THE LIGHTHOUSE
Shining Light on Today's Christian Music

February 1994    $1.00


Greg & Rebecca Sparks

Bob Carlisle  Brian Barrett
Ji Lim  East To West
Point of Grace


THE LIGHTHOUSE  February 1994  vol3#2
BOB CARLISLE    3
Bob Carlisle released his first solo album last year, but is
definitely no newcomer to Christian music. Cofounder of Allies, he now
returns to his musical roots in "blue-eyed soul" to accomplish his
goal of encouraging people in getting from Monday to Tuesday.
POINT OF GRACE  4
The four women of Point of Grace may have not intended to become part
of a musical group, but they realized their talent in college and
began performing on weekends. They decided to stick together,
releasing their self-titled debut late last year.
EAST TO WEST    6
Jay DeMarcus and Neal Coomer have taken a name as old as the psalms
and brought the message of their faith to today's pop music. In
college they quickly became like brothers and formed their duo, East
to West. While they were rehearing for their spring tour with AL
DENSON, the pair took a moment to share how they met and how they
formed the group.
GREG & REBECCA SPARKS   8
Greg and Rebecca Sparks have been performing in the "unplugged" vein
long before the recent popularity of the style. They took an afternoon
to sit down and chat about their family, their music, and their latest
album, FIELD OF YOUR SOUL.
BRIAN BARRETT   11
New artist Brian Barrett was the winner of the 1992 Gospel Music
Association New Artist Showcase. He chatted with THE LIGHTHOUSE about
his self-titled debut album.
JI LIM  12
Korean born Ji Lim moved to the United States at age six. Given a
violin at age seven, he was quickly dubbed a "child prodigy" in
classical violin. He's not playing much violin now, but he is a
talented musician, nonetheless, and intently working in the field of
youth ministry.
REVIEWS 13
Reviews of the latest projects by Michael Sweet, Twila Paris,
Betrayal, Pam Mark Hall, Peter Shambrook, and Mike Mennard. Also a
look at the acoustic alternative BROW BEAT and a compilation of Mark
Heard's work, HIGH NOON.
INFORMATION CENTER      16


EXECUTIVE EDITOR/PUBLISHER:
J. WARNER SODITUS
EDITOR:
BETH BLINN
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER:
PATTY MASTEN
CONTRIBUTORS:
BETH BLINN, NEIL CLOPTON, ANN HATHCOCK, MICHAEL A. KLEIN, STEVEN C. TIMM, CLARKE
WOODFIN
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OUR MISSION: TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN A DEEPER PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST USING THE MODERN MEDIUM OF CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC.
CHRISTIAN MUSIC, IN ITS VARIOUS CONTEMPORARY FORMS, CAN BE USED AS A TOOL FOR
ENCOURAGEMENT, CHALLENGE, CHRISTIAN OUTREACH, AND CREATING A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON MODERN
CULTURE. THE LIGHTHOUSE SEEKS TO SHARE THE MINISTRY OF SUCH MUSIC THROUGH IN-DEPTH
FEATURES ON THE MUSICAL ARTISTS AND REVIEWS OF CURRENT RELEASES, TO SHOW THE MINISTRY
AVAILABLE FOR CHRISTIANS AND NON-CHRISTIANS ALIKE.


Howdy! Well, you probably noticed that our announced cover story for this
month fell through. The Seventy Sevens' guitarist, David Leonhardt, was
diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease last spring. Due to some recent medical
treatments, the release date of their latest album has been moved back to
April--and our interview was postponed. We'll get that to you as soon as
possible.
In another tragic piece of news, we were pretty devastated to learn of the
death of Vince Ebo at the end of December. Compounding the incredible
emotional trauma for his parents and fiancee, his funeral left his parents
with a financial burden. If you care to send a card or a donation to his
family, please write to: Walter and Maxine Ebo, 10385 Cardiss Way, Rancho
Cordova, CA 95670.
We ask that you keep both the Ebos and David in your prayers.
We also made a couple mistakes in the last issue. First, we accidentally
printed "Dr. Martin Luther Jr." where we obviously meant "Dr. Martin Luther
KING Jr." in the review Greg & Rebecca Sparks' album, FIELD OF YOUR SOUL.
In the review of RIVULETS AND VIOLETS we incorrectly stated that there were
keyboard used on the album. They are proud of the fact that there are no
keyboards used on the recording, and we apologize for the error.
Well, this is the end of two years of publication for THE LIGHTHOUSE.
Thanks for your support, and as always, we welcome your suggestions. God
Bless!
--J. WARNER SODITUS, PUBLISHER



1993 READER'S FAVORITES
       FEMALE VOCALIST MALE VOCALIST   GROUP
       Amy Grant       Steve Taylor    Petra/White Heart (tie)
       ALBUM   SONG    VIDEO PROJECT
       WAKE-UP CALL/SQUINT (tie)       "Jesus is for Losers"   THE LIVE ADVENTURE
       Petra/Steve Taylor       Steve Taylor   Steven Curtis Chapman
       VIDEO SINGLE    CONCERT
       "Jesus is Just Alright" The Newsboys/Michael W. Smith (tie)
       DC Talk

Bob Carlisle
Does the name Bob Carlisle sound familiar? Even if you haven't heard his
solo project, chances are, you've heard his voice. It could be from his
years with Allies, or even earlier days with groups such as Good News or
Psalm 150. Maybe you've heard him on projects by BRYAN DUNCAN or STEVE
CAMP--or even mainstream albums by PAT BENETAR, JUICE NEWTON, or REO
SPEEDWAGON. Perhaps you've heard the number one country tune that he penned
for DOLLY PARTON, "Why'd Ya Come In Here Lookin' Like That." It's okay if
you haven't heard of any of these musical endeavors, since his solo project
is rather different anyway.
Carlisle, who states, "I've always been a musician--it's part of what I
am," took his first step toward his career in music, in a way, on his
seventh birthday. His father took him to a local department store and told
him to pick out any one thing he wanted--he settled on a guitar. His garage
band days as a teen eventually led to him to a full music scholarship at
Chapman College in California.
At the height of the "Jesus Movement," he joined Good News, and later
became a part of a soul group, Psalm 150. After getting married and having
his first child, he sought work with various club bands and studios to
generate the income he needed to support his family. Although the money may
have been nice, it eventually led him to realize, "I felt as if my life was
wasting away and that I was not doing what God had for me." That same week,
RANDY THOMAS and SAM SCOTT approached him about starting a band, and by the
end of the week, they had signed a recording contract as Allies.
After recording six albums and touring extensively, the group decided to
call it quits. "The bringing to a close of the Allies was very peaceful,"
he shares. "It was really God's timing. Everyone parted dear friends.
Everyone's accounted for, where everyone else went to do something else.
It's not like someone was left stranded."
"The change is subtle in that it's kind of an evolution for me. If I'm
going to put my neck on the chopping block and be a solo artist, which I
did have a passion to do for several years (this wasn't an overnight
decision), I wanted to make sure I was focused. As a performer, as a
singer, I asked myself, what is it that I do the best? You better find out
what that is. My first love as a singer has always been just good, solid,
passionate soul music, and that's what I'm doing."
With the change from the rock stylings of Allies, Carlisle has attracted
more of an adult following than ever before. Does he have a desire to reach
a more adult audience?
"The word 'reach' implies that I carry a burden for this segment of
society. I'm an adult, so I write adult songs and I probably attract an
adult audience. I'm not slighting the youth. I spent years with Allies
ministering to kids--I own two. I love them. I just think that the kind of
material I'm doing now is different than what I was doing a decade ago. I'm
more mature now, I think my music is a little more sophisticated and
focused, and I think that it will naturally draw more of an adult
audience."
So what is this "more mature" songwriter trying to convey? What is his
purpose in recording his most recent album? "Getting people from Monday to
Tuesday. I write songs to get ME from Monday to Tuesday. I'm not a
minister. I didn't graduate from seminary. I didn't major in Christian
apologetics. I am just a musician and a singer with a lot of passion on my
heart for my beliefs. I am a minister, you are too, in that we have the
great commission, of course. I don't put myself on a pedestal. I'm not a
finger-pointing kind of song writer or speaker. We're all in this together.
In that, the last album was just songs that touch people's everyday
experiences. That's what I know."
Having learned how to handle touring from his days as part of Allies,
Carlisle now protects his home life from extensive touring--content now to
go out for several weekends or possibly two weeks at a time. He tells, "I
won't even spiritualize it, I just get too lonesome for my family. I'm
really crazy about these people. On the spiritual end of it, I have no
business being out there on the road if I'm not taking care of being a
husband and father at home. I just won't go out for months without being
home. There's nothing more important than the solidarity of my family
life."
A large part of his work involves songwriting in the pop-country arena.
Despite having no immediate desire to ever record an album in that genre,
Carlisle thoroughly enjoys this aspect of his career. "I get a lot of
pleasure out of doing that," he shares. "It's kind of an escape for me--not
that I need an escape from what I'm doing--it's just so different."
And, while some people may believe most country music to be a little bit
dark, and some criticize mainstream country music as being counter to
Christian principles, Carlisle disagrees. "I think it's not an adversary to
Christian music or Christianity," he begins. "I think that, for me, it's
kind of play acting. There are some, 'She left me...' songs, but it's
drama, it's fun, it's like a soap opera. It's kind of fun to write those
songs; they're very innocent. Country music, by in large, is very
wholesome. I like writing for it."
Carlisle's plans were to return to the studio in January to begin
recording his next project, which he hopes will be out by late summer. When
I talked with him, he was beginning to write songs and set goals for this
album, and he shared a little about that process. "I don't pick and write
songs just because of their pop-value. I really try to write and select
songs that really move me and tell the story of my life somehow. In that
comes the personal touch. I think an audience can feel my sincerity. That's
real important to me. If we're going to sing about our relationship with
Christ and our day-to-day walk, I think there should be a pretty serious
element of sincerity and believability, and that's important to me. The
passion is what draws me to music. It's what made me want to pick up a
guitar in the first place. I can't abandon that. It's important that the
album be focused, so we'll see to that."
"The very idea that I stand on a stage and even pretend to represent what
Jesus means to people is silly. Only through God's fantastic grace and
mercy can I even do that."
--J. WARNER SODITUS


