THE LIGHTHOUSE JUNE 1994

DEGARMO & KEY
Just a
couple
of guys
rockin'
like big
dogs

IDLE CURE
DEITIPHOBIA
CHARLIE DANIELS
SANDRA STEPHENS
THE STEVE TAYLOR TRIBUTE ALBUM



THE LIGHTHOUSE     JUNE 1994     VOL. 3 #6
IDLE CURE     3
Idle Cure has been creating music on the cutting edge of
Christian rock since 1986. Not a full-time touring band,
they have managed to have an impact on today's youth by
playing weekend concerts. After a two-year break they
are back, with a new member and a new album, ECLIPSE.
Steve Shannon took a morning at GMA to talk with THE
LIGHTHOUSE about the history of the group, the new
album, and their goals for the future.
SANDRA STEPHENS     6
If the name Sandra Stephens isn't familiar, then you
should check the credits on albums by Jon Gibson, Scott
Blackwell, and Magdalen and projects such as SHACK OF
PEASANTS and BLUES FOR THE CHILD. She recently joined up
with Lanny Cordola and Gary Griffin to record SHADES OF
BLUE. THE LIGHTHOUSE recently spoke to her about that
project and her plans for a solo album.
STEVE TAYLOR TRIBUTE     8
R.E.X. Records recently released I PREDICT A CLONE, a
tribute album for Steve Taylor. Given that most tribute
albums are done for artists who have passed on to the
next life, THE LIGHTHOUSE decided to look into the
making of this album, and spoke to some of the artists
involved in the project about Taylor and his music.
DEGARMO & KEY     10
Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key have been an important part
of Christian music for seventeen years. They have just
released their 15th original album, TO EXTREMES. While
they could only spare a few minutes with THE LIGHTHOUSE,
they managed to talk a little bit about the purpose
behind the project, their involvement in other ministry
programs, and some other things on their mind.
DEITIPHOBIA     12
Choosing an interesting medium to portray their lyrical
ideas--industrial music--Deitiphobia has recently
released a new album, CLEAN. Group founder Wally Shaw
talks about the group's background, industrial music,
and their new album.
CHARLIE DANIELS     14
After 24 years and 24 albums as a recording artist,
Charlie Daniel's 25th release, THE DOOR, is his first
gospel album. It's a project he's wanted to do for some
time, and he talked with THE LIGHTHOUSE about the
circumstances that enabled him to release this project.
REVIEWS     15
Reviews of the Steve Taylor Tribute album, I PREDICT A
CLONE, Chris Lizotte's LONG TIME COMIN', MERCY by Andrae
Crouch, DeGarmo & Key's TO EXTREMES, Idle Cure's
ECLIPSE, THE LIGHT INSIDE from Gary Chapman, Paul
Smith's EXTRA MEASURE, FAMLEE AFFAIR from Cauzin' Efekt,
Glenn Kaiser's SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION, 20/20 Blind's
NEVER FAR, and MUD ANGELS by Crashdog.
NEW & SOON TO BE NEW ALBUM RELEASE LIST     16
A list of new releases and albums scheduled for release
in June, July, and August.

---

BROUGHT TO YOU THIS MONTH BY:
Salt Inc. Music
Christian Music Buyer's Club
LAMBJAM '94
--

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

--

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--
LAMBJAM '94
July 13-16
Milton, Delaware

COME SWIM
IN OUR
OCEAN
WE'RE LOCATED NEXT DOOR TO
REHOBOTH BEACH

MARGARET BECKER
PHILLIPS CRAIG & DEAN
CINDY MORGAN

PLUS: BILLY & SARAH GAINES - D.O.C.
JEROME OLDS - TWO HEARTS - JI LIM
BOB CARLISLE - MAIA AMADA - JILLIAN
BROTHER BROTHER - GREG X VOLZ
BENJAMIN - PAUL ALDRICH
OTHERS TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER

CALL 302-424-1013 FOR A FREE COPY OF OUR 24 PAGE FESTIVAL
PAPER
OR WRITE TO:
LAMBJAM '94
P.O. BOX K
MILFORD, DE 19963

--


---

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IDLE CURE

Idle Cure has always been successful in generating great rock
music and achieving considerable radio airplay. I always
wondered why I never saw the band touring. One of the group
founders, Steve Shannon spent a bit of a morning with me at
GMA to answer that and several other questions.
For Shannon, music has always been a passion in his life,
although it has not always been a positive force. He tells of
sixteen years ago when he, "was involved with a very
successful secular band--the whole thing--the late nights,
the cocaine, the drinking, and the things that went along
with being a secular band in those days. It wasn't working."
It was then that Shannon began to see a bigger picture for
his musical talents. "I had met my wife," he explains, "then
my girlfriend. She and I had begun attending studies at
Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa. Through those studies, we began
attending their concerts on Saturday nights and sometimes on
Wednesday nights. I was overwhelmed. I never thought
Christian music could be--that there would be REZ and SWEET
COMFORT--this was just great rock and roll. It was monumental
to me."
And, more significantly was the realization that he needed
to really accept the Lord. He admits, "I guess we were
'playacting' at being Christians. Then, at a Bible study
headed by a guy that's a very dear friend (and I work for him
now), my wife and I became saved on the same night and I
proposed to her the next week."
"So very shortly thereafter," he continues, "I became a
married man and didn't want to lead that kind of lifestyle
anymore. That's when I decided to dedicate my music, if you
will, to God and pray that He might open a door to do so. I
would see these bands playing at Calvary, but it was
difficult for me to relate, as a musician, to doing this. It
was really remarkable how the doors opened."
So, he began praying that he could become involved in other
Christian musicians who wanted to work on original material.
It was by accident that he then met Mark Ambrose and the two
clicked as friends.
"Mark was a wonderful musician, teaching guitar lessons at a
music store in Long Beach. He and I began taking his music
and my lyrics and putting things together and culminating
ideas. We went through several bands together--numerous
personnel. In the course of that, I had known Chuck King. He
and I had been good friends and had done some things
musically. Mark and I had formed a band called Sojourn. Chuck
King had formed a band called Eden. Pete Lomakin was a player
for a short period of time in Eden. I had recorded a studio
cut for Eden called 'Break Out of the Night.' Chuck and I
being very good friends, it was kind of natural that the two
different elements would come together."
"So Chuck, Mark, Pete, and I formed a band. It wasn't really
called anything at the time. We wrote up some songs and put
together a demo through Bill Baumgart, who at that time had a
studio, but had never done a record. He said, 'Well, let's do
a demo. We'll market the demo and if something happens, the
agreement will be that if you get a record deal, I'll produce
the record for you.' So it was kind of a mutual understanding
there. We took the demo to Jim Kempner of Frontline.
Frontline was a sibling label at that time. In that first
demo was 'Come Alive' that went onto the first album. We
began writing material, the four of us, for the first album.
The band wasn't really named until after the music was done
for the first album."
I had always wondered about the meaning of the name and I
found an interesting story behind it. Shannon shares, "At
that point in time, there were a lot of very heavy-handed
Christian band names. Everything had to allude to something
spiritually. We just wanted to be a little bit more tongue-
in-cheek. It was Frontline's notion to begin to appeal to a
secular audience and serve an evangelical purpose in that
way. So, maybe the notion would be to come up with a name
that wasn't so spiritually heavy-handed and you wouldn't
create those sort of barriers that are generally created. We
began batting things around. We had gotten so tongue in cheek
that we were coming up with humorous notions."
"Frontline wanted to split the difference a little. They
came up with the idea to send a sampling of our music to
radio stations and tell them we're doing a name search. We
got some 800 names that were submitted. Out of those we
picked about 20 and everyone got this list--ourselves,
several representatives from Frontline--and ironically, even
though nobody had really thought about what it might mean, or
why we liked it, Idle Cure appeared on every ballot. It was
the only name that did, in fact. It was interesting. We
started asking each other why we liked it and we just liked
the sound of it. When it came down to it, we liked the notion
of a name that sounded great but left what it meant up to the
listener. So we've been asked numerous times [what the name
means.] To be honest, I didn't think the name would create
such a stir about what it meant."
GOALS, OR NO GOALS?
I thought it would be interesting to inquire about some of
the goals that the members had for the band.
Says Shannon, "I have to be honest with you. Everytime this
band has set a goal, the Lord has knee-jerked it in a
different direction. After a while, you have to say to
yourself, 'I think what this means is that God is compelling
us to keep an open mind about what our direction should be.'"
One of the first incidents of goal-changing for the group
was when their first album sent "Take It" and "Breakaway"
onto the AC and ROCK charts respectively. Frontline wanted
them to "jump out and be a full-time touring band," Shannon
recalls. "Unfortunately, Idle Cure was never set up to be
that. We were all pretty plugged in, even at the time we got
the record contract. We all had homes, families, etc. Idle
Cure was intended to be our ministry. It's a very precious
thing to us and we don't want to turn this ministry that the
