THE LIGHTHOUSE
SHINING LIGHT ON TODAY�S CHRSITIAN MUSIC

MAY 1994 $1.00

ERIC CHAMPION

Crashdog    Riki Michele
David Zaffiro    The Crossing

--

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---

THE LIGHTHOUSE        MAY 1994        VOL. 3 #5
DAVID ZAFFIRO        3
David Zaffiro has always wanted to be a musician. Now,
he's developed a passion for production. Combining
those desires on his fourth solo release, he hopes to
be concentrating on the latter in the future, and
admits that this may be his last solo album--at least
for some time.
CRASHDOG        4
While many teenagers today dream of a chance to be a
musician, the members of Crashdog have no real desire
for such a lifestyle. Unfortunately, they also feel
that God has called them to a music ministry. Part of
the Jesus People, USA organization, this radical
quartet released their third album, MUD ANGELS, last
month.
RIKI MICHELE        6
As a part of the alternative group Adam Again, Riki
Michele contributes vocals and dancing that bring some
levity to this often intense group. In 1989 she
released her first solo album, BIG BIG TOWN, and
recently added a second, ONE MOMENT PLEASE. We had a
chance to spend more than a moment with her in a
lighthearted discussion about her latest album.
ERIC CHAMPION        8
Eric Champion is turning 24 this month, and he is also
celebrating the release of his fifth album, VERTICAL
REALITY. It's a project with a science-fiction concept
which Champion plans to take advantage of in reaching
out to young people. He talked recently with THE
LIGHTHOUSE about the album, his goals, about the
difference he sees between religion and a relationship
with God, and the place for Christian entertainment in
all that.
THE CROSSING        11
Celtic music has gotten a lot more attention over the
last few years with the popularity of Irish artists
like CLANNAD and ENYA in the mainstream market, and
the British-based IONA in the Christian arena. What
many people don't realize is that buried in America's
heartland is a group that pursues the same sound at a
more basic level. THE LIGHTHOUSE talks with Tony Krogh
of The Crossing.
REVIEWS        13
Reviews of POLITICALLY INCORRECT from the new
alternative dance group Resolution, Eric Champion's
VERTICAL REALITY, the self-titled debut by Mercy
Miles, Joe Stricklin's BLAZING CALL, LIVIN' IN THE
SIGHT OF WATER by Brian White and Justice, LOVE SONGS
FOR CHRISTIAN COUPLES VOL. 3, Larry Howard's BRIGHT
SIDE OF THE BLUES, STANDING ON THE ROCK from
Maranatha, and Precious Death's SOUTHPAW.

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J. WARNER SODITUS
EDITOR:
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DAVID ZAFFIRO
David Zaffiro admits that he always wanted to become a
musician. Even though he was very talented as a guitarist, he
never really got any kind of career going as a musician--
until he turned over his music to the Lord and "did it for
God." That was 1980. Since that time, he has been a member of
several Christian groups, Crystal City Rockers and Bloodgood,
released several solo albums, and worked heavily as a
songwriter and producer.
Zaffiro's father, who held a doctorate and was a pastor, died
when David was 5, but was sure to teach his son about Jesus.
It was a firm impression that stayed with the young Zaffiro.
"There had always been that impression on my life," He
recalls. "I always knew that Jesus was God. So that followed
me. I made a real shallow commitment [to the Lord] when I was
about 16 through the Jesus movement and that tapered off and
it didn't stick. When I was about 19, I made a real
dedication and started to get grounded into a church. That's
when things started to change for me, when I started walking
with the Lord."
His first venture into Christian music after offering his
music to God was with a group called Crystal City Rockers, a
Seattle band that often played prisons and youth detention
centers. Near the end of Zaffiro's three-year stint with the
group, they "basically jumped into a bus and did a United
States tour," and coordinated the tour themselves, which
proved to be a little "shaky."
Zaffiro tells of a particular night. "We were playing for
this youth group for about 10 kids, and when we got done
loading up, there were kids all over the place [outside on
the street.] I remember thinking that 'this isn't making it.
I'm not doing what I'm supposed to do.' I was really praying
to the Lord that I wanted to do something that was going to
reach the world."
He soon left the group and became interested in the band
Bloodgood. Despite initial hesitation by the bandleader,
Michael Bloodgood, for not having a metal background, Zaffiro
auditioned and immediately "clicked" with the group. "We all
had a great chemistry," he recalls. "That was a real
ministry-oriented band."
Bloodgood quickly acquired a record contract as the first
signee of the then infant Frontline--something Crystal City
Rockers never achieved. Zaffiro explains that his earlier
band simply, "wasn't going for one [record contract] back
then. We didn't care. In fact, we thought it was a waste of
time."
"Bloodgood was a different story," he continues. "It formed
around 1985 and really took off in 1986. We basically did
three shows and got a record deal. It wasn't because we were
awesome--I think the band was fabulous, don't get me wrong--
but God just ordained it and we got a record deal
immediately."
It was during his stint with Bloodgood that Zaffiro began
developing his production skills to help bring in some income
for his family, and he developed a passion for it.
After leaving the band, Zaffiro embarked on a solo recording
career. He maintained his ties with Frontline and has
recently released his fourth, and probably last, album,
YESTERDAY'S LEFT BEHIND, with them. The title track seems to
be a focal point for the album, and possibly a summation of
his solo career.
"In certain ways it really is yesterday's left behind. The
whole thing of me doing a solo record for Frontline probably
isn't going to happen any more. That's a new page in my life
that I'm turning."
"Everyday we have to leave yesterday behind. Sometime's
that's a bit of a difficult thing. I heard my preacher teach
on how we should reach forward. The Apostle Paul said, 'I'm
always reaching forward,' in Philippians. For me, that's what
YESTERDAY'S LEFT BEHIND is. It's moving on. I don't regret
yesterday. Sometimes it's sad, sometimes it's happy. That
song has about four different stories involved in it and
there is a theme for the record as a whole."
In discussing some of the variables contributing to an
album's success, Zaffiro is rather honest about and
comfortable with not being a chart-topper--he seems content
in having the opportunity to accomplish what he has.
"Regardless of if it does well or not," he says about the
latest record, "I still got to do it and it's an artistic
expression and it's a ministry for me. I believe that people
do listen to it and get ministered to by it. God has given us
art. He has given us expression. I think the record touches
on a lot of interesting things. It touches on my relationship
with my first dad who died. It touches on a friend I had by
the name of Maverick in Seattle. It touches on salvation. All
that happens in the song 'Where,' which is probably my
favorite cut on the record. The stories, I think, are
interesting if someone ever reads the lyrics. To me, it takes
you places--it is a diverse record."
Hoping to gain more work as a producer, 34-year-old Zaffiro
moved to Nashville with his wife of 13 years, Susan, and
their 12-year-old daughter, Serai, and 7-year-old son, Silas,
a little less than a year ago.
He explains his decision to move from Washington to
Tennessee, "I moved to Nashville because God told me to. I
felt like God convicted me to move to Nashville. I really
dragged my feet. I wasn't interested in doing it. I had a
network in Seattle--I was doing just fine. When my lease came
up I felt like God was having me move to Nashville. My lease
was up and I could pack up a truck and move everything five
blocks, or I could pack it up and drive a couple days to
Nashville--what's the difference?"
Because most of his time is spent producing and writing songs
(he has a songwriting contract as well), Zaffiro isn't able
to perform much anymore. While he misses playing live, he is
content to concentrate on his production career--and his
family. He learned the challenge of keeping a family strong
while on the road during his extensive tours with Bloodgood.
His intentions and abilities aside, getting work as a
producer is not proving as easy as he might have expected. He
has found it a little, "hard to crack into Nashville--it's a
bit of a nut. It's funny, since I moved to Nashville and
started working in 'the city of Christian music,' I've done
less than I've ever done. I can't say I've done less, but I
haven't done as much as I think I should be doing. That's
probably an arrogant statement and I don't mean to be
arrogant. I just think I have a lot to offer it," he quips.
"But, I feel like God has me here. It's to no avail for me to
worry about it. It is difficult not to be concerned about it
sometimes. I struggle with that."
--J. WARNER SODITUS

