THE LIGHTHOUSE
March 1994 $1.00


King's X

Michael Sweet Rick Cua
Iona Lisa Daggs


THE LIGHTHOUSE March 1994 vol 3 #3

IONA    3
The British group Iona blends Celtic pop, rock, and new age styles
with lyrics that focus on the roots of Christianity in the British Isles.
This unique band is releasing their third album, BEYOND THESE
SHORES and is preparing for a tour of the United States.
LISA DAGGS      4
Lisa Daggs bears a remarkable story of God's restorative power in her
life; a story that she is anxious to share with others. She talks about
her story and how it appears throughout her upcoming debut, ANGEL
IN YOUR EYES.
MICHAEL SWEET   6
This month, the former lead singer of Stryper, Michael Sweet,
releases his self-titled debut album. He talks with THE
LIGHTHOUSE about leaving Stryper and his plans and goals for his
solo career.
KING'S X        8
Atlantic Records' King's X have long included messages about their
faith in their music. Ironically, many Christians have criticized the
group for not "being Christian enough." Bassist and lead singer Doug
Pinnick talked with THE LIGHTHOUSE about their latest release,
DOGMAN, and about the frustration the band feels from the undue
criticism.
RICK CUA        11
Christian rock veteran Rick Cua has been recently busy with a new
venture--his own record company. For him, it was a natural
movement considering his twelve years of experience in Christian
music, enabling him to assist other artists in their ministry.
REVIEWS 13
Reviews of the latest projects by Out of the Grey, Billy Sprague,
Imagine This, Eden Burning, and Preachas, as well as NITRO
PRAISE and REGGAE WORSHIP VOLUME I. Video Reviews for
NewSong, The Newsboys, Petra, and PFR.
INFORMATION CENTER      16

EXECUTIVE EDITOR/PUBLISHER:
J. WARNER SODITUS
EDITOR:
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OUR MISSION: TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO ENGAGE IN A DEEPER
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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
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THROUGH IN-DEPTH FEATURES ON THE MUSICAL ARTISTS AND REVIEWS
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CHRISTIANS AND NON-CHRISTIANS ALIKE.

Review Policy:
Since we have limited space, we feel it better to discuss albums we like
rather than criticizing albums we do not. Primarily, we wish to explain
the style of music and message presented as objectively as possible.
Naturally, opinions will be inserted and we hope that you will keep in
mind that this is only one person's view.

My conversation with Doug Pinnick of King's X came at a fortuitous
time. I had already been contemplating the propensity that people,
Christians especially, seem to have for judging other people's actions
and motives. Having seen the effect that this type of thing tends to have
on people, I decided to do some digging around in the Bible to try and
get a handle on it. I started out looking up every verse that used the
words judge, judging, judgement, etc. As I was wading through the
passages, one thing became pretty clear--over and over, the statement
was made that God is the only one who can judge people. The ONLY
one. Nowhere could I find a passage that gave individuals the ability to
cast judgement on anyone else. The closest thing was the passage in
Matthew 7 that deals with the warning about not looking at the speck
in your brother's eye when you have a log in your own. It says that you
are first to remove the log, and then deal with the speck. The footnote
in my Bible went on to say that Christians were never to be censorious.
When I checked out my thesaurus to amplify the meaning of that word,
this is what I found for synonyms: critical, carping, disparaging,
abusive, complaining, hypercritical, faultfinding, derogatory, querelous,
severe, condemnatory--not a pretty list. Yet, time and again, we exhibit
those qualities whenever we look at someone else, and cast an negative
opinion of that person based on what we see on the outside.
I'm not talking about things that are black and white in the Bible, like
the Ten Commandments. I'm talking about the grey areas, subjects that
are not directly addressed in the Bible, but are left to each person,
before God, to develop their own conviction on--a conviction that should
be applied to themselves, but not necessarily everyone else. Convictions
about drinking, or smoking, or what movies or television shows are
suitable to see, or what music is appropriate to listen to, or even the
details of how to live out life as a Christian are individual choices. God
made each of us unique, with a brain to think with, and it stands to
reason that some topics would be left up to an individual's discretion.
After all, when each of us has to stand before God some day, we are not
going to be answering for our brother's actions, but our own. So, doesn't
it make sense that instead of wasting our time finding fault with the
people around us, we use that energy in loving them, in encouraging
them?
Something that I found very ironic in this month's issue was the
juxtaposition of Pinnick's remark that many Christians expected King's
X to be like Stryper, and Michael Sweet's comments about the
condemnation that group received from some believers. I think that it is
a very sad commentary on a lot of Christian behavior today, and
certainly doesn't make much of a case for an unbeliever to investigate
Christianity.
--BETH