Point of Grace
The four women of Point of Grace had no aspirations for entering the music
industry. As the case for many new groups, they were pulled together and
felt a calling by the Lord to use their natural vocal talents as a
Christian group. They met at Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) through the
school's showcase vocal group, the "Ouachitones." They soon started booking
performances and by 1992 only spent three weekends at home. Through gifts
from their grandparents, they went to the Christian Artists Seminar in
Estes Park, Colorado, and wound up the winner of the Overall Grand Prize
Group competition. Terry Lang chatted about the group, and here's a sample
of what she had to share.
IN THE PHOTO, I SAW ONE WEDDING BAND. SO, ONLY DENISE IS MARRIED?
That's the only wedding band that there is and they've been married about
a year.
WHAT KIND OF FAMILIES DID YOU GROW UP WITH?
Well, I will tell you that none of our parents are divorced, which is
pretty rare. I guess family values have really been incorporated into each
one of our beings. All of us only have sisters, no brothers, so we know how
to get along with girls pretty well. Our families at home are real close to
us still and our parents really are our best counselors. They've been the
ones who we've sought wisdom from, so family is pretty important even
though we don't have husbands, yet, except for one of us.
I WAS CURIOUS WHY YOU CHOSE THE NAME POINT OF GRACE. I'M SURE THAT'S WHAT
EVERYONE STARTS OFF ASKING.
There is another group, based in Nashville, and we came in on their turf
and they had already made seven albums and they asked us to change. It took
us nine months to agree on anything. Our A&R guy, John Mays, was reading a
C.S. Lewis book, and was trying to think of names for us and there was a
chapter in that book on grace, and there was a sentence that said, "We as
Christians live everyday at a point where we need the Lord's grace." And so
the phrase "point of grace" just jumped out at all of us.
We really do live everyday at a point of grace. Especially on the road,
where we need the Lord to show us His grace to provide for us as He has,
and to just keep our spirits going, because sometimes it gets kind of hard.
So, that's the name and we feel great about it.
ARE YOU DOING MUCH TOURING ON THE ROAD NOW?
We are touring probably about 20 days a month, which is quite a bit. This
spring we're going to be going on the road with WAYNE WATSON. We'll
probably open up for him and sing back up for him in his show
AND ON THE DAYS YOU'RE NOT ON THE ROAD, I GUESS YOU JUST RECUPERATE FROM
THAT?
Yeah we really do. It's been an adjustment moving to Nashville. We lived
in Oklahoma until about half a year ago, and we moved out here to do our
album. In the summer we were here just four or five days a month, it's
really hard to make it feel like home. I still don't even know where to go
to get things. "Where is my grocery store?" So it's been an adjustment.
I WOULD IMAGINE Y'ALL ARE PRETTY SCALED DOWN ON THE ROAD OR DO YOU HAVE
SOME OTHER PEOPLE TRAVELING WITH YOU?
We have a sound man who is also our road manager. We've been singing
together for about three years, and until about two months ago, we did
everything. I was in charge of the money, Shelley was in charge of the
booking, Heather was in charge of our tape sales and publicity, and Denise
was in charge of all of our music. We know what there is to be done and
it's hard for us to turn that over. We've gotten management, and we've
gotten a guy who books for us, and then our road manager has just now
started taking on responsibilities in fronting the dates and setting up the
sound before we get there. We used to lug it all in ourselves.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OBU.
It's small, with about 1,500 to 1,700 students. It is a wonderful place
and they have been so supportive of us, and they are just thrilled with
what is going on and what the Lord is doing with our ministry.
AND WHAT DID Y'ALL STUDY THERE?
I was an elementary education major, and always thought I'd be a
schoolteacher, but God had other plans. Heather and Shelley were vocal
performance, and Denise was music education.
WHAT KIND OF AUDIENCE HAVE YOU BEEN ATTRACTING, OR PLAYING TO?
The most common thing that we do, is a Sunday night church wide concert,
which is from ages 4 to 94. So, we have to have a variety of music to be
able to reach everybody. We have also done a lot of youth events. Youth
evangelism conferences have been great fun for us. We love to do that and
we feel we can really say something to the youth because we have lived
through that. We always try not to speak beyond our experience. I'm not
going to be able to tell a woman who is going through a divorce how to feel
because I've never been there. But, I can be an encouragement in what I
know. So we like to do the youth things because we can speak to them and
give them some advice.
WHAT KIND OF THINGS DO YOU TELL THE JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH KIDS?
One of the things that we really try to stress everytime we sing in front
of a group of younger people is that each one of us, by the grace of God,
has been able to remain pure from drugs and alcohol and to remain sexually
pure. It's because we made a vow when we were younger that we were just
going to lean on the Lord to take care of us, and to give us the strength
not to succumb to those kind of pleasures. I think when four females stand
in front of a group of kids like that, they go "Wow, if all four of them
can do that, well maybe I can too." It's kind of an encouragement thing
that they could make it, and if they have messed up, that the Lord can make
them a spiritual virgin--they can start new and fresh.
WHAT KIND OF ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUTH PASTORS, AS FAR AS HOW TO GET
THEIR KIDS INTERESTED IN CHRISTIAN MUSIC OR HOW TO USE IT WITH THEIR
PROGRAMS?
We have done quite a bit of camps where we were counselors and the
singers. We would counsel all day long we'd be with the kids--we'd be
family leaders and team leaders. We've done several events now where we
went in and actually talked with the kids and stuff and then they would get
to know us. There was a respect level there, where when they did see us
singing on stage, that it was more than just a singer, it was a real
person, with real problems and real struggles, just like them, but God
could use it somehow. I think just being out there and being with the kids
and showing them that you're real and that you're not too good for any one
of them and you've got as many problems as they do, it's just all in how
you can handle them and how you chose to handle them. It helps the kids a
lot to see that maybe there is something to this Christian music.
SO YOU THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE AN OPEN TIME WHERE YOU CAN HANG OUT
AND MEET THE KIDS BEFORE A CONCERT.
Yeah, before a concert is great. Sometimes the opportunity is not there,
so a good time for us is also afterwards. At just about every one of them
we say, "We want to be here for you, and when we leave, we want our
ministry to continue in your town. If you have any prayer requests or
anything you just want to talk about with us, please come up to us
afterwards and write your request down on a piece of paper and slip it in
our pockets and let us pray for you." I think that is an effective way to
break down the wall so they don't feel intimidated.
ARE YOU ABLE TO DO ANY FOLLOW UP AT ALL?
Yeah, actually. I've probably got about twelve pen pals that I'm kind of
keeping up with, and some of them go back to about two years ago. Just kind
of checking up on their spiritual life, and not only that. Some letters
don't even say anything about the Lord, some letters are just: "What about
school?" or "What about your boyfriend?" I think it's a great way for kids
to know that you are real--just to write to them.
YOU KIND OF MENTIONED EARLIER THAT IT WAS A LITTLE TOUGH FOR FOUR WOMEN TO
COME TO DECISIONS ON SOME THINGS?
Actually, God has given us so much grace in that area. We all have
sisters, so we've all shared rooms--we all know what that's like. So, when
we get a hotel, it's okay. Each one of our personalities is distinctly
different from the other and I think that works really well to kind of
create like a whole person. Each one of us has different talents and
weaknesses, and we learn from each other. And so we respect each other and
I think we communicate really well.
WHAT GOALS HAVE YOU TRIED TO SET NOW THAT THE ALBUM IS OUT?
We did a little TV show the other day, and we were talking about our
goals: "what about group of the year?" "what about your next album?" I
thought that would be wonderful if the Lord decides to give us those
things, but I think our goals are more spiritual and personal. I really
want to be closer to the Lord tomorrow than I am today, and be able to
speak better in front of people and to minister more in front of people.
The other goal is to be able to write songs that are just anointed. That's
a huge thing to say, but that's a goal.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BIGGEST LESSON THAT THE LORD HAS TAUGHT YOU IN
GETTING THE RECORD CONTRACT AND RECORDING THE ALBUM?
We have grown up so much in the last year. We signed in March, and we have
really come across some hard lessons. It hasn't been the hardest thing that
we've gone through in life, but just learning patience, and learning all
there is to know about record companies. It's really hard to know
everything--there's so much to it.
I just think we've had to learn through all the "yucky" times--to consider
it joy. And, to know that God had a bigger picture and a greater plan and
that even though today might be bad, tomorrow is going to be better.
--J. WARNER SODITUS

