
   
   
10. Awaiting Your Reply, Resurrection Band (1978) "Too Loud, Too Loud" says the Preacher. This is what happens when you turn the Amp to 11 and the needle stays in the red. Arguably the fathers of Heavy Metal, REZ, as they would affectionately become known, let the Christian Youth let down their hair quite literally and enter the fellowship of the headbanger. For those stodgy Christians who had heart palpitations at Larry Norman, they were in full cardiac arrest with REZ. Alas for them, Christian Music had evolved for good, and in a few short years would suffer a full Yellow and Black Attack.
    
    

I probably could have added a few songs, and had initially thought my list would have been twice as long. Christian Rock was infancy however, and once you started only picking the jewels, you found some slim pickings. I anticipate a much longer list once we enter the Golden Age of the 1980's. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Walking on a Timeline: CCM By the Decade - The 70's (Jesus Music Era)

 Christian Music, like all music, has evolved over the years as musical tastes have changed, much to the consternation of Church leadership. If the "Orthodox" Church leadership had their way, we would all be forced to sing Southern Gospel (even though the great Classical Composers had God as inspiration in a lot of cases I think they would be to "Rocking" for them). Considering that Christianity itself began as an offshoot of Judaism one could plant the beginning of the "Christian Music Timeline" with King David, for when the Bible says that Jesus and his disciples "Sang a Hymn and then went out unto the Mount of Olives" that the Hymn in question was one of the Psalms (Most likely Psalm 118) and not "When The Roll is Called Up Yonder". Things pretty much went unchanged from the Times of David until that abomination called Southern Gospel began in 1910, and while "Worldly" music evolved basically with every decade especially from 1940 onward (1940: Big Band/Swing; 1950: Rockabilly; 1960: Rock and Roll; 1970's: Disco; 1980: Metal and Synthpop), the history of Christian Music basically flatlines from 1910 until 1969. Almost 60 years. 

1969: Upon This Rock by Larry Norman is widely regarded as the first Christian Rock album ever, though by todays standards it may be somewhere between folk music and folk rock, but in the hippie era, there really wasn't much else. Sweet Song of Salvation is probably the hardest rocking song on the album but the most popular would have to be "I wish we'd all been ready" which was made popular by being sung in the End Times Prophecy Movie "A Thief in The Night" (1973).

Decade One - The 1970's - aka The Jesus Music Era

The first decade of the modern Christian Music era, unlike the month of March, came in like a lamb and went out like a lion. While it is true that the era ushered in music heretofore unknown in proper Christian circles and elicited a swift condemnation buy evangelists whose musical leanings would be best described as Honky-Tonk, but on the whole the beginning of the decade consisted mainly of folk artists (the ubiquitous Girl or Guy with Guitar, mostly acoustic) and by 1978 folk had given way to pop and Adult Contemporary, Rock had gotten a strong foothold and a group with the harmless name of the Resurrection Band introduced the Saints to Heavy Metal. In short it was the Decade when the Legends were Born.  

• 1970: A bit of a cheat here, because while Upon This Rock has consistently been given a date of 1969 because that is when Larry Norman went into the studio, it really didn't hit the shelves of any music store until 1970
• 1971: While Upon This Rock Was becoming a Christian Classic, Larry had a bit of free time to scout out the emerging talent in the New Jesus Music Era. One of the first of many connections Larry Norman would forge in the music industry was with a teenage boy by the name of Randall Evan Stonehill aka Randy Stonehill. Born Twice (1971) consisted of a Live A Side and a Studio B-Side and cost $800 to make, and according to Randy "Sounds Like Every Penny of It".
• 1972: Larry Norman releases his sophomore album Only Visiting This Planet, sibling pop/rock trio The 2nd Chapter of Acts is formed, as well as Rock legends Petra and soon to be Metal legends Resurrection Band. 
• 1973: Nancy Honeytree releases her debut album, as does Philip Tyler Keaggy (known simply as Phil Keaggy). Larry Norman releases So Long Ago, The Garden.
• 1974: Petra releases their self titled debut. The 2nd Chapter of Acts debut album With Footnotes drops, which contains the hit "Easter Song". The Band Daniel Amos is formed in Southern California.
• 1975: Jerusalem, a heavy metal band, is formed in Gothenburg, Sweden. An English version of their music would not be available, however, until 1980.
• 1976: 15 year old Amy Grant, the "Queen of Christian Pop" is signed to Word Records. Larry Norman completes his Trilogy with the release of In Another Land. Randy Stonehill releases his first full length album Welcome to Paradise. Phil Keaggy releases his sophomore album
  