Lord has given us into a business, because we've seen too
many bands try to do that and fail. The downside is that you
can't do it all the time--you can't reach as many people as
you might, normally. But the upside was, 'let's make good
records, play gigs when we can and make them high-profile so
we can see as many people as possible, and praise the Lord
that the ministry is available to us.' If you want to call us
Sunday School teachers and not full-time ministers, that's
okay, too. The world needs Sunday School teachers."
But they saw the potential to tour and started setting that
as a goal. "We set this goal," Shannon continues, "and the
Lord said, 'No, that's not the goal.' We took our first trip
to Europe--hugely monumental for us. The music on TOUGH LOVE
was completely influenced by our experiences in Europe. So we
thought, 'Oh, we're supposed to be an evangelical band and
we're supposed to go to Europe.' Well, THAT wasn't the big
picture either--it was just PART of the big picture. Shortly
thereafter, Chuck left the band and that kind of sent things
into a little bit of a tailspin. We were wondering about a
sense of direction. Like I say, everytime we've felt, 'this
is what the Lord is telling us to do,' boom, that door is
closed and another door is opened. I think if you don't keep
an open mind about those types of things, then you'll lose a
sense of direction all together."
The band never did become a touring band. They have opted to
play weekend concerts almost exclusively--except for
arranging a few weeks of vacation time to play Europe or
summer festivals. They remain tied into their jobs and
families. Shannon, who spent three years at law school, now
manages apartment complexes. With a degree in International
Finance, Ambrose is a consultant with one of the "Big 6"
accounting firms in Los Angeles. Lomakin is a vice-president
of HPL Mechanical, an industrial plumbing contracting firm.
A NEW RECORD COMPANY, A NEW ALBUM, AND A NEW MEMBER
After their last album with Frontline, the band began to
explore other options. It was their good friend Eddie Huff
who introduced them to the new label, Salt Inc. The group was
impressed with the structure and spiritual and ethical base
behind the company and decided to commit to an agreement.
Their latest project comes after two years away from
recording. Also notable is a new producer for the group.
Since Bill Baumgart moved to Nashville and became heavily
involved in other ventures, they decided to work with Billy
Smiley. Accompanying their new release is a new commitment in
the band to enhancing their live sound.
To accomplish that, they opted to add a second guitar
player, Glenn Pearce. Pearce, who works as a studio session
player, was a player in LIAISON and had assisted Idle Cure in
the studio on their last three albums. Shannon explains,
"We've known Glenn for many years. Last year, we did several
dates where Glenn played with us. It was one of those natural
fits. We've been [sort of] looking for a second guitar player
ever since Chuck left the band. Mark figured he could do all
the guitar work and logistically, it made it more feasible to
tour if we just had Mark on guitars. We're from California,
so we're out there on the edge of the world, so logistically
it was better to stay with a four-piece. We thought that
since this was a new record with a new label and a completely
new batch of tunes, we didn't hesitate to get Glenn to work
in the studio. Since it had been such a natural fit with him
live, we thought we would make the commitment to going with a
second guitar player to try and beef up the live show a bit.
When you've got one guitar player and he drops out to play a
lead or something, all of a sudden you've got that vacuum."
The past two years have afforded the band time to write and
rewrite music for the project. Where their last few albums
needed to meet company deadlines, ECLIPSE has the benefit of
a lengthy creative process, not unlike their first album.
Shannon says, "I think that one of the things that made the
first album very fresh for us is the fact that we had an
extended period of time to think about the material and then
hone it and refine it. Sometimes that's missing when you're
into the swing of it--where there's a target date. During the
past two years, everyone was active writing. It was great.
You've got a two year period where perceptions change and
your attitudes change and you have time to take a song that's
been on the shelf for a few months, listen to it again, and
say, 'You know, now that I think about it, coming from this
place, I ought to do this.' It gives you that leeway.
Sometimes I think the creative process needs that in a
song... It's kind of a fresh start for us, so to speak."
A sense of freshness in the music also is added by not
having a life solely devoted to music. In discussing the
benefits and drawbacks to full-time touring, Shannon
mentions, "If you're out on the road everyday, you're going
to be a better player. If you're writing about how you look
at things from a spiritual standpoint--about what's happening
on the road or what's happening in your life--if you're out
living it as a musician, you're probably going to have that
in a better perspective. But I can't tell you how many
burnout cases I've seen. It's not just a physical and a
musical burnout, it's a spiritual burnout."
"I like the perspective that Idle Cure is able to bring into
a song. One of the things that's been most rewarding for me
is people will talk about, 'You seem to be able to look at
things from a different perspective than a lot of the other
rock bands.' I think you can maybe trace that to how we're
doing things and living life, normally. A musician's life on
the road is not my definition of normal. It's a very extreme
lifestyle. It kind of cuts both ways, and there have been
times where we are getting ready for a gig and we have to
practice something fierce.
"We've encountered Christian artists that have said, 'Well,
we don't really adhere to the particular philosophy that this
church is teaching its flock, but the bus needs new wheels,
so we better take the date.' To me, that defeats the purpose
of a ministry band. To me, if you can't go out and be
absolutely enthusiastic and sincere about the ministry that
you're sharing with this particular body, then something's
been lost along the way."
Is there an easy way to sum up what Idle Cure wants to
translate to kids today? Not really. Shannon admits, "I
can't, because that summation always changes. It's always
moving in some direction. With each record, it seems we have
a different theme. In TOUGH LOVE it was the band going
through a lot of changes and this love that we had for each
other, [despite] the struggles that happened. For me, it
represented love of any sort--the love you have for God, the
love you have for a mate--it's always a struggle. You're
always fighting it inside yourself, so it is a tough love. I
think on SECOND AVENUE, we wanted to get a little bit
playful, but we wanted to talk about going down the other
road. INSIDE OUT was a very introspective album for us, so we
tried to bring that out in the theme."
"In this record, I think what kind of hits home is your walk
with Christ is always a transition. You don't accept God and
then all of a sudden become a perfect Christian."
"I guess, from the perspective of completing this record and
from where we're coming from now, there's too much
expectation placed on BECOMING a Christian. You've got that
incredible feeling of exhilaration when you're first reborn.
Then you have that afterglow where you know everybody and
'it's a great close-knit group and I have somebody to go to.
I have Jesus Christ in my life and I have friends and
fellowship.' Everything seems to be a little unreal. Then you
wake up and say, 'I have the same problems and the same
insecurities and the same negative forces pulling at my
life.' There's still a tendency to go back and do things
yourself. There's still the tendency to say, 'But God, I
prayed for this and I didn't get it.' Being a Christian is
still a struggle. We struggle with the tendency of sin every
day."
"To me, once again, the importance of the record for us is
it's a transitional stage. One of the things as we talked
philosophically about the album, the one thing I thought
about, is that it's interesting--I'm in tune with the ways in
which I blow it as a Christian more than I ever was. I blow
it more than I used to. Well, it's not that I do, it's that I
notice when I blow it more. I hate to ramble, but I think
that's our perspective now. It's a very transitional stage
and you work on it every day."
While they aren't setting any goals for the near future,
they have discussed possibilities. Shannon shares, "We had a
very big discussion before we headed into this album about
the touring aspects. I think everyone's feeling is that if
God opens up the full-time ministry avenue to us, we're
obligated to fulfill that."
"I think as you pray about such a thing, particularly as you
pray about it as a group, you realize that if there's four of
you and you're praying about it simultaneously and if one
person has the interpretation that God's calling us into
full-time ministry, that's great, but the answer to that
prayer has to make sense to all four. If you've set this up
as a democracy and one person is saying, 'God says this,' and
everyone else says, 'God didn't say that to me...' That's the
kind of thing. Our prayers are that we want to be open to
that direction, but we honestly feel that it'll be in God's
timing and that it will make sense."
--J. WARNER SODITUS