IONA

Iona is an ancient Gaelic word meaning "Isle of Saints."
Geographically, Iona is a tiny island off the western coast of Scotland.
Historically, Iona is the place from which St. Columba introduced
Christianity to the Celts and Brits of Scotland in 563 AD. Musically,
Iona is a British-based band whose lyrics focus on the roots of
Christianity in the British Isles, and whose musical style is a blend of
Celtic pop, rock and new age, often compared to that of CLANNAD,
ENYA, KATE BUSH, YES, and PETER GABRIEL.
In the summer of 1988, founding member, Dave Fitzgerald (sax, exotic
wind instruments) was in the midst of a physical and spiritual burnout.
He had been touring with ADRIAN SNELL, GRAHAM KENDRICK,
and BRYN HAWORTH (Christian musicians in England), but was
growing weary of playing other people's music all the time. While
enroute to a Bible conference he took a spontaneous detour to
Lindisfarne, a small island off the northeastern coast of England,
related to Iona in its role in spreading the Gospel to England. It was at
Lindisfarne that, "God met with me, touched me, refreshed me, and
lifted me up. And He put within me a hunger to learn more about the
spiritual roots of our nation." His search led him to Iona, the birthplace
of Christianity in Scotland, and the namesake of the band whose
ministry would strive to revive the faith of those early Christians.
Joining Fitzgerald in fulfilling his vision was fellow musician Dave
Bainbridge (keyboard, guitar) who had toured with SHEILA WALSH,
PHIL KEAGGY, GRAHAM KENDRICK, and was heavily involved with
the music of ADRIAN SNELL. Bainbridge became excited by
Fitzgerald's vision. "When he [Fitzgerald] went into the history of
Christianity in England, and the history of Iona, I saw that there was
something there that could inspire us musically." As the two Daves put
their heads together, some incredible instrumental blends began to take
shape. Jazz rhythms, soul sax, and Celtic aires fused to form the
cohesive sound which make their instrumentals so enjoyable.
With the addition of Joanne Hogg (vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards),
Iona, the band, was born. Like the two Daves, Joanne was a part of the
ADRIAN SNELL circle, contributing the lead vocal on "Child of
Darkness" on SNELL's ALPHA AND OMEGA rock opera. Though
trained as a doctor, she left the security of a career in medicine for the
uncertainty of a rock band. Says Joanne, "It seems that the only
question I am ever asked is why did I give up medicine? Well, it just
didn't seem to be the niche for me. I believe that with Iona I have found
the niche in which I belong. I don't look on medicine as simply
something I gave up but as a valuable part of my life experience; I have
never doubted my decision to move on from it. I suppose that one thing
that was ingrained in me by my medical experience was the ethic that
compels you to share the knowledge of what is good and true and heals
people--that hasn't changed."
Topically, their debut album, IONA, contained a mix of subjects,
though the recurring theme was the early roots of English Christendom
as revealed through the lives of three men: Columba, Aidan, and
Cuthbert. In 561 AD, Columba left Ireland and landed on the island of
Iona, where he established a monastery and sent out missionaries to
evangelize in Scotland. About 100 years later, Aidan left Iona to
establish a monastery at Lindisfarne to evangelize in northern
England. It was this monastery that produced The Lindisfarne Gospels,
the famous 7th century illustrated manuscript, an excellent example of
early Celtic-Christian art. Cuthbert also played an important role in
establishing Christianity in northern England, and is credited as being
one of the earliest wildlife conservationists. It is the lives of these men
of God, that inspired several songs. Other songs on the album were
inspired by more contemporary events, such as the violence in
Tiananmen Square and the fall of the Berlin Wall.
In 1992, the threesome became a fivesome with the permanent
addition of Nick Beggs (chapman stick, bass guitar) and Terl Bryant
(drums, percussion). Beggs feels "very fortunate to be a member of this
band and I have enjoyed greatly the musical challenges as well as the
deep friendships that have grown over the years. We hope the listener
will feel the passion and spiritual exhilaration we feel when playing
together." Bryant says that, "Playing drums in Iona is not only fun or
musically challenging; playing some of the pieces musters up
overwhelming feelings of being in the middle of a whirlwind empowered
by a great force; it is very exciting."
Iona's second album, THE BOOK OF KELLS, is a concept album,
focusing on one theme only: THE BOOK OF KELLS, an 8th century
manuscript filled with lush pictures illustrating the Gospels, possibly
originating from the monastery at Iona. (A reproduction of 32 of the
most beautiful pages is available from Dover Publications Inc.)
Listening to the music while looking at the pictures from the book helps
create a moving experience.
Iona's third album, BEYOND THESE SHORES, was released in
Europe last fall and is due for release in the U.S. this month. New to
the band is Mike Haughton (sax, flutes, recorder, backing vocals), who
replaced Fitzgerald who left in September 1992 to pursue a full-time
music degree. Musically, this new album has the similar mix of vocals
and instrumentals with a more 'live' feel. Thematically, BEYOND
THESE SHORES is largely based on the story of St. Brendan's Voyage.
Brendan and a company of monks sailed from Ireland in a leather and
wood boat in the sixth century to 'the promised land' which many
believe to be America. Many songs on the album were inspired by this
story and the "unshakable belief and trust in God that prompted him to
obey the Lord and follow His leading into the darkness."
Iona keeps a pretty active performance schedule, usually playing to
smaller crowds (250-700) in clubs, theaters, arts-centers, and
occasionally churches. They are also trying to reach the secular market
as well, so their tours often combine both Christian and secular
promotions. However, they are true to their message, and the show does
not vary depending on the audience. They have also been filming video
footage for a U.S. single, "Treasure," also to be released in March. Iona
will be playing at two Christian music festivals in the U.S. this
summer.
Iona's ministry is unique. Says Bryant, "Our intention is to create
high quality music with no comprise; emotional and dynamic expression
from the heart; songs and pieces which will last and lift and excite the
listener. We have drawn on a great deal from Celtic Christian subject
matter--purely because the people, time, and events on record have
wonderful parallels for us to identify with."
Bainbridge adds, "We are all drawn together by our passion for
playing emotive, creative music by our mutual faith and by our respect
for the lives of the early Celtic Christian saints, which we began to
learn about as original member Dave Fitzgerald shared some of the
things he was discovering."
Iona reminds their listeners of the great faith of those early
Christians, and encourages us to regain the excitement and faith we
often lose sight of. At the same time, they mix in contemporary
expressions of faith that relate to us in the "here and now." The God of
the ancients is the same today and will be the same forever.
--Daniel Russell