  
  Love Broke Thru. The titular track (entitled Your Love Broke Through) is a collaboration  between Keith Green, Todd Fishkind and Randy Stonehill. Green insisted that Keaggy be given the first opportunity to record it. The first song on side two of the album is the progressive rock classic Time, which clocks in at just short of seven minutes. The two songs are possibly the two most loved Keaggy songs. Daniel Amos released their eponymous debut. It is pretty much a country album.
• 1977: Amy Grant releases her self titled debut and "Uncle Randy" Stonehill goes to the studio to record The Sky Is Falling, which, due to a falling out between Stonehill and Larry Norman (due to Norman having an affair with Stonehill's wife) will delay the release until 1980. The Sweet Comfort Band, a Southern California Jazz Fusion, Funk and Rock band releases its Self Titled Debut.  Petra's sophomore release Come And Join Us. Designed as an evangelistic tool the album is straight up 70"s Rock and Roll with a touch of funk. Daniel Amos releases Shotgun Angel, moving from Country to Southern Rock, and Fireworks releases their self titled debut. In the late 1970's and early 1980's Servant, Petra and Fireworks would be the Big 3. Only the order kept shuffling.
• 1978: Time to Crank things up as the Heavy Metal Era begins. In Sweden Jerusalem releases their self titled debut, in Swedish. An English version of the album will be released two years later with the title Volume 1. Meanwhile, back in the States, the windy city gets a rude awakening as Jesus People USA band Resurrection band unleash Awaiting Your Reply. Unlike Randy Stonehill's low budget debut, due to a gift from a friend, they are able to spend ten times that on their album. Daniel Amos records Horrendous Disc as it transitions from Southern Rock to Alternative/New Wave. Unfortunately during recording they are dropped by their label Maranatha! Music as the label decides to concentrate on worship music. They are finally picked up by Larry Norman's Solid Rock Records but the delays push the release of the album to 1981, one week before the release of their Fourth Album Alarma! DeGarmo and Key, two Childhood friends who grew up in the shadow of Graceland, release their debut album This Time Thru. Finally Sweet Comfort Band continues their confusion with an alcoholic beverage (Southern Comfort) with their second release Breakin The Ice 
• 1979: Fireworks decides to Shatter The Darkness, and possibly a few eardrums as they move from Pop to Rock in their second album. Servant, the Second of the Jesus Music bands to be formed from Christian Communes, debuts with Shallow Water, and the first, Resurrection
  
  
  Band, releases Rainbow's End, and though the album was successful, Star Song Records remained skittish about continuing to venture into Heavy Metal and dropped the band. Amy Grant releases My Father's Eyes. She becomes the first Christian Solo artist to go Gold, the song is a number one hit, and the Christian Music World is changed forever. In a somewhat prophetic move Sweet Comfort Band's third release in three years is entitled Hold On Tight.

As the year 1979 comes to an end, the Christian Music World hears a sound, faint at first but getting louder each time. It is the Roar of Rock. The Lion Awakens and the 1980's begin, a decade seen by many as the Golden Age of Christian Music. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

25 Essential 80's Christian Rock + Metal Albums to Pass on to Your Children

 We here at Night Beat HQ aren't above shamelessly stealing another blog post and making it our own. Just Ideas, mind you, not actual plagiarism. In this case Loudwire published 25 Essential 80's Rock +Metal Albums to Pass on to Your Children and it got me to think, there has got to be just as many essential albums in the CCM world. Loudwire didn't do a simple 1-25, they broke things down into categories which may or may not correspond to the CCM world as some of the genres may not have existed in the 80's, as CCM is always a few years behind the times.