CRASHDOG
Crashdog is a group of reluctant musicians--for these guys,
playing in a band was never a lifelong dream. Unlike most of
teenage America, where being in a band is probably one of the
coolest things that can be imagined, the members of Crashdog
pursue their music for one reason only--they don't have a
choice. A genuine feeling that God has called them to do this
is the only reason that they keep practicing, writing, and
playing.
Joining REZ BAND and THE CROSSING as yet another musical
offering from the Jesus People USA (JPUSA) community in
Chicago, Crashdog is a loud, raucous band that appeals
largely to teenagers--although I personally know at least one
baby boomer who counts them as one of his favorite groups.
Recently, THE LIGHTHOUSE spoke with Spike Nard, the lead
singer and band founder, about the unique ministry of this
group.
All four members have been involved with JPUSA for at least
eight years. Nard, drummer Greg Murphy, bassist Brian Grover
and guitarist Andrew Mandell all came to JPUSA by very
different routes.
"Greg came into the community when he was 12. Brian and I
joined the community about the same time--about eight years
ago. Our guitar player joined about 10 years ago," says Nard.
Most people are already Christians when they get involved
with JPUSA. That wasn't the case with Nard. "I grew up in a
church family, always was a good little church boy. My faith
was about as real to me as Santa Claus and the Easter bunny.
I hit my teenage years and fell flat on my face--I ended up
having a lot of family problems and I left home. I have a
friend of mine who used to live in Jesus People here, who
actually ended up bringing me to Jesus People. He said 'I'm
gonna go there for a year's missions, and I'm going to serve
with the Jesus People for a year as a missionary. Do you want
to come?' And I thought 'Well, sounds like a free meal, a
free place to stay.' My twin sister had visited the place
about a year before I came here, and told me it was full of
hippies and punks that smelled and never took showers. So I
thought it sounded pretty cool--it must be okay if they don't
force hygiene. So I ended up coming and I thought I would
stay for about a week and ended up staying for eight years.
At the beginning, everyone knew I was messed up, but I was
able to play it off--I knew the talk, but I didn't know the
walk. I knew what you needed to say, when you needed to say
it. A guest speaker from Italy came and spoke at our church,
and that Sunday I just really felt God pressing on me. I just
really felt I needed to get right with God. I said 'Lord, I
need a change in my life. I need to be changed. I need to be
filled with your Spirit, your power, that I can really make
this change, because on my own I am totally unwilling.' So
it's been eight years--a wild journey, but no complaints on
this end."
The origins of the band are not that common, either. Most
bands are formed because the members have a driving desire to
create music and get a lot of attention. According to Nard,
starting Crashdog wasn't even his idea. "We all came into the
community with inner-city missions on our mind--not 'hey,
we're here to join the band.' We all came and just felt like,
'we're here to do whatever God asks us to do, whether it
means handing soup out on a soup line, mopping and sweeping
floors, and all the different things it takes to run an
inner-city mission.' We did it probably for about four years
each before we started up the band. Glenn [Kaiser of JPUSA
and REZ BAND] had come up to me and said 'Hey, I really think
you should start a band.' At the time, it was the last thing
on my mind. I was like, 'no way, this is ridiculous.' As a
matter of fact, I remember just, like, running from him. He
kept being persistent, 'I really think it would be a good
idea, you should try it out.' I ended up going to a peace
rally--in Chicago somewhere, down on one of the beaches--and
I ended up getting the chance to get up and share the Gospel.
And I realized, I only got 30 seconds to share the Gospel
with this whole group of people. I realized, hey, if I had a
band with me, I could have forty-five minutes standing up
here. And really share, not so much just John 3:16, but how
God feels about certain issues. How does God feel about AIDS?
How does God feel about Sarajevo? How does God feel about our
government... you know, all of these different things. I
thought that with a band, we'd be able to share a wider
perspective of God's view of our world and ourselves. So that
kind of convinced me, and I came home and said, 'Okay, Glenn,
I'll do it.'"
Now Nard had the motivation, but what about the players? He
continues, "I knew Greg played drums, so I said, 'Hey, do you
want to join?' And I said to Andrew, our guitar player, 'Hey,
man, I know a couple chords, let's jam.'"
So now they wanted to be a band. But that just doesn't happen
overnight. Nard laughs as he recalls their early efforts. "We
knew about two songs, and played about two songs for about a
year. It was a very slow process, it wasn't like overnight we
had a full set, and we were ready to jam at Cornerstone
festival or anything. It took a couple of years. Being in a
band hasn't been real easy for us. It's always been a lot of
hard work, a lot of prayer, and a lot of dying to ourselves.
There's a lot of things that we'd like to be doing besides
trying to work on new songs. Not that we are bitter that we
are in the band, or that we're martyrs--but the fact is that
we are grateful that the Lord has given us the chance to
share the Gospel through this method. Andrew, our guitar
player, is a triathalon athlete, our drummer and bass player
are ham radio operators, and I'm an avid fisherman, so those
are things we would like to pursue [besides the band.]"
So, where does one come up with a name like Crashdog?
"Basically, 10 minutes before our first show, we were too
stubborn to agree on a name, so we just asked one of our
pastors, 'What do you think? Look at the list of names that
we have, and what do you like?'" explains Nard. "And she
looked at the list, and pointed out the name Crashdog, and
said 'That probably defines your music the best.' It
absolutely has no spiritual, intellectual meaning--none at
all. Hopefully it's a marketing thing, in the sense of like,
at least no one will be disappointed--'Oh man, I went out and
bought a Crashdog CD, expecting to listen to THE WHO,'
they'll know exactly who they're buying when they buy a
Crashdog CD."
The guys in the band approach their songwriting with a
serious-but-unstructured attitude. "When we actually sit down
in the studio and say, 'Let's write some songs,' we generally
just jam--we say, 'Hey man, let's just jam out.' Andrew will
come out with a cool guitar part, and I'll say, 'Hey, I like
that,' or he'll come out with a lame part, and I'll say, 'No,
I don't like that.' And that's usually how we'll compose our
music--it's just by jamming out. We have this thing that's
called the cheese factor. When someone comes up with a lame
part, we say 'Aw man, that's got the cheese factor, big-
time.' Or if somebody comes up with a hot idea, even though
it may not sound like our style of music, we just try to push
it through, and see what happens. Hopefully, that will give
kids a unique feel. It's not anything that we sit down and
decided, like in a corporate meeting. It just kind of
evolves. And hopefully, kids will say, 'Man, this sounds
fresh, this sounds different.' Or maybe they'll say, 'Hey
man, this sounds stupid.' Hopefully, someone out there is
going to like it."
--BETH BLINN