LISA DAGGS
Store owners who divide albums into sections by musical style are in for
a fairly tough decision--where to place the upcoming release ANGEL
IN YOUR EYES by Lisa Daggs. What is it exactly? Well, some people
have said, "It's country, but it isn't. It's contemporary, but it isn't..."
It's no wonder the album sounds diverse--combining Daggs' country
experience with the renowned rock production skills of John and Dino
Elefante and the R&B background of Phil Sillas (responsible for co-
writing on several tracks).
Daggs' first attempt at becoming a Christian artist happened years
ago, when she moved to Nashville from Sacramento to try her skills as
a country gospel artist. Her endeavor did not meet with the success she
had planned, however. She admits, "I moved back to California after a
few years because the dreams that I had mapped out for my life hadn't
ended up in the right destination for what I thought."
Unfortunately, that disillusionment brought more serious
consequences. "I moved back and I really fell away from the Lord," she
tells. "I lost focus of my direction due to compromises in my life--
starting out with small compromises and getting easier as compromise
does. Consequences came at the end of that."
During that time, she was performing on the Nevada circuit, playing
predominantly country style music at casinos across the state. But,
with some severe consequences from her alcohol and drug usage, she
reached "my bottom in life, spiritually and emotionally" and rededicated
her life to the Lord--vowing to give up music if it was necessary--
January 11, 1990.
"I released everything to the Lord," she begins, "including my dream,
which was the hardest thing to give Him--my voice. If I never sang
again it would have to be alright. I released everything to Him and let
Him be Lord of my life. I was raised in the church, but I lost sight of
Him and ran from Him. I know today, even if you lose sight of God, He
never loses sight of you or your deepest need. By His grace, I made it
back. He has restored my life and restored my dreams in a much
greater way than I ever thought possible. This was always a desire of
mine, to sing. When I laid it down and say, 'Okay, take it,' He came
through like He always does. I believe that's what He wants from all of
us--a complete abandonment of self and trust in Him completely. That
is the faith walk that I have today--not knowing what He has and not
being able to see it, but trusting Him that He is able, no matter what."
Daggs is involved in full time ministry through Lisa D. Ministries.
She explains, "I'm involved in a program that often uses their last
initial--a twelve-step program. I've been clean and sober since
November 11, 1989. Two months to the day after I got clean and sober, I
gave my heart back to the Lord. It has been an extended ministry for
me to share the message that it's not enough to be clean and sober--
Jesus Christ makes all the difference in your life. If you don't have Him
in your heart and in control of your life, there's an emptiness--there's a
void. Sure, you're clean and sober, but there's still a void."
"I've been in full-time ministry for three and a half years. It's been a
big part of what I do. I go out in concert and share songs and my
testimony. That's what Lisa D. Ministries is all about. God has blessed
me in the way of using me in healing as far as emotions, not that I'm
taking any glory for it. There's been a restoration through the songs and
testimony and I've been blessed with people calling or writing or
stopping me on the street to share how God has used the music on this
tape to minister to them and heal broken relationships or broken hearts
and restore souls."
The "restoration grace of Jesus Christ" was the most awesome
discovery she made as she returned her life to the Lord. "The greatest
testimony in my eyes and my heart is never turning your back on
Christ, on your first love. I, unfortunately, didn't walk that walk and I
got involved in several things that are part of the world. And I had to
suffer some consequences because of compromise in my life. No matter
how far you wander, when you turn back to Him, it's an amazing grace
with open arms�that restorative power."
"If you'd have told me four-and-a-half years ago when I was still out
running from the Lord that I would be ministering like this, I wouldn't
have believed you. To see that He has taken a life that was broken and
brought it this far, when you become vulnerable on that level with
people that you've never met before, there's a bond. There are so many
hurting people and it doesn't have to be in the area specifically that I
dealt with. When you become vulnerable and bring the wall down and
become transparent, there's a trust that can start and the healing can
begin. People have entrusted me with what's going on in their life
because I have become vulnerable. Sometimes it's scary--standing
before hundreds of people that you have no idea who they are--but it's
been worth it all. The songs on this new project are very real of where
I've been and God's grace and forgiveness and acceptance. I'm very
open. Sometimes it's an asset, sometimes it's a detriment. I am who I
am."
Daggs' first national release is with Pakaderm, but almost through
little effort of her own. She owes her first meeting with John and Dino
Elefante to a close friend, who, through "less than gentle prodding,"
convinced them that they needed to hear "this girl." She recalls, "We
both flew down and took some tracks and sang in the studio. We were
there for about six to eight hours. I told them my testimony and shared
what I'd been doing the last couple years. They felt that I was someone
they needed on their label and wanted to join the family. I really feel
like it was the Lord working though this friend in Sacramento being
persistent."
"It's definitely my life stories and life experiences," Daggs tells.
"They're straight-ahead lyrics. It doesn't take long for anyone who's
listening to it to figure out where I've been and where I am today and
how I've gotten there."
"There's a couple songs that could cross over," she shares
optimistically, which is fine with her now--although that was not
always her opinion. "Four years ago when I came back to the Lord,
someone said, 'Are you going to crossover?' I said, 'No, absolutely not.
The world has nothing to offer me.' That's still true. The world
DOESN'T have anything to offer me, but today, I've been through a lot
and I've weathered a lot, and I have something to offer them in what
Christ has done in my life. If a few songs cross over, that's okay and I'm
ready, but I'm definitely going to stay guarded and have protection of
Christians with me and be accountable. I just hope and pray the
Christians understand it. I think I need to be the light. I do need to go
over. I might be used, possibly, in a way that someone else might not,
because I have been there. Whatever He has, I'm willing, I just need to
make sure it's what He has for me."
Her mother, who prayed steadily for Lisa when she drifted from the
Lord, is central in keeping her accountable. In addition, she tells, "I
have a close-knit group of women that I stay in touch with and let them
know what's going on in my life."
In addition to accountability to her church, she adds that, "I'm
accountable to the record label. We really had a special time, just in the
time I was recording. Dino was just like a brother through it. Not that
there was anything bad that went on, just encouraging and challenging
with spiritual guidance. That's basically what sealed it with me before I
signed with Pakaderm--their commitment to the ministry and to the
Lord--not being ashamed to grab hands at the airport pray in front of
everybody. I thought, 'Yeah, this is good. This is where I want to be,
with people that aren't ashamed of the Lord.'"
Usually asking an artist to name a favorite song on their album is like
asking a parent to name their favorite child, but not exactly so for
Daggs. "The one that is most special is 'My House.' It's the first one that
I wrote. It is a Christian recover song. There are two characters, both
female. There's one that's lost and one that's found Christ and hope in
Him and she's offering help to the girl that's lost and she recognizes
where the girl is at because of her own past. So it's like I am in both of
those girls, what was before and what is now. It's a wonderful song.
That one is probably my baby."
Apart from trying to make time to practice for her guitar lessons,
skiing (snow and water), and enjoying the sun, Daggs plans to pack her
schedule with more concerts. "I'm really looking forward to getting on
the road and meeting some of these people," she states. "I'm a people
person."
Despite many touching stories accomplished through Lisa D.
Ministries, one of her most awesome stories is from the time before she
went into full-time work; about a girl who had been raped in North
Dakota. "I was with an evangelist," Daggs recalls, "and she heard my
testimony and heard me sing and she told me later that she really
hadn't heard anything the evangelist said that night, she just kept
reflecting back on the words of this song that He really cares about you.
This girl ended up getting pregnant through that rape. She had given
her heart to the Lord, but she's struggling with cancer and had to go
through the trial with these guys. In the last three years, God has
healed her emotionally and everything and she's been ministering and
going out and speaking on forgiveness."
"I think about that and how God has used me in such a way that it
affected someone's life so greatly that He is using them now as an
extension of what He has blessed me with. I can't quit. There's just a
chain of stories like that; I feel very fortunate. In one of the lines of 'I
Want to Thank You' is 'I can't help but be amazed that you would
choose a girl like me.' That's exactly my heart. Sometimes I'm just in
awe, myself. I'm very blessed to do what I love to do and that God's
using me to make a difference in other people's lives though His grace
in my life," Daggs concludes with an emotional waver in her voice.
--J. WARNER SODITUS