• 
  ArkAngel, Warrior (1980) Is it Rock? Is it Pop?, is it Celtic? Is it Alternative? The Greatest Musical Decade ever kicked off with an album that defied genres. Kemper Crabb, recording
  under the name of ArkAngel, used an impressive 40 instruments, of which he played 30 by
  himself. Those of us who were blessed enough to discover this progressive feat of genius knew
  that it signaled something new was on the horizon. It was the dawn of a new era, and this album was the "Morning Anthem". Like most works of genius, the CCM Industry was not ready for it and it is a collectors item going for around $300 on the internet, and that's for a reissue, not the original.
• 
  Randy Stonehill, Between The Glory and The Flame (1981) The most down to earth of the Big 3 of CCM (Stonehill, Phil Keaggy and Keith Green). Unlike the Godhead, this "trinity' is not 3 and 1 at the same time, but there is a Number One above this trinity. More on that later in this article. Anyway, songs which tell a story which we can all relate to, combined with songs which exhibit a certain satire or peculiar sense of humor have made fans bestow upon him the title of Uncle Randy. This album, number Five of now twenty seven. It really does say something when your backing band is also Daniel Amos. For a taste of Randy's mind, try the Songs Christine, about a TV Newscaster Crush, or the satirical Die Young.
• 
  Phil Keaggy, Town to Town (1981) The undisputed GOAT when it comes to guitarists. Because of his being in the CCM world, most music fans are unaware that Phil Keaggy not only belongs in the company of Eric Clapton or Carlos Santana, but may be better than both of them. Of
  course, those of us who have heard and seen Phil in person know it's not may be, but is better. There is a song about a violin and an old violinist called The Touch of the Masters Hand. For guitarists, Keaggy is the Master Musician. 46 Studio Albums, 7 live Albums, 6 compilation Albums, and 9 tribute albums. The full discography is at Wikipedia here. Of those 46 Studio Albums, 25 of them are instrumental.
• 
  Larry Norman, Something New Under The Son (1981) Considering Larry's first Christian Album was 1969's Upon This Rock, Larry Norman could be considered the father of the Jesus Music Era, CCM and just about everything else. Due to his prolific career as a musician, producer, and label executive, there probably isn't a person in Christian Music today who hasn't been touched by the life of Larry Norman, despite that life being tragically cut short by illness at the age of 60. Something New Under The Son is some of the best straight up blues rock you've come across, and even if you never "Watch what you're doing" you can "let the tape keep rolling".
• 
  Kansas, Vinyl Confessions (1982) The second album by Kansas after Kerry Livgren's conversion to Christianity and the first "Christian Kansas Album" as Livgren, Bass Player Dave Hope, and new Lead Singer John Elefante were Christians. The Christian Era of Kansas would end with Drastic Measures, after which Livgren, Hope and Elefante left the band to careers in the CCM industry. My college radio station wore out the opening track "Play The Game Tonight", though it was the closing track, the nearly seven minute "Crossfire" that so offended Steve Walsh that he had to quit as lead vocalist, to be replaced by John Elefante.
• 
  Barnabas, Approaching Light Speed (1983) Of the three rock bands which could get the label of female fronted, Barnabas is the only true winner as Nancy Jo Mann was the only lead singer of Barnabas, while both Sandie Brock and Wendy Kaiser shared lead vocalist duties with their husbands in Servant and Resurrection Band respectively. Barnabas was among the bands in the running for first Heavy Metal Band, but due the habit of Christian Music Record Labels to tone down the product, Barnabas sound usually came across as merely Rock, as opposed to how they may have sounded live. 
• 
  Petra, Not Of This World (1983) Larry Norman may be the Father of Christian Rock, but Petra is the Father of the Christian Rock Band, and is the industry's most influential. Seen as the sequel to More Power To Ya (1982), the album was the hardest rock sound in the bands history to date and
  propelled them into headliner status, where previously they were the opening act. "Bema Seat", "Blinded Eyes" and "Pied Piper" are the hardest Rocking songs on the album, but ballads like the title cut are where Petra's artistry really shines, and should not be missed. 
•  
  Daniel Amos (DA), Vox Humana (1984) When they weren't serving as Randy Stonehill's Backing Band the members of Daniel Amos were forging their own place in the CCM, going from a Country Rock sound which was typical of a lot of Jesus Music/70's CCM acts and beginning their first musical transformation into a New Wave Band, a style they pulled off more successfully than Servant. The third album in their Alarma Chronicles, their sound was established whether they wondered where were their rocket packs, or comparing being in love to a time when worlds collide, Terry Scott Taylor and company serve their rock up with a quirky sense of humor.
• 
  Sweet Comfort Band, Cutting Edge (1982) Sweet Comfort Band, known simply as SCB to their fans, was a Jazz/Fusion Band out of Riverside California, and one of the leading groups coming
  out of the Jesus Music Era. While the era was know for more of a folk music/adult contemporary sound, SCB was able to stand out and attract an audience willing to stick with them as they successfully transitioned out of Jazz and into an Album Oriented Rock style reminiscent of Styx or Kansas. Cutting Edge is the stronger of the two albums (1984's Perfect Timing being the other) that closed out the bands career. The album kicks off with the rocking Runnin' to win and closes with the hard rocking Armed and Ready, which is the source of the album title, In between is a rock journey that mixes the loud with the softer tunes such as Haven't seen You but they never take their foot of the gas as they craft a tale which is only completed with Perfect Timing, after which the band took an extended hiatus.
•  
  Steve Taylor, Meltdown (1984) In the Middle Ages the Court Jester was the only person in the Kings Court who was able to convey unpopular or bad news to the king without paying for it with their life. Steve Taylor was that Jester. Following up his debut EP I Want To Be A Clone