East to West
East to West is a new duo in Christian pop music. Jay DeMarcus and Neal
Coomer met at Lee College in Cleveland, Tennessee. Having come from similar
backgrounds and small families (Neal has an older sister and Jay has a
younger sister), they found in each other "the brothers they never had."
They took a few minutes away from concert rehearsal to chat about how they
got started in Christian music.
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DID YOU DO BEFORE COLLEGE?
[Neal] In high school I was doing a lot of musical theatre stuff. I wasn't
in a band before college. I think Jay was. I went to a performing arts high
school and was involved in theatre and music, so that was the focus.
[Jay] I was in a band in high school. We did a lot of Christian rock. We
did covers of WHITE HEART and PETRA. I also went to a performing arts high
school and I got to play a lot of jazz and I really enjoyed doing that. I
was the church pianist, too. I really played a lot of different kinds of
music because my mom, especially, loves country music, so I got to play a
lot of that and southern gospel growing up.
[Neal] My mom was also into that stuff, so I played in a southern gospel
group for a while, so there are some similarities in background.
WHERE DID Y'ALL GROW UP?
[Neal] I grew up in Louisville, KY.
[Jay] I grew up in Columbus, OH.
YOU BOTH GREW UP IN THE CHURCH?
[Jay] We sure did.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE GROUP YOU WERE IN--DANNY MURRAY AND NEW
HARVEST. WAS THAT JAZZ?
[Neal] That was after we got to Lee College. That was more of a vocal
ensemble, as can best be compared to something like TRUTH. We did
recruitment for the school. We had a real good time with that. We stayed
with Danny for two and a half years.
THINGS CHANGED FOR YOU AT ATLANTA FEST, WAS THAT A MUSICAL REVELATION?
[Neal] That was weird the way everything unfolded. It was almost as if it
were an accident. It wasn't something we sat down and calculated--"This is
what we want to do and this is how we want to accomplish it." It was just
that the Lord started opening a lot of doors for us. Friends of mine that
we went to school with, Chuck Tilley's daughter, Kim, and her husband
called and they were putting together the lineup for the late-night stage
at Atlanta Fest. They said, "Why don't you come down and do a couple of
tunes?" I said, "I can't do that." I've always been in groups or ensembles,
so the whole thing was not very comfortable. Finally, I said, "Sure, I'll
come down and do about twenty minutes." I was going to get my best tracks
together and go down. I talked to Jay about it, and he said, "Why don't you
let me put together a band? We could take a band down and do a couple of my
tunes." I said, "Okay, sure. We'll try that." We did a twenty minute set
and it went very well. Benson happened to be there, since some of their
artists were on that night. They expressed an interest. They wanted us to
do a demo tape, so we borrowed some money and did a demo. We sent it and it
was kind of a "thanks but no thanks," "keep working" kind of thing. We ran
into Mike Eldred at our denomination's general assembly in New Orleans and
let him listen to our demo. He said, "You need a producer before you even
talk with a record company." He gave us a list and Don Koch happened to be
on his list with his phone number. So, we called Don and sent him a tape
and he happened to be interested in what we were doing and he liked our
vocals, music, and our writing. So, we did another demo with him and about
that time, Chuck Tilley committed to manage us. With Don doing songs for a
demo for us and Chuck's management, Benson's interest increased and we
signed with them.
YOU SAID THAT YOU WENT TO HIGH SCHOOLS FOR PERFORMING ARTS, ARE THEY A
COMMON THING?
[Jay] Not really. I know there's only one in all of Ohio, it's the one I
went to.
[Neal] There's only one in Kentucky, too.
I CERTAINLY NEVER HEARD OF THAT THING, ALTHOUGH I NEVER WOULD'VE GONE.
[Jay] Kind of like the FAME school.
NOW, YOU HAD BOTH DONE SOME SONGWRITING BEFORE THE ATLANTA FEST THING?
[Neal] No, to that point, that had been Jay's music and songs.
WERE YOU DOING OTHER CONCERTS WHEN YOU WERE DOING THE DEMO?
[Neal] Not really. We didn't play out much because we were still with Danny
at that time, so we didn't have a lot of free time.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC TO SOMEONE THAT HADN'T HEARD IT?
[Jay] I would say that our music is very Pop oriented--real hooky melodies.
Probably, if there was a secular group I could compare our sound to, it
would be LEVEL 42 or GO WEST. Real poppy, punchy horns, driving rhythms.
It's pretty, I would say, radio friendly.
[Neal] We want our music to be radio friendly and concert-worthy, but we
want it to be church friendly, too, so we can minister in whichever avenues
the Lord gives to us.
HAVE YOU DONE MANY CHURCH APPEARANCES?
[Neal] Yes.
RIGHT IN ACTUAL CHURCH SERVICES?
[Neal] Yeah. As a matter of fact, that's what we do most of now. In
addition to what Jay was saying, we really like our ballads to be pretty
serious, with a lot of content in our lyrics. The lyrics are very important
to us.
DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC TO COMPARE WHAT YOU'RE DOING? OR IS IT JUST FOR
ENJOYMENT?
[Jay] I think it's a little of both.
I ASSUME YOU BOTH AREN'T MARRIED YET?
[Neal] Not married.
WHO WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE, OR HAVEN'T YOU DEFINED THAT?
[Neal] It's been interesting, because we found a lot of our focuses are
still being defined, as to our ministry and direction, because we haven't
really been on the road that long. It's kind of idealistic, but we would
like for our music to reach from age 15 to 40 with, hopefully, some
bleed-over either direction. Like I said, the lyrics are important to us,
so the lyrics could sustain an audience from 25-50, but some of the uptempo
stuff, the music would hopefully energize the younger audience too.
[Jay] That's been the response so far, in our concerts. We've had the young
people come up and then we've had a fifty year old woman come up and say
that we really ministered to her.
[Neal] When a sixty-five year-old couple wants to come up and buy our tape,
we're like, "Are you sure?"
YOU SAY YOU'VE MOSTLY PLAYED FOR CHURCH AUDIENCES. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT OR
FEEL IS A GOOD THING, OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY FOR A MORE SECULAR
AUDIENCE.
[Neal] I think the way things started was the Lord started opening so many
doors so fast. We were just trying to go wherever He was leading us. That's
really what we want to do now. We really want to just, do whatever is made
available--to be available for Him to take us where He wants us to go.
That's the way it's been so far. If He wants to open the doors for us and
He feels like we're ready as ministers to handle a more secular audience,
then I believe He'll make a way and that time will come. For right now,
we're content to do whatever He wants us to do.
I HAVE BEEN DOING SOME RESEARCH INTO WHETHER THE POINT OF CHRISTIAN MUSIC
SHOULD BE TO MINISTER TO CHRISTIAN AUDIENCES OR TO REACH OUT TO WITNESS TO
SECULAR AUDIENCES.
[Neal] We would love to have the opportunity to do both, because there's
valid arguments for both. When you're talking about the secular audiences,
there are a lot of people that need to get the message that we have. If we
have the answers, they need to hear it. Then, we want to reach as many
unsaved and lost people as we can. On the other hand, we've been surprised
as we've gone around, in saying to as many people as we have, the fact that
how many Christian kids, how many Christian people need hope and
encouragement. Sometimes music is such a medium that can reach people--so
many people that a pastor may not be able to affect. So, we are surprised
to see how many Christian people out there are hurting. They need to have a
message of hope and encouragement. One of the songs Jay wrote was "No
Yesterdays." That is almost a pinnacle of what we have to say; with Jesus
Christ, there are no yesterdays. He takes our sins and casts them as far as
the east is to the west--that's where our name comes from. People even
sitting in the pews who are lost and need to be reminded and know how real
God is.
YOU'LL BE ON TOUR FOR MOST OF THE SPRING WITH AL [DENSON], RIGHT?
[Jay] Five months--January to May.
DO YOU HAVE EXPECTATIONS FOR THAT?
[Jay] We expect to be very tired.
THAT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT.