RIKI MICHELE
Contemporary Christian music has many female artists, but few
of them are as original and fun as Riki Michele. While her
career as a solo artist began in 1989 with the release of BIG
BIG TOWN, she has spent the past decade being the sunny
influence in the funky alternative band Adam Again. As
background singer, and sometimes dancer, she gave some levity
to the often intense group.
BIG BIG TOWN, released on Brainstorm Artists--a company
started and run by other musicians--allowed Michele to
explore musical styles that were different from those usually
pursued in Adam Again, and was very well received by the
critics. Her poppy, quirky style, however, didn't really fit
the typical Christian radio format, so much of the music-
listening public didn't hear her effort.
The 27 year old Southern California-based vocalist and
songwriter recently released her second solo effort, ONE
MOMENT PLEASE, and the critics are once again impressed.
Released on Word's WAL label, which has taken over the
Brainstorm roster, the record is a mix of danceable, groove-
heavy pop and textured ballads, including a cover of STEVE
MILLER's 1970's classic "Fly Like An Eagle."
But, while the music may be up, the lyrics are at times down.
The experience of going through a painful separation and
subsequent divorce from husband Gene Eugene (who is the
guiding artistic force behind Adam Again) colors a lot of the
writing Michele did for this album, and adds a depth of
emotion to record.
Utilizing the talents of Terry Taylor (of the group DA) as
producer, Michele also obtained help in the studio from such
musical friends as THE 77'S Mike Roe and Aaron Smith, THE
CHOIR'S Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong and Tim Chandler
of DA, as well as Eugene. While Michele penned about half of
the songs, Taylor contributed a few, as did such notable
writers as Roe and Randy Stonehill.
I recently had a conversation with Michele, and was delighted
to be able to spend some time with this warm, bubbly woman.
WHY DON'T WE START BY TALKING ABOUT HOW YOU GOT INTO MUSIC.
It started pretty young, actually. My dad's a preacher and
I've been in church all my life. So, I started singing in
church when I was about 8 years old, or even younger. When I
got into high school, I started becoming more interested in
being in vocal groups, like choirs. I led a choir myself for
about a year. Then I met Gene Eugene from Adam Again and got
involved in that whole scene. He was having some band
practices. They weren't really doing any gigs, but I thought
it looked like fun, so I kind of weaseled my way in. It
started from there. After I was in Adam Again for a while, I
realized that I could pretty easily make a [solo] album
through all the resources around me. They [Brainstorm] okayed
me to do a record, so I did one with them and then I kind of
got the fever to go solo. I don't remember when I wasn't
interested in music or singing.
WHAT KIND OF ARTISTS INFLUENCED YOU?
At first it was Christian artists, like Christian choirs and
Christian groups that would come around and perform at our
church. There was one group that probably had the biggest
influence on me that my family was close to. They were called
NANCY HARMON AND THE VICTORY VOICES. Some of the girls in the
group would even come to our house. I just loved that kind of
music. Then, as I got older, I started listening to more folk
and pop stuff. I think I didn't start actually buying records
or getting interested in or influenced by music in a more
personal way until I was in my teens. Then it was lots of
female vocalists. The female vocalists that had the most
impact on me then and still do are people like KATE BUSH,
ANNIE LENNOX--poetic women singers... I'm also influenced by
really funky music and I've always been interested in dance
music, but more funk '70s dance music--THE GAP BAND, GEORGE
CLINTON. It's kind of difficult, but somehow all of that gets
incorporated in the music I do.
IS THAT WHERE "FLY LIKE AN EAGLE" COMES IN?
After the first record, I told Gene that I really wanted to
do that song. I said, "I want to turn 'Fly Like an Eagle'
into a dance song." I was telling several people and they
were like, "Yeah, whatever." I hooked up with Terry Taylor,
who produced the last album and he was like, "Why not? Let's
do it!" I always could hear it in my head exactly the way I
recorded it. I love the song, so that was a blast.
YOU BASICALLY, FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS, HAVE BEEN WORKING
STEADILY IN MUSIC.
It probably seems more steady than it actually is. I am
definitely happy about the whole thing, in being as busy as I
was, but it wasn't really THAT�busy. I wasn't recording
something new every day and it wasn't my source of income. As
far as keeping steady projects going, we were keeping busy
monthly. I would say I was pretty busy. All my friends live
not too far away from me. When we go in [the studio,] we use
each other because we know each other well, so it was easy to
be available for people to use me.
SINCE MUSIC HASN'T BEEN YOUR MAJOR SOURCE OF INCOME, IN TERMS
OF SUPPORTING YOURSELF, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
I had a really cool job with a lot of my fellow-musician
friends in Los Angeles a few years ago. That was my most
favorite job. It was a computer graphics design company and
Steve Hindalong from THE CHOIR got me the job... It was like
a big party all the time. It was crazy, but it was a great-
paying job and it was a lot of fun. After that it was a bunch
of tiddly jobs. I worked at an Italian deli... I worked at
Brainstorm for about a year and a half. I just got the boot
because Brainstorm is no longer... [but] I quit before that.
I went into the studio to do the album and it started to get
to the point where they didn't need me because of Word
handling most of our artists. It was great to be able to not
work and go into the studio, but after that I was real sad
that I couldn't go back... I'm really sad to see it
[Brainstorm] not stay open, but I think that it's a natural
progression. The guys are so busy in the studios and stuff.
HOW HAVE YOU FOUND IT BEING ASSOCIATED WITH WAL?
Word has been backing me up a lot and they're really
supportive. When I did this second record, they were really
busting their booties for me. They were going around and
getting these concerts and getting on the phone and
encouraging me all the time. They flew out and met with me--I
wasn't expecting that at all. They're still encouraging me
and they still have a lot of faith in me, so it's a great
kick in the pants for me to get out there and work hard to
prove to them that they didn't make a mistake. ...I just did
a concert in Nashville a couple months ago and it was so much
fun. I got the fever so bad. I was really nervous before
that--I'd never really performed my solo material, ever,
except for once in Holland, and that was after the first
record. All my musicians, two of my most important musicians,
Rob Watson and Tim Chandler, couldn't go at the last minute,
and that's my bass player and my keyboardist. So, the LOST
DOGS were playing and I snagged Mike Roe and got Jon Knox (of
ADAM AGAIN and WHITE HEART) to play drums for me. I got Phil
Madeira to play keyboards and Hammond Organ. Then, when I got
to Nashville, no one could rehearse until the day of the
concert. I thought I was going to die... What I'm working on
now is getting some musicians around here--some new faces.
I'm trying to find musicians so I can start performing and
get on the road.
DO YOU ENJOY PERFORMING?
I love it. I enjoy performing over writing, although I had a
really great experience in the studio this time. I worked
with Gene in the past and I get lazy with Gene because he can
do everything that I love. So, I let him take control. This
time I didn't have him produce the record and Terry just let
me go, basically, and said, "You do exactly what you want to
do." I was extremely uninhibited with him. I felt great and I
learned a lot and it was a good experience for me. I enjoy
recording like that. Performing is still Number 1... I think
the most important thing to me and my solo career right now
is getting really good management. I'm without management. I
think as soon as that happens, I'll be all over the place and
that's what I really want to do. We'll see where God leads me
and where I feel comfortable going.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO WRITE THE ALBUM?
It probably took about a year and a half. When I started
talking to everybody about the record, it was going on in my
head before that. A couple songs, "Big Machine" and some of
the lyrics to "One Moment Please," those had been running
over in my head for a few years, but I never gave them much
attention. I approached Terry in the beginning of last summer
and we started brainstorming ideas and I told him that I
wanted to write a chunk of the album and that I wanted to
work with other people and he was really into it. LOST DOGS
were around a lot. I think they were recording at Gene's
studio at the time, so I kept seeing Mike Roe and when I
would see them I would talk about the record and Mike
mentioned that he had a song that THE 77'S had been keeping
for a long time that he wanted to record but it never worked
out for them and he wanted me to record it. He thought it
would be a good song for me. That was "Mind to Mind," which
he later told me that I titled wrong. [Laughter]
..Everyone who wrote on the record, wrote the song for the
record except for Mike--Mike had a preexisting song. Everyone
else came to me and fed me their ideas and we agreed on it.
They knew me, so it wasn't hard to make it all mesh together.
It was very appropriate. Each song seemed to fit and they all
knew what I was going for. It worked out really well.
YOU'VE WORKED WITH SOME REALLY GREAT PEOPLE.
I'm totally honored. I was just beside myself when I found
out that Randy and Terry were going to be involved in the
project. When Terry told me he could produce, I started
bawling my head off. Randy is such a great songwriter.
HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT WRITING AND GETTING IN THE MOOD?
If I know that I need to start writing or I feel like I'm
going to be writing, then I think about it a lot. I'm not
always in the mood to write... I pay attention to a lot of
things that I don't usually pay attention to. I really go
deeper into my feelings when I have some time alone to think.
Or someone saying something that might capture my attention,
or a phrase will go over in your head and you want to write
it down. It always happens to me when I'm in the car
driving.... I wrote most of the stuff in the car for the last
record. There's something about being in motion. I'm learning
techniques and I'm reading more in my life than I ever have
and it has sort of sparked all these new interests in me. I
don't really have a set pattern or something that is definite
that works for me.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN READING?
Little stuff here and there. I haven't really set down and
read big books. A friend of mine sent me a real key book not
too long ago called LETTERS TO A YOUNG POET, that moved me so
much. I want to find more things. People are suggesting books
here and there, but I really have to be in the mood to sit
down... I'm learning in my life--this is real important thing
about me, especially lately--I'm learning to be quiet.
[Laughter] Sometimes you wouldn't know it, to be honest. It's
a more settling time in my life. I'm learning that that's a
good thing and the need to socialize is still there but not
near as much as two years ago. My life has taken such a
complete turn. I think that I'm more settled and I'm a little
more quiet. I like to be with my friends a lot, but this time
alone is what has helped me discover these things inside of
me--that want to write and want to read more and discover new
things and learn new things.
THERE AREN'T TOO MANY FEMALE SINGERS IN THE CCM ARENA LIKE
YOU... MANY TEND TO BE MORE MAINSTREAM.
I want to hear more non-mainstream female artists in
Christian music. I haven't heard too many either and I don't
want to get sucked into mainstream, which I was sort of
fearful when I became involved with Word [Records]--not that
that's a bad thing.
IT'S NOT YOU.
It's not me. They definitely wanted me to do material that
could be accessible to all listeners. I think that's a good
idea, but I didn't want to be stretched too far. This album
was a little bit more commercial than I would have liked it
to have been. I'm proud of every single song, and I like the
music and I listen to it myself because I love the musicians
who played on it. I like it, but I'd like to even stretch it
more the other direction the next time around and I think
I'll be able to do that and still make Word happy.
--BETH BLINN

--

SALT INC. MUSIC

IDLE CURE

ECLIPSE

  Since 1986, Idle Cure has rocked you with mega-hits like
"Breakaway," "Overdrive," Frontline," "Pray," "Holy Mountain"
and many others.
  Now, Eclipse is out! And it's full of great, straight-
ahead, melodic rock that's made Idle Cure famous. Producer
Billy Smiley (White Heart) brings out the very best of the
band's gifted and right-on songwriting, ultra-clean vocals
and superb musicianship.
  It's fresh. It's tight. It's hot. It's the best Idle Cure
yet. So get out of the shadows. Get into the Eclipse. In
Christian bookstores everywhere.