  (1983) Meltdown sets its sights on Influencers (Meltdown), Media Bias (Meat The Press), Racism (We Don't Need No Colour Code) the fragility of Childhood Idols (Hero) and even Infanticide (Baby Doe). And in 40 years the album has aged very well. 
• 
  Servant, Swimming In A Human Ocean (1985) A Member of the Big Three from the Jesus Music Era (Servant, Petra and Fireworks) and one of only two Jesus Music Era bands to embrace a communal lifestyle, the other being Resurrection Band. (The Two Communities were at one point established by the same people, so there is another connection). The band pioneered the use of smoke machines, flash-pots, and laser light shows to showcase their message, which brought them more criticism from the established church than the typical rock band. Songs like Power, the Dance, and Harder to Finish allowed co-lead Sandie  Brock to let out her inner Rock Chick as they finally found their signature sound. Unfortunately it was their last album.
• 
  AD, Art of the State (1985) Kerry Livgren's conversion to Christianity started a mini-revival at Kansas, with at one time 4 of 6 members of the band having been Christian. Amid strife and lineup changes, Kerry Livgren, Dave Hope, Warren Ham, and Michael Gleason decided to part ways with Kansas on amicable terms (Livgren and Hope have returned to Kansas on occasion to
  contribute music) and formed AD, which has obvious similarities with Kansas, but took extra care not to sound to much like their former band. The bloodlines helped the new band sound professional right from the start, though with this second album things fully gelled. Unfortunately, due to issues between CBS Records and Livgren, they disbanded after this album, although they released one additional album, entitled Reconstructions (1986) though there was not a tour to support it. A final album of previously unreleased music was released as Prime Mover in 1988 with Livgren playing all instruments and Warren Ham did all vocals. The State of The Art production known as Art Of The State is musical perfection, and picking We Are The Men, The Fury, and Progress as the hits was as easy as picking a diamond out of a field full of diamonds.
• 
  The Call, Reconciled (1986) What makes Christian Music? During the Jesus Music Era it was fairly simple. The songs were basic praise choruses or hymnlike in nature, just set to a somewhat contemporary beat. As the CCM era began with the Decade of the 80's, the question became a bit  murkier. As the industry moved away from worship music and started writing about the human
  experience the question arose, was a Christian Band a band that said Jesus every other word, or  did the members of the band simply had to profess Christianity. The Call was among the first bands to answer the latter, paving the way for bands like U2, Creed, Evanescence and others. "I Still Believe" cried Michael Been, and the Christians who listened to the album knew what he meant. Everyone else simply rocked to the tunes. 
• 
  The Choir, Diamonds and Rain (1986) As Christian Music moved from the Movement to the Industry, new styles of music were needed to fill the need. Leading the way was Atmospheric Alternative Band The Choir, which was born out of the music scene at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa, California pastored by Rev. Chuck Smith. The Choir was one of many, including
  Crumbacher, Undercover, Altar Boys as well as Jesus Music Bands LoveSong and Daniel Amos. Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong sang of things that resonated in the day to day Christian experience instead of what became known as "Jesus, Jesus, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa", although the band did write "God of Wonders", one of the most popular worship songs of the early 21st Century. The Peppy "Fear only you" may have been the industry favorite, but I was always partial to "Black Cloud"
• 
  Stryper, To Hell With The Devil (1986) The album which started CCM's heavy metal era. though Stryper would not be CCM's first Heavy Metal Band (that honor would go to either Resurrection Band or Barnabas depending on who you ask), and this would actually be Stryper's third album,
  this is the album that put heavy metal on the map. DJ's at Christian College Radio Stations would play the title cut simply because speaking those five words would cause a stodgy Dean's head to explode, and that would be worth the purchase price. The original album cover of bare chested long haired angels casting the devil into the pit caused a minor uproar in the Christian Music World until the band agreed to Change it to a solid black album with the Stryper logo over a Pyramid.  The albums most popular song was not the title cut or any other of the screaming anthems, but the soft ballad Honestly which for a time supplanted MWS Friends as the alumni singalong song.
• 
  Altar Boys, Gut Level Music (1986) As Christian Music began to splinter into genres sometimes the genres began to splinter as well, such is the most simple form of life, cellular mitosis. One of those splinters was in Punk Rock. One of the new "cells" was a Thrash and Speed Metal inspired
  Punk Rock which was embodied by One Bad Pig. The other side was a California Pop Rock Punk which was defined by the Altar Boys. Gut Level Music was their third album during their supernova existence of 5 studio albums in 6 years. In an unlikely link to the Jesus Music Era, the band was signed to Alarma Records, which was established by Daniel Amos. Gut Level Music was about breaking the Word down to the people on the street, not talking about religion, but talking about God.
• 
  DeGarmo and Key, Streetlight (1986) Memphis Childhood friends Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key grew up in the shadow of Graceland, so it was no surprise that as Christian Rock emerged from the Jesus Music Era into the CCM Era That the DeGarmo and Key Band (shortened to DeGarmo & Key and Popularly and Professionally abbreviated to simply D&K) found itself among the elites. Originally sporting a Blues Rock sound changing times led to a Keyboard
  Heavy Arena Rock. Streetlight was the bands eighth album and finished the transformation from a hard synthpop to full rock. Nowhere was that more evident than with their hit song Addey which appeared on 1978's debut album This Time Thru as a simple acoustic guitar driven ballad, and it was redone as a synth rock anthem. Soldier of Fortune, however was the hard rocker that pulled no punches, and was a fan favorite.
  