[Jay] Yesterday morning, even before we started rehearsals, we sat down
around in a circle and had prayer and we're expecting the Lord to do great
things. AL was talking about how many lives were touched last year when he
was out. The statistics were just phenomenal. This time around, we hope it
can be the same, if not better. We know the Lord's really going to touch
what we have to say each night.
DO YOU FEEL THAT WILL BRING IN MORE UNSAVED PEOPLE THAN THE PERFORMANCES
YOU'VE HAD THUS FAR?
[Jay] I would say, more than likely, so.
IS THAT ENCOURAGING OR CHALLENGING?
[Jay] It's a little of both encouraging and challenging because you know
you have a big responsibility. You and I both know that a lot of kids,
especially, are turned off when they even hear the word "Christian." So,
the challenge is to show that you can still be cool and be a Christian.
Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean that you're not cool and you
can't have fun. That's the challenge to us; to show that you can be cool
and be a Christian.
WHO HAVE YOU TAPPED FOR ADVICE BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT ON YOUR FIRST BIG TOUR?
WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT GROUP HAVE YOU SET UP?
[Neal] We've set up a spiritual support network, some individuals who have
either been involved in my life personally, Jay's life personally, or have
expressed an interest [in the group]. It's about twelve people--the
president of our college and his wife, some music ministers and their
wives, youth pastors and their wives, and other close acquaintances.
[Jay] What we do is send those people letters and let them know everything
that's going on with East to West Ministry and ask them to pray over
everything, everyday, every development that happens.
YOU'LL HAVE TO WATCH OUT FOR AL DENSON PRACTICAL JOKES FOR A WHILE.
[Jay] That's what we hear.
--J. Warner Soditus