Salt Inc. Music
Distributed by Diadem Distribution (800) 769-4677


---


ERIC CHAMPION  --  VERTICAL REALITY

Hi, I'm Sam. Just Sam. It's better than ESC8128.78. But,
welcome to the under-grid. It may be the past, may be the
present, may be the future. It may be another world or it may
be your own. One thing for sure, it's all real--more real
than you know. Anyway, I'm an inventor--a creator of sorts.
They say I take after my father. I'm also a dedicated hacker.
You see, in this day and age, the computer rules the world-
grid. It is the central source for the transmitting and
receiving of information--all information. In fact, "info"
became such a powerful commodity that it began being
regulated, trafficked, and monitored through the mainframe at
"Govtrol," the all-seeing eye of the world-grid as we know
it. That's why everybody is a series of letters and numbers;
so it can keep it's "eye" on you. Govtrol knows everything
about everybody, except me and my friends. We're known as the
"orphans of the under-grid." See, if you hack hard enough and
mess the numbers around long enough, you'll eventually erase
yourself from their memory banks and fall into the under-
grid. As far as Govtrol knows, we don't exist. They call us
orphans because most of us lost our parents in what they call
the "Last War," the "War of Liberation." Well, it's not going
to be the last war, and it certainly didn't liberate us. We
lost our freedom: free enterprise, freedom of speech, freedom
of expression, and especially freedom of religion. Govtrol
says there is no God--there's no one out there. If it can't
be seen, heard, felt, tasted, put through a series of number
crunches and printouts and scientifically proven, it doesn't
exist. Well, I don't believe that. I know there's someone out
there. And no matter where it takes me, I'm gonna find Him.

That is the introduction to Eric Champion's new project,
VERTICAL REALITY. If it sounds like a page out of a science-
fiction novel, or a scene out of TERMINATOR, don't be
surprised. Besides being a huge sci-fi fan , Champion wanted
to create an intriguing premise for a project from the ground
up--lyrics, music, and tour production.
When he was preparing for his third album, he began to see a
change in himself. He shares, "I realized I was not writing
songs just to write songs. I realized the opportunity that I
had and God had given me this gift to really speak to young
people, to relate to young people though my music, and try to
make a difference in their lives. Then it became more than a
fun thing to do, I realized there was a mission and a purpose
in what I was doing. Then it became my LIFE. Everything I
thought about was connected with wanting to find out how to
really get what God was saying through me across to the young
people."
At the same time, his church's youth group was heavily
involved in an urban ministry near their Daytona Beach homes.
Without specifically using music, they went and simply spent
time with urban youth--playing basketball, talking, and just
hanging out.
Between personal changes in his songwriting intent and a keen
observation of his youth group's work, he became interested
in implementing other aspects besides music in his ministry.
'We wanted to take some of those things that we use in our
youth ministry outreaches, like drama, and incorporate that
into a show," Champion recalls.
Intrigued by the concept of a video wall, Champion pursued
the possibility, and the Lord "miraculously made one
available." With a crew comprised only of young people from
his church, the SAVE THE WORLD TOUR, with the drama and video
wall, was very successful. "The response to the creativity of
the show was incredible," he remembers. "It even enhanced the
spiritual impact, I guess because it really connected with
the young people. It seemed like it related to where kids are
today, because all the world is using all those vehicles to
relate to kids--that's what they understand, through
technology and fast-paced action and through entertainment."
"I was so impacted by what we had done on this tour and how
God had used these different things that I wanted to come up
with a concept where we could utilize our creativity and
drama and technology to really get a message from God across.
But, we wanted to start it from the ground up--from the songs
on an album project where every aspect of the project would
follow this whole message and theme and creative flow. So
that's where the idea for VERTICAL REALITY�came from. The
album itself is like the soundtrack to a conceptual show. The
show will represent much more of that, but I'm actually
writing a book, a science-fiction-type novel. Like a sci-fi,
modern-day version of some C.S. Lewis' writings--where it's
all scripturally based. We just use these sci-fi elements to
get that spiritual theme or point across."
"One of the problems I see in the Church today is that people
do not fully understand the reality of God in their lives. We
do not apply the Bible literally enough in our lives to find
out that it really works. I want to use new means and
approaches to make people think about the reality of God."
"I think that VERTICAL REALITY could open kids up to the
message of Christ because they relate to sci-fi and comic
books and fantasy. I'm using those tools to bring them the
Gospel. This is uncharted territory, but that just makes it
all the more exciting."
Champion pulled elements from science-fiction, as he states,
"I'm a fan of all science-fiction. We're trying to combine
elements of the future with elements of the past--visually,
theme-wise, period-wise, and even in the music. We did that a
lot. In addition to lots of very sequenced computer-based
music, there's also a lot of live stuff--guitars, drums, and
B-3 organs."
TO ENTERTAIN OR NOT TO ENTERTAIN--IS THAT THE QUESTION?
Much of Champion's new tour concept can be seen as purely
entertainment. The concept of Christian entertainers is not
new nor without debate. Many opinions surround this seemingly
tough tightrope and often with musicians take shots from
various sides. For Champion, the criticism of his
entertainment style has been minimal.
"I think people are beginning to realize that religion does
not work," he starts. "The world doesn't have time for stuff
that doesn't work. Religion does not represent a god that is
real or relative to the day. Young people, especially, don't
have time for hypocrisy and lies. They realize that we've got
to have a real and true representation of God. And the method
is not something to get hung up on. It's the message that we
know is the answer and we have to present it in a way that
presents God as alive, full of life--an exciting God."
"I have gotten some criticism. I will probably get a lot of
criticism in the Christian industry for this next statement,
but I am an entertainer. I love to entertain; I've been
entertaining since I was a kid. Just like a mechanic is a
mechanic and it's his job and what he loves to do. I'm an
entertainer. And the fact that I'm a Christian totally
rearranges my motives for entertainment and my method of
entertainment."
"I don't understand why that's such a big deal to some
people. Maybe they're not comfortable in their own
Christianity to realize that God is not saying 'God,' God is
LIVING. How much you say 'Jesus Christ' doesn't determine how
close to God you are. Words are totally meaningless. It's
what we do and how our life speaks--that's the whole
difference between me and a lot of other Christians."
"The video wall and the drama and all those things are
entertainment, because I believe entertainment through music
and drama is one of the most powerful vehicles in moving
people's emotions. You see how movies, theater, and music
moves people. So, when you couple that power with the power
and the Word of God inside those vehicles and those methods
of communication--it's even twice as powerful."
For Champion, motives are very important in it the Christian
faith. "I'm not a Christian because I want to go to heaven,
or because I feel I have to do something for God to make
retribution for some horrible sins that I've done in the
past, or because I'm scared to go to hell, or because I want
to try to be as good a person as I can, or because my mother
was--I love God because I want to. He's been so incredible in
my life that I want to repay Him for everything He's done for
me. I do it out of my own free will. I'm not bound by
tradition or religion or fear or anything. That's why I'm
comfortable with entertaining and being a Christian and using
my entertainment for God, because, it's my choice to serve
God.
He points out that many people have different reasons for
being Christians, adding, "Most of them don't even really
know who God is. That's really the whole theme of this album-
-VERTICAL REALITY--talking vertically, your vertical
relationship, up and down between you and God, and coming
into a REAL reality of who God is and knowing God in such a
real way that you can touch the face of God. This whole album
is a journey through faith in knowing the real God and
knowing that He is real."
He concludes, "The closest thing we can relate with the Bible
is fiction or fantasy or sci-fi. It relates Jesus walking on
water with people on Star Trek [beaming up.] It's that same
type of thing--it seems impossible--but it's real. Everything
that the Word of God says was true and is true. There are
experiences and dimensions that exist that God wants to
pursue Him and find Him that we don't even, because of our
lack of faith, it disables us from knowing the real God and
who He is. I know I sound far-out and spooky, but I believe
all this stuff."
A SUPPORTIVE FAMILY
Growing up in a strong Christian home is something Champion
is very thankful for. "It was my mom and dad that really kept
me from going out into the world and having to build one of
those testimonies that really seem to move people."
He continues as he beams, "My mom and dad are incredible
Christians. They were such good Christians because they
trained me to know the difference between God and religion.
In addition to being a Christian, we were raised, very
closely in the Church."
Taught to sing at the early age of 3, he later traveled with
his parents and younger sister, Caprill, across the country,
singing in churches--both a blessing and a bit disillusioning
at the same time. "We saw all the good and all the bad," he
admits. "I saw the hypocrisy and all the things that causes a
lot of young people raised in that, turn against it because
they see no reality of it working in people's lives. They
just see a form of godliness. Fortunately, because of my
wonderful Christian parents who trained me to know the
difference between God and just squirrely Christian religious
people, I never rebelled against God."
He may not have rebelled against God, but he did experience
disillusionment with some churches, a point he is quick to
clarify--citing the difference between God's Church and our
personal churches. "I'm not wanting to disconnect myself from
the Church at all," he continues. "I realize that that's
going to be the only vehicle for God to really reach this
world in an efficient way. Sometimes when I say church, I
mean the religious church, not the Church of Christ. I did
rebel against religion and I'm still in that rebellious
attitude, just like Jesus was. That was his whole enemy--
religion. Just because they are into forms of godliness but
denying the power. This generation and me, I don't have time
for that. I want to know every bit of power God's got. I
believe it all and I want to see it work."
His father has been a pastor for 11 years at the church he
started in Daytona Beach--the church whose youth group is so
intimately tied to Champion's musical ministry. Eric laughs,
"Growing up, I could never picture my dad as a pastor. It's
such a cool church--different than most churches. It's very
youthful. My dad's very encouraging of the arts. He
encourages young people to use radical things to get God's
message across. We have people involved in rap groups and
drama things and a real active youth group. I know a lot of
churches don't have the freedom to promote those things.
We're really blessed with this church here."
THE UNTRAINED MUSICIAN
As a musician, Champion wouldn't exactly be a great example
for childhood piano lessons, since  he didn't practice and
gave up on them. After banging most stationary objects in the
house with his mother's kitchen utensils, his parents bought
him a drum set that he immediately took to. However, he feels
his journey as a musician really began when his father got
his mother a keyboard and sequencer when Eric was a sophomore
in high school. He explains that with sequencing, that
multiple tracks can be recorded, "kind of like a one-man-
band. This was incredible to me. That's what got me hooked. I
never had any lessons, but I spent every bit of spare time I
had playing that keyboard and sequencing and learning
everything about it."
Working to earn money to help his father buy more equipment
for the sequencer, he began writing songs. While the songs he
wrote expressed his Christian faith, he had little interest
in the Christian music of the day. He admits, "I really
didn't know much about Christian music. I didn't really like
what I heard back then. The reason that I wrote Christian
music and sang Christian music is because the Church and God
and my relationship with God and my Christian family were the
biggest part of my life. When I wrote lyrics, it always
tended to be about those aspects of things--going through
those situations with that perspective as a Christian."
As he assembled an eight song demo for his enjoyment, his
mother was reading a book by Christ Christian about getting
involved in the Christian music industry. When Eric did not
take any steps outlined in the book, his mother took it upon
herself to send demos to record companies and the book's
author. The companies made no replies, but Chris Christian
took an interest in Champion's talent and helped him obtain a
contract as a songwriter. For Eric, studying in Oklahoma to
become an actor, it was "more interesting than college." Two
years later, he got the chance to record his first album,
ERIC CHAMPION--that was 1990.
After releasing REVOLUTION in 1991, he began working on his
third project. However, he had already begun work on a
Christmas album, and decided to complete both at the same
time. So, in 1992, he finished HOT CHRISTMAS and SAVE THE
WORLD.
HANGING WITH THE C-MAN
So, what is a day in the life of Eric Champion like? "There's
a constant hang," he casually relates. "There's always people
around. It's a real creative community that we've developed
here. Lots of young creative actors, rappers, musicians, and
dancers and we just hang together all the time, coming up
with creative ideas how we can present the Gospel. Ours is a
very late-night hang--we're into that. We get up about 10 and
casually get ready and go to the office and brainstorm
writing scripts for the show. We have other ideas for plays
and skits that we work on. Then the afternoons, I have some
responsibilities for interviews, I.D.'s and things like that.
Then in the late afternoon we have dance rehearsal, almost
every evening for like 2 or 3 hours. Also during the day we
brainstorm on ideas for sets and technical things. Pretty
soon we'll be editing video for the new show. That's probably
60 hours worth of editing in the studio. Then, after we're
done with dance practice, we come to the house or go to
Denny's and hang for a couple hours scripting some more and
coming up with more ideas. If I have a night by myself I'll
get in my car and drive south and work on lyrics or if we've
been working hard, we just come over and rent a movie or go
to the beach to hang out. We're constantly creating and very
spiritually aware, talking about God and having Bible
studies. We have also developed this thing we call the
"beatnik Bible study" that we have on Thursday nights with
dramatic readings from the Bible and creative devotion.
People that write poetry will get up and recite poetry and
we'll have improvisational acting games that connect to a
devotion. Things like that cause you to want to get into the
Word because it's so fun. You have these different ways of
expressing and looking at things through drama and it gives a
whole new perspective to the Word of God. Daytona Beach is an
extremely relaxed place. It's like one big vacation."
Champion, who turns 24 this month, also has a desire to
channel his and his friends' intense interest in the arts and
into maintaining a performing arts school. He hopes that they
will be able to bring kids to their area so they can
encourage artistic talents and abilities. That encouragement
can be critical to kids today. Says Champion, "In traveling
and even going to these urban developments, we meet some
incredibly talented people. With some of them, that talent
may go unnoticed or go undiscovered because they don't have
the right opportunities or have someone encouraging them. I
know, if it wasn't for my father getting that synthesizer, I
probably would be flipping burgers or doing something I don't
really want to do. We want to give them an opportunity to
change their generation. That's my real goal, to exploit all
these opportunities God has given me and turn them around as
opportunities for other young people."
"I really have a heart to share with young people especially,
because there are so many of them, in the churches and out,
who are completely lost. I've had some amazing responses in
concerts finding young people really wanting to give their
lives to something they can believe in--and wanting to be
part of a change and part of solutions."
--J. WARNER SODITUS