• Bloodgood, Bloodgood (1986) Stryper may be the King of Metal, but there are plenty of royal princes. Chief among them was Bloodgood, named for founding member and Bassist Michael
  Bloodgood. Les Carlsen led the band in a Straight ahead metal style reminiscent of Queensryche or Judas Priest. Produced by Rock Legend Darryl Mansfield, the self titled debut managed to avoid any freshman jitters, emerging as a polished work right out of the gate. "Accept the Lamb" and "Awake" are among the standout tracks.
  
• Jerusalem, Dancing on the Head of the Serpent (1987) When the average person is asked to name a Swedish Band, the answer begins and ends with ABBA, a 1970's Disco Band. The mind never goes to anything louder, certainly not as loud as Heavy Metal. And yet two Christian Metal bands were at the forefront of Christian Metal in the 80's as well as Synthpop/Synthrock band Edin-Adahl which was still a bit harder than ABBA. The two metal bands were Jerusalem, from Gothenburg, and Leviticus, from Skovde 150 miles away to the Northeast. Of the two Jerusalem, led by Ulf Christiansson, was the more prolific, releasing 10 studio albums, 8 of them in English as well as Swedish. The early albums were toned down by the industry, so you would think they're just a pop band, but beginning with this album the limits were taken off. Never mind the artwork. That alone sent the churchy Christian into a tizzy. Unashamed in their evangelism, they loudly proclaim their aim to "plunder hell, and populate Heaven", and if the reports are to believed the band followed Jesus instructions to cast out demons during their concerts. A great slap to the reputation of it being "the devil's music".
• 
  Mylon LeFevre and Broken Heart, Crack The Sky (1987) The Son of Southern Gospel Music legends The LeFevre's Mylon was destined for a different track once his song Without Him was purchased by none other than Elvis Presley. After a few missteps Mylon Formed Broken Heart, which released 9 albums, beginning in 1982 with Brand New Start and finishing in 1990 with Crank it Up. They were, in one sense, the perfect band to frame the decade.
  