Michael Sweet
Stryper was a band that seemed to generate as much heat as they did
light--harshly criticized for their metal music, long hair, outrageous
yellow and black outfits, and rebellious attitudes. Two years ago, their
lead singer, Michael Sweet, left the band to pursue a solo career. This
month, he releases his much-anticipated solo debut. Far from the metal
stylings of Stryper, his project is more of a pop-rock effort. Sweet
explains, "It goes back to my roots. Musically, it's something I'm very
happy with. I just did what I felt I had to do musically. I didn't have
anyone saying, 'You have to do this.' I just did what I did and that's
what came out."
The last two years have been quite different for Michael Sweet. Used
to performing and touring, he hasn't performed in over two years.
"I started performing when I was in third grade and pretty
consistently kept performing, especially when I hit the age of twelve--I
was performing every weekend, just about. I haven't performed for two
years now and it's very strange to me. I feel like I'm starting all over--
I'm nervous and I have the butterflies and I'm afraid. For me to start
performing again in a few months--it's a scary thought."
"I've spent the last two years getting closer to God and growing as a
Christian," he says. "Being on the road a lot can make you lose sight of
the things that are most important in your life. I've had lots of time for
church, and the Word, and my family. I've been getting tight with the
Lord and with my wife [Kyle] and kids [Michael is seven and Elena is
three]. I've been blessed with a beautiful family, and we're happier than
we've ever been."
Although not a favorite topic, Sweet does not shy away from
discussing his time with Stryper. He begins, "We kind of went through
a down-and-out phase for at least a couple years. We just went through
having these bad attitudes and we were real rebellious with a lot of
anger. It got worse and worse as those two years went on I feel like God
kind of took His hand off the whole thing for a while. It just snowballed
and we kind of brought it on ourselves. A lot of people probably think
that there were horrible things going on in the band and there weren't.
Still, as Christians, it was bad enough. It was mainly in our attitudes
and the way we presented ourselves and the things we said in
interviews."
To Sweet, the main cause for their rebelliousness was from the years
for harsh criticism from "so-called Christians," as he puts it, which he
also admits is no justification for their actions. "No matter what we
would do," he continues, "we were never doing it for God's glory, doing it
good enough [for them.] After years and years of that, we just turned.
Kind of like a dog getting kicked. Eventually, they're gonna turn.
There's not much more I can say about that."
Sweet wraps this all up in a song on his new release. "'Take Me Home'
is really my testimony about the last ten years of my life," Sweet
explains. "I had it all and threw it all away, now I'm calling on God to
take me home again. I put everything at risk, and really was drifting
for a couple of years. But He's always there to take His prodigals home.
I just thank God that He's a God of second chances."
"We became rebellious, and that made the things even harder. I made
a lot of mistakes, which I regret, but I just hope and pray that all that
can be laid to rest, and we can all move forward in understanding and
forgiveness."
"My fondest hope with this album is just to be accepted again," he
says. "I feel like Stryper accomplished some incredible things for the
Lord, but what we were trying to do was often misunderstood by a lot of
people. Because of those misunderstandings, we got criticism and, after
awhile, we didn't handle it well."
"The only way I can gain acceptance is if I'm honest and I'm myself. If
I go out there and try to force something on someone or try desperately
to gain acceptance, it's not going to work. I just have to be me and
either people are going to accept it, or they're not. That's about all I can
do--just do it and be myself and not put on a Christian attitude of
smile--that I've been guilty of doing in the past--not all the time, but
all of us do it at times. I just have to be myself and let people see me for
who I am."
Although Sweet had given his life to Christ at the age of twelve, he
really got serious about it when he rededicated himself as Stryper
formed. He recalls, "That was when I was about twenty years old.
Rededicating my life is really when it hit home, when I got serious
about it. It was true experience, it wasn't just words or emotion. That
was when I got the calling on my life and I felt God was working in my
life and wanting to use me. It's really cool in that I didn't come from the
church and I praise God for that because I think I'm able to relate to the
people out there that don't come from the church a little easier than
someone who comes from the church. There's just a different
mentality."
Non-churched crowds were typical for Stryper shows. Is that the
audience Sweet would rather perform? "Not really," he begins. "It's not
the crowd I'd RATHER play for, it's just the crowd I'm playing for.
There's a difference saying you're called to play for this crowd and you
don't want to play for this crowd. I think in the past, when I was in
Stryper, and I would say, 'We're called to play for the non-Christians,' a
lot of Christians would take offense to that. It's not meant to be taken
that way. We're here for the Christians, too. If they're going to get
something out of our music and lyrics and get spiritual joy from it--
great. That's what it's for. But, it's really for reaching people who don't
know Jesus, who aren't saved. That's really the true mission. I think
everyone needs to remember that's the goal of every Christian out
there--to reach somebody and bring people into the Kingdom."
Does he approach these types of concerts differently than at a
Christian event? "No I don't," he states. "There's always a different
attitude because you're dealing with a different type of crowd. You have
to approach it differently and take into consideration that the majority
of people in the crowd are non-Christian. You have to deal with that.
There's a way to deal with those people and there's a way to deal with
anyone. You have to think it out. You can't just go in there and beat
them over the head with a Bible. Again, I stick to the philosophy of 'be
yourself.' You'll know what that is when you get on stage after stage in
front of different crowds--you'll know what to say and what to do. You
don't need to sit and plan it out, you just get up there and be natural
and God will speak through you."
His solo debut is, ironically, on Benson--the label that released
Stryper from their contract with the album AGAINST THE LAW.
Sweet tells, "I pursued a lot of different labels and had some labels
pursue me. I had a couple companies interested in me and even got to
the final stage of doing contracts and it just didn't work out. I finally,
out of frustration, just prayed, 'God close all the doors and leave the one
door open.' And Benson was that one door. It's funny that they are my
label now--I think it's an example."
This summer, Sweet will hit the festival circuit, and follow up with a
tour of midsize arenas in the fall. He is also hoping that he will be able
to travel to Europe as well. Unlike Stryper, who were "known for the
outfits and the hair," Sweet plans to rely less on production. "I really do.
You're not going to see a lot of glitz. You'll see good quality production,
whatever it may be, but you're not going to see a ton of it. It's going to
be a basically a 'let the music do the talking' show. Of course, there will
be lots of energy."
"The bottom line for me is simple," he concludes. "I'm a Christian. I'm
born again and God lives in my life, and I have a relationship with Him.
I want to include and involve Him in my life. One of the biggest parts of
my life is my music. If I didn't involve Him in my music, I couldn't go on
doing it."
--J. WARNER SODITUS