THE CROSSING
With the rise in popularity of Irish artists like CLANNAD and
ENYA, Celtic-influenced music is gaining more attention these
days. In the Christian arena, the British-based band IONA has
been garnering some positive reviews. What many people don't
realize is that buried in America's heartland is a group that
pursues the same sound at a more basic level.
The Crossing, a band made up of members of Chicago's Jesus
People USA movement, has been evolving for almost a decade.
Specializing in more traditional, acoustic Celtic music,
their first nationally distributed album came out at the end
of 1993. Entitled DANCING AT THE CROSSROADS, the record has
received a warm reception from the critics.
Never developed by conscious decision, the group started when
some friends started jamming together. Tony Krogh, the leader
of the band, explains, "I moved to Chicago from South Dakota
to be a part of Jesus People. Musically, I was in a number of
different things back there [in South Dakota] and I wanted to
lay it [music] down. It seemed to be the focal point of any
relationship I had. So I laid it down for a while. After
being here for a year or two, I would pull out a guitar or a
banjo. The guys in the ministry here, we took some songs,
some bluegrass tunes... That was kind of the beginning of it.
People would see us do something in church and they would ask
us to do some other things... That was really the humble
beginnings of it all. Finally, we kind of realized that the
Lord wanted us to get something going. As far as Celtic
music, that didn't come about right away. I started out
playing rock and roll, then bluegrass and folk music later
on. That's what we were playing originally. A guy came
through Chicago that had a pennywhistle and he turned me onto
the stuff. He gave me a whistle and it's been downhill ever
since. [Laughter] I think I infected everybody else with my
disease. [Laughter] So we started sliding into more Celtic
music. It truly has a lot of spirit and life in it."
Over the years the membership changed frequently, until it
resulted in the current lineup. Joining Krogh (who plays
guitar, bouzouki, and uillean and highland pipes) are Mark
Hall (flute, lap dulcimer and whistle), Jennifer Ingerson
(fiddle), Mike Baznik (guitar, bouzouki, keyboards, bass),
Hilde Bialach (piano, cello), and Pat Peterson (various
whistles, bodhran, drums). Besides the various instruments,
all contribute to the vocals.
Like Krogh, all of the other members made their way to
Chicago and JPUSA, albeit through different channels.
"Pat Peterson, our drummer, came from Minnesota," says Krogh.
"Pat was saved in high school and moved here. He hitchhiked
here and left everything. He had heard about Jesus People and
Cornerstone and it appealed to him. One day he felt that he
had to be here. Jennifer has had quite a road... Pretty
rebellious, at least in a quiet way. She ended up, actually
she and Spike from CRASHDOG [another band made up of JPUSA
members,] ended up at the same DEAD KENNEDYS concert out in
Colorado. They remember seeing each other there just before
each of them came here. That was interesting. They both got
saved after they joined the ministry. Mike, I think, was
originally from Kansas, but he spent most of his time around
Chicago. He's got an interesting testimony. I don't know if I
can tell you it all--there are some miraculous things in his
life. Hilde is our import from Norway. She did a lot of
traveling before she moved to America. She spent time in
Israel and traveled around Europe a bit. She came over to
visit us and ...she met her husband here. Mark is from
Tennessee, from Memphis--a bit of an alternative background
there. He was in a group of people with a community life-
style down there and it didn't work out quite right."
All of the band members live and work within Jesus People
USA, a community of Christians who believe God has called
them to serve Him by serving the poor. Made up of
approximately 500 people who live in an old apartment
building on the North Shore of Chicago, the ministry, among
other things, has a shelter for homeless women with children,
a food pantry and dinner program for street people, a crisis
pregnancy service center, and a retirement home for low-
income senior citizens. All of these projects are supported,
in large part, by various businesses that the ministry runs,
including a construction company and a T-shirt printing
company.
Music, for these folks, is not the focus of their life, but
something that adds to it. While all of them enjoy the band,
it definitely is a few rungs down on the ladder of what's
important in life.
"I think the way we started--it kind of evolved without any
clear purpose in mind," says Krogh. "Since then, having felt
the call of the Lord to do what we're doing, we've kind of
kept our goals really open-ended. We don't have anything that
we're really reaching for, other than to take every day and
every step of the way to really see what the Lord wants us to
do--just kind of let Him lead us. We don't need the band to
support ourselves physically; we're supported by our
community. So far we've been able to record and do our small
bit of touring. The type of people we've played for by-in-
large, are non-Christian. A lot of times churches will bring
us into an area, but won't have it as a church-oriented
event. We've even been called a pre-evangelism band by a few
pastors on the east coast. They would put us on college
campuses just to generate an interest and a general break
into Christianity for a lot of people, since they won't come
to church for the traditional system to work. This way
they'll enjoy the concert, but be shown somewhat the love for
God. In a broader sense, where we come from, here in Chicago,
we work with street people--sort of taking Matthew 25 to our
lives--serving and clothing and helping people in jail. Just
working with real normal people that have been hard hit. With
Jesus People as a whole, we want to serve the physical needs
as well as the spiritual needs."
The current lineup has been playing together for about five
years, and have been well received at such Celtic enclaves as
the Irish Embassy Pub in South Easton, Massachusetts and the
Irish American Heritage Center in Chicago, among others.
While they primarily play at secular venues, the fact that
much of their music, especially their originals, have a
Christian slant has not hurt their acceptance. "So far people
have liked our honesty. We're not a real hard-hitting
evangelistic type of group. All of our songs are very
upfront. We share a bit in between. It's not like we preach
and have an altar call. It's a little more laid back than
that. We play music that people can relate to and we also
have a little more positive message to share. We have found
that we can play in bars, at secular colleges, in churches,
anywhere else and we seem to have a good crossover. We can
play music that a lot of church people haven't heard, or very
rarely, but then have a message that could be an
encouragement to them and they can feel at home with the
message. We can play in a bar and they can feel at home with
the music and have a different kind of message to hear. We
find that we fit fairly well in both places. We haven't had
many complaints from either the church community or the
secular community. A little here and there--you can't please
everybody," says Krogh.
Regardless of the acceptance that the band might receive
because of their musical skill, there is something else that
they would rather be known for. "Just know that we are
servants of the Lord. There's no pretense in us. We're not
striving for any kind of success at all in material terms.
Just so people know we are approachable. We're not hiding
behind anything. Especially at our shows, we like to just sit
around and talk and meet people. Sometimes it's hard to get
close to people, but hopefully we can keep that part of us.
Hopefully, some of what the Lord has done for us will rub
off. He's brought us through some pretty interesting
backgrounds and hard places. We want to share the love God
has for everybody. That's why we're here, why we're a band,
and why we'll continue to do what we're doing until the Lord
has us move on to something else--and hopefully we'll have a
good time doing it."
--BETH BLINN