--
LAMBJAM '94
July 13-16
Milton, Delaware

COME SWIM
IN OUR
OCEAN
WE'RE LOCATED NEXT DOOR TO
REHOBOTH BEACH

MARGARET BECKER
PHILLIPS CRAIG & DEAN
CINDY MORGAN

PLUS: BILLY & SARAH GAINES - D.O.C.
JEROME OLDS - TWO HEARTS - JI LIM
BOB CARLISLE - MAIA AMADA - JILLIAN
BROTHER BROTHER - GREG X VOLZ
BENJAMIN - PAUL ALDRICH
OTHERS TO BE ANNOUNCED LATER

CALL 302-424-1013 FOR A FREE COPY OF OUR 24 PAGE FESTIVAL
PAPER
OR WRITE TO:
LAMBJAM '94
P.O. BOX K
MILFORD, DE 19963
--

SANDRA STEPHENS

The name of Sandra Stephens is probably not familiar to many
people, but to fans of Jon Gibson, Scott Blackwell, Magdalen,
and SHACK OF PEASANTS or the BLUES FOR THE CHILD Christmas
album, the voice probably is. Over the past few years, the
demand for her talents as a back-up singer and featured
vocalist has been increasing. As artist after artist has come
upon her smoky, soulful voice, the desire to add her vocals
to their albums has developed.
All of this interest has lead to the discussion of Stephens
recording a solo project, and there is now some dialogue to
that effect. In the meantime, though, she recently
collaborated with Lanny Cordola and Gary Griffin, the duo
behind the SHACK OF PEASANTS and BLUES FOR THE CHILD
projects, to produce SHADES OF BLUE. I recently had the
pleasure of talking to her about the SHADES OF BLUE
recording, as well as a lot of the events that have lead up
to her preparation for a solo venture. It was one of the more
enjoyable interviews that I've had, and it definitely was the
longest. Possessing a warm, animated personality, she made
what is sometimes a difficult and awkward process very easy.
While Stephens was born in Tennessee, she has lived most of
her life in Southern California. The third of four children,
she grew up in a household "surrounded by Jesus," as she puts
it. "My father is a minister, my brother's a minister, my
brother-in-law is a minister, my grandfather is a pastor--so
I was surrounded by Jesus."
Her introduction to music, however, came from the female
side of the family. "My mother sings," explains Stephens,
"and she used to take me around to all of the musicals, and
stuff like that. That basically got my interest up in it. [As
far as professionally] I was singing in the choir of the
church that I was at and this guy who does rap asked me to
sing on his album. It's kind of snowballed from there."
It was through the rapper that Stephens was introduced to
Scott Blackwell, the man behind N-Soul Records and the
creative force behind much of the burgeoning Christian dance
and rave scene. "He [the rapper] was doing a song at Ocean
studios, and Scott walked in and asked this guy if he knew
any singers or songwriters, and this guy goes 'Oh, have I got
the girl for you!' Scott gave me a tape and about two weeks
later I came back with some lyrics for his songs and he liked
them. Ever since then, we've been kind of like a team."
Rave and dance, like many other forms of music, have not
necessarily been welcomed with open arms by people throughout
the Church, which is somewhat perplexing to Stephens. As far
as she is concerned, dancing is one way of expressing the joy
that she feels at being a Christian, not unlike the example
of David dancing before the Lord. "A lot of people really
cannot understand what the music is for. It's like, 'Why do
they need to dance?' ...It's an emotion. What's inside is
going to come out. A lot of people say 'You can't compare it
to [when] David danced' and I'm like, 'Yes you can.'
Especially when you turn on some rave music. Because, I know
I just go ballistic when rave music comes on. People go,
'You're so crazy' and I say 'Just listen to the music!'"
But there has been some positive feedback. Through some of
the live performances, Stephens and Blackwell have met
individuals who have affirmed their work. "It's really
encouraging to see what the music has done, because a lot of
people were skeptical about it, and that attitude was kind of
creeping into Scott. So it's been really good to go and talk
to people who listen to the music and like the music. Because
some people really slammed him, and stuff, [asking] 'What
purpose is this.' So for him to get reports back--a lot of
testimonies and stuff like that--about how people have been
encouraged by [the music], it's been a good thing for him."
One of the reasons Stephens feels so strongly about the work
that she and Blackwell do is because of the youth of today,
and the amount of exposure to unhealthy influences that they
have. She can relate because, like most teenagers, she went
through a period of rebellion. "When you're in high school,
you rebel a little bit. You go, 'Okay, I know the world.
Please, leave me alone.' I went through that, and the Lord,
He just kept His hand on me. One thing that I truly believe
is that if you listen, the Lord will talk to you. Whether
you're in rebellion or not, if you have a heart to listen to
God, He will talk to you, and that is what kept me from going
off the deep end."
As Stephens sees it, the Church needs to use whatever tools
it can to strengthen and support young people, so that they
can be as strong as possible when dealing with the elements
they meet every day. She feels that music is an important
part of that strengthening. As she explained to the members
of a church that she was performing at, "88% of your child's
life is spent outside of church. Most of the time they've got
headphones on, and you don't know what they're listening to.
We need to put a hedge around them--100% around them. That
goes toward the music that they listen to, also. We just want
to surround them with Jesus. You [the Church] surround them
with the Word and we'll surround them with music. We'll both
do our jobs and we'll raise warriors for Christ."
While her work with Blackwell has been in the areas of house
and dance music, Stephens' various associations with Cordola
have stretched her in other directions.
The two met at a recording session for Jon Gibson, when
Stephens and Allegra Parks were doing back-up vocals and
Cordola had been brought in to do some guitar work. Cordola
was impressed by what he heard and the two exchanged phone
numbers. He called on Stephens and Parks to do background
vocals for a Magdalen album and the SHACK OF PEASANTS
project, but it was Stephens' work on BLUES FOR THE CHILD
that really caught his attention. "Obviously I knew she was
good, but I never really knew how good she was until last
year, when we did the Christmas album," says Cordola. "I
called her up to sing one song. We had someone else scheduled
to sing another song and they couldn't do it. It was a jazzy
thing, and when she [Sandra] sang it, I was [blown away]. She
never really studied that kind of stuff, but I think that
she's picked it up by osmosis. It's just part of her. She
picked it up so quick and so fast, it was very painless.
That's what inspired the idea to do the SHADES OF BLUE
thing."
What started out as a jazz-inspired project turned into "An
eclectic gathering of songs," explains Stephens. "Really, it
goes from one gamut to another. It started as jazz, but Lanny
is so multifaceted in what he listens to."
"So, it started out jazzy, but then we grabbed a MAHALIA
JACKSON tune. We grabbed a VAN MORRISON tune. We grabbed BILL
WITHERS' 'Grandma's Hand.' I'm going, 'Where are you getting
these songs?' We started out with about 40 or 50 songs. He
[Lanny] was, 'Okay, what do you want to sing? Are you
comfortable with this?' For my benefit, I like songs to have
a meaning. One of my favorites [on the album], just because
of the words, is 'I Believe In You' by BOB DYLAN. And I was
like 'Oh yeah, yeah, I want that song!' That was just a total
feeling song for me."
"But then, there's some favorites on the album that are like
the blues, because we did 'God Bless The Child' which is a
little on the bluesy side. And we did a different rendition
of 'Amazing Grace.' And we did a DEFINITELY different
rendition of 'On My Way to Canaan Land' by MAHALIA JACKSON.
There's just different styles on there. In fact, I felt
multifaceted by the time I was through with this album,
because there were different personalities that I had to
bring out in me in order to match the music. My voice is
different, and it's totally to the extreme of Scott's stuff.
It was a definite stretch for me. But I just thought, you
know, he [Cordola] is really depending on me, and he asked me
to do this, so obviously he thinks I can do this. So I just
tried to put my best foot forward. They [Griffin and Cordola]
are happy with it. It's still growing on me, because I didn't
see myself doing it, but I did it. It trips me out, that it's
so different--when I listen to it, it's like, 'Is that you?
Or is that a facade of you? Or were you just moved by the
music?' I think that it was all three. It was delightful.
Working with Lanny is always fun. You can go from rock to
jazz to blues to acoustic. He's a stretcher."
As far as Cordola is concerned, he is happy with the
results. "The way I look at it, the record is the three of
us--myself and Sandra and Gary Griffin. It's kind of our
band, with help from a bunch of great musicians. She's the
primary vocalist. I did a couple. We picked a lot of the
material together. She picked some original songs that I had
written--ones that she wanted to sing--which kind of
surprised me, because I don't know that I would have picked
those. That was really pretty cool. And I picked some other
stuff, and then I kind of let her go, 'Well, I'd rather do
this,' and it worked out great."
In talking with Stephens about music turning into a full-
time profession, it is apparent that, although this is a
desire of hers, she is willing to wait to determine if it is
God's purpose for her life. It is pretty clear that worrying
about the future is not something that she wastes much time
on. An illustration of that came when she was relating a
conversation she had with a visitor to California who was
from Arizona. The man was questioning her about earthquakes
and whether or not she was afraid of them. "I said, 'You know
what--first of all, Jesus loves me, and in that I am so very
sure. And second of all, I have a purpose in life, and until
I've done my purpose, I know that God has got me totally in
His hands. And because He loves me, everything that He plans
out for me is for my best. So I'm not going to stress, and
I'm not going to be worried about a simple earthquake,'
because there are worse things to be worried about."
"If people could just grasp the concept of how great God is,
it would just blow them away. They'd be like 'Worry? Oh,
please. God is God, and he loves me.' I live near the
mountains, and as you're coming up to my house, if you look
at the houses compared to the mountains it's like an ant on
your back. And you go, 'God made this.' We who live near the
mountains understand. If God could create this--it's like,
puh-lease. Don't worry me--talk to Jesus."
Stephens also feels pretty strongly about the importance of
Christians reaching out with the love of God to those around
them. We talked about the frustration of trying to reach out
to people who don't seem to care, or choose to ignore the
evidence of God all around them, and how sometimes it just
seems easier to not make any attempts at all. To combat that,
Stephens says, "You just need to say to yourself, 'He loved
me and all that I was, and I'm no better than they are.' My
fault may not have been an inability to see God, but it may
be I don't think that He can bring true happiness into my
life."
"You know, I work with these people at my job [as a
therapist for developmentally-disabled adults], and one day
He asked me 'How much do you like these people?' And I said,
'Well, I work with them, Jesus, they're my friends.' And he
was like, 'Well, how much of a friend are they? Would you let
them--without trying everything that you have--let them go to
hell?" And I was like, 'no, you're right' He says, 'Well
then, you need to get on your job.' Anybody who says, 'This
is my friend,' and that person is not saved, then they need
to check themselves. Because, if that's your friend, and
you're supposed to let brotherly love continue, and no
greater thing that a man can do for his friend than he lay
down his life for him--you should make sure that they don't
go to hell, that they should receive Jesus, that they should
engulf themselves in me [God]. And then, you can say 'that's
my friend.' So, He prods me."
Currently, Stephens is in conversation with a company about
signing a solo contract, and hopes to have some firm plans
soon. In the meantime, SHADES OF BLUE is due to hit stores in
July, and should gain a lot more attention for this warm,
talented woman.
--BETH BLINN

STEVE TAYLOR
Everybody Loves A Clone


A trend of recent years has been the tribute album. Usually
an honor reserved for deceased artists, the phenomena of
musicians recording covers of a respected performer's songs
has now reached the land of the living.
R.E.X. Music's Alex Parker was pondering the whole concept
of tribute albums when he was struck with an idea--to do a
tribute album for someone who wasn't dead. His choice of
honoree--Steve Taylor, the sometime "bad boy" of Christian
music. In Parker's words, "He accomplished so many 'firsts'
in this industry--he was one of the firsts artists to do
Christian alternative rock music; he was the first artist on
a smaller label to have his music come out on compact disc;
he was the first artist to talk his record company into
letting him do remixes; and he was the first Christian artist
to convince his record company to let him do a concept video.
I thought it would be fitting for him to be the first person
to have a legitimate tribute album. Besides, I've always
loved his music. A lot of lyrics in Christian music tend to
be more like milk--his lyrics were always full of meat."
Parker pursued his concept by contacting Taylor's management
to determine their feelings on the idea. After some
consideration, the answer came back as an affirmative, as
long as Taylor didn't have to be involved in any way. "He
didn't want people thinking that he was behind the project,"
says Parker, "that he was being self-promoting."
So Parker started sending the word out about the project and
encouraged any artist who was interested to select a song and
record a demo. After all the demos were in, he sat down and
decided which should make it onto the final project--a
difficult process. The result is an amalgamation of styles,
ranging from the melodic alterna-pop of Sixpence None The
Richer to the grinding industrial-dance of Circle of Dust to
the Appalachian bluegrass of The Sanctified Glory Mountain
Revival Family. The songs include cuts from every Taylor
album.
THE LIGHTHOUSE recently spoke to some of the artists, to
find out why they wanted to be a part of the album and how
they choose the songs that they covered. Some artists were
exposed to Taylor's music when they were fairly young, while
others have only recently caught on to what some people have
known for years.
Taylor's response after listening to the final project was,
"The problem with these new tracks is they're better than my
original versions were... This is the happiest day of my
life. I am certainly undeserving of such an honor, but I
thank all of you who contributed to the project for making it
possible."
R.E.X. designated the project a benefit recording, and
Taylor chose Jesus People USA's Cornerstone Community
Outreach as the recipient of all of the royalties from the
album's sales. The ministry, located in Chicago, has several
different outreaches for the homeless, including a shelter
for women and children, housing for low-income senior
citizens, and a daily meal for approximately 300 homeless
people.
--BETH BLINN