• 
  Whitecross, Whitecross (1987) Heavy Metal being on the Fringes of the CCM Industry, it fell to smaller independent labels to spread the word. While that made it harder to accomplish widespread distribution, it also allowed an album to be created free of industry interference, with the result that many metal albums weren't as toned down for the masses and the difference
  between live and album were minimal. Whitecross, formed by Vocalist Scott Wenzel and Guitarist Extraordinaire Rex Carroll, the band was known for crystal clear vocals combined with guitar stylings that would make Phil Keaggy proud if he played metal.
• 
  U2, The Joshua Tree (1987) A Tale of Two Bands, or the Prince and The Pauper. Two bands signed to the same label primed to hit the big time with their latest release. U2 got the first release
  and sucked all the air out of the room, so to speak with singles such as with or with out you and I still haven't found what I'm looking for, forcing the 77's to play second fiddle.
• 
  The 77s, The 77s (1987) The Pauper in our Tale of Two Bands. Michael Roe and his bandmates had two albums to their credit on their label Exit and were primed for Mainstream Success with a simultaneous release on Island Records. The Island bump was minimal so their chance of crossover stardom was dashed. However hits such as "Do It For Love and "The Lust, The Flesh,
  The Eyes and The Pride of Life" did propel the band, at least in the CCM world, into the Greatest Rock Band of All Time.
• 
  Saint, Too Late For Living (1988) Christian Death Metal on the surface would seem to be a contradiction, as Christianity is concerned with life, and that more abundantly. However when the
  themes of your music tend to be hell, the end times, evil and the life beyond, well maybe Death Metal doesn't begin to cover it. Too late for Living, the title cut, addresses the topic of Sudden and Unexpected death, and the importance of being prepared for the unexpected and the instrumental "Returning" is worthy of any aspiring guitar hero.
•  
  
  REZ, Silence Screams (1988) Last but certainly not least on this Rawklist is REZ, or more officially Resurrection Band. They say in a marriage that Opposites Attract and nowhere is that more evident than REZ. Glenn Kaiser is a Blues Rocker and his wife Wendi is the Headbanger, and they split the songs, giving a great balance to most albums, though they do vary in intensity from time to time. Silence Screams Rocks right off the gate, as both Silence Screams (Glenn) and You Got Me Rockin' are cranked to 11 though they do slow things down for ballads like Someone Sleeps, though I doubt you'll be sleeping through it.

That concludes my list of the 25 Essential 80's Christian Rock and Metal Albums to Pass on To Your Children. As is true with any list of this kind, there are always those Honorable Mentions that just missed the cut. Kerry Livgren's Solo Album Seeds of Change (1980) was unfortunately among them, but that in no way was a snub to Livgren. After all We already had Kansas and AD on the list. Vector's Debut Album, Mannequin Virtue (1983), The Alarm's Declaration (1984), The Self Titled Debut from Idle Cure (1986) and Master's Command, the Sophomore release from Sacred Warrior rounded out our Honorable Mentions.

I think this list does a good job as being a Christian Alternative to the Mainstream list. I hope you will check out and enjoy them all, and pass them along with the others to your kids. Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment, but doing this has made me consider doing another one for the 90's, because that is when things really started to blow up. If you want to hear the list, I've created an Essential 80's Spotify Playlist which includes most of the artists on the list, plus a number of others worthy of a spin. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Remake The 80's?: Why Destroy Perfection?