MAY RELEASES
Paul Aldrich THE HISTORY OF GOD & MAN (Broken)
Benjamin UNTITLED (Star Song)
Cauzin' Efekt FAMLEE AFFAIR (Grrr)
Greg Chaisson IT'S ABOUT TIME (Frontline)
Gaither Vocal Band LIVE AT PRAISE GATHERING (VIDEO) (Chapel)
Gary Chapman THE LIGHT INSIDE (Reunion)
Dietaphobia CLEAN (Frontline)
Divine Hope DIVINE HOPE (Star Song)
Keith Dudley KEITH DUDLEY (Benson)
Jeff & Sheri Easter THREAD OF HOPE (Chapel)
Brian Free & Assurance BRIAN FREE & ASSURANCE (Chapel)
Bill & Gloria Gaither and Homecoming Friends LANDMARK
(VIDEO) (Chapel)
Bill & Gloria Gaither and Homecoming Friends PRECIOUS
MEMORIES (VIDEO) (Chapel)
John P. Kee COLORBLIND (Star Song)
John P. Kee & New Life Community Choir WE WALK BY FAITH
(VIDEO) (Star Song)
Kid Promise (formerly Seriah) MY GENERATION (Star Song)
Catherine King WINDOWS AND DOORS (Urgent)
Crystal Lewis THE REMIX COLLECTION (Metro One)
Maranatha! Praise STANDING ON THE ROCK (Maranatha)
Ivan Parker FAITHFUL (Chapel)
Promise Keepers SEIZE THE MOMENT (Maranatha)
SOZO PURITY (N-Soul)
Tourniquet VANISHING LESSONS (Frontline)
various SEEDS (Metro One)
various DEMO-LITION (REX)
various A LIFE THAT SHOWS (PROMISE KEEPERS) (Sparrow)
JUNE RELEASES
Bride SCARECROW MESSIAH (Star Song)
The Choir UNTITLED (REX)
Color Series RAINMAKER (Maranatha)
Dakoda Motor Co. WELCOME, RACE FANS (Myrrh)
DC Talk/Audio Adrenaline/Code of Ethics REMIXES (ForeFront)
DeGarmo & Key TO EXTREMES (Benson)
Don Francisco GENESIS AND JOB (Star Song)
Gospel Gangstas GANG AFFILIATED (Frontline)
Steve Green HIDE 'EM IN YOUR HEART (SPANISH) (Sparrow)
Steve Green UNTITLED (LIVE SPANISH) (Sparrow)
Larry Howard/Glenn Kaiser/Darrell Mansfield/Trace Balin THE
BLUES NIGHT (ForeFront)
Jacob's Trouble (lost tracks) DIGGIN' UP BONES (Frontline)
Aaron Jeoffrey UNTITLED (Star Song)
Glenn Kaiser SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION (Grrr)
Phil Keaggy WAY BACK HOME (Sparrow)
Lanny & Sandra SHADES OF BLUE (Frontline)
Karyn List UNTITLED (Intersound)
LSU GRACE SHAKER (Frontline)
Geoff Moore and the Distance LIFE TOGETHER (video)
(ForeFront)
Mortal RIFT (VIDEO) (Frontline)
Mortification BLOODWORLD (Frontline)
David Mullen DAVID MULLEN (Warner Alliance)
Carlton Pearson and the Higher Dimension Choir LIVE (Warner
Alliance)
Perfect Heart LIVE AT THE FORUM (Star Song)
Prophecy of P.A.N.I.C. UNTITLED (N-Soul)
Phillip Sandifer ARIZONA HIGHWAY (Urgent)
Six Feet Deep STRUGGLE (REX)
Submission Blue (Formerly Mercy) CHILL (Broken)
Kathy Troccoli KATHY TROCCOLI (Reunion)
Vickie Winans UNTITLED (Intersound)
World Wide Message Tribe DANCE PLANET (N-Soul)
various ACAPELLA 2 (Maranatha)
various HARD ROCK SAMPLER (REX)
various THE HEART OF WORSHIP SERIES [ACAPELLA] (Star Song)
JULY RELEASES
Maia Amada UNTITLED (Intersound)
BeBe & CeCe UNTITLED (Sparrow)
Steven Curtis Chapman HEAVEN IN THE REAL WORLD (Sparrow)
Gaither Vocal Band UNTITLED (Star Song)
Brian Goodell SIMPLE LOVE (Essential)
Steve Grace LIBERTY ROAD (Storyville)
Cheri Keaggy CHILD OF THE FATHER (Sparrow)
Terri Lynn UNTITLED (Intersound)
Newsboys GOING PUBLIC (Star Song)
Linda Richards UNCHAINED HEART (Urgent)
Pam Thum FAITHFUL (Benson)