KING'S X
MUCH HAS BEEN MADE ABOUT KING'S X'S APPARENT
CHRISTIAN LEANINGS, BOTH IN THE SECULAR AND THE
CHRISTIAN PRESS. Regardless of their unique sound, originality, and
high level of musicianship--which has garnered them much praise from
critics and fellow musicians--that attention has always been focused on
the fact that interwoven into their lyrics was a decidedly Biblical
worldview.
Unfortunately, it is that kind of attention that the band never asked
for, desired, or even expected. As bassist and lead singer Doug Pinnick
explains, "That's the thing, we play rock and roll, and that's all we
wanted to do--go out and play our music and have people buy our
records. Some of that is happening, but then there's all this other stuff."
This other "stuff" refers to the fact that most of the grief that the band
has taken over their beliefs has not come from the world, but from other
people who also call themselves Christians.
King's X got their start like many bands--the individuals involved just
happened to meet up at some point in time--specifically, in 1980. As
Pinnick recalls, "It was nothing, just typical people meeting each other,
and we tried working together. It's nothing like, I was standing on a
street corner and saw Ty walking by...and said, 'hey, you want to be in a
band?' People meet each other, and things work out."
For Pinnick, guitarist Ty Tabor, and drummer Jerry Gaskill, things
"worked out" for a long time before they landed a recording contract in
1988 with Megaforce Records, a label that was distributed by Atlantic
Records. Eight years is a long time to persevere before getting a shot at
the big time. When asked about what kept the group going, Pinnick
laughs, "Starving. We did a lot of cover tunes. We started out doing our
own tunes, similar to what we do now, and then we started doing
covers. Listening to people who would give us sort of constructive
criticism; things like, 'why don't you sound like this group?' or 'why
don't you do a song like this?' Then, one day we decided, with Sam
Taylor, our manager at the time, to stop doing cover tunes--to start
writing our stuff."
With the release of OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET in 1986, King's X
started getting some attention; just not the kind that they had been
looking for. Instead of spending interview time talking about their
music, it was spent answering questions about their beliefs. While most
people wouldn't consider that a problem, most people don't spend the
majority of the time devoted to their profession--defending what they
believe and why. It has bred some understandable resentment on the
part of the members of King's X. "I think it sort of stifled a lot of our
career because we became the 'God Band,' and that's not what we
wanted," says Pinnick. "I look back now, and read the lyrics and go,
'Wow, I understand now.' But, on the other hand, we never went out to
evangelize the world, we didn't make a bold statement about being a
Christian band, we just wanted to be a rock and roll band. We just
wanted to put records out and be rock stars," he laughs. "I think that
there were a lot of people that would say, 'Oh, they're that God Band,'
you know. As for the Christians, it was a real hard thing, because they
just expected us to be STRYPER, throwing Bibles and things, and we're
just a group of guys who wanted to play rock and roll."
In spite of the critical acclaim, King's X has had limited success at
establishing themselves in mainstream rock. But after the release of
each album--the aforementioned OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET, as
well as GRETCHEN GOES TO NEBRASKA and FAITH HOPE
LOVE--their following became a little larger. And it didn't hurt that so
many other musicians were mentioning them in interviews--people like
GENE SIMMONS of KISS and JEFF AMENT of PEARL JAM. With the
release of their self-titled fourth album, after they signed directly with
Atlantic, it seemed that the group was poised to make some serious
strides in their exposure. But after one video, they nearly disappeared.
What transpired was a split with their manager, Sam Taylor, who had
been an integral part of the group up to that point, and had been
credited with encouraging them to develop their distinctive sound. He
even had been referred to as the unofficial fourth "member."
In discussing the limited success that the group's had, Pinnick says, "I
used to be really frustrated by it, but I've come to the conclusion that
when our manager quit--he handled everything, the videos, the
production and now we are with a bunch of people who really know
what they're doing. I realize that it wasn't bad management, it was
ignorant management. I think our band has a following. Atlantic is
really putting some muscle into the record label, to push this record, so
hopefully at least we will know whether people like us or not, because
they're going to have a chance to hear us."
"At first I thought we weren't any good," he continues, "but then I
realized that there are rabid King's X fans out there, who say they've
been inspired by us, because we write real down-to-earth songs."
For DOGMAN, their fifth release, the songs got even more down-to-
earth. As a result of the turmoil that the band members experienced
over the past few years, and not just with their management, the songs
on this album are not as positive as the ones in the past have been. In
fact, in many cases, they are downright depressing. Pinnick explains
the usual method of the creation of songs as "Ty writes and I write, we
both have mini studios at home. We'll write something at home, present
it to the band, and the band sort of takes it on our own, so then it's a
King's X song, and that's how it's credited."
The topics this time are not as directly spiritual. "I think that the new
record shows that there's more to talk about," explains Pinnick. "I
think, personally, it's been a real awakening for me, to be honest. The
way I feel about life, the way I feel--I don't know how to put it into
shorter words--I just went through a couple of traumatic experiences,
and woke up. I just realized that the world is not a place where you can
have peace, love, and joy, where everybody can be happy. It's all
[messed] up. It's always going to be that way, and I just woke up. [The
lyrics] on this new album, especially my lyrics, are pretty much
depressing, but I'm just saying the way I'm feeling. I'm not afraid to say
no to people. I'm not afraid to stand up and make a mistake--and I
don't care what people think. That fear is starting to go out the window.
There's a whole different attitude in King's X now, and I have no idea
what's going to come of the days anymore...It [this album] is different,
definitely. We've grown more, and the album is a reflection of that.
When I wrote, I wanted to put out an album that people could
understand and, hopefully, relate to."
When talking about not caring what people think anymore, Pinnick
seems to be referring to the confrontations that the members have had
to endure from some Christians who seem to make it their business to
tell other people how they need to live, instead of concentrating on their
own walk. "I grew up in a small town in Illinois, in a very, very strict
Southern Baptist home--a lot of rules and regulations," says Pinnick.
"It took me a long time to deprogram myself, about things that don't
matter. If I have a beer in my hand, someone would come up to me and
say 'I thought you were Christian.' ...there's so much more to life than a
beer. JEFF AMENT [of PEARL JAM] is a great friend, a guy who went
out and promoted King's X, on M-TV and interviews, and we gave a
tribute to him--he's a good friend of mine--and we got a response like
'How can you align yourself with them?' Whatever happened to weeding
out the crap and getting to the heart, and getting to know people?
People are people, whatever they believe, and they are all basically
looking for the same things--love and acceptance. What [a lot of]
Christianity does is put a wall up, and say 'We're the country club, you
can't join.' To me, that is completely the opposite of what I believe. I
don't know why I'm going off like this, but I have a very bad attitude
towards organized Christianity."
While most of their experience with fellow Christians seems to have
been negative, Pinnick does mention some positive ones. "I know that
we've got people all over the country who are Christians that write all
the time and say that they are praying for us. And so, that makes me
feel good, that they care, but then, I don't know what they're praying,"
he laughs. "They could be praying that we'll break up. It's like Jerry
always says, when someone asks what they can pray for us for, [he
says] 'Whatever is true to your heart.' As far as we're concerned, we're
okay. We're solid about our lives, about our faith, about our doubts--
whatever. We want the truth, we want to present truth [in our music]
..and not a "religious" truth, but... this is the way life is, and this is the
way I feel about God, myself, sex, drugs, rock and roll, and whatever.
How does it feel to live with the truth, and it's not just religion, or
Christianity. Even though the spirit is everything, that's what
motivates everyone in the world, but it takes a lifetime to sort out all of
the crap. The Bible says that we see, like, through a glass, a dark glass,
so the problem, I feel, is that people don't go after what is at the heart.
They go after rules, because it's safe. You do the rules, and go, 'Okay,
I'm a Christian,' but the truth of the matter is, I've always believed that
it's your heart--that's the important thing, what the heart says. The
Bible says that no man knows the heart. And the older I get, the things
that I've done in the past that I thought were innocent were really
destructive. So basically, it's just a big confusing mess. So I believe in
God, just because I choose to. I refuse to argue with people about
whether or not this happened or that happened, I just know, in my
heart, that it's something that I have to go with. And hopefully, when I
die, I was right," he laughs. "I mean, sometimes I think 'Well, what if
this is wrong?' or I think 'Well, what if Buddha is right?' So, I believe
this one thing, and hope that I'll be okay. I believe in God, and if He
does really exist, and I look around and believe that He does, then well,
you know, my heart is, I'm trying to make my heart right. Somehow,
it'll work itself. I think that's what the band stands for, and a lot of
Christians will probably excommunicate us [for it]."
King's X has an address for fans to write to them directly in Texas, and
it has drawn a big response. "It's really cool, a lot of people write, and
it's been a real good thing for kids, teenagers--a lot of them are
searching for truth, and somehow, King's X is able to touch their hearts,
and really help them feel like they're not alone. That's the important
thing in difficult times--it makes them feel really good. We try [to
answer each one of the letters.] In the beginning, I used to, but the
problem now is I've got stacks of letters, with questions about life and
faith, and being in a band--it's very hard to do that [answer them all],
but I try. In fact, I wanted to say on the album, 'thanks for writing, and
sorry that it's so difficult [to get back to them].' Kids write and say "I
wrote you three times and you didn't write back. You're a jerk!"
In support of the new album, the band will be doing a lot of touring,
concentrating on opening for other, more well-known bands, as opposed
to headlining. "We're going out with the SCORPIONS for the next
month, and then we're going out with PEARL JAM for a couple of
weeks," explains Pinnick. "We plan on being out for a long time. We've
headlined for so long. We've played for the people who have heard us
over and over again. We want to play for people who have never heard
us before. We sold the most records when we opened for AC/DC. That's
what opening does--it gives you exposure."
--BETH BLINN