I was inspired to do this post by a Facebook Group post that asked what 80's TV Show would you like to see remade on TV today. Now since I'm a child of the 80's, my first response was "I have to choose one? They were all awesome." Soon, though my rational brain engaged and, yes I admitted that there were a few stinkers in the mix, but mostly I did think "why mess with perfection, because today's TV execs are incapable of producing a good show, and even worse at remaking or reimagining an old one.

Hawaii 5-0 was pretty good, but They made the A Team into a movie and the over the top action violence of the TV show seemed very cruel in a film. 21 Jump Street turned into a comedy. And the Equalizer? I was willing to buy into a gender switch, and even the racial switch, but Robyn McCall (Queen Latifa) is a Vigilante/Private Eye part of a Team that is hunted by the police, while Robert McCall was a retired CIA agent who acted mostly alone and had good connections and relations with the Police and CIA. I just didn't get the new vibe. And I'm still too scared to see what they've done to MacGyver.

Face it, even the Facts of Life couldn't be made today. And yes I know there was a reunion/remake one shot show recently. But in today's woke environment. A show about 4 heterosexual teenage girls? Three white, one black? And the zingers that fly between all four of them (especially Jo and Blair) would be insensitive and cruel today. The show wouldn't get past the pitch today, and that's sad for the state of TV.

But my crowning example of why we shouldn't remake the 80's but simply enjoy the old reruns where we can find them is V. I recently watched the original 1984 V The Series on Tubi and have followed it up with the 2009 Reimagined Series of the same name. The two shows couldn't be more different.

First of all, Character Development is SLOOOOOW. Now here I will make my only concession to the new show. The original V Series in 1984 was not original, but actually a continuation of a storyline that began in two miniseries: V and V: The Final Battle. I just began Season Two of the reimagined series and Anna just ate her first rat. Diana would have been through the entire rodent population of Los Angeles by that time. Development wise after 14 of 22 episodes, we're still somewhere in the original Miniseries.

The Original V was a new look at the Holocaust, and the visitor flag and uniforms were stylized Nazi Swastikas. Now the V's, in the original V was for Victory, not Visitor, another WWII reference. The Aliens were always lizards or visitors. 

Anna is no Diana, and that's another problem. Anna is the Visitor Queen, no one higher than her. Diana was only a science officer on the LA mothership, all loyal to an unseen "leader". The lower rank allowed for intrigue, conniving and backstabbing. It makes for drama. Jane Badler, the original Diana, just made an appearance, and the girl still oozes venom. Maybe actors don't know how to act anymore.

And maybe that's the ultimate problem. They were only a few letters off. It should have been Y, as in Why should we do it? All the acting is really flat. "We are of peace, always" sounds so insincere on it's face I don't know how anyone believes it. "They hate us cause we're different" comes straight from the Democrat playbook. In reality the fear was because no one could tell Visitor and Human apart. They were too much alike.

The answer to the question is No. I don't want to remake the 80's. It will be wrecked. I want to remember it the way it was, not try to make them see how it is now. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Cooking Something Up: The Class of 1996

The Class of 1996. Or the Class of 2021. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction rules, which I am borrowing, is 25 years from the date of the first album. This year is 25 years from a release in 1996. And what a year it is.

The list is by no means inclusive, but I think the following would be first ballot Hall of Fame. 

First, the also rans. These may eventually get in, but not first ballot. Blackball, Ghoti Hook, and My Friend Stephanie. Rock, Alternative and Ska.

The Class of 2021 is 6 Strong. We Start with a little house cleaning, and when you do, it's best to use Bleach. A punk alternative band that made it's bones by appearing on the Jenny Jones Show and performing Super Good Feeling. The Post Punk scene wasn't very big, but Bleach fans were loyal. They burned out quickly as their final concert was in 2004. I saw them 3 times in 1997 with Seven Day Jesus, in 1999 with Joy Electric and Miss Angie, and as part of Soulfest in 2004. The Cause of Death was a tired heart caused by the death of friends in the Gulf War. We have been waiting for a reunion since.