STARFLYER 59 "SIN FOR A SEASON"
MELTDOWN
Hailing from California, Starflyer 59 recently had their
debut album released on Tooth & Nail Records. The band
covered "Sin For A Season" and Jason Martin, guitarist and
vocalist for the band, says that when the opportunity arose,
he was really happy to be involved in the project,
considering the influence that Taylor had on him when he was
young. "I used to listen to him [Taylor] and DANIEL AMOS,
because my parents wouldn't let us listen to secular music,"
explains Martin. "I picked up MELTDOWN when I was in 4th
grade. 'Sin For A Season' is my favorite Steve Taylor song--
in my opinion, one of his all-time coolest. With the chord
changes--it's just a good song. It's pretty fun to do a cover
song--to change it around and mess with it a little bit."
HOT PINK TURTLE "A PRINCIPLED MAN"--I PREDICT 1990
We caught up with Jamin Rathbun of Hot Pink Turtle at home in
Kansas City, Missouri. For Rathbun, wanting to be a part of
the tribute album was natural. "One of the first three albums
I had was MELTDOWN. I thought that it was awesome--'Hero' is
still one of my favorite songs. When Alex asked us if we were
interested in being involved with the project, we said yeah.
We kind of reviewed some songs and we liked the time
signature of 'A Principled Man.' It kind of had a 3/4 feel to
it. Just listening to it, we almost instantly had some ideas
of how we could completely tear up the schedule," he laughs.
"My favorite part is when we break down this one part, and
the timing is completely trashed. For the most part, I think
I was the only one familiar with Steve Taylor--a lot of the
other guys just didn't listen to the old Christian music."
THE WAYSIDE "TO FORGIVE"--ON THE FRITZ
John Thompson, vocalist and guitarist for the Chicago-based
The Wayside, totally blames Taylor for the fact that he is in
a band today. "Rob Anste [the bassist] and I started the band
back when I was fourteen and he was thirteen, simultaneous to
the release of CLONE. We went with our youth group to a REZ
concert in the fall of 1983 and Steve opened. No one had ever
heard of him--it was his very first tour. It just blew us
away--I mean, we had never heard Christian music that was so
sarcastic and quirky. It definitely was right in line with
what we were into, in terms of OINGO BOINGO and that early
80's pop/new wave kind of stuff. So we bought his tape... He
and THE ALTAR BOYS were the main inspirations for us to want
to be in a band. I just completely freaked over his lyrics,
and musically, Rob found it real interesting and challenging.
Rob and I would get each other a little something for
Christmas--usually a little toy or something. The Christmas
after MELTDOWN came out, we both bought each other the
MELTDOWN songbook--I got it for him and he got it for me. So
we learned every song on MELTDOWN. I used some of the stuff
for my guitar lessons and I wrote a lot of lyrics that were--
I just plain ripped off his lyrics. We were huge fans from
early on, and when Alex mentioned to me the concept of doing
the album, I told him it was a great idea. When he asked if
we wanted to be involved, I didn't even have to ask Rob--I
just said yes. The hardest part was picking the song to do.
Our guitar player, John Estling, was also into Steve very
early on, and was very influenced by him. There were obvious
songs that came to people's attention right away--'I Want To
Be A Cone,' 'Meltdown'--kind of the bigger, more trademark
kind of songs. 'To Forgive' was sort of a sleeper hit. I
thought it was such a great song. It's so simple, and so
direct, and it really allowed a lot of room for us to sort of
reinvent it, while still staying true to what the original
feel was. We wanted to be sure to keep the same emotion and
the same vibe, but we wanted to make it a Wayside song, to
kind of color it with our own box of crayons."
SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER "BOUQUET"--THE BEST WE COULD FIND
While most of the artists we talked to were introduced to
Steve Taylor through his first two albums, Matt Slocum,
guitarist for Sixpence None The Richer, was first exposed to
Taylor's music with the release of I PREDICT 1990, the last
album Taylor did for the Christian market before taking a
long hiatus.
"I saw the video for 'I Blew Up The Clinic Real Good'
somewhere, so that kind of turned me on to I PREDICT 1990. I
never really got into Steve Taylor fanatically, or was a die-
hard fan, but I liked that record. And there's the fact that
he kind of pioneered Christian alternative music. We wanted
to do 'To Forgive'--I think that's my favorite song, but the
Wayside took that before we could get to it. I thought
'Bouquet' was cool--that we could do something good with it.
Plus, I thought it was cool that it actually had never been
released [as a single.] So it's kind of an obscure cut."
CIRCLE OF DUST "AM I IN SYNC?"--MELTDOWN
Scott Albert, vocalist for Circle of Dust, had an unusual
introduction to Taylor's music--through his parents. "When I
was a young'n, I was basically forced to listen to it--I had
no choice. That's not TOTALLY true, but my parents wanted to
get us some kind of radical music, so that we would have
something to listen to. Steve Taylor just happened to be the
man. I was listening to him since I WANT TO BE A CLONE, since
way back when. As I said, I was forced into it, so I really
didn't like it that much," he laughs. "No--it is kind of
true, in the sense that it was what was around, so I listened
to it. It may have something to do with the fact that I have
such a sarcastic nature. I don't know--I can't blame it
directly on him. I just totally dug that. It was cool--
somebody asking questions and not in a formatted or typical
way. Alex had asked me a long time ago [about being involved
in the project,] before it was even going to come out through
R.E.X. I immediately said yes, because I grew up listening to
his stuff and totally dug it. I didn't even have a song in
mind, I just knew I would love covering his stuff. I was one
of the first bands that said yes, but I was one of the last
to get my choice of songs. Just listening to that song--first
of all, I've always loved it, because it had such groove to
it, but it was definitely recorded in 1984. That's not an
insult, it was just a totally different era. So I just came
down, fiddled around with my sequencer, and said 'Yeah, I can
do something with this song.' And I totally dig the lyrics to
it--just, everybody has to fit in, and everybody going
through this peer pressure type stuff--it's just cool."

--

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

--


DEGARMO & KEY

OVER THE PAST 17 YEARS, DEGARMO & KEY HAVE CREATED 15 ALBUMS
OF ORIGINAL MUSIC, BEEN INVOLVED IN CREATING A 13 WEEK SUNDAY
SCHOOL CURRICULUM BASED ON THEIR SONGS FROM THE ALBUM GO TO
THE TOP, WORKED WITH ZONDERVAN TO PROMOTE THE NIV STUDENT
BIBLE, AND GIVEN AWAY OVER 150,000 COPIES OF THEIR D & K
ALBUM. They have also produced several award-winning videos
and written songs for other artists like AMY GRANT and SANDI
PATTI. Dana Key has recorded a solo album, written books, and
been a part of the album collaboration, MESA, with other
veteran Christian musicians DALLAS HOLM and JERRY WILLIAMS.
Eddie DeGarmo has recorded two solo projects and produced
several albums for other artists. These two have been
incredibly busy, in pursuing their desire to share the
Gospel. But as meaningful as their individual work has been,
nothing is as important as what they do together.
After releasing GO TO THE TOP and doing a small amount of
touring to follow it up, DeGarmo & Key took a break from the
road. "Not touring is the best thing we have done in a long
time," states DeGarmo. "We used that time to reflect and to
figure out what kind of music we wanted to be doing."
It has added a sense of energy and fun to their recording.
As DeGarmo shares, "It was a lot more fun. It's really a drag
when people HAVE to tour to make a living and they don't want
to--sometimes that comes through in concert. Fortunately,
we've gotten to a place where we really don't have to tour to
make a living. We had gotten to the place where we were
burned out. Let's just be honest--we were tired of traveling
and tired of doing it. After we took some time off, I think
it did help us to refocus and just enjoy the music."
"MINISTRY INNOVATORS?"
DeGarmo & Key have been called "ministry innovators" in the
past because of their curriculum and devotional guide for GO
TO THE TOP and their program to give away the D & K album.
For the last three years, one of their major focuses has
been to encourage kids to read their Bibles. Key tells, "One
of the real famines we see in American Christianity is the
fact that there's a lot of Christians that have mastered all
the Christian clich�s, but don't have any content. They have
all the right T-shirts, but they don't know what the slogan
on the T-shirt means in terms of what God says in His Word.
We're trying to get people to read the Bible on a daily
basis."
I have been truly impressed by the promotions they recently
began and their close ties to Bible distributors. I chuckle
at the term "ministry innovators." They haven't reinvented
ministry opportunities in as much as they consistently
involved themselves in a ministry program, to expand their
musical impact.
Their newest involvements are with the True Love Waits
campaign and the Biblical Literacy Foundation. The former is
a program to get half a million youth to pledge to be
abstinent until they get married and will culminate with the
signed pledge cards being displayed on the Washington mall--
the largest display to ever be there. DeGarmo & Key will be
performing a concert, along with several other artists, to
promote the campaign.
For several years, they have made a strong commitment to
encourage Biblical literacy among teenagers. They have now
started the Biblical Literacy Foundation. "Its aim," Key
explains, "is to get a million kids reading the Bible at the
same time on one spring day in 1995." This day will be during
the Word to America Weekend, highlighted by a 24-hour Bible
reading marathon and a nationally televised program featuring
DeGarmo & Key, among other artists.
Key concludes, "If we can get a Bible sponsor for every tour
it would be great, so we can put Bibles into the hands of
people and reiterate how important it is for young Christians
to spend time in God's Word."
While they state that there may be no better way to share
the message of Christ with teens, their dedication to these
other programs confirms that they understand that music is
not the end all and be all. I personally find it refreshing
to see a group so strongly strive to have their music reach
out beyond their concerts, as the outreach that contemporary
Christian music (or Jesus Music) was originally intended to.
JUST SO THE PEOPLE LIKE IT
I guess I opened the proverbial "can of worms" when I asked
them what they thought of the support they had gotten by the
media as far as album reviews and such. Apparently this is a
subject they've developed some opinions on.
DeGarmo begins, "Somebody told me why BOB DYLAN was a great
singer. It never dawned on me why. It's because he could care
less what anybody says. If you want to know the honest truth,
I COULD TRULY CARE LESS WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT ME."
Key laughs before he adds, "One of the things that we never
forget is that, first we work for God, second we work for the
people that pay for our records and our concert tickets--
those are the people we work for. The real review that is
important to me, when it's all said and done, is the one that
comes from Christ. The other one is what people say about our
records when they buy concert tickets. Our last few albums
have been the most successful albums, commercially, in our
career. Some of our most highly-acclaimed albums, we could
hardly give away. There were times when we thought we were
putting out the kind of music people wanted to see live and
we couldn't get people to come see us in concert. You may
read the reviews--I don't read them."
DeGarmo chips in, "There's an industry statement that makes
a lot of sense to me: 'Nobody liked it but the people.' And
that's very true for a lot of our records... If you ever get
to the point in your life if you're an artist or whatever you
are, where you have a tendency to listen to all the voices,
you'll end up going crazy."
"You start doing music by committee and that's really bad
music," quips Key.
DeGarmo concludes, "Nobody can make a record on what they
think people will like. You can only make one that you like
and that you hope everyone else likes. Sometimes they do,
sometimes they don't."
TO EXTREMES
In speaking of their new album, DeGarmo shares, "The title
of the record, TO EXTREMES, can mean a couple different
things. The song was talking about a radical approach to your
Christianity. There's so many Christians today that seem to
stand in the middle. They have one foot in the world and one
foot in the church. I don't think this is anything new, but
it seems to be getting more prevalent. We don't have people
really taking a stand and counting the cost of what it means
to be a Christian. The chorus says, 'We've got to take it to
extremes/live on the edge, not standing in between/and walk
with Christ so that all can see/telling broken hearts God can
intervene/We've got to take it to extremes.'"
"I think it addresses the theme in my life, or the feeling
in my life--you look at what's going on in the world and you
read your newspaper and you watch the news and see what's
happening with guns in school and you feel overwhelmed and
helpless to make a difference in this world. That's such a
wrong feeling to have, because the Lord has given us a
mission to bring light into this world--not to give up. You
have a tendency to move into the Rocky Mountains somewhere
and be a hermit, but that's not what you should do. I think
that there's probably five songs on this record that address
that personal sin that I have. We're really not helpless. We
can still do something to make a difference."
One of the songs that reminds us of making a difference is
"Judgment Day." Key explains, "If you abandon your kids to a
local mall, then you shouldn't wonder why, when they reach
teenage years, that they're out of control. We took a shot at
parents, but let me add this: I am a parent. I understand
parental commitment. I'm taking my responsibility seriously."
DeGarmo tells about another track, "There was one of the
major corporations that did this multi-million dollar
research program to find out where teenagers were. We could
have told them for about $10. What they determined was that
the kids are angry. They're just mad. They're hacked off at
us because they think we've messed their planet up. They're
hacked off at us because they think that our generation's
made all the money and their generation won't have any.
They're hacked off at us for all kinds of things. The song
'Rebel for God' really talks about taking those energies and
being a rebel FOR God rather than against Him."
One of the biggest questions, however, may be concerning
their album cover. Anticipating that, DeGarmo explains,
"People are going to wonder why we have this beautiful dog on
the cover. This dog lives with me. His name is Woolly Bully.
He had a great part in making this album because he motivated
me to a bit of the insanity that I've gone through in the
studio. For those of you looking for great meaning in the
cover, you won't find it. There is none."
While insanity may not be the word for it, the last two
albums recorded by the band since taking their little break
have been very energetic and evident of the fun they had
making them.
"I don't think there's, in the strict sense, a ballad on the
record," Key interjects. "We just weren't in the ballad mood
this year. I don't think we sat down and said, 'Eddie, let's
not do a ballad this year.' We just weren't in the mood for
that. We wanted to stay away from middle ground stuff. We
either wanted to make it real acoustic or real rock and less,
how you would describe, pop music. We felt like the audience
was digging the rock feel of HEAT IT UP. We went ahead and
stayed in that direction."
DeGarmo adds, "Our heart is still with kids--the message of
Christ and the message of hope. We still feel it's our
calling to tell kids about that and there's no better way
than through rock music. We have definitely made a rock
record."
This fall they will be embarking on an acoustic tour--dubbed
the Acoustic Cafe Tour. Key explains, "The intention is to be
in churches, to let families come. One of the things that we
noticed last year was a lot of fans in their thirties were
coming and bringing their kids, which is quite an expensive
proposition for $15 tickets. So we want to do a low-ticket
concert that would be family oriented--not excessively loud,
but real quality with moving lights and a stage set. So
that's why we're doing the acoustic tour. It's probably
something we will never do [again], but in a 17 year career,
at least one time, you ought to give everybody a chance to
come see you play and this is the opportunity."
It is an opportunity I hope to take advantage of, and hope
that you can too.
--J. WARNER SODITUS