RICK CUA

It was in 1982 that Rick Cua released his first solo album, KOO-AH,
not only as an attempt to share his Christian faith, but also as a
method for people to know how to pronounce his last name.
The Syracuse, New York, native had become a Christian in 1977, after
five years of praying by his wife, Diana. After the birth of their first
child, Diana's father, who after his divorce from her mother had lost
contact, asked to reconcile and see his first grandchild. During her visit,
her father introduced her to a personal relationship with the Lord,
which she eventually was able to share with Rick.
At the time he released his first album, Cua was the bassist for the
southern-rock group THE OUTLAWS. After he recorded his second solo
album, he decided to move on from his stint with the successful group.
Since then, he has released a string of albums, and toured extensively.
Rick and his wife of 24 years started UCA Records in March of 1993.
In September, UCA released their first album--Cua's greatest hits,
SONGS TO LIVE BY. October saw the second release with Nathan
diGesare's instrumental LEGACY, and Mike Caputy will release a R&B
album early this year.
Cua explains, "We got to a point where we wanted to start making our
own records and get involved in helping other ministries, also. We put it
together in hopes that we could help equip other ministries and give
them good recorded product to go out there and do the Lord's work. It
was an adventure that we felt like God wanted us to do."
"UCA is without a doubt artist and ministry driven," he continues.
"Diana and I both understand the importance of focusing on the needs
of the artist--we have an artist's perspective--we understand the
sensitivities. And the great thing is, I'm still an artist too, so that
perspective won't change."
With twelve years as a Christian musician, Cua felt prepared for the
challenge. Through the creation of eight albums and extensive touring,
"we've met a lot of people and learned a lot. We felt we were in a
position to stick our necks out a little bit and see what happens."
But, now that they've begun, were they really prepared? Were they
surprised with anything? "Not surprised, so much, but we realized it's
an awful lot of work making records. It's a lot more than the creative
musical process. There's the manufacturing and inventory control and
the whole sales element of it. It takes a lot of time and effort that goes
into these records. We just got tuned into the whole other end of it."
For Cua, having to fight a "pretty intense learning curve," has been
the most rewarding aspect of the process. He elaborates, "There were a
lot of new things to learn. It was a real challenge for my brain, but it
was good. It was good to be in control of what I'm doing with my
records."
"I'm finding that everything I'm doing with UCA I have already done
before one way or another," he says. "I've always been a businessman--
I've just never looked like one."
Between Rick and Diana, they handle all aspects of UCA except radio
and public relations. This makes their schedule a little hectic, especially
when you add in concert dates and travel time. It has caused Cua to
plan a little more carefully than he's used to, but of course, not too
much. "It's the only way we really get stuff done. There's always a little
room for spontaneity or else I'd go crazy. We definitely have to plan
ahead."
"It's just about priorities. The Lord has been really speaking to me
that we only have so much time in a day and in your life and you need
to spend them wisely and be sure that you have your life in order. If
we're going to be ministers and be effective for God, we've got to have
things in order. More and more, I'm realizing what's urgent and what's
not. It's making that list of priorities and sticking to it."
UCA is not the only thing that has been keeping Cua busy lately. He
has been involved with Compassion International, a child sponsorship
organization, for the last five years, including a recent trip to Equador.
Cua also recently published his first book SONGS TO LIVE BY, a
collection of the stories behind some of his great songs. Cua admits he is
relieved to have the book completed, "It was great to get that done."
It seems only natural that he should be thinking about another
album, right? Cua confirmed that, indeed, he is nearly halfway through
writing his next album. Although he is still planning for the album, it
could possibly be completed as early as the end of this year.
"I'm doing a lot of praying to say, 'Lord, what are the issues. What
does my audience need to hear at this point?' I'm praying to find out
what is going to make the most sense as far as these songs go."
Musically, he plans to take advantage of his artistic freedom and, "Do
exactly what I feel in my heart--stretch out and have some solos on it
and have some real upbeat, fun music."
Of course the record company work will take some time away from his
artistic efforts, but it doesn't seem to be a concern to Cua. "I think it's
all part of what I'm supposed to do," he states. "I love songwriting and
performing--being an artist--but I think this is part of, not to over-
spiritualize, but I think I'm called to do this at this point--to help some
other people in this way."
For years, Cua has heard from his fans about their trouble finding
performance tracks for his music--those tapes recorded without vocals
so one may perform as the vocalist. That is what has lead to the first
major innovation Cua has brought to UCA. What they call CD+2 is
adding two performance tracks to each UCA release, and has earned a
great response from consumers. "It's been a great added value," shares
Cua. "Certainly the customers love it because they have two tracks now
that they can sing along to and they don't have to pay for them--it just
makes sense."
It makes sense to Cua, but no other companies have followed. Why? "I
guess it's just a matter of economics sometimes," Cua ponders. "The
value is about $16 just on the cassette and sometimes people can't
afford to give that kind of stuff away. The big expression in this
industry is 'watch the pennies.' It's a big deal, I guess."
And that, for Cua, is a new job--watching pennies. "It was never that
critical to me before, but now that I'm the penny keeper, it's important
to keep an eye on what's going on."
"I want to allow them [artists on his label] to be true to their art," he
continues in discussing his role as a record company executive, "but at
the same time, I need to be a bit concerned about how it's going to sell. I
think that's another thing that's very critical at this point to me. So,
we're just being smart as well as being creative. I think it's smart to be
creative and creative to be smart sometimes."
Cua's favorite verse seems a proper encouragement through his
current ventures. "I think probably the one that's always been my
favorite verse is Phillipians 4:13, 'I can do all things through Christ who
strengthens me.' It motivated me to charge ahead."
--J. WARNER SODITUS