Greg & Rebecca Sparks
A recent musical trend has been the use of "unplugged" concerts and
recordings. For Greg and Rebecca Sparks, this is nothing new--they've been
doing that for years. Despite having only seen them on a television
program, it was obvious that a concert with them would be nothing short of
intense. I was able to meet this interesting couple recently, and talk
about their family and their music.
Our meeting took place in an Italian restaurant on the outskirts of
Pittsburgh. That sounds typical enough, right? Well, the day happened to be
the coldest day in recorded history for the city, which meant that their
baby-sitter was unable to work. So, they had to take a break from thawing
frozen pipes and bundle their two darling children, Justina (four, who was
completely ecstatic to learn we share the same late-January birthday) and
Eddan (19 months), and venture out for lunch.
After unbundling the children, exchanging introductions, and thawing out
my frozen tape recorder batteries, we feasted on pizza, salad, and
spaghetti, and talked about what's going on with the Sparks. For Greg,
there was one major thought at the front of his mind--getting back to thaw
the pipes.
This latest episode of "Greg versus the pipes" is a continuation of the
battle that began last year. He recalls, "We had set this weekend aside. We
had child care taken care of, and we were going to go skiing. We hadn't
skied for so long because of pregnancies. The day we were leaving, we woke
up and our pipes were frozen. We spent the rest of the weekend unfreezing
pipes and trying to knock out walls." Jokingly, he adds, "If I could get
these pipes fixed, I'd have a pretty easy life."
IT ONLY TAKES TWO SPARKS
Rebecca, who grew up in Johnstown, PA, and Greg, who is from Michigan,
each accepted Christ at an early age. Rebecca's father was a part-time
evangelist, while Greg's was a Wesleyan minister. Their introduction to
music was, however, quite different. While Greg was in his basement playing
along to LYNYRD SKYNYRD albums, Rebecca was taking piano lessons. Since she
was not permitted to listen to the radio, Rebecca would stay after school,
borrow friend's songbooks, and play and sing popular songs she had never
heard--songs by the likes of CAROL KING and JAMES TAYLOR.
Greg and Rebecca first met in 1979 when he joined the Philadelphia-based
group Found Free--for which Rebecca was a vocalist--as a bassist. They
dated a bit until Rebecca left the group, and resumed when she returned in
1982. In 1985, they married, and the group soon signed to Myrrh Records and
became Bash-N-The Code.
After RUSS TAFF attended one of their concerts in 1987, he extended an
offer to the duo to open for him on his tour. They graciously accepted, and
showcased their talents as his opening act for two years. Having recorded
their first album as Sparks and built up interest in their own concerts,
they realized they could not do their own concerts and tour, so they left
TAFF's tour in 1990, when Justina was born.
Since that time, they have released THROUGH FLOOD AND FIRE and now FIELD
OF YOUR SOUL, performed numerous concerts, and moved from Johnstown to
Pittsburgh. They seem comfortable in their new environment (except for the
frozen pipes), partly because Rebecca has two brothers in town, and partly
because they are now close to an airport, making it easier to fly to
concerts.
FAMILY LIFE
Having the children along offered an informal look into the Sparks'
family. It only seems appropriate, since Rebecca states, "We take them
everywhere. Which, I'm sure, definitely has it's drawbacks."
What is the major drawback for them? "Our attention is always divided,"
tells Rebecca. "Which was hard for us to get used to. We're not that kind
of people. We're very focused and intense. With them, you can't be."
The duo even decided to add a small track of Justina singing "Jesus Love
the Little Children" as a sweet little intro to "Love Can Change the World"
on FIELD OF YOUR SOUL. Rebecca explains, "We didn't know we were going to
do that. That was one of those studio moments. We were in the studio
playing the piano and they [Greg and the producer, Craig Krampf] were
rolling the tape and we didn't know. It just seemed to fit really well."
One of the requirements when they book a concert is that child care will
be provided. They usually try to arrive around dinner-time before a
concert. Rebecca explains, "We come in, eat dinner, and get the kids
situated. If it's at a church, they have nurseries right there. Justina
loves touring the nurseries of the country. While I'm getting the kids
situated, Greg gets all the sound set up."
On most days at home, there is no child care, however. So, Greg jokes, "It
is the thing where the goal of the day is for both children to go down for
their nap at the same time. [Laughter] If you can do that, you're going to
get something else done. That's how I am."
"I do believe that God created men and women to be different," Rebecca
states. "With kids, we have different temperaments and different
capabilities. When you're home with children, especially with two, you
can't frustrate yourself thinking you're going to get anything else done.
It really is a full-time job. Justina's a bright girl. For her age, her
communication skills are real advanced. It just means that we had to jump
into communicating really fast."
"I don't think a parent could get an attitude that it's hard work," she
continues. "It's a privilege that I really believe you're fashioning a
life. I think if it's done with wisdom and love, the potential is
unbelievable."
While they have a booking agent to handle concert arrangements, Greg and
Rebecca are handling some of the marketing for their latest album
themselves. This doesn't appeal much to Greg, but it does to Rebecca. He
has dubbed her "the phonemeister."
"I really like doing business," confesses Rebecca. "I like coordinating
all those different pieces and making them work together. At this time,
until we're done having children, my focus, outside concerts and
songwriting, is maintaining family and friend relationships. We don't have
the ambition to hire the big, high-powered manager, so you have a very low-
key career. We make a living doing it, and that's really what our ambition
is."
So, when will they be done having kids? Rebecca ponders, "I think we'll
have a couple more. It's the phenomenon of once you have them, you realize
that these two are so different, so there is that curiosity of, 'What would
another one of our kids be like?' I think if you have the capacity to do
it, you should be able to. I want to put a couple good people on the Earth-
-I think our odds are good."
A HEART FOR YOUTH
Each went through similar experiences during high school, evaluating and
questioning the faith they grew up with--but they attribute their youth
groups with keeping them close to the church. Greg explains it as
"...having one foot out and one foot in, but that one foot in was really
powerful. It kept me aware of the road ahead if I didn't listen to the Lord
in my life."
"I think that, almost subliminally," Rebecca adds, "we've always been
drawn to providing something for the young person because in hindsight, it
was our youth groups that really saved us at that terrible time when a lot
of kids aren't involved in something that belongs to them culturally. I
think it's a strong drive to have something that is yours at that age--it's
just life. If there's not something there--with music or sports or
something that has a Christian overtone, something to at least hold them
there--there's about six years of real danger. We both had that
surrounding. We both rebelled in our own way. I was a rebellious kid
towards my folks. I'm very strong-willed, so we had those conflicts.
Knowing that personality, and what I COULD have gotten involved in and
didn't get involved in, is nothing short of a miracle. I totally credit it
to the people we were involved with."
She continues, "[Christian music] gives you something that's your own.
This is what ticks me off about some folks who [get upset] if they don't
hear Jesus in the lyric. Songwriting should be something that's very
personal. I think, to provide music that just keeps kids out of the trash
that's there in music, with healthy themes--I would never come against the
idea of people that just want to do positive music." She quickly clarifies,
"Our music isn't just in the positive vein."
Most of their audiences have some sort of tie to the church--so they are
familiar with the Christian ideas in their music. Greg explains his views
on the church as a youth, "I knew what I should do. But to me, the living
example of what it would turn me into was something I didn't want to be.
That was who the older people in my church were. I wanted to be a kid."
Since many youth today feel the same way, it offers him a point of
understanding with the kids. "I don't know how good a communicator I am,"
he offers. "But I can empathize with how they feel."
CONCERT PHILOSOPHY
For the Sparks, the preparation for their concerts goes way back to their
songwriting, with the live performance usually determining the quality of
their writing. Admitting they are not people who can write music all the
time, they have to almost lock themselves away to compose their songs. "We
almost become abusive to ourselves emotionally for pushing to get the song
to say what we intend it to say and not waste a word," says Rebecca. "Once
you get that, you've built the basis for a good album and good concert. So,
that's where the hardest, and most rewarding work is--in the songwriting."
In looking forward to another project, since FIELD OF YOUR SOUL was
written before Eddan was born, Rebecca relates, "What we're going to have
to do is go away and leave the kids with somebody. I could write lyrics at
anytime, but, when it comes to the whole package of putting the songs
together, it takes a real amount of concentration and focus."
In discussing the recording process, you can begin to see how different
the pair is. Rebecca begins, "In the studio, I love doing the performance--
getting in front of the microphones. I really love studio work in that
sense. I HATE all the technical stuff. Greg and I are pretty much opposites
on that."
Greg laughs, "I can tweak for hours."
"He loves it," Rebecca continues, "and he's good at it. Getting behind the
microphone--that's his worst moment."
That's why, for concerts, Greg handles setting up the sound system (and
tweaking the knobs), leaving Rebecca only to have to do a quick microphone
check before the show. Their differences provide additional strength as a
pair, but there's one part they are in complete agreement on--emotional
preparation.
"Before a concert, we can't have a lot of activity," Rebecca explains. "If
we have a conflict between us, we have a deal that it gets resolved before
we go out on stage. [If the problems aren't resolved] There's a sense of
hypocrisy, for us. If our hearts are together on a daily basis in our
relationship, then getting up on stage and being spiritually able to pull
that together isn't a huge effort at all. I think it's the daily
maintenance that makes you prepared for a concert."
Greg adds, "Most people go through their day and have stresses and
frustrations and look forward to going to the concert. So, instead of
walking on stage burned out when you should be ready to give to the people
who came--you're preparing yourself throughout the day."
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT
Ask them what lesson they've learned in the last year and they will
respond in unison--"wait." Says Greg, "Don't try to put it on your own time
schedule. When it isn't on your time schedule, as long as you are trusting
God and doing what you can at hand, being diligent with what you have, then
it IS on a time schedule--just not on the one you thought it was."
FIELD OF YOUR SOUL was completed in the summer of 1992, and originally
scheduled for a fall 1992 release on Reunion. There were initial delays due
to the timing of the album's release in respect to other Reunion releases,
and the other changes at the label, namely the mainstream distribution
agreement with Geffen. Not wanting to be pressured by Geffen's marketing
ideas, they packed up the album and went searching for other options.
Finally arranging an agreement for distribution by Etcetera Records, the
album was released late last year.
Greg admits, "Rebecca and I aren't the oldest and wisest, most
experienced, people in this industry. But, we've seen deals come and go
enough to know that they're very fragile environments to base your self-
worth on. If they come up with an idea, you have to compare it, 'Is that
me?'"
While they have to admit that they experienced a few dark days during the
process, they realized what they love to do most--traveling to do concerts.
"There were enough other things going on in our life," Greg explains, "that
were just as important, so the blows of disappointment didn't carry as much
weight."
Rebecca adds, "If it's the only thing happening in your life, it could
really tear your world apart. Eddan was born in July of 1992, so the first
thing I would think of was that." They are now almost thankful for that
time, since they were able to adjust to being parents of two children.
Other encouragement throughout those times came a group they call their
"Big Chill" friends. They are a set of friends that have shared all of "the
big life changes"--marriage and kids--since the late seventies. The group
is still an important source for guidance, even though they are now
scattered across the country. "They know who we are and how we feel," tells
Rebecca. "Our hearts are so closely aligned in the values and priorities."

While much of today's "unplugged" music is lyrically empty, Greg and
Rebecca are putting forth a solid message from the Gospel in theirs. It was
a wonderful experience to spend an afternoon with them and their family.
And, I think that if you ever see them in concert, you will be as surprised
as I am that so much sound and energy can come from only two people.
--J. WARNER SODITUS