DEITIPHOBIA

Industrial music may seem an interesting choice to convey
Christian ideas. Deitiphobia is one of several groups that
has chosen to minister through this modern musical format.
The following is a portion of a phone conversation that I had
with Wally Shaw.
FRONTLINE SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY BIO INFORMATION FOR YOU,
SO LET'S START WITH WHERE YOU GREW UP.
I'm originally from Texas. I spent about the first twenty
years of my life there.
WHAT PART?
Actually all over, my dad was a minister when I was young. He
was kind of cutting-edge you might say, so we moved around a
lot. [Laughter]
STAYED UNTIL YOU GOT KICKED OUT OF AN AREA, HUH? [LAUGHTER]
Yeah. [Laughter] I guess you know that story. I guess my
longest time was in Austin.
WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT DREW YOU TO MUSIC?
Yeah. My family was always really encouraging to do whatever
you felt you had a passion for. I got into music really
early, when I was in fourth grade. I joined the school band
and all that. When I got my drivers license I started going
to the dance clubs in downtown Austin. Even thought I wasn't
old enough, it's easy to get in there.
GOOD OLD SIXTH STREET.
Yeah. I started going down there and that's when I started
getting into the dance scene. About that time was when I
decided to take out a loan to buy my first set of gear. Up
until then, I was a percussionist and trumpet player. I was
in a few bands as a drummer. In one particular band, the
keyboardist had no idea what he was doing, so I had to learn
his parts to show him. That's where I started to pick up
that. So I picked up a keyboard and got into the dance thing.
YOU SAID YOUR FATHER WAS A PREACHER. SO YOU GREW UP IN THE
CHURCH?
Actually, when we moved to Austin he left the ministry and
went back to civil engineering. That's what he had done
before seminary. But most of my childhood he was a pastor. So
I had a good foundation. I would say that's the main reason
I'm saved now--because I had that to fall back on when I came
to my lowest point--I remembered somewhere in the back of my
head. [Goodbye to someone in the background]
I ASSUME THAT WAS YOUR WIFE?
Yeah.
HER NAME IS?
Sheri.
DO YOU HAVE ANY KIDS?
No we don't.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN MARRIED?
We've been married for eleven months.
WHEN WAS THE REAL FORMATION OF DEITIPHOBIA?
We've kind of had a rough history. I'm only 21, so I'm like--
wow. In early 1990, there were a couple Christian alternative
bands in the area formed and split and formed and split. I
ended up on my own and there were a few people from the past
that I still wanted to work with. There was a vocalist in
particular that I really wanted to work with, but he wasn't
saved at the time. I started witnessing to him and he ended
up giving his heart to the Lord. He's younger than I am, and
at that time he was married and had a child. He was seventeen
at the time. We formed under the name Imagery. That was the
first industrial music I did with someone. We decided that
since we didn't have much of a show with two people, we
decided we wanted a drummer. I was playing on a worship team
at church at the time and our leader asked if we had met
Brent, who had only been there a few weeks. He was from Texas
as well, but he had gone to Wheaton. He ended up charging a
set of electronic drums on his Mastercard--we were young. And
our vocalist began to have marital problems, as you can
understand being that young. But he didn't let us know and
all we saw was that he wasn't getting his band work done. He
was opting to do marriage stuff instead of band stuff--which
was the right choice. When we found that out we told him he
should concentrate on that. We had a guitarist after that
time and a number of personnel changes. It ended up at our
first show, it was just me and Brent, and Donderfliegen was
born--that was our original name. At Cornerstone that year,
we played and on the way up there we decided to change our
name to Deitiphobia.
WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THAT?
We had decided to go with a fake German [image] because of
the name and we had these cool shirts and posters, but we
made a stop in Tulsa on the way up to see my aunt and uncle
and showed them the stuff and the first thing out of my
Uncle's mouth was, "My, that looks like Auschwitz." So I was
like, "Wait a minute, Brent. Is that what we really want to
be portraying?" So we decided that it wasn't and to leave the
whole thing behind. Paul Q-Pek was our manager and when we
got there and told him, he was like, "This is your biggest
break and you're going to change your name?" But it really
worked out. About a year later we went through some more
personnel changes. When I moved up here [near Chicago] Brent
left. He was married at the time. He's still in Texas. Now
Sheri's playing keys and singing and we have a guitarist
named Josh [Plemon] who's incredible. I'm really excited
because I've never had more of a chemistry with the band
before. I wrote all the music on the current album, but now
we're writing as a band for our newer stuff. Even with me and
Brent, he would write a song and I would write a song (there
was not much chemistry as far as collaboration.) We got along
great as friends, but as a band--we were like two different
bands. That was part of the reason that we split. It wasn't a
bad thing.
SO WHAT'S THE NEW ALBUM LIKE?
Well, it's been two years since we did a record, so it's my
last two years of writing. In relation, the other two records
were about two months of writing each. I feel like I got to
put more work into this and really do what I wanted to do.
We've been in the studio for a while. I feel like it's
several notches above anything we've done so far. Musically,
I never intended to have a concept thing. But I've been doing
some interviews, so I've been forced to analyze my own music.
It turns out it is a concept. I wrote lyrically from my
experiences over the last two years. That really involved a
lot of things. It involves getting married, moving a thousand
miles from my security (because I had a really close family).
A lot of it's relational--God and man things. Everything from
anger to hurt to frustration to immense joy and excitement.
What I've tried to do is relate those feelings in the music
so that even if you didn't understand the phrase I'm saying,
you might get it from the music, or at least get the idea. I
tried to illustrate my points with the music. As far as being
a genre, you could say it's still industrial, for lack of a
better word. I've adopted the phrase "Aggro." I heard that
when I was reading Mix magazine.
DID YOU PRODUCE?
Yes. I had some help from a friend, Michael Black. Our
engineer Darren Ford helped. Sheri helped some. Luke Mazzerri
from ZERO helped with some of the engineering.
DO YOU GET A LOT OF PEOPLE WONDERING WHY YOU USE INDUSTRIAL
MUSIC, WHICH TENDS TO BE DARK, TO REPRESENT CHRISTIAN IDEAS?
Actually, I do. I think I explain it pretty well. I am not
one for sugarcoating things. That's one of the reason that I
enjoy Mike Knott's company so well, because he's very honest.
I'm a very honest guy, as far as if I've got pain or
frustration. I don't mind talking to God about it. I don't
think that's wrong. I've found biblically, a lot of people
that do that. Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, does
that quite often in his epistles. He'll tell people, "I'm
going through a lot of crap right now and I need your
prayer." He doesn't mind saying it. I think that with
industrial being aggressive--I equate that with a lot of
power. Inherently, the style is a very powerful style of
music. I don't find any inhibitions displaying God's power in
that. I tried to write my own lyrics for a reason. Some
people write them, as far as industrial goes, to add a rhythm
track or to add noise. I tend to shy away from that. I do a
lot of love song kind of things, and a lot of prayers and
pleading with God. I think those types of ideas lend
themselves very well to a powerful and moody and expressive
form of music. A lot of people would say, "Industrial--
expressive? It sounds like klangs and beeps." I think if you
listen to our new record, you'll find that with what we've
done, it becomes a very expressive form. I wouldn't have it
any other way. Does that answer your question?
YEAH. I'M JUST PLAYING DEVIL'S ADVOCATE WITH YOU. SO, I
ASSUME YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS FULL TIME?
Off and on. I guess that means no. I have a full-time job and
my wife does too. But we take a lot of time off from those
jobs to go and do shows. We are trying to balance that until
we can get on our feet. We're doing several things--moving
into more of a production stance with some other bands and we
are going to open a club in Chicago this fall. We're hoping
to move into that full-time so we can get away more.
THAT'S A CHRISTIAN CLUB?
Yeah, a Christian dance or music club. Whatever you want to
call it. Some people shy away from the word dance. I don't
care. [Laughter] I was raised in a church that actually had
in their bylaws that you could dance as long as you kept one
foot on the ground at all times.
THAT'S INTERESTING. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE SCRIPTURE?
It's I Timothy 4:12 which says, don't let anyone look down on
you because you're young. Show yourselves to be an example in
faith love, purity. It lists a few things to show yourself as
an example in. I really feel that as the so-called "Prozak-
generation" or "Generation-X," whatever you want to call it,
we have a real open door because a lot of people are looking
at us like, "What do you guys have to do to make a name for
yourself?" I pray to God that we don't make a name for
ourselves by falling off the face of the Earth in this cloud
of apathy. That would be sad. I really think that we have a
chance to turn some heads and cause ripples in the water of
faith by saying that, even though we're on the fringe, we can
become well-educated, well-rounded, and be Christians that
are solid and not going around by every wind of doctrine that
blows by. We can become a people of balance.
YOU PLAY A LOT OF CLUBS?
Yeah.
HOW DID YOU SIGN WITH FRONTLINE?
When Blonde Vinyl began to go under, Frontline approached
Michael [Knott] because they went under new management and
asked if they could give him some things he wanted to get
Deitiphobia--he wanted his masters back to SHADED PAIN. He
called me up and asked, and Frontline bought out my contract.
It's a whole different ball game simply because they have a
lot more staff.
DID THAT MEAN CHANGES AS FAR AS RECORDING AND GETTING THINGS
APPROVED?
Actually, our budget went up about twenty-fold. As far as
getting it approved, I pretty much had it all when I signed,
so they never had a problem with what I'm doing. They've been
really supportive of my ideas. We're beginning to do the
Slava [Slava Music was a small label responsible for
producing albums for Blonde Vinyl] thing over there
[Frontline] now. We'll be doing four to five records there
for different bands.
TELL ME A LITTLE MORE ABOUT SLAVA.
It kind of died about the time that Deitiphobia split the
last time, because Brent was my partner in all that and it's
taken time to build up from ground zero again. We're over at
Frontline now and we'll be producing more dance and
industrial and other related stuff, as well as doing vinyl
remixes and compilations for unsigned bands. We're doing a
lot over there.
I HOPE I CAN SEE YOU PERFORM SOMETIME.
--J. WARNER SODITUS