Seven Day Jesus came on to the scene at the same time, and actually toured together for a time. They were more straight up rock than Bleach an so got overwhelmed in the crowd. A. Point of trivia is that Bass player Russ Fox also played with Bleach

The Ska Scene blew up in 1996. When a genre takes off it seems like the band flow to it like mice to the Pied Piper. The most successful of them was the Orange County Supertones.

Punk had the Ramones, and the Christian World's Ramones were called The Huntington's. If you like your songs under 2 minutes, this is the band for you.

Starting from Hard Rock and mellowing to Emo, Stavesacre. Their latest release was in 2017 after they had taken a 7 year hiatus.

And finally, the most successful of them all, Skillet. I still consider their debut almost unlistenable, though not as bad as ZoeGirl. The sole constant in a quarter century, Bass Guitar/Lead Singer John Cooper. His wife Korey joined in 2000 as keyboardist/guitar

R/programming/only adult in The room and the Band has been invincible ever since. Based on recent events, I expect they will be around for a long time to come.

There you have it, the Class of 2021. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Night Beat HOF: 1990-1995

This is where the rubber meets the road. 1996 is 25 years removed from 2021, so we are in the class of 1996. This means that the 90's is 1990-95.

This is the period where things really took off or totally went to Gehenna, depending on your view of things. By the 90's CCM began to settle into distinct genres that, with the exception of Summer festivals didn't exactly fellowship together. In the first two decades there was a kind of community that put everybody together in a Concert. Hey, it was all about the message. Now the message was still there, but you weren't going to have Stryper and Michael W. Smith on the same ticket.

By 1990 Pop had settled into a distinct genre and rock and metal had parted ways. Heavy metal was also beginning to splinter into hard rock and industrial along with metal, which was divided between melodic or symphonic and screamo or thrash. The synthesizer was making a big inroad into the CCM scene at this time and Dance Music began to be more accepted among the saints 

1990 is where we begin. And two of the biggest names of the Decade came from two very separate camps, IONA and Donderfliegen (Darn That Fly), which soon ditched that name for the more recognizable DEITIPHOBIA (Fear of God). IONA is a Prog-Rock powerhouse from the UK. Celtic symhonies meet some of the most talented  musicians around. Metal Mistress LEAH McHenry has been greatly influenced by IONA mainly through the  work of Troy Donockly on The Quest and Ancient Winter. DEITIPHOBIA is best described as the Father of Christian Industrial Music. 

1991 brought us Sorrow of Seven with April Lassiter on vocals and Kevin 131 Gutierrez on Programming and Guitar. Kevin also did Guitar work with DEITIPHOBIA, so there was little doubt that once the band shed it's unwieldy monicker for the more concise Aleixa (pronounced uh-Leek-uh) it would steer the course of Industrial for years to come. The Band is not Unloved.

Ring around the Rosie, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down. Rising from the Ashes in 1992 was Circle of Dust. The heavier of the two industrial projects of Klayton (Celldweller was more rock) he plays all the instruments himself. The perfect playlist for the Zombie Apocalypse. Speaking of Zombies, our other entry for 1992 is Audio Adrenaline, who has many hits including Some Kind of Zombie.

1993 started a trend which spread like wildfire through the Church. I mean, if you want to go deeper, if you can hear the mountains tremble, or if you can sing of his live forever. If you can you may be Delirious. The British Youth Group band led by Martin Smith revolutionized the Modern Worship genre. Things were truly Jumping in the House of God.

It should be illegal to have so much talent in a small area. Four hours from Littlehampton is Manchester, where the Message To Schools Trust worked with kids in the schools. On Friday they put on a concert for the kids as the World Wide Message Tribe, which made it hip to dance in Church. David would be proud. 

Things were heating up. 1994 was a very active year. I might be tempted to say Kiss Me. Sixpence None The Richer burst on to the scene in 1994, along with Nu Metal Band Payable On Death aka P.O.D. Also making their splash were the synthpop bands Joy Electric and The Echoing Green. You might need a three day weekend.

And 1995 was when Third Day flew in like a Blackbird with their brand of 1970's Southern Rock. Mac Powell and Company created a niche in CCM that Disciple and Decyfer Down were to enter. There aren't too many bands willing to step into the shoes of Bad Company and ZZ Top.

Our final post is next. 1996. The Class of 2021. Until Next Time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.