RESOLUTION POLITICALLY INCORRECT (N-SOUL)
Christian dance music is seeming to be a little sparse around
"the industry" lately--except for N-Soul, that is.
Consistently constructing ground-breaking musical assemblies
with some of the boldest Christian lyrics around, Scott
Blackwell's little company is a shining force in the dance
genre. Their latest effort, POLITICALLY INCORRECT, takes a
strong lyrical stance against our spiritually and morally
warped society.
The lyrics are nothing short of bold, making statements such
as "A suicide solution for the ones who are too much a
bother/you started with the people too little to fight/I call
murder what you call right," "there's a voice/and it's not
pro-choice/it's pro-right," "entitlements used to be called
charity," "you fill our schools with pornography/then you
wonder why little Johnny can't read," and "tolerance--the
creed of the fallen," just to cite a few. And, not stopping
at pointing out the ills of society, Resolution points
directly to the true answer--most blatantly in the title
track: "not politically correct, not by a country mile/it's
the cross of Christ/I said it's the blood-soaked cross of
Christ/that's the only reality." They also have a reading of
Psalm 91 over a slick instrumental, and mention Proverbs
16:25 ("There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the
end it leads to death." NIV) in "Another Solution."
The music is heavily programmed with strong bass beats. It
ranges from grooving ballads to a slow techno/house feel--the
best label I can offer is alternative dance. Upbeat enough to
kick up some heels dancing, it's not too extreme to sit and
listen to around the house.
Four of the tracks are written by Calix Reneau, who along
with "Lift" (hopefully a pseudonym) handle the keyboards for
the group. Gary Scott does the programming with Jeffery
Lankford doing the vocals and guitars. Greg Hobgood [PRODIGAL
SONS], who co-produced the project with Scott Blackwell,
wrote two of the songs.
One of the other tracks is Larry Norman's "Watch What You're
Doing." It has a quick bass track with distorted guitar
accents and vocals reminiscent of industrial-type vocals. I
couldn't help but think it was something I'd expect from ZZ
TOP. Another is a fairly close remake of SQUEEZE's "Tempted."
"Ditto Heads" is a standout that melds jangly guitars with a
heavy bass beat that is led by the vocals.
The breathy vocals of Lankford were rather interesting. At
times they reminded me of THE MOODY BLUES' "I Know You're Out
There Somewhere," while in other spots feeling close to some
of those in REAL LIFE's "Send Me An Angel." I wouldn't say
they are exceptional by any means, but understandable and
expressive enough to carry the cutting message of the group.
One of the most likely albums around, musically, to appeal to
secular dance fans, the straight-ahead message could make
quite an impact. I was all but chanting for more, as there is
only about 40 minutes on the disc, but I found it easy enough
to repeat a few times.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
ERIC CHAMPION VERTICAL REALITY (MYRRH)
VERTICAL REALITY is a journey through a sci-fi world,
something like a soundtrack through a spiritually oppressed
world. The first track on the project, "Transmit," [with
lyrics printed as the opening to the story on Champion--see
page 8] introduces the concept as Champion reads over some
computerish musical sounds and vocal effects.
"N2 the Next Dimension" picks up with a rapid pop beat,
smooth vocals, and samples encouraging all who "have to touch
the nail scared hands/if you have to see it to believe" to
come along on the journey. A quick segue leads into a
Minneapolis-sounding "Verticality." The song comes fairly
close to some PRINCE work, but is written from God's
perspective as an announcement to "Look at Me, I'm up here...
Do you want more of Me?/This is the place to be/Verticality."
"Walk on Water" is another grooving pop track encouraging
those on the journey that this world is not final--that there
is a place where we can walk on water. He encourages them to
"take a leap of faith and I'll/See you on the other side."
Moving to an slow, grooving, urban hip-hopish beat, "More
About You" is a prayer promising to make a deeper commitment
to God. "My Life is in Your Hands" takes that one step
further rejoicing in what a blessing it is to be cradled in
the hand of God, set in a mid-paced urban ballad.
The pace rises with "Dancin' in the Fire," with a quick pop
groove (with some Minneapolis influence) that seems to liken
the journeyers' plight to that of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednigo--that we should rejoice when persecuted us, since we
know the Truth. "Endless" follows as a smooth, modern ballad
sung from God's perspective, reminding us how endless His
love is for us. "Journey" continues with a pop twist that is
completely submerged in the album concept--talking about
following God on this journey, sacrificing all, disregarding
the threat of Govtrol (the "Big Brother"-like computer.)
After a gentle lead into the pop "Touch" with an anthem-ish
chorus (courtesy of Angelo & Veronica, Cindy Morgan, Fleming
Painter, and others) that reminds us that in the tough times
to "reach out/touch the face of God." A short B-3 organ
bridge leads back to the technical effects from the opening
as the urban-popish "Believe it to See It," moves in,
encouraging us to just jump into our faith without being
blinded by our senses and "let the free-fall begin/...a
little more faith/and then you can fly."
Champion took care of the writing chores, with Tommy Simms
(who also produced) adding on two, and Charlie Hueni and
David Innes contributing most of "Walk on Water."
The album makes an interesting blend of styles drawing from
pop, urban, hip-hop, and the Minneapolis sound. It creates a
very interesting music and spiritual journey in a very fresh
way.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
MERCY MILES MERCY MILES (STORYVILLE)
The self-titled debut by Mercy Miles showcases solid tunes
from the latest male/female acoustic duo to come on the CCM
scene.
Musically, Glenda Hoffman and Brad Coleman produce a blend of
Celtic and folk influences. Stylistically, they are most akin
to the secular COWBOY JUNKIES, yet definitely original. The
sound of Mercy Miles is mellow and reflective, with the
majority of their songs down-beat and slow to mid-tempo. The
instrumentation is primarily acoustic guitar, accented and
augmented by harmonica, tin whistle, mandolin, dobro, and the
like. The straightforward and pleasant voice of lead singer
Hoffman fills out the sound. At times she is reminiscent of
Karen Peris of INNOCENCE MISSION.
Out of the 13 songs, 11 are originals--written by Coleman. He
expresses himself candidly, sharing freely his humanity and
shortcomings. Coleman is also quick to point to the grace and
freedom found in relationship with Christ. Take for example,
"Someone Like Me:" "Branded by a loving iron/the pain is
sharp, but not as bad as fire deserved by a liar/pick me up
don't let me fall/carry me 'cause sometimes I tire of
battling desire/I never wanted to be someone like me, someone
like me/but you changed my heart/you're not through yet, but
it's a start." This theme of God's redemption is woven
throughout the album.
Two outstanding cuts are "Revolution of the Heart" and
"People Get Ready." This first is reminiscent of the
VIGILANTES OF LOVE, venturing slightly into the alternative
side and features a smoking harmonica and great vocal harmony
from the duo. The second is quite a surprise. Since everyone
from ROD STUART to MARGARET BECKER has performed their own
version, it's hard to take a new approach to this classic.
However, they create a fresh remake using a Celtic flare.
On the whole, Mercy Miles offers a strong, cohesive debut. It
would make a welcome addition for anyone liking mildly
alternative, acoustic music, or for someone who appreciates
rootsy tunes with a Celtic flavor.
--VANESSA L. CROOKS
JOE STRICKLIN BLAZING CALL (SALT INC.)
The album title usually offers a clue about what the artist
would like remembered about an album. Joe Stricklin's choice
of "Blazing Call," a song about the urgency he feels to
please God, sums up this album. Stricklin clearly feels the
pull of God to write and sing songs that convey the urgency
that he feels and to help us all feel that necessity as well.
Even the song that he included but did not write, LARRY
NORMAN's "I Am A Servant," fits his theme wonderfully. The
end result is all of the songs on this release are written
from either a personal viewpoint or as a challenge to
Christians to seek and follow what God requires of them.
Joe Stricklin's voice is reminiscent of RUSS TAFF's--a strong
voice capable of expressing a variety of feelings. He sounds
good singing a quiet song, as well as belting out a rock
song. There is a light scattering of background vocals well
placed in some of the songs.
The majority of the music was assembled by Michael Demus. He
wrote the music for all but two of the songs, and contributed
work on guitars, keyboards, and drum programming--besides
producing, engineering, and mixing the entire album. The fact
that the whole project holds together well is a tribute to
him. My only complaint about the music is that sometimes the
guitar was held back.
My favorite song is "Talking to Ourselves," with a catchy
blues/rock sound. It's about feeling comfortable in churches
and ignoring the people around us who need to hear the Good
News. The chorus contains the lyrics: "We're just talking to
ourselves/Never a threat to the gates of hell/The enemy
doesn't care what you know/long as you never use it." Like