Brian Barrett
Brian Barrett is an up and coming artist on Star Song Records. With his
self-titled debut release, he becomes part of the growing Christian Country
music scene. Barrett was the winner of the Gospel Music Association's New
Artist Showcase in 1992, a contest for unsigned artists that is held during
Gospel Music Week and subsequently obtained a contract with Star Song. THE
LIGHTHOUSE was recently able to spend some time with this newcomer, to gain
some insight into his music and his life.
I POPPED IN [YOUR ALBUM]--IT WAS PRETTY DIVERSE, I THOUGHT. A LOT OF
COUNTRY FLAVOR, IN POINTS. I IMAGINE THAT COMES FROM PART OF YOUR
BACKGROUND?
It sure does. I was raised here in middle Tennessee. I was born in
Murfreesboro, so I can't deny my roots, for sure. I lived in Murfreesboro,
or rather, in Rutherford County, until I was thirteen, and then moved to
Texas. I went to high school and college there. And I've been back here for
about four years. There's a bit of bluegrass and country influence.
I NOTICED SOME FIDDLES IN THERE.
Yeah, we put some fiddles in there--kind of an artsy, contemporary fiddles.
I really like rootsy music--I like real musicians to play on things. In
fact, the demos that I do here at Star Song, I use real players. We've got
a small studio, but I try and use drummers, and the like, and instruments
that have that human element in them--the expression, I believe, is more
validated.
I SEE IN YOUR BIO THAT YOU WERE ACTUALLY PLANNING ON BEING A PILOT IN THE
MILITARY.
I sure was.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHEN THAT
CHANGED FOR YOU?
I went to a Christian high school that had a Bible class every day, and the
Word of God was definitely implanted into my life. When I went to college,
I told myself, "I'm going to do some things that I want to do." I told God
that I was going to do things that my "self" wanted to do. And that's what
I did. I really was the prodigal. But, four years of that and my life began
to go downhill--really from the inside out. There was no joy, no peace, and
no happiness, because the fellowship with God had been broken. I had
received a pilot's license while I was in college. I planned on coming back
up to Tennessee and getting an instructor's rating, and such. In the
meantime, my father had asked me to videotape a revival service. He's an
airline pilot himself. I'd even gone to the National Guard and looked into
a spot in the reserve, actually into the Air Force, as an officer. Some of
the paperwork was beginning to be processed, and I was on the way of
pursuing that. But, in the meantime, there was this appointment that I had
to have, not so much so with the camera and the revival service, but with
God. What happened was that God reminded me that I was very responsible for
the things that I knew, and the Word he had given me. In Luke 12:48, Jesus
said, "Unto much is given, much is required." God brought to mind all of
the times that He had been gracious to me and faithful, and reminded me
that my life really consisted of the abundance that He has, not of things
that I can get. A lot of realizing that there really is a plan that He has-
-it's not a clich�, but it's the truth. It's a fact, and that plan, I found
out, only came through surrendering to him and saying, "You know, God, you
have the words of life." The disciples said "Where are we going to go,
Father? Lord, You have the words of life." And I realized that, and I said
"Father, I want to be a servant. I want to serve you and devote my life to
the things that I know that You have for me. And be responsible for the
things that I know, so that I can, not only live an abundant and free life,
but that I can share the Gospel with folks, and be a beacon to a lost world
that needs Christ." I'm such a devout seeker of truth. I like to get the
truth of the matter in everything, and I've found that the only true
source, the only pure source of truth is the Word of God. It never comes
back void.
HOW DID WINNING AFFECT YOU?
I was, first of all, overwhelmed... It's wonderful to see God's fingerprint
on things, and that's really what that was to me. I believe we see God's
fingerprint on something, and we see it in such a great manifestation--
letting us know that "Yes, I'm still in control," and "Yes, you can trust
Me, because I love you and care for you." Such a responsibility too, came
to me, because I knew that some things were expected of me, and God
expected me to be responsible for the things that were given me from the
GMA, and I was overwhelmed. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I pursued it
further. That's when Star Song gave an invitation for an artist contract.
AND YOU DECIDED TO GO FOR IT?
I sure did. It was an offer that I really couldn't refuse. I'd prayed for
something of this nature for several years, since I've been back in
Tennessee. The character of the company is what really stood out to me. The
integrity of the leadership here--because they're not owned by a
corporation. If there's a problem, you can walk down the hall, and knock on
the door and say, "Hey, can we iron this out," or "I've got a question."
The spiritual integrity is so intact--I'm the kind of person who loves that
kind of accountability. And I desire that. A friend of mine told me that
you're only as strong as the people around you, and I tend to believe that.
Sort of the weakest link in the chain theory.

As evidenced by this conversation, Brian Barrett is an artist who is
earnestly seeking to serve God with his heart and his talent. Hopefully, he
will have the affect on his listeners that he desires.
--BETH BLINN

Ji Lim
Born in Korea, Ji Lim moved to the United States, near Philadelphia, with
his family as a six year old. His parents, Byung and Choon, pushed him and
his brother to excel. So, when his brother gave up violin lessons, Ji
inherited the instrument that earned him respect as a "child prodigy." As a
teen, however, his musical interest began to change and at fifteen, he
started to write his own songs.
The summer before college, he worked with a string quartet in New York and
made a friend that encouraged his songwriting and faith. He tells, "This
was my first example of someone who actually 'lived Christ,' so to speak.
At the end of the summer, I did a show with piano and vocals, and decided
this was where God was using me--this was what I wanted to do."
"I came to know the Lord when I was eight," Lim continues. "We had come
from Korea and weren't religious, per-se. The first year we were in the
U.S.A. we became Jehovah's witnesses for some reason. They came to the door
and my parents took them in. Then we moved to a house right across from
this dynamite pastor and his family. We got to be friends and they shared
the Gospel with us. It pretty much made sense to me right away, even though
I was young. I understood the basics. I think the Gospel is simple and
complex at the same time. I think it's the simplicity that draws people and
that's how I came to the Lord at an early age. I went through the ups and
downs of growing in Christ and struggling, especially through high school.
It's a tough time in kid's lives, trying to find out who they are--I think
it helps when you bring God into the picture."
Turning down a full scholarship at Southern Methodist University, he
attended Temple University to be close to home. After deciding that he
really didn't have the desire to pursue classical music, Lim took a
semester off before entering Lancaster Bible College. His parents accepted
him leaving Temple, but did not agree with his decision to pursue
songwriting and youth ministry. "That's what I wanted to do--work with
kids. I think music is right down the line with kids."
Lim admits that he does not listen to much Christian music; he mainly
listens to mainstream radio. "I'm tired of Christian music being behind
where secular music is," he explains. "So I approach it with a sense of
trying to figure out what they're [kids] listening to and what gets them
going and approach it in kind of a back-door way."
Continuing, Lim states, "I personally don't like the differentiating of
the two because I believe, as Christians, we're called to be ourselves and
live our lives as holy as anybody else. Our music and our art reflects our
lives as Christians. To say it's Christian or not Christian, well, you play
with semantics after a while. I like to listen to secular music to see what
they're into and I like it too."
His THROUGH IRON WALLS has just been released this month, but the album
was essentially completed this past June. This taught him a valuable lesson
in patience, as he chose to trust the Lord and not rush things. Slow
progress has had its rewards, primarily the great relationship he has
forged with "like minded" people at his new label, Intersound.
The jacket of his album reads like a virtual "who's who" of excellent
studio musicians, but Lim prefers to talk about the importance of the
lyrics. "These songs represent what I go through in my life and what I
struggle with," he states. "I'd say probably half of my ideas for songs
come from working with kids--seeing a lot of the hurt and need for a lot of
things in this life. The kids definitely are an inspiration. I really have
a heart for them and I want them to know the truth at an early age before
it gets worse as they grow up. Life gets really confusing after high
school."
In describing some of the tracks of the album, he continues, "'Tonight' is
a song about the calling of Christ. I think the calling of Christ is a lot
more challenging than we, here in the west, make it out to be. That bothers
me moreso, the fact that I read the Word and I see what He requires of me
in being a servant and a child of God. It frightens, me since I fall short
of all that He wants me to be, and yet in His grace I still grow and learn
and hope to still be all that I want to be."
"'As Love Would' is a song about AIDS. It's a call for the church to deal
with a very appropriate issue in society today that I feel we're shying
away from. I feel that if Christ were here today, He would be right in the
thick of things, urging the church to help with compassion and love."
"'Proud of Me' is a song about my relationship with my father. Growing up,
he was very traditional in the sense of having to be the breadwinner. He
was very cold, very unaffectionate, because he grew up that way. That's the
way he was taught that a man and a father was supposed to be. I always
struggled with wanting him to be proud of what I did--regardless of whether
I succeeded or not. I think that's a problem with a lot of sons and
fathers. Working with kids, I ask them how their families are doing and a
lot of them will talk more about their mom than they will their dad. I see
that wall between sons and fathers that I wish wasn't there, because it
wasn't meant to be there. I wrote this song hoping that it would help other
kids know that they're not alone. I struggled the night I wrote that song.
My dad has been telling me for years, since I went into music, that this
isn't what I should do; I can't make a life doing this. It was really hard,
because I value parents as a means of God's will in a person's life, up to
a certain point. Through a lot of prayer and a lot of trying to reach out
on my part, things have gotten better between me and my father."
"'Revolution,'" he concludes, "pushes forth what I really hope to
accomplish--a revolution in the church. I want THROUGH IRON WALLS to break
through and reach young people--probably the most critical group of people,
who can really make a difference and light a renewed fire in the church."
--J. WARNER SODITUS