CHARLIE DANIELS

Charlie Daniels is practically a musical legend. As a
recording artists, his career spans over 24 years with a long
list of awards for album sales and radio play. This year,
however, he took a different step by releasing THE DOOR--his
first Christian album.
Daniels, a North Carolina native, learned to play the
guitar, mandolin, and fiddle in his teens and played with a
local bluegrass band. Once he moved to Nashville he developed
a reputation as a songwriter. After ELVIS recorded a song and
BOB DYLAN had him work on an album, Daniels obtained a
recording contract.
For Daniels, a gospel album has been a desire for some time.
His only concern was making sure he was able to write the
songs. He quips, "I didn't want to do 'Will the Circle Be
Unbroken' and 'How Great Thou Art' over again." So, he took
the Charlie Daniels band into the studio with producer Ron
Griffin to work on a collection of music that he wrote
specifically for the project. The result was THE DOOR, in his
renowned southern rock style.
The album came about through the interaction between
Daniel's label, Liberty, and Sparrow--both are owned by EMI.
According to Daniels, Jimmy Bowen of Liberty is very
interested in gospel music. "He feels like it's a very
lucrative market, that the records need to be put back in the
record stores as opposed to being just in the Christian
bookstores. They were looking over the roster and seeing if
Liberty had anybody they felt they would like to have do a
gospel album."
So, Daniels, who has always been open about his Christian
faith, got a nod to record the project that he's been wanting
to do. It was something that was a bit of a rush for him. "I
didn't even have time to put the things down for Sparrow
people to listen to," he recalls. "Right up until we got
ready to record, I kept saying, 'You'll have to trust me.'
They did, they were awfully good people. We got along great
and they're very happy with the record."
"I never looked at this record as just another record,"
continues Daniels. "This one was special. I had certain
things that I wanted to say. I wanted to be sure they were
said in a way people could understand. I had a lot of help
with this record and it wasn't all human help. It came
together too well to have been any other way."
With this his first release on a Christian label, Daniels
admits that he is at a bit of a loss as far as knowledge of
the Christian industry. He shares, "There's a whole different
set of radio stations, a whole different set of marketing
approaches, a different set of publications and that sort of
thing and it's really hard for me to know this market. I know
that some of our fans are very excited about a gospel album
coming out. I don't know the gospel market. I don't know who
buys what. I'm just lost. I'm hoping to find a niche
somewhere."
"It's not intimidating at all, it's just the unfamiliarity.
I'll learn it. I am learning. This thing came up in a pretty
big hurry. We decided to do this and first thing you knew, we
were in the studio. We didn't have time to learn anything
about it. We were writing songs and trying to get this album
done. All of a sudden, here it is released and I come to find
out I'm on unfamiliar ground. Not unfriendly, just
unfamiliar."
His favorite piece on the album is "Jesus Died for You. I
think that covers what I'd like to think the album's about,"
he shares.
So, how does he expect to be accepted by the Christian
market? "I'm probably gonna be perceived favorably by some
people and not favorably by others. I'm gonna do this like
I've always done. I'm gonna chop my log and let the chips
fall wherever they will. I'm not trying to be an icon of the
religious world. I'm not the kind of Christian that should be
held up to people to live like. I certainly don't want
anybody imitating my living."
"Whoever listens to this album and says it is too worldly,
or says Charlie Daniels is too worldly for them, that's
totally their prerogative. But I tell you one thing, I'm not
hiding my head in the sand. I'm not hiding from problems, I'm
not hiding from people. If someone wants to come up and talk
to me about the Lord, they can find me out here in the world
doing my thing about 150 nights a year. That's just the way I
feel."
"I'm not afraid of controversy," Daniels continues. "I've
been controversial. I'm sure we'll have some controversy on
this. If we do, I would love to respond to some of the
controversy because I have some things to say back. Another
thing, a lot of these people aren't used to being talked back
to. I don't know anybody I'm afraid to talk back to--any
human being. People criticize me. I can criticize their
attitude for being that way, because they don't know me."
While trying not to dwell too much on potential conflict, I
asked him what he would say to people that would choose to
criticize his work. "That's not their business--that's the
way I look at it," he starts. "I'm not a religious person.
I'm a person that's been bought and paid for by the blood of
Jesus Christ. I'm not religious, per se. I'm not a Pharisee.
I don't believe in certain rules and that things have to be
that way. I don't like to judge people. I get judged a lot by
critics and that sort of thing. They say things that, if I
let them, would hurt my feelings because they completely
misjudge what I am, what I'm about, and what I'm doing. I'm
sure that's going to happen to this record with some people,
but I haven't started preaching. I just cut a Christian
album, a gospel album. I'm going to keep on doing what I'm
doing. I'd love to do another gospel album. We'll have to see
how this one does."
But he doesn't mean that this album is the only way that his
faith impacts his career. He is careful about the music he
now records on his secular label and what he performs in
concert. "I have certain standards that I go by when I write
for secular albums. Though they may not deal with things that
are biblical or religious (for lack of a better word to say),
I try to keep them on a plane that I never let the bad guy
win. I don't glorify things I don't believe in. I used to,
but I don't anymore."
Daniels' casual, down home sensibilities transfer to his
faith as well. "I don't want to offend anyone's
sensitivities, but I live in the real world. I don't shut
myself up in closets and pretend that certain things don't
happen and that there isn't a lot of hurt going on in this
world. I would advise some of those 'closet-living'
Christians to get out in the street where the hurt is and try
do some people some doggone good instead of sticking their
head in a hole. There is a lot of hurt in the world. There
are people that need a lot of help. There's people that need
you to pat them on the shoulder and say, 'You're okay. The
Lord died for you.' Instead of holding up in their churches
every Wednesday night and Sunday morning and pretending that
none of this is going on (because it is going on.) There is a
whole lot of world out here that could use people's help. One
of the things that I wish did not exist in the Church, in the
Body of Christ, is people going against each other, saying,
'I don't believe the way you do, so you're wrong and I can't
have anything to do with you...' and so on--existing as if
their own little corner of the world is the only part of it
they should live in. I don't believe in that. I think that's
wrong."
Remaining grounded in his beliefs, but not pushing his faith
on others, he has earned a reputation for being a casual and
very approachable person who is fun to hang out with. He
explains, "I've never been perceived as anything other than a
down-to-earth person who hangs out with everybody. I don't
throw Jesus in people's faces... I don't walk into a room and
start spouting off my beliefs. I don't make any bones about
being a Christian. I'm on Christian television. It's not a
secret at all, but I try to stay pretty approachable."
"I think Christians have been ill represented by some of the
talk shows and I think some of the people that have been on
are not particularly articulate or are not particularly
versed--they're good people, but some are a little radical. I
think some people get the idea that all Christians are that
way. I think something that turns people off really fast is a
holier than thou attitude. The idea that you're beneath me
and I can't associate with you."
A remarkable fact, considering the music industry's
reputation concerning marital commitment, is that Daniels and
his wife, Hazel, have been married 30 years. She's been
traveling with him for the last 10. They have a 28 year-old
son, Charles.
He is excited to finally record a Christian album, and is
scheduled to perform at this year's Cornerstone Festival.
Besides that, it's on the road for him and his wife, with
plans to record another secular album in December.
I found Daniels to be a warm, honest, straightforward
gentleman. He was an absolute pleasure to talk with.
--J. WARNER SODITUS


THE LIGHTHOUSE
New & Soon to be New Album Release List
Brought to you by:
CHRISTIAN MUSIC BUYERS CLUB

NEW RELEASES
20/20 Blind NEVER FAR (Intersound)
Benjamin BENJAMIN (Star Song)
Cauzin' Efekt FAMLEE AFFAIR (Grrr)
Gary Chapman THE LIGHT INSIDE (Reunion)
Crashdog MUD ANGELS (Grrr)
Idle Cure ECLIPSE (Salt Inc.)
Deitiphobia CLEAN (Frontline)
Divine Hope DIVINE HOPE (Star Song)
Keith Dudley KEITH DUDLEY (Benson)
Gospel Gangstas GANG AFFILIATED (Frontline)
John P. Kee COLORBLIND (Star Song)
Kid Promise MY GENERATION (Star Song)
Crystal Lewis LA ESPOSA (Metro One)
Chris Lizotte LONG TIME COMIN' (Metro One)
Maranatha! Praise STANDING ON THE ROCK (Maranatha)
Promise Keepers SEIZE THE MOMENT (Maranatha)
Rhythm Saints DEEP SUSTAINED BOOMING SOUNDS (N-Soul)
various A LIFE THAT SHOWS (PROMISE KEEPERS) (Sparrow)
various DEMO-LITION (R.E.X.)
various I PREDICT A CLONE (R.E.X.)
JUNE RELEASES
Aaron Jeoffrey UNTITLED (Star Song)
Jimmy A SECRETS (Vision Artists)
The Choir SPECKLED BIRD (R.E.X.)
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)
Steve Green HIDE 'EM IN YOUR HEART (SPANISH) (Sparrow)
Steve Green UNTITLED (LIVE SPANISH) (Sparrow)
The Heart of Worship Series (acapella) (Star Song)
Hokus Pick BROTHERS FROM DIFFERENT MOTHERS (Vision Artists)
Glenn Kaiser SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION (Grrr)
Phil Keaggy WAY BACK HOME (Sparrow)
John P. Kee & New Life Community Choir WE WALK BY FAITH
(VIDEO) (Star Song)
Crystal Lewis THE REMIX COLLECTION (Metro One)
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)
Rich Mullins PURSUIT OF A LEGACY (VIDEO) (Reunion)
Carlton Pearson and the Higher Dimension Choir LIVE (Warner
Alliance)
Perfect Heart LIVE AT THE FORUM (Star Song)
Private Boiz CHECK DA FLAVA (N-Soul)
Brothers HOMEBOY BALLET (Star Song)
Six Feet Deep STRUGGLE (R.E.X.)
Rebecca St. James REBECCA ST. JAMES (ForeFront)
SOZO PURITY (N-Soul)
Submission Blue CHILL (Broken)
Take 6 JOIN THE BAND (Warner Alliance)
Kathy Troccoli KATHY TROCCOLI (Reunion)
Vickie Winans UNTITLED (Intersound)
various ACAPELLA 2 (Maranatha)
various HARD SAMPLER (R.E.X.)
various SEEDS (Metro One)
JULY RELEASES
Paul Aldrich THE HISTORY OF GOD & MAN (Broken)
Ray Boltz ALLEGIANCE (VIDEO) (Word)
Steven Curtis Chapman HEAVEN IN THE REAL WORLD (Sparrow)
Brian Goodell SIMPLE LOVE (Essential)
Larry Howard/Glenn Kaiser/Darrell Mansfield/Trace Balin THE
BLUES NIGHT (ForeFront)
Cheri Keaggy CHILD OF THE FATHER (Sparrow)
Catherine King WINDOWS & DOORS (Urgent)
Karyn List UNTITLED (Intersound)
Love Song WELCOME BACK (Maranatha)
Mission of Mercy UNTITLED (Etcetera)
David Mullen DAVID MULLEN (Warner Alliance)
My Little Dog China VELVIS CARNIVAL (Frontline)
Newsboys GOING PUBLIC (Star Song)
Pam Thum FAITHFUL (Benson)
Carlton Pearson and the Higher Dimension Choir LIVE (Warner
Alliance)
Praise Band TELL THE WORLD (Maranatha)
Phillip Sandifer ARIZONA HIGHWAY (Urgent)
Sisters SONGS OF FRIENDSHIP, JOY, AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR WOMEN
(Warner Alliance)
Whitecross VII: UNVEILED (R.E.X.)
World Wide Message Tribe DANCE PLANET (N-Soul)
various CAPTURED BY YOUR PRESENCE (Warner Alliance)
various THE GLORY OF THE LORD (Warner Alliance)
various GRRR VIDEOS (VIDEO) (Grrr)
various TIES THAT BIND/THE BEST CHRISTIAN COUNTRY (Word)
AUGUST RELEASES
Maia Amada UNTITLED (Intersound)
Susan Ashton, Margaret Becker, & Christine Dent� ALONG THE
ROAD (Sparrow)
Helen Baylor THE LIVE EXPERIENCE (Word)
D.O.C. UNTITLED (Star Song)
King James UNTITLED (Star Song)
Lisa Bevill UNTITLED (Sparrow)
Mark Lowry MARK IN MOTION (Word)
Terri Lynn UNTITLED (Intersound)
Mortification LIVE PLANETARIUM (VIDEO) (Frontline)
Paramaecium EXHUMED OF THE EARTH (R.E.X.)
Michael Peace UNTITLED (Star Song)
Prophecy of P.A.N.I.C. MANIC PANIC (N-Soul)
Linda Richards UNCHAINED HEART (Urgent)
Randy Stonehill UNTITLED (Street Level)
Swirling Eddies ZOOM DADDY (Frontline)
Tourniquet VANISHING LESSONS (Frontline)

