Night Beat Rewind: September 2011

Well, it's finally here. The final edition of Night Beat Rewind within the Year of Eligibility for the Second Annual Platinum Vinyl Awards. With the releases beginning October 1, 2011 we are gearing up for the Third Awards. Amazing how time flies.

As always, we split the entries into PVA Eligible and non eligible entries for easy references. Always willing to shake things up a little. I am going to separate out the "Locks" for PVA entry. By that I mean a PERFECT 5 EMERALD RATING. Any Perfect 5 is a lock to be included among the final seven nominees for each category. First, the near misses, or not so near misses.

September 2011: Missing The Mark

• Jeanette Thulin Claesson - I Will Wait 3.75 Emeralds
• Rachael Lampa - All We Need 3.75 Emeralds
• 7eventh Time Down - Alive in You 3.75 Emeralds
• Submission Red - Vision Tour 3.75 Emeralds
• Jonathan Thulin - The Anatomy of a Heartflow 3.75 Emeralds
• Bryan and Katie Torwalt - Here on Earth 3.75 Emeralds
• Darlene Zschech - You are Love 3.75 Emeralds

Now remember, 4 Emeralds is the low bar for the Awards, so this is just under award worthy. If I think you should avoid a band like the plague, well, I would "award" them under 3 Emeralds. In each of the above cases there was just "something", that I thought was missing. Not so in the next grouping.

The Purest Platinum (5 Emeralds)

These are the perfect ones. These are the entries, in each genre, that I feel that represent that genre most purely. This time there are three.

• Switchfoot - Vice Verses
• Various Artists - Music Inspired by The Story
• Heather Williams - This Time Around (D)

Imperfect Platinum

These are the 4-5 Emeralds. They make the initial mix, and we shall see how they fare in the finals.

• Jessa Anderson - Not Myself Anymore 4.25 Emeralds (D)
• Daniel Bashta - The Sounds of Daniel Bashta 4.5 Emeralds
• Benjah - The Break-Up 4.25 Emeralds (D)
• Big Daddy Weave - The Ultimate Collection 4.5 Emeralds
• DA T.R.U.T.H. - The Whole Truth 4.75 Emeralds
• The Devil Wears Prada - Dead Throne 4.75 Emeralds
• Jamie Grace - One Song at a Time 4.5 Emeralds (D)
• Jason Gray - A Way to see in The Dark 4 Emeralds
• Gungor - Ghosts upon the Earth 4.5 Emeralds
• Matt Hammitt - Every Falling Tear 4.25 Emeralds
• Brittany Hargest - Love all The Way 4 Emeralds (D)
• Haste The Day - Haste the Day vs. Haste The Day (Live) 4.5 Emeralds
• Le'Andria Johnson - The Awakening 4.5 Emeralds
• For King and Country - For King and Country EP 4.25 Emeralds (D)
• Kiros - Outlaws and Prodigals EP 4.25 Emeralds
• Cory Lamb - Break The Cycle 4 Emeralds (D)
• Lecrae - Rehab: Deluxe Edition 4.75 Emeralds
• Leeland - The Great Awakening 4.5 Emeralds
• Matt Maher - The Love in Between 4.25 Emeralds
• Manic Drive - Epic 4 Emeralds
• Maylene & The Sons of Disaster - IV 4.5 Emeralds
• Jon McLaughlin - Forever 4 Emeralds
• 
  

  Jawn Murray Presents - Untapped 4.25 Emeralds
• Needtobreathe - The Reckoning 4.25 Emeralds
• Nothing Til Blood - When Lambs Become Lions 4.25 Emeralds (D)
• Oh Sleeper - Children of Fire 4.25 Emeralds
• Ginny Owens - Get In I'm Driving 4.75 Emeralds
• Andrew Peterson - Above the City Lights (Live) 4.5 Emeralds
• Press Play - World Anthem 4.5 Emeralds
• Rapture Ruckus - Open Your Eyes 4.75 Emeralds
• Jeremy Riddle - Furious 4.5 Emeralds
• Rush of Fools - We Once Were 4.25 Emeralds
• 21:03 - Evolved....From Boys to Men 4.25 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Now Hear This 7.0 4.5 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Wow Christmas 2011 4.5 Emeralds
• Various Artists - Wow Hits 2012 4.75 Emeralds
• Vineyard Worship UK - My Soul Yearns 4 Emeralds
• We Came As Romans - Understanding What We've Grown to Be 4.5 Emeralds

That concludes the nominating entries for the 2nd Annual Platinum Vinyl Awards. Now comes the hard part. Whittling down the entries to a respectable 7 in each genre. Till Next time. I am Awaiting Your Reply.

A Band is a Terrible Thing To Waste

Pardon the ripoff of the UNCF Slogan, but it applies. You are never too much of an expert to learn something new. Never more could that be applied than to the Modern Worship genre. The lesson to be learned comes form the Gospel Genre "A Choir, Never Leave Home Without It." Whenever a Gospel album is released, though the Album title may not reveal it (John P. Kee, Fred Hammond, etc) the Choir (Love Fellowship Crusade Choir, etc.) is ALWAYS THERE, along with the orchestra. They know what people want and they give it to them.

Modern Worship has forgotten that, evident by the trend in "Solo" albums that are coming out from famous worship leaders. The latest release comes from Hillsong Church Australia's Darlene Zschech called You Are Love. I reiterate here a problem I have with live concert albums which I posted in my previous review of such an album by The Rocket Summer. "There is something missing". Now it's not as bad as last years Simply Darlene. That one was missing a lot. I hated it just enough to not bother reviewing it, but if I had, I would have snarkilly called it something like "Simply Awful". As much as I complain that the modern worship genre has been "Hijacked by Hillsong" (I like the alliteration and apologize to all those offended via the proximity of the statement to 9/11). As much as anyone would like to protest, Darlene is Synonymous with Hillsong. That's just the way it is. I'm going to give it 3.75 Emeralds as a final review. Close, but as they say close only counts in Horseshoes and Hand grenades.

Night Beat Bonus: Also suffering from the same problem but a bit better is Cindy Cruse Ratcliff from Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston. Simply entitledTwenty-Three. It is just enough better on its own to go into the Platinum Vinyl mix for the genre, but I don't think that it will survive the judging. I'm giving it 4.25 Emeralds.

That will do it for this week. Tomorrow starts a whole new slew of releases, and keep it locked here to stay informed on them all. Until next time, I am Awaiting Your Reply.