REVIEWS

OUT OF THE GREY DIAMOND DAYS (SPARROW)
DIAMOND DAYS is the third recording from this husband and wife
duo. Their self-titled debut and their follow-up, THE SHAPE OF
GRACE, established the pair as formidable talents. Falling somewhere
in the realm of pop music with an edge, they were nominated for Best
New Artist at the 1993 Dove Awards, and have had numerous singles
chart on Christian radio.
Teaming with producer Charlie Peacock once again, Scott and
Christine Dent� have crafted another album of shimmering pop tunes.
While, on the whole, it seems a little more subdued than the two
previous efforts, it is no less enjoyable. I found that it took me a little
longer to warm up to it, but I definitely feel it is up to the standards set
by the first two.
Kicking off with "If I Know You," the album smoothly pulls the
listener into the record, with a song that talks about the knowledge that
God is there to help us through, both good times and bad. The tempo
slows down a little for "All We Need," which features a nice guitar solo
by Scott Dent� near the end. A gifted player, my only real gripe with
the album was that his skill was not showcased a little more.
While all of the songs are solid, the best ones include "Eyes Wide
Open," "Love Like Breathing," and the title track, "Diamond Days."
"Eyes Wide Open" rocks a little more, reminiscent of some of Out of the
Grey's earlier stuff. "Diamond Days" sparkles, like the stone in the title,
but the real gem is "Love Like Breathing." I didn't have a list of the
writer credits, but this song had Peacock's stamp on it. The rhythm
sways the listener, as Christine Dent�'s voice floats over the melody.
The song also features a lovely instrumental break.
Christine Dent� is in fine form. She possesses one of the most
expressive, distinctive voices in all of pop music today, and deserves far
more recognition that she has received.
For any fans of this pair's previous work, DIAMOND DAYS will not
disappoint. For anyone who hasn't been exposed to Out of the Grey
before, it is a great introduction.
--BETH BLINN
BILLY SPRAGUE THE WIND AND THE WAVE (BENSON)
THE WIND AND THE WAVE is Billy Sprague's latest effort to "Press
on, mi amigo," as it says in the lead cut. Production is a combination
between Billy Sprague, Chris Harris, and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Sprague
wrote most of the songs on his own, with Wayne Kirkpatrick assisting
on one track, and Jim Weber contributing another.
Christine Dent� adds a visible and well-blended second vocal to "A
Way Back." Kelly Willard joins in "The Blessing of the Fleet," while
Ashley Cleveland and Phil Madeira join on "When Nothing's Sacred."
Studio musicians include John Hammond on drums, Jimmie Lee Sloas
on bass, and Gordon Kennedy and Sprague on guitars.
Billy Luz Sprague still has the middle name that he took after the
death of his late fiancee, and some memories from that time show up in
his songs, which always are intensely personal (see his previous album,
TORN BETWEEN TWO WORLDS for the whole story.) But on the
whole, this album is the story of a life that is moving forward again in
an upbeat way. As usual, the lyrics hit home, particularly those of
"When Nothing's Sacred." "People need identity/But are satisfied with
titles/They need true courage/But bravado looks sincere/People need a
living God/But seem content with idols/People need a destiny/But settle
for careers."
Billy explores his PAUL MCCARTNEY/BEATLE-esque musical roots
on the album with songs like "I Saw a Blind Man," which he wrote in
1975, and "Whatever Happened To Love," which he describes as a
"GRASS ROOTS meets BEATLES meets Motown" type of style. There
are several spots where he really approaches a MCCARTNEY sound.
"Mona Lisa Said" is a song that is as enigmatic and artful as the picture
itself. It appears once in full and again in reprise to end the album.
"Kumquat May" is a celebration of "munchkin logic"--seeing the world
through the eyes of a child.
In many places on the album, Sprague shows a strong similarity to
PHIL KEAGGY, vocally, and even musically, with some nice subtle
guitar work. In terms of lyrical content and production quality, this is
his best album ever. It serves as a valuable testimony of the healing
power of God in Sprague's life, and it's also enjoyable music.
--STEVE TIMM
IMAGINE THIS IMAGINE THIS (ERG)
A five-member band, hailing from Texas, the pre-release buzz about
this group was that their sound was reminiscent of KING'S X and
EXTREME. Since these are two bands that I enjoy a lot, I was looking
forward to hearing this album.
I wasn't disappointed. And, while there are some resemblances to the
aforementioned bands, Imagine This has managed to forge a pretty
distinctive sound of their own. Their resemblance to EXTREME can be
heard on the strong funk-rock feel of many of the fast tunes, as well as
the fluid guitar work and the diversity of styles within the album. Their
strong harmonies are what hark back to fellow Texans KING'S X. Made
up of Daryl Youngblood, (lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar), Rick
Weinland (drums, percussion, rap vocals), Ahmad Montgomery (bass,
rap vocals) Trey Hebert (lead vocals, backing vocals, rhythm guitars)
and Tambri Hunt (keybards, and backing vocals) Imagine This offers a
strong debut.
The album starts with "Windows of Heaven", which is really a
soundtrack of somebody driving to and entering a church, where a choir
is singing "Holy, Holy, Holy." Then the sound of a needle dragging
across a record comes out, and the album punches right into
"Revolution," a hard-driving rocker that really grooves. From there, the
album slides into "I Know" and "Word to the World," the first a ballad
and the second a mid-tempo tune. While a vast departure from the first
cut, the quality of both are a testament to the diversity of this group.
All together there are 15 tracks, a couple of which are samples,
similar to the first one. While just about every cut is good, the strongest
ones are "I Can't," "Now Is The Time," "State of Your America" and
"god." (Yes, that's with a small g.) With the exception of "Now Is The
Time," the songs are rockers, that have a serious groove to them. "Now
Is The Time" is mid-tempo tune that has a strong vocal resemblance to
the BEATLE's "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds."
Lyrically, most of the songs are observations or commentary on the
world around us, from a biblical viewpoint. The rockers are stronger
than the ballads, in my opinion. In another resemblance to EXTREME,
Youngblood seems to be following somewhat in the footsteps of Nuno
Bettencourt. Besides doing the lead vocals and guitar, he also wrote the
songs and produced the album. And a pretty impressive debut it is.
--BETH BLINN
EDEN BURNING LIVE--SMILINGLY HOME (STORYVILLE)
From the beginning note to the final cheers of the crowd, Eden
Burning blew all my doors off. Consisting of 5 men and 1 woman from
Gloucester, England, their sound begins with 6 and 12 stringed guitars,
a heavy laid bass, and driving drums. Accenting the music are
mandolin, harmonica, and woodwind whistles.
They really take off from their folkish sound presented in VINEGAR
AND BROWN PAPER and explode into some very incredible rhythms
that are likely to make the feet of your most reluctant friends tap and
sway.
Eden Burning's sound is quite unique and hard to describe. The
mandolin, harmonica, and woodwinds surely give a notion of a "folk"
band, but it's more upbeat and powerful than typical folk.
Some comments I've gotten from others are: "soft-rock, but not
traditional soft rock," "genuine talent, really clean," and "comforting."
Beautiful, enchanting lyrics like "My hands are worn, yet nothing
holds. As life, like smoke, curls through my fingers," from "If I Go Up"
are enhanced by Paul's British accent, adding another wonderful side to
these emotional and heart-string tugging lyrics. Another example is
"Jubilee," "Surely you weren't the poor lost girl, who couldn't find her
mother. And in taking her hand, my soul was melted, from one world to
another. Then I knew: Jubilee! Good news for the poor, the acceptable
year of the Lord."
--RICHARD S. MOLIQUE
NITRO PRAISE (N-SOUL)
Scott Blackwell and his crew at N-Soul keep coming up with creative
ideas in Christian dance music. Probably not since PETRA's PETRA
PRAISE...THE ROCK CRIES OUT has there been such an innovative
praise album as this new effort, NITRO PRAISE.
Six of the eight songs are upbeat, energetic pop tracks that tend
slightly towards the techno, and two that are slower, grooving tunes.
The songs should probably be familiar, coming from traditional praise
choruses. Included are "I Love You (Lord Today)," "More Precious Than
Silver," "Stand in Awe," "Praise Song," "I Will Call Upon the Lord,"
"High Places," "I'll Fly Away," "More Than Conquerors." Some of the
featured vocalists are Sandra Stevens, Stephanie Watring, and Gina
Foglio.
The eight songs on the project are repeated without the lead vocals,
extending the album to close to 71 minutes. This permits listeners to
sing along, just as if they were performance tracks.
NITRO PRAISE provides energetic, simple, and enjoyable method to
praise the Lord--old words, new tunes--the way it's been done before
many times.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
PREACHAS VIOLENT PLAYGROUNDS (MYX)
The members of Preachas (formerly Preachas In Disguise) have taken
off their disguises for their latest release. Although they still refer to
themselves as P.I.D. in some of their songs, they apparently want
everyone to know up front what they stand for. They do not leave much
room for compromise in their music, they do take a firm stand and do
not bother to apologize for it.
Of course the focus of any rap release is the lead vocals, however, the
other parts are worthy of some mention. Each song features
combinations of samples, bass lines, supporting voices, and sometimes
just background talking. The whole project, which clocks in over 58
minutes, is heavily produced, courtesy of the L.A. Posse.
No matter what other elements are added to each song, this is still
rap. Therefore the success rests on the impact of the lyrics themselves.
These guys clearly know what they are singing about. They have no
interest in sugarcoating a message for a middle of the road audience.
They want everyone to know the conditions urban youth face daily,
from cigarette billboards to the pressure to have sex. Their answers to
these problems are all soundly Biblically-based and at the same time
presented in a manner that their audience will understand.
I believe that this would be a great album to give to a non-believing
lover of rap music as an introduction to Christian rap. However, I do
feel a need to attach a warning. These guys use a mild form of street
language in most cases--harsher than the average church leader may
be used to hearing in Christian music. If your idea of Christian rap is
DC TALK, than this may not be the title that you have been looking for,
but if you want to get some more of the hard-core rap, then try this one.
--MICHAEL A. KLEIN
CHRISTAFARI REGGAE WORSHIP VOLUME 1 (FRONTLINE)
The diversity of Christian music continues to grow. The latest niche to
be filled by our brothers and sisters in the Lord is reggae music, and the
band to do it is the aptly-named Christafari--who's music sounds
straight from Jamaica.
The highlight is the new and different twist put to many favorite
praise and worship songs such as the opener, "Praise the Name of
Jesus." Much of the album is original, yet contains many familiar
choruses whose tune and rhythm are adapted just enough to fit the
format.
Musically, the album is just what you might think when you think of
reggae. Plenty of horns and steel drums accompany songs like
"Majesty," and "Lord I Lift Your Name on High" contains a guitar sound
not unlike that found on some of JIMMY BUFFETT's fun tunes. The
reggae-style rap in "Salvation" approaches the intensity of SUPER C of
S. F. C. The tempo slows down a bit a couple times throughout however,
for the worshipful "Oh The Blood of Jesus," and in closing the album
with the contemplative "His Mercy Endureth Forever."
This album is very well produced both musically and technically,
especially for a first effort. It's first volume status makes me look
forward to future installments. If you are intrigued by the sound of
reggae music but had trouble finding any that was spiritually-edifying,
check out this.
--ERIK SELLIN
VIDEO REVIEWS:
NEWSONG ALL AROUND THE WORLD (BENSON)
NewSong has discovered concept video! This new video (their second)
is a virtual feast for the eyes and ears. The group performs some of
their songs from their ALL AROUND THE WORLD album with a lot of
different scenery to background their message.
My favorite song, because of its footage, is "Fields of Faith." If you get
airsick easily, you might not appreciate the aerial shots zooming over
vast farmlands which illustrates the message of sowing seeds for the
Kingdom of God. I also liked "Finger Tips and Noses," filmed at a one-
room rural mountain school house even the children shown didn't fit
the image of "special kids with special needs," as sung about in the
song. "From This Moment On," was performed onstage and combined
slow motion cuts of the audience's reaction and how NewSong responds
to the crowd during an invitation. The "Reach Out, I'll Be There"
number was a little disappointing, relying mostly on scenes of old filling
stations--which weren't as visually appealing as I had hoped for this
fun tune. In addition to the title cut, there is one more number on the
project, "Got Me Going." It is used as the background song to a "behind
the scenes look" at the making of the video.
Produced and directed by William VanDerKloot and Fred Taylor, the
six songs hit about 30 minutes, which was a little short--my only major
complaint.
--JULIE HENRY
THE NEWSBOYS NOT ASHAMED (STAR SONG)
PETRA WAKE-UP CALL (WORD VISUAL ARTS)
PFR PFR UNLEASHED (VIREO)
These three recently released videos offer video interview clips with
the bands, in addition to the music videos. Each is a lighthearted look
at the group offstage.
Petra includes two videos from their latest album, WAKE-UP CALL,
"Midnight Oil" and "Just Reach Out." The other eight videos span
BEYOND BELIEF and UNSEEN POWER: "Destiny," "Dance," "Love,"
"Sight Unseen," I Need to Hear From You," "Seen and not Heard,"
"Creed," and "In the Likeness of You." They also clock in near 52
minutes with The Newsboys at 35 and PFR at 30.
The Newsboys include the videos of "Not Ashamed," I Cannot Get You
Out of My System," "Dear Shame," "Where You Belong/Turn Your
Eyes," and "Simple Man."
While PFR only includes four videos ("Walk Away From Love," "By
Myself," and "Goldie's Last Day" from GOLDIE'S LAST DAY and "Do
You Want to Know Love" from PRAY FOR RAIN), they makeup for the
lack of videos with more in-depth interview clips.
PFR takes a much more serious approach to the interview segments,
although still remaining rather playful. The take time to discuss their
musical tastes, their musical background before forming the band, and
how they became Christians. The also provide some insight into the
song "True Love" and why they wrote it, as well as the origins of
"Goldie's Last Day." They also end the video with an audio-only
extended version of the "gargle solo" at the end of the CD that runs
several minutes.
There are several moderately-serious parts in the Petra interview
segments, but most are purely humor--mainly by using very short
clips, many of which are taken out of context. They talk about recording
for the first time in Nashville, and working with Brown Bannister, and
briefly about WAKE-UP CALL in general.
Between the videos on NOT ASHAMED is pure, unadulterated
silliness. From watching Peter Furler shave to Kevin Mill's harmonica
solo to a paint pellet gunfight to their post-gig game of seeing who can
wring out the most sweat of their shirt, you can get a real glimpse of the
funny side of the band. I appreciated that their last clip was of an altar
call by John James, reminding us of the real meaning for the music, the
videos, and the concerts.
Each of the videos is well produced and highly entertaining. The first
two take production more to the limits than PFR, who go for a more
"concert" feel. If you like the music, or like the group, it would probably
be hard to go wrong here.
--ROGER APPELINSKI