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REVIEWS

VARIOUS ARTISTS I PREDICT A CLONE (R.E.X.)
Calling all clones! Here's the album to honor one of the
pioneers of Christian alternative music--Steve Taylor. While
Taylor had nothing to do with the project, he admits that he
is pleasantly surprised with the results, except, "The
problem with these new tracks is they're better than my
original versions were!" Don't expect true covers, though.
Most tracks are worlds apart in style and arrangement.
Be prepared for a listening experience that will take you
across the entire realm of alternative styles and rescue many
of Taylor's songs from (as he puts it) "the trash bin of
obscurity."
Circle of Dust brings an industrial edge to the original
arrangement of "Am I In Sync?" with some catchy screaming
vocals. Hot Pink Turtle turns "A Principled Man" into a much
more upbeat rendition than the original, with an aggressive
guitar-driven feel. They keep most of the vocal arrangement
intact, but the musical background changes rather radically
at times. "Sin for a Season" is a slow, dark,
shoegazer/grunge twist performed by Starflyer 59. Sixpence
None The Richer lightens the experience with a light,
acoustic alternative cover of "Bouquet."
Dig Hay Zoose's extensive medley of "Steeplechase" and "I
Want to be a Clone" clocks in at well over seven minutes. The
first is a schizophrenic collection of styles. It's
intriguing, but hard to describe. After a heavy
Zeppelin/Zappa-ish bridge, they do a rough alternative
rendition fairly close to the original "...Clone," which is
something I could imagine coming from The Red Hot Chili
Peppers.
Fleming and John's "Harder to Believe Than Not To" is a more
melodic take on the original, while still including the
operatic pieces. "Drive, He Said" by Argyle Park is the most
radically changed tune. With an excellent techno feel, it
mixes samples from the original with others. Musically, it's
my favorite, but it kept so little of the story intact that
the point of the song was completely lost.
Deliverance adds a cover of "On the Fritz" with
grunge/metal/industrial vocals, heavy guitars, and extra
effects. "To Forgive" is light alternative rock--an
expressive cover by The Wayside. Bride seems to holds to the
tame side of a metal attack of "Color Code." For me, it was
the only disappointment, because they were the only band to
alter lyrics, and they distorted the words "color code" into
something like "cholor chode."
Probably the most unusual rendition is the last, the
Sanctified Glory Mountain Revival Family's "Guilty By
Association." It is a bluegrass, banjo-laden tune--think "The
Beverly Hillbillies."
Taylor has designated that all royalties from the project
will go to Jesus People USA's Cornerstone Community Outreach
program to help provide services for homeless and low-income
senior citizens in Chicago.
Be prepared for some totally unique interpretations of
Taylor's work.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
GLENN KAISER SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION (GRRR)
"Blues, Chicago style..." is the billing of Glenn Kaiser's
new solo album. Kaiser, long-time member of Jesus People USA
and founder of REZ, has been very involved in taking
Christian music into the blues realm over the last few years.
He was a part of the LARRY HOWARD'S CORNERSTONE BLUES JAM
album and teamed up with Darrell Mansfield for two acoustic
blues projects. For the electric blues of SPONTANEOUS
COMBUSTION, he gathered some "real Chicago guys who knew the
vibe and were willing to pound it out pure and simple... we
hit the switch and came out jammin'."
The project covers the range of electric blues styles--
twelve-bar slow blues, rougher, club blues, shuffles,
boogies, and some really grooving pieces. Kaiser's rough
voice is a natural for blues and his strongly emotional
vocals help bring the tunes alive. He does know when to bail
out, and just let some extended jams continue. Two tracks are
impressive instrumentals.
With a blues album you would expect some of the subject
matter to reflect sadness and, well, the blues. Kaiser offers
some of that on "Everybody Sings the Blues" and "Ain't Much
Difference." But the album doesn't stay on the down side.
Several songs talk about human love and commitment. "Queen of
My Heart" offers "You and me followin' the Savior from the
start/He's the King of my life, oh and you are the queen of
my heart." "Queen Bee" contains the lines "She blesses me so
that I just can't stand it/I know that I don't deserve/This
woman called wife is the love of my life/Love that God'll
preserve."
If you know anything about Kaiser, you know the album
centers on his relationship with the Lord. Statements like
"Lord, you took me outa trouble" ("Trouble"), "...But God
ain't failed me yet/He's my Savior, my Deliverer/I'm just as
saved as you can get" ("If I Leave This World Tomorrow"),
"Where would I live; outside your forgiveness/Without the
risen Son" ("Where Would I Be?"), and "God of mercy/You
brought me safely through the night" ("Through the Night")
show his devotion to God.
I was impressed by how fresh the album has stayed to me.
With so many styles represented, SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION has
been easy to listen to again and again.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
DEGARMO & KEY TO EXTREMES (BENSON)
Last year's HEAT IT UP ended more than a year of hiatus for
Eddie DeGarmo & Dana Key, two men who have been powering
Christian music since 1978. The time proved valuable, as they
generated one of their most powerful rock albums. Now, less
than a year later, they complete a one-two punch with TO
EXTREMES, in many ways a continuation of last year's album.
Both were produced by John Hampton and feature Greg Morrow on
drums and Tommy Cathey on bass.
The lyrical base of the project is set in defusing the myth
that we should feel helpless against the world's problems--
that we have the power to change the world. The title track
is the center-piece of the album, strongly encouraging the
listener to take a bold approach to the Christian faith--also
continued with "Hyperfaith" and "Rebel for God." "Judgment
Day" warns that, unless they have provided strong guidance,
parents should not be surprised if their kids develop
problems.
The music is a great match for the urgency of the message.
Losing many of the pop hooks of HEAT IT UP for a stronger
rock edge, the slowest the album gets is with a few rock
anthems. TO EXTREMES is unmistakably DeGarmo and Key, but
isn't simply more of the same. Mixed in are classic and hard
rock influences and some excellent guitar parts. They left a
few rough edges and kept the sound pleasantly thin, offering
a more live feel.
"People Gotta Be Free" is an acoustic rock track that is a
prelude to their upcoming Acoustic Cafe Tour. With a lower
cost acoustic set, the hope is that it will enable more
people to attend--especially those wanting to bring along
their whole family.
If you like fairly hard rock, this should be an excellent
project to add to your collection.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
IDLE CURE ECLIPSE (SALT INC.)
Time and again we have seen that some time off helps a group
return with a great album. For Idle Cure, this seems to be
the case. While their record company (as most do) touts that
this is their best release to date, I think they might be
right.
Most of the album is the rough rock style that Idle Cure is
known for. It brought back great memories of their debut
release. The thing I like best about the group is how
effectively they play their edgy background vocals off of the
gritty lead vocals of Steve Shannon--commonly trading lines
in the chorus.
Mark Ambrose (guitars & bgvs) and Pete Lomakin (Keys & bgvs)
are joined by new member Glenn Pearce (guitars & bgvs) and
several studio musicians (Jon Knox on drums, Mark Hill on
bass, and others) to round out the sound. The band also works
for the first time with Billy Smiley at the production reins.
The guitar intro of "What's Your Point of View" quickly
leads to a rough and hearty "Yeah!," which sets the stage for
this cooking project. It offers to share about God with a
friend and to get him to qualify his "point of view." "Pour
Out My Soul" has an anthemic touch as it affirms a commitment
to the Lord. "Two Hearts" is a driving arena rock track
encouraging a man to honor his wedding vow, to "give it all
you've got/don't give up, give it one last shot." "Never Say
Goodbye" is the first time the project takes a breath. It's a
ballad about Lomakin's father passing away. It's not a worn-
out AC-type ballad--there's some grit to it.
The guitars immediately fire up for another hot track,
"Burning Gomorrah." It compares our society to Gomorrah, as
"for sin, there's a price to be paid." "Living Water" is a
slower rock tune, sharing the realization that after we get
tired of searching for pleasure in the world--we'll live
forever drinking the living water. "Shake it Up," my favorite
track, follows. A hard rock tune with a driving bass beat, it
encourages us to shake up the world by sharing our Savior
with them. "Merciful Man" starts with a gentle piano
background, but by the second verse sounds like a ballad that
BRYAN ADAMS would come up with. Another song encouraging us
to share with the world--it offers "if we have the heart that
lends a hand/God will bless this merciful man." "The Only
Thing" affirms that "the only thing that's left for me/is to
serve the One who set me free" in a lighter, almost pop-rock
format. Closing the project is "Bring Me Through the Day," a
rocking reminder that "when we're walking together [with the
Lord]/no one can get in the way."
If you haven't heard the band before, and you like rock with
some grit, then you should appreciate this one. If you are
familiar with Idle Cure, I think this will have everything
you like about the band in one nice package.
--ROGER APPELINSKI
PAUL SMITH EXTRA MEASURE (INTERSOUND)
It has been a while since we've heard from Paul Smith,
former member of THE IMPERIALS. He has is back with new
strength and depth, both musically and spiritually.
The theme for EXTRA MEASURE is the journey of faith. He
offers not only a glimpse of what his personal journey has
been like recently, but also challenges his brothers and
sisters in the Body to reach out and trust God where they are
right now. One of the strongest songs on the album is one
that he wrote in response to a true story he heard, "Daddy
Came Home Last Night." It is a testimony to the power of
prayer in what may seem to be hopeless situations. The album
is filled with other messages of hope and encouragement.
While less orchestrated and full sounding than his past
music, he takes a primarily adult contemporary approach to
R&B flavored pop music. When he was asked to describe it, he
said, "a little more acoustic feeling for me musically, a
little more down home. I wouldn't really necessarily say it's
country music, but it has some of those elements. Somebody
said, 'It's not country music, but it's surely not urban. So
it must be kind of the edge-of-town music.' It's the music
and influences that I grew up with."
It's a pleasureful return for Paul Smith. He belts out words
of exhortation and inspiration over some bright, acoustic
influenced pop music.
--VANESSA L. CROOKS
GARY CHAPMAN THE LIGHT INSIDE (REUNION)
Since first listening to Gary Chapman many years ago during
an Amy Grant concert, I have often wondered why his music
hasn't been more widely embraced. He has a distinctive,
powerful voice and plays a variety of instruments, including
guitar, bass, and piano. He offers a warm and humorous stage
presence and has demonstrated ability as an artist, producer,
and performer. He is also a gifted songwriter, yet his first
three albums (HAPPENIN', SINCERELY YOURS, and EVERYDAY MAN)
were only modestly received. His latest, THE LIGHT INSIDE,
has the potential to broaden his appeal. It's the tightest,
most cohesive, and most radio-accessible album to date.
One thing that draws me to his music is his ability to put
into words the struggles and joys of living a relationship
with Christ. THE LIGHT INSIDE further illuminates Chapman's
depth and candidness. It is evident from the lyrics on this
album that he has stumbled, grappled, and grown in his
relationship with God. Testimonies of God's love, grace, and
mercy transforming and perfecting lives are offered in a very
intimate manner throughout the album.
Perhaps Chapman's earlier work was musically ahead of its
time, but with the popularity of pop country music today,
this project may be more widely accepted. Producer Michael
Omartian has done a superb job of providing an arena and
atmosphere for Chapman, bringing a strong balance of
heartfelt ballads and fun acoustic grooves. Acoustic piano
and guitar are the primary driving elements throughout the
project. And, as always, Chapman's amazing voice rings forth
with passion and finesse, expressing soothing and scorching
emotion.
THE LIGHT INSIDE captures and showcases Chapman's talents
and displays the joys found through commitment and
perseverance in a relationship--which he quickly points to
the faithfulness and healing he has received from God. The
country flavored pop is a fitting backdrop which compliments
his rootsy and gutsy appeal.
Anyone looking for a testimony of hope will find it in "Love
Will Be Our Anchor:" "And when you can't believe the
answers/To the simplest of questions/And your heart has grown
cold/Love is still the Rock of Ages/And the Rock will not be
shaken/It's an anchor to hold."
This should be a welcomed introduction for those who aren't
familiar with Chapman's music, and a sweet reunion for those
who are.
--VANESSA L. CROOKS
CHRIS LIZOTTE LONG TIME COMIN' (METRO ONE)
With the release of LONG TIME COMIN' on Metro One Records,
Chris Lizotte serves up a recording full of soul, passion,
and yearning--all elements of good blues music. And good this
is. Although this is his debut on Metro One, Lizotte had two
previous albums on New Breed, FREE and CHRIS LIZOTTE AND SOUL
MOTION. With his third offering, Lizotte has crafted a
collection of songs that speak to the heart and to the
spirit.
The album starts with a song that talks from the Father's
point of view. "Gonna Take You Back" dwells on the promise
that no matter what we do, God will always love us. "It's not
the man that breaks my heart/His sin is what I hate...You got
that right, you're unworthy/but you're worth a lot to me."
"Hold Me Up" is a searing duet with Maria McKee, formerly of
LONE JUSTICE. Her soulful voice is the perfect foil for
Lizotte's aching vocals, and the combination is very
effective.
Other outstanding cuts include "Heaven's Looking Better All
the Time" and "Peace Be With You." The first is an up-tempo
tune that talks to a friend who has passed on to the next
life. The second is the album closer. Dedicated to the
inmates of the California Institute for Women in Chino,
California, (where Lizotte leads worship once a month) it is
a poignant look at how life can beat us down, but God is
always seeking to bring us the peace that we need. A
soothing, acoustic tune, it is a perfect ending to the album.
Lizotte is ably backed by various musicians, most notably
Raymond McDonald on electric guitar. McDonald's Texas-style
blues playing is an integral part of the texture of the
album, and underscores Lizotte's vocals nicely.
All in all, a welcome addition to the growing blues scene.
--BETH BLINN
CRASHDOG MUD ANGELS (GRRR)
At last what the Christian Punk/Metal world has been waiting
for--a loud album that contains a song about fishing. I do
not mean an allegorical song about Christians being 'fishers
of men,' but a celebration of the sport of fishing. And
that's not all. This latest release from Crashdog also
features some great music and lyrics that convey a solid
Christian message in a way that almost makes me want to get
up and spontaneously throw myself into a mosh pit.
There are a couple of surprises on this album, the first
being the mixing of the vocals. They are more distinguishable
than most recordings in the genre--the "wall of sound" feel
that tends to convey emotions more than specific ideas. With
Spike Nard's vocals up-front you can hear and understand the
lyrics without too much effort. While most of the songs
feature Nard almost yelling the lyrics in classic punk style,
there are some indications that he can sing in a more classic
sense. This allows more flexibility in style than the average
punk band.
Flexibility in style is the other big surprise on this
album. The guitar work of Andrew Mandell shows the ability to
handle multiple styles of songs. Some of the songs, for
example "Question Stupidity," are just straight-ahead
punk/thrash. Others sound more like METALLICA or even AC/DC.
The other musicians on this album, Greg Murphy on the drums
and Brian Grover on the bass, do a good job of being the
rhythm section.
Most of the songs concentrate on current social conditions,
but on a personal level. A good example of this is shown in
the song "Degeneration." "We wake up every morning/And things
still seem the same/Resolutions made, the bills are paid/But
the problems still remain/In the never-ending revelation/Of
exactly who we are/Angels of mud/Talking of love/While
carving out another scar."
Most of the songs don't stop with just pointing out the
situation, but infuse a possibility of hope. Jesus is
mentioned in only the first song specifically, but the
implication is that He is the source of the hope runs through
the whole album.
I would recommend this for anyone wanting a solid punk
release that features lyrics with hope--especially if they
like fishing.
--MICHAEL A. KLEIN