REVIEWS

MICHAEL SWEET MICHAEL SWEET (BENSON)
Some Christian music fans may not know the name Michael Sweet offhand.
Fans of Christian hard rock and metal will probably recognize him as the
former lead vocalist aguitarist for Stryper.
I found myself listening to the album with mixed expectations. On one
hand, I wanted to hear more of that "Stryper sound" with Sweet's dynamic
rock voice, but at the same time I was ready for something new and
different. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this album offers both.
There is no mistaking Sweet's distinctive vocal style from his Stryper
days, but the music itself has much more of a "bluesy" rock sound. The
album contains a good mix of fast and slow songs, and offers a variety of
different sounds. Sweet sings lead and backup vocals, and plays many of the
rhythm and lead guitar tracks. The album is solidly written and produced--
mostly by Sweet himself.
The album is scripturally sound, with many references to the basics of
Christianity: the need for salvation, our love for the Lord, etc. Its
simple lyrical approach makes it understandable for younger listeners and
non-Christians.
The album kicks off with "Together," a fast moving song about commitment
in a relationship. "Take Me Home" is about the need for Jesus in our lives;
"Jesus died to give me all/when I'm sick He is the cure/only You can break
my heart of stone." "Tomorrow, Tonight" is a slow, moving love song with
some terrific sax playing. "All This and Heaven Too" talks about God's
provision of salvation and eternal life; "You led me on to the promised
land/You saved my lonely soul." My favorite is "J.E.S.U.S." a hard driving
song that uplifts Christ as our Savior and Lord.
I was impressed with this album from start to finish. If you like good
Christian rock, this album is for you.
--CLARKE WOODFIN
BROW BEAT (ALARMA)
Mortal goes acoustic? Now I've seen everything!
I own a lot of "various artists" CD's. The problem with them is that they
tend to not be very listenable as albums, in my opinion. BROW BEAT is
different. Being a collection of acoustic tracks from alternative acts, the
project has a good sense of coherence.
Among the acts included, the only real surprise is Mortal, with a cut
called "Bleeder." Most of the album is made up of acoustic cuts from
artists who have dabbled in that genre before: Terry Taylor, The Choir,
Mike Knott, Poor Old Lu, and Lost Dogs.
One of the album's flaws is that it has an excessively brooding tone.
Granted, the LA alternative crowd (well represented on this album) isn't
known for bright, sunshiny songs, but sometimes I just wanted to say,
"Lighten up a bit!" Mercifully, however, "Keep Me In Mind" by Dig Hay Zoose
and "Drenched Decent" by Poor Old Lu provided enough good feelings to get
me through the dirges that Mortal and Undercover contributed.
"No Ship Coming In," by the supergroup Lost Dogs, is a disappointment for
me. The sound of this song reminds me of the forced, artificiality I
associate with contrived commercial products like the TRAVELING WILBURYS.
In all fairness, I must add that I have not given the most recent Lost
Dog's Album, LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD, a close listen yet.
One thing to remember about acoustic music is that it tends to be a bit
less immediately accessible than fully produced pop or rock music. By that,
I mean that this isn't a record that you are likely to fully appreciate on
the first or second listen. This is music that has to sink in a bit and be
thought about for a while. If you are willing to put forth the effort, it
may well be worth it.
--NEIL CLOPTON
MARK HEARD HIGH NOON (FINGERPRINT)
For those not familiar with his work, Mark Heard was a singer-songwriter
who was held in the highest esteem by many musicians, both in the Christian
and secular industry. Artists such as RANDY STONEHILL, PHIL KEAGGY, and
others have recorded his songs. He worked as a producer with groups as
diverse as JACOB'S TROUBLE and VIGILANTES OF LOVE. Recordings of his own
music were considered great by critics, but just never seemed to catch on
with the average Christian music listener. But that didn't stop Heard from
producing some great stuff in either music market.
Tragically, Heard passed away a year and a half ago after he suffered
several heart attacks at the young age of 41. And, as it seems to happen
too frequently in the artistic world, he is finally starting to get some of
the recognition that he deserved while he was still alive. Myrrh and Epic
Records are jointly distributing a compilation album, HIGH NOON, to the
Christian and secular markets. Consisting of eighteen cuts taken from
Heard's last three independent releases, DRY BONES DANCE, SECOND HAND, and
SATELLITE SKY, and several unreleased songs, the record is a great
introduction to Heard's talent.
In the tradition of the greatest singer-songwriters, Heard's music has a
way of reaching out and pulling you into the songs. He was a gifted
lyricist who could paint vivid word pictures. His music is generally
acoustic in nature, utilizing a wide variety of instruments.
Some of the best songs are "Another Day In Limbo," "Everything is
Alright," "Dry Bones Dance," and "My Redeemer Lives," which appeared on the
DERRI DAUGHERTY/STEVE HINDALONG praise and worship production, AT THE FOOT
OF THE CROSS, VOL. I. "Everything Is Alright," which was also recorded by
PHIL KEAGGY on his SUNDAY'S CHILD disc, is a rolling song of comfort about
dealing with circumstances. "Another Day In Limbo" is more upbeat, with a
riff that tends to stick in your head. "Dry Bones Dance" is a country
flavored tune, that gets your toes tapping. "My Redeemer Lives" is classic-
-a lovely song that should be integrated into modern hymnals. It also
features some great backup singing by Julie Miller.
If you are not familiar with Mark Heard's work, this is a great
introduction, and record sales will directly benefit Heard's wife and young
daughter, who are left with some very high medical bills due to the usual
musician situation of not having medical insurance. A tribute album is also
in the works that would see such artists as BRUCE COCKBURN, SAM PHILLIPS,
ASHLEY CLEVELAND, THE CHOIR, RICH MULLINS, KEVIN SMITH (of DC TALK), and
others recording Heard's songs.
--BETH BLINN
TWILA PARIS BEYOND A DREAM (STAR SONG)
On her latest album, Twila Paris veers away from her usual inspirational
and reflective style to present some songs that have a bold, urgent
message. These messages are wake-up calls for Christians.
The first cut is "God Is In Control." Since this is the first song, it
gives a hint of the mood of the album. It is upbeat and contemporary, yet
it holds a good message of God's hand in our lives. "Watch and Pray" has a
sixties-style rhythm that teaches an important lesson--to live for Christ
until we see Him face to face. "Neither Will I" communicates accountability
in a Christian friendship; "He will never give up on you and neither will
I, my friend."
She accents the theme of having confidence and trust in our God that
everything will turn out right on "All About You." This tune is more
aggressive and shows Paris' clear voice. "A Visitor From Heaven" is a
beautiful worship song that tells of Jesus coming to visit on this Earth
accompanied by grace. The melody is filled with beautiful piano and
orchestration solos. "Seventy Years Ago" is a ballad of Paris' Christian
heritage. She tells the story of passing this treasure to her children and
grandchildren. This is a very unique song that shows the importance and the
results of having a Christian family.
A Scottish rhythm is the base of a praise song from the Psalms, "I Will
Worship." "Rescue The Prisoner" is another song that presents the
seriousness of the salvation message. This song has more forceful music and
lyrics. On a totally different thread, the next track asks a thought
provoking question: "What Am I Without You?" To end up the project, Paris
sings a short, beautiful worship chorus, "The Light is Shining," that
speaks of God shining light into our soul. It is heart-rending and
inspiring.
Twila Paris' venture to a new, more upbeat, sound is very refreshing. If
you like lyrics from her past albums, you will find similar sentiments on
this album. She dares to take the cause of Christ to another level with
this album, revealing the need for Christians to live their lives in
anticipation of the soon return of our Lord.
--ANN HATHCOCK
BETRAYAL THE PASSING (WONDERLAND)
THE PASSING is the latest offering from the trash/speed metal band
Betrayal. This is a challenging format for a band of Christians to carry
out successfully. Combining screaming guitars, pounding drums, and harsh
yelling vocals in a manner that glorifies God is not easily accomplished.
Yet, in this release, I feel Betrayal does it quite well.
Technically, the guitar work is amazing in its variety. Rather than
relying on the standard thrashing riffs repeating throughout each song,
Marcus N. Colon and Rob McCue prove that they know their instruments. When
the song calls for it, they are quite capable of being melodious, as well
as creating the "wall of sound" typically associated with this genre. The
bassist, Jeff Lain, does a good job of keeping up with the changing
rhythms. Leading those changes, drummer Jeff Mason carefully sets a tempo
and then is able convey the intensity of each song by varying the pattern
of the beats throughout the song.
What can be the most challenging aspect of this form of music is the
vocals. The volume of the music requires the words to be more shouted than
sung. This can lead to making every lyric sound the same, both contextually
and emotionally. Lead vocalist Chris Ackerman manages to add enough variety
to convey different messages. Guiding the whole project as producer is
Caesar, who seems to have held the whole project to a consistently good
level of quality.
The message is bleak but still positive. The tendency with this type of
music is for bands to use minor chords, with a lot of yelling about how bad
everything is. Betrayal adds to that some of the positives of Christianity.
Still, with song titles like "Carnival of Madness," "Forest of Horrors,"
and "Race of Hypocrisy," it's clear that this band is out to challenge
Christians to improve their surroundings, rather than be complacent. I
would not hesitate to give this release to any non-Christian head-bangers,
particularly if they do not believe there are any good Christian metal
bands.
--MICHAEL A. KLEIN
PAM MARK HALL PALER SHADE (STORYVILLE)
After a hiatus of several years, Pam Mark Hall is returning to the
Christian music market with PALER SHADE. Produced and recorded by Dave
Perkins, a release on the folk-oriented Storyville label might seem strange
to those who remember her earlier work. In fact, there is no better word
than folk to explain the songs on this project. There is an abundance of
acoustic guitar playing, mostly by Pam, backed up by light rhythm
instruments (Mike Radofsky, Michael Saleem), accordion and mandolin (Phil
Parlapiano), bass (Glenn Worf), and includes a duet with Ashley Cleveland.
Hall became known as a songwriter before her solo career with "The Now And
The Not Yet," recorded by AMY GRANT. On this album, she again writes all
her own songs and, in a way, she picks up where she left off. Many of the
songs are upbeat, including "All Right Now" and "Family Tree," which is a
song about her grandpa and grandma, in a true folk style. "Rock Me On the
Water" evokes a Native American theme, both in its tune and lyrics;
"Between the earth and sky I have found a place to howl like the wounded
wind's daughter."
The duet with Ashley Cleveland on "Love's Possibility" is a great track,
since Cleveland is perhaps the only other solo female artist that is doing
anything close to this style of music right now. The songwriting is also
similar to that of GREG AND REBECCA SPARKS, but with much less edge. Her
songs are very rewarding to listen to, and provide an interesting bridge
for those who want to explore folk music for the first time.
--STEVEN C. TIMM
PETER SHAMBROOK LIVE AT CAFE LIDO (FRONTLINE)
I became acquainted with Peter Shambrook about two years ago, when I saw
him open for RICK ELIAS and MARGARET BECKER. I had never heard of him
before and, to be honest, I wasn't expecting a lot. I was pleasantly
surprised with his voice and stage presence, as Shambrook gave a
performance that made a fan out of me, as well as a large part of the
audience.
His two Frontline releases, a self-titled debut and LOVE UNSEEN, have
shown insights into a musician who writes from personal experience and who
isn't afraid to tackle sensitive, emotional issues. A native Australian who
came to this country about seven years ago, Shambrook is equally
comfortable with singing about his love for God or his love for his wife
and child.
LIVE AT CAFE LIDO is just what the title suggests--Shambrook performing at
a club, which provides a warmer, more intimate feeling than many live
recordings have. With a five-piece band and one backup singer, Shambrook
plays eight tunes, most of which are from his second album, and one
previously unrecorded song. The music alternates between upbeat pop tunes
and ballads, and includes several opportunities for the band to jam a
little. Shambrook writes some very melodic songs, and you might find
yourself humming snatches of them several hours after you've finished
listening to the album. Some of the more memorable ones are "Through The
Ages," (the only cut from his first album) "Faith Again," "Never Leave You
Crying," and "I Believe In You."
Shambrook has a smooth, expressive voice, and does a good job of
connecting with his audience. His band does a great job, and the members
seem to play off of each other well. I have no idea whether they usually
play as a unit, or if they just got together for this recording, but they
put on a credible performance.
In a couple of places, Shambrook stops to talk to the audience about his
family and his faith--relating some insights on his music. He's an
unassuming individual, who doesn't seem to aspire to more than to be able
to share his music with people, and hope that it touches them in some way.
I think he accomplishes that.
--BETH BLINN
MIKE MENNARD GRACE AND OTHER STUFF (EDEN)
Mike Mennard has a strong baritone voice, reminiscent of MICHAEL CARD,
that is usually accompanied by an acoustic guitar and an occasional bit of
high harmony. What really sets him apart from some other Christian
musicians is his song writing. The songs on this album avoid obvious rhymes
and lyrical clich�s, yet they are instantly singable. For example, my
favorite song on the album, "Multi-Purpose God," contains this verse: "The
devil comes against me/No need to fear/My God will kick his butt/Right out
of here." Besides theological accuracy, Mennard has painted a word picture
that I will not soon forget.
While the album does not range much musically, he does give each song its
own unique sound. As a result, there is a slightly disjointed feel as one
goes from one song to the next. That's a minor complaint. He gives the
feeling that he sincerely means each word that he sings, a quality that is
sometime missing in music of this type.
The songs are strongly based on scripture, but always placed in a
contemporary setting. For example, "Another Silent Night," is about
remembering the people born today under the same circumstances as Jesus.
The song, "Grace (There is a Way)," teaches about the concept of God's
grace and what that should mean to us. Because of the scriptural accuracy,
the teaching and the quality of this work, I would not hesitate to give it
to any non-Christian friends who are searching, or any Christians who would
appreciate solid song writing presented in an Adult Contemporary manner.
--MICHAEL A. KLEIN