NEW RELEASES
Ray Boltz ALLEGIANCE
Michael Card JOY IN THE JOURNEY
Commissioned MATTERS OF THE HEART
Clay Crosse MY PLACE IS WITH YOU
Andrae Crouch MERCY
Nicholas Giaconia UNTITLED
Steve Green WHERE MERCY BEGINS
Imagine This IMAGINE THIS
Iona BEYOND THESE SHORES
Jeff Johnson SONGS FROM ALBION II
Calvin Jones UNCHARTED WATERS
Ji Lim THROUGH IRON WALLS
Love Coma SOUL RASH
Cindy Morgan CINDY MORGAN VIDEO PROJECT
PASSAFIST PASSAFIST
Precious Death SOUTHPAW
Resolution POLITICALLY INCORRECT
Rose III CRAZY LITTLE WORLD
Petra POWER PRAISE
Steve Taylor SQUINT: MOVIES FROM THE SOUNDTRACK VIDEO
Dick Tunney HORIZON
various LOST WITHOUT YOU
various NEW YOUNG MESSIAH VIDEO
MARCH RELEASES
Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir SOLO A LEEL
Keith Brown LIVE! IN EUROPE (VIDEO)
Carman THE STANDARD (VIDEO)
The Charlie Daniels Band THE DOOR
Willie Davis COME TOGETHER
Dawkins & Dawkins NECESSARY MEASURES
Deitaphobia CLEAN
The Clark Sisters MIRACLE
Daryl Coley IN MY DREAMS
The Crossing DANCING AT THE CROSSROADS
Rob Frazier THE LONG RUN
Steve Grace LIBERTY ROAD
Larnelle Harris BEYOND ALL THE LIMITS
Larry Howard BRIGHT SIDE OF THE BLUES
LSU GRACE SHAKER
Patsy Moore THE FLOWER CHILD'S GUIDE TO LOVE & FASHION
Mortal RIFT (VIDEO)
Out of the Grey DIAMOND DAYS
Phillip, Craig & Dean LIFE LINE
Private Boiz INSPIRATION
Rhythm Saints DEEP SUSTAINED BOOMING SOUNDS
Paul Smith EXTRA MEASURE
Michael Sweet MICHAEL SWEET
The Waiting UNTITLED
various RHYTHM & SOUL
various SISTERS
APRIL RELEASES
Benjamin UNTITLED
Scott Blackwell THE REAL THING
Crashdog MUD ANGELS
Fruits of the Spirit UNTITLED
Idle Cure ECLIPSE
Catherine King WINDOWS AND DOORS
Living Sacrifice UNTITLED
Chris Lizotte LONG TIME COMIN'
Greg Long UNTITLED
Mercy Miles MERCY MILES
My Little Dog China VELVIS CARNIVAL
Phillip Sandifer FOLLOWER
Swirling Eddies ZOOM DADDY
various INDUSTRIAL REMIXES (PLEASANT DINNER MUSIC)
various STORYVILLE SAMPLER

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