ANDRAE CROUCH MERCY (WARNER ALLIANCE)
The music of Andrae Crouch and the Disciples was a
predominant force in gospel music in the late 1970's. Crouch
has hit the studio again with a new album, MERCY on Warner
Alliance. Scott V. Smith joins him as co-producer and his
expertise comes to the fore. The band includes many regulars
on the LA gospel scene, including Andrew Gouche, Ricky
Grundy, and Paul Jackson.
This album is a superb ensemble effort. Crouch wrote all the
tunes, but doesn't always sing the lead vocals. Most of the
songs feature a small group of vocalists coming in to carry
the chorus with Crouch ad-libbing over the top. Guest
soloists include Kristle Murden, El DeBarge, Willie G., and
Tata Vega.
Most of the songs are quite upbeat, but they explore all the
various facets of gospel music--some traditional African
rhythms, lung-bending modern gospel, and jazzy spots.
Whatever it is that God has brought Andrae Crouch through,
we can rejoice with him that indeed he does have the joy of
singing for God once again. For gospel fans everywhere, this
album was certainly worth the wait.
--STEVE TIMM
CAUZIN' EFEKT FAMLEE AFFAIR (GRRR)
The Christian rap scene has not been known for its quality
when compared to secular rap. Sure, there are a few notable
exceptions to this but, for the most part, the quality just
isn't there. Cauzin' Efekt is one of those exceptions. A
great blend of cutting edge funk, and jazz, this is one of
the finest I have heard in Christian rap.
Why did this album grab my attention? First, it isn't as
repetitive as other rap albums have a tendency to be. With
one exception, in "Just Do It," the verses are quite long but
the repetitive samples are kept to a minimum. There are
samples, but they are placed in just the right spots to be
effective, yet not overused.
A second reason it stands out is in the use of other
rappers. Many groups are doing this now, but few with the
success of Cauzin' Efekt. They throw in a few guest
appearances, but still hold the flow of the music. The
different artists actually help to enhance the flow of the
music rather than restrict it. This is shown the best effect
in the song "920," where a female rapper, MIKO, is
responsible for an entire verse. With her help, this song has
become one of my favorites.
This group actually has some singing talent. This is very
evident with their intros and several choruses. They are able
to add vocals that are pleasant to listen to and they rap
well enough to hold interest. This blend of singing, rapping,
and various other musical instruments creates a style that is
enjoyable and made me want to get up and dance!
FAMLEE AFFAIR is a great album. There are strong lyrics and
incredible delivery (vocal and musical). If you like rap
music and haven't heard this one, I think you'll find it
worth the effort.
--ROD GALLAGHER
20/20 BLIND NEVER FAR (INTERSOUND)
The debut from 20/20 Blind on Intersound Records is a solid
release. The Houston-based five-member band has been together
for three and a half years--enough time for them to find
their sound and polish it somewhat.
That sound is pretty diverse. The album kicks off with
"Wash," a strong rocker that showcases vocal harmonies
reminiscent of KING'S X. Then comes "Soul Song," another
rocker, before the album slides into "Love Keeps Reaching," a
power ballad that does a good job of displaying another side
of the band.
Then comes "I Am Blind," one of my favorite cuts. The song
displays vocalist Wallace Chase's abilities well. "Do I"
deals with sexual temptation, and is one of the more
musically creative pieces.
The second half is just as strong, with the standouts being
"Never Far," "Show Each Other Love," and "Another Love."
"Never Far" and "Another Love" are both up-tempo acoustic
tunes that have strong harmonies. "Show Each Other Love" is
all-out rock, that shows these guys can bang with the best of
them.
Besides KING'S X, I also heard strains of EXTREME and VAN
HALEN. Lyrically, the band addresses several topics, but a
recurring theme is the emptiness that everyone feels
sometimes, and they point to God as the answer. 20/20 Blind
should appeal to fans of WHITE HEART, GUARDIAN and other
hard-rock groups. The musicianship of Shon Alkire (bass),
Doug Middleton (guitar), Chris Laurents (drums), and Michael
McNeely (guitar) is strong, and provides a good backdrop for
Chase's atmospheric vocals.
--BETH BLINN

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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

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