NEW RELEASES
Brian Barrett BRIAN BARRETT
Allison Durham WALK INTO FREEDOM
Ken Holloway KEN HOLLOWAY
Twila Paris BEYOND A DREAM
Nitro Praise NITRO PRAISE VOL. 1
Ben Okafor GENERATION
PFR (Formerly Pray For Rain) GOLDIE'S LAST DAY
PFR PFR UNLEASHED (VIDEO)
David Zaffiro YESTERDAY LEFT BEHIND
various AMERICA'S 25 FAVORITE PRAISE AND WORSHIP CHORUSES, VOLUME 2
various BRIDE'S GUIDE TO WEDDING MUSIC
various CORAM DEO II: PEOPLE OF PRAISE
various GIVING YOU THE REST OF MY LIFE
various THE LULLABY ALBUM
various THE PLAYTIME ALBUM
FEBRUARY RELEASES
Lisa Bevill RSVP
Scott Blackwell THE REAL THING
Ray Boltz ALLEGIANCE
Michael Card JOY IN THE JOURNEY
Commissioned MASTER OF THE HEART
Clay Crosse MY PLACE IS WITH YOU
Andrae Crouch MERCY
Lisa Daggs ANGEL IN YOUR EYES
Nicholas Giaconia UNTITLED
Steve Green WHERE MERCY BEGINS
Imagine This IMAGINE THIS
Iona BEYOND THESE SHORES
Jeff Johnson & Brian Dunning SONGS FROM ALBION II
Ji Lim THROUGH IRON WALLS
Calvin Jones UNCHARTED WATERS
Love Coma SOUL RASH
Cindy Morgan CINDY MORGAN (VIDEO)
Mortal RIFT (VIDEO)
PASSAFIST PASSAFIST
Petra PETRA POWER PRAISE
Precious Death PRECIOUS DEATH
Resolution POLITICALLY INCORRECT
Rose III UNTITLED
Michael Sweet MICHAEL SWEET
Steve Taylor SQUINT: MOVIES FROM THE SOUNDTRACK (VIDEO)
Dick Tunney HORIZON
various INDUSTRIAL REMIXES (PLEASANT DINNER MUSIC)
various LOST WITHOUT YOU
various NEW YOUNG MESSIAH (VIDEO)
MARCH RELEASES
Susan Ashton, Margaret Becker, & Christine Dent� UNTITLED
Private Boiz INSPIRATION
Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir UNTITLED
Keith Brown LIVE! IN EUROPE (VIDEO)
Carman THE STANDARD (VIDEO)
The Charlie Daniels Band THE DOOR
Daryl Coley UNTITLED
The Crossing DANCING AT THE CROSSROADS
Willie Davis COME TOGETHER
Deitophobia CLEAN
Dawkins & Dawkins UNTITLED
Rob Frazier THE LONG RUN
Fruits of the Spirit UNTITLED
Gospel Gangstas GANG AFFILIATED
Steve Grace LIBERTY ROAD
Larnelle Harris BEYOND THE LIMITS
Larry Howard BRIGHT SIDE OF THE BLUES
Keoni KEONI
LSU GRACE SHAKER
Patsy Moore THE FLOWER CHILD'S GUIDE TO LOVE & FASHION
Out of the Grey UNTITLED
Phillip, Craig & Dean LIFE LINE
Rhythm Saints DEEP SUSTAINED BOOMING SOUNDS
Paul Smith EXTRA MEASURE
The Waiting UNTITLED
various RHYTHM & SOUL
various SISTERS
APRIL RELEASES
Benjamin UNTITLED
Crashdog MUD ANGELS
Catherine King WINDOWS AND DOORS
Living Sacrifice UNTITLED
Greg Long UNTITLED
Mercy Miles MERCY MILES
Phillip Sandifer FOLLOWER
various STORYVILLE SAMPLER

On the Cover Next Month
KINGS X

Upcoming Features:
Iona, Lisa Daggs, Precious Death, Michael Sweet, The Seventy Sevens, The
Crossing

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