all good lyrics, this encapsulates in a very few words an
idea that extends far beyond it's boundaries.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes a solid
Contemporary Christian Music type of sound that actually does
go on the rock side of things, at least occasionally. It
certainly is written for a Christian audience, but the one
non-Christian who heard this thought that some of the songs
sounded "pretty good." I enjoyed it and will enjoy listening
to it again.
--MICHAEL A. KLEIN
BRIAN WHITE AND JUSTICE LIVIN' IN THE SIGHT OF WATER (BROKEN)
Unless you pay attention to songwriting credits, the name
Brian White probably means nothing to you. If you have
listened to artists like MICHAEL ENGLISH, 4HIM, AL DENSON,
and EAST TO WEST, however, you have heard his work.
White has penned a number of hits for other artists, and now
has taken to recording himself. Armed with some solid songs
and gathering some talented musicians, White's debut release
on Broken Records, LIVIN' IN THE SIGHT OF WATER, is a strong
record.
The album kicks of with an acoustic intro to the title cut,
that is reminiscent of the beginning of BON JOVI's "Wanted,
Dead or Alive." In fact, there are several musical
similarities to BON JOVI throughout the album, but without
the overblown attitude that the popular mainstream band has
been known to show. White and company cross back and forth
over the line between the heartland rock of artists like JOHN
MELLENCAMP and GEOFF MOORE AND THE DISTANCE and the arena
rock of the aforementioned BON JOVI. But they manage to do it
without sounding too derivative, maintaining a sense of
originality.
Some of the best cuts, besides the title one, include
"Radical Love," "Tonight," and "Long Lost Friend." White
possesses a strong voice, with just enough of a raspy edge to
make it interesting, backed by a tight and clean sound.
Solid songs, solid musicians--a solid release.
--BETH BLINN
CHASE IN PURSUIT (SALT INC.)
The debut by Chase is a refreshing bit of arena rock--a full
sound with smooth backing vocals without overproducing the
edge out of it. Take some DEF LEPPARD stylings and mix in
some early IDLE CURE-type ballads and blend in some tastes of
BON JOVI, AEROSMITH, and VAN HALEN and you quickly approach
the sound of this New York-based quartet.
The band is Scott Lowmaster handling lead vocalist and rhythm
guitars, Virgil Burdick adding lead guitar and vocals, Ron
Chase on bass, and Jay Corey on drums. Comparisons to IDLE
CURE shouldn't be hugely off-base, since IN PURSUIT producer
Bill Baumgart also produced the early work of IC.
The primary focus of the songs seems to be human
relationships--love, openness, and commitment. Lyrics such as
"It's so hard to control my tongue sometimes/when the anger
builds inside," "how can we live together/knowing all that
we've been through/love should last forever, and time will
always heal our wounds," and "have you got some time when
friends are hard to find/I hope you'll always be there when
love is one the line" are just a sample of the honest and
positive looks at human relationships.
While most albums today are heavily produced, this is an
impressive musical statement that keeps a nice rough edge.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
VARIOUS LOVE SONGS FOR CHRISTIAN COUPLES VOL. 3 (MARANATHA)
The newest volume in the LOVE SONGS FOR CHRISTIAN COUPLES
series is not STEVE AND ANNIE CHAPMAN, STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN,
or any of the others associated with the previous sounds
found on the two earlier albums. It is obviously meant to
appeal to a younger audience. Most of the songs are love
songs of the more secular type, and are not focused on what a
real relationship with God can do to strengthen a marriage.
In fact, marriage is not a primary focus of some of the
tunes. I think real emotions between lovers is the focus.
"For Richer For Poorer" is a ballad that does posses a
Christian theme, talking about wedding vows spoken "trusting
in His mercy and His grace."
With a beautiful piano accompaniment, "The Simplest Thought"
states "the simplest thought that I have ever had... was to
look inside myself and know for sure that I love you." Again,
most of these songs seem to be directed between lovers, not
toward God. Still, I think, that is alright, especially for a
secular audience to hear a love ballad that is not suggestive
or full of sexual innuendo.
"Unspoken Love" speaks about how non-communication ruins
marriages and causes bitterness and broken hearts -- victims
and tokens of unspoken love. "Beyond Justice To Mercy" is
about forgiveness, compassion, and repentance in our
relationships, how if we strive to exercise these virtues
more, the wounds in our marriages would be healed. The album
ends with a traditional, old fashioned love song that reminds
us of the inadequacies of language in "You are more to me
than words can say" ("More Than Words").
I doubt these songs will become wedding classics, but they
are beautiful, clean, and recognize that couples do have a
life outside of church. They speak of physical love,
realistic love, broken relationships, and marriages hanging
on by a thread. Maybe this is what real-life Christians have
been waiting for--real-life love songs that touch our hearts
where we live.
--JULIE HENRY
LARRY HOWARD BRIGHT SIDE OF THE BLUES (FOREFRONT)
Larry Howard is one of the musicians that has brought the
blues more to the front of the Christian music scene. His own
albums, as well as the CORNERSTONE BLUES JAM, VOL. I,
recorded at the Cornerstone Music Festival outside Chicago,
(which was conceived by Howard) has helped focus attention on
a long-neglected area of music in the Christian market. His
newest album, BRIGHT SIDE OF THE BLUES, should continue to
win new fans to blues music.
The overall feel of this record is brighter, with many songs
featuring a liberal use of brass. Songs such as "Dancin' At
The Wedding Ball" and "Gone Fishin'" are fairly upbeat, both
lyrically and musically. "I Found Out" is more of a
traditional blues tune, more brooding in tone, with some
great guitar playing by Howard.
Howard has a great blues voice--raspy, expressive, and at
times, gut-wrenching.
Produced by Glenn Kaiser (who's turned out a couple of fine
blues albums himself), Tom Cameron, and Howard, the sound is
clean and strong. Calling on huge list of musicians for their
talents, Howard has once again turned out an album that is a
credit to its genre.
--BETH BLINN
MARANATHA PRAISE STANDING ON THE ROCK (MARANATHA)
Not your traditional Maranatha Praise and Worship style,
STANDING ON THE ROCK, their latest P&W album, has selections
for most any taste, especially the more contemporary styles.
The collection starts off with two songs that I could easily
see incorporated into most kinds of worship services: "He
Reigns (Holy, Holy, Holy)" sung by Billy Batstone and "Come
Holy Spirit" performed by Chris Falson. The tape also has
another song with great potential (if arranged differently)
to be used as a praise chorus: "Lord, I'm In Your Hands" sung
by Billy Batstone.
If you are into rock, rhythm & blues, jazz, soul, you name
it--then you should find something on the album to satisfy
you. My favorite upbeat song is "Give Him The Glory" which
really gets going with the drums and guitar. It made me
wonder what a church where B.B. KING was song leader would be
like. Alfie Silas shows off her talents in "Song From Heaven"
and "For The Rest Of My Days." She can really sing with
feeling and soul.
The other 4 songs, "Sweet Presence Of Jesus," "Standing On
The Rock," "Righteous One," and "The First Time" give a
variety of Maranatha style and talent.
I think this tape would be very appealing to a young adult
audience. It has some good songs, just don't go expecting
real laid-back, conservativeness here--we're talking
contemporary Christian music here!
--JULIE HENRY
PRECIOUS DEATH SOUTHPAW (METRO ONE)
The long-awaited national label debut from L.A. rockers
Precious Death is out. Produced by Dino Maddalone, who has
also handled recording for DIE HAPPY, some similarities are
evident between the two groups, with heavy guitar
accompanying a versatile melodic vocals.
The album opens with the title track, which has a slow power
vibe similar to recent DELIVERANCE. The band really starts to
rock out during the next few songs. Andy Koehler is given a
chance to "Shine" with some fast bass work in the disc's
second and perhaps best track, which also has a very catchy
hook. During the course of the album the intensity of Roger
Sampson's drumming climbs into double bass territory, and
David Bishop delivers a heavy guitar crunch. The band
eventually slows down for an acoustic ballad, "One Day to
Live," which closes the album.
There are no lyrical banner wavers here, but songs about life
written from a Christian perspective. This is a very good
first effort, almost certainly likable for fans of DIE HAPPY
and DELIVERANCE.
--Erik Sellin

--

SALT INC. MUSIC

IDLE CURE

ECLIPSE

  Since 1986, Idle Cure has rocked you with mega-hits like
"Breakaway," "Overdrive," Frontline," "Pray," "Holy Mountain"
and many others.
  Now, Eclipse is out! And it's full of great, straight-
ahead, melodic rock that's made Idle Cure famous. Producer
Billy Smiley (White Heart) brings out the very best of the
band's gifted and right-on songwriting, ultra-clean vocals
and superb musicianship.
  It's fresh. It's tight. It's hot. It's the best Idle Cure
yet. So get out of the shadows. Get into the Eclipse. In
Christian bookstores everywhere.

Salt Inc. Music
Distributed by Diadem Distribution (800) 769-4677


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