THE COVER OF LOVE

Phil Keaggy was born in Youngstown, Ohio on March 23, 1951.  At the age of four he lost half of his middle finger on his right hand due to an accident on the family farm involving a water pump.  He was the guitarist and vocalist for rock band Glass Harp who released three albums in the early 1970's.  They opened for the likes of Alice Cooper, the Kinks, and Yes.  Keaggy put out the first of his over 50 solo albums WHAT A DAY in 1973.  That summer he married Bernadette.  They had a rough go of it for a while.  She miscarried in 1975 with triplets.  In 1976 they had a son Ryan die after only a few days.  In 1977 there was another miscarriage.  God was good to them though and they had three kids.  Alicia was born in 1980, Olivia in 1984, and Ian in 1987.

Keaggy's bio states: "For three years in a row, Phil was voted one of the top fingerstyle guitarists by Guitar Player Magazine."  His 1978 album THE MASTER AND THE MUSICIAN was CCM's first instrumental album.  He has won several Dove Awards in that category.  My favourite Phil Keaggy albums are: PHIL KEAGGY AND SUNDAY'S CHILD (1988), CRIMSON AND BLUE (1993), TIME 1 AND 2 (1995), and TRUE BELIEVER (1995).  Phil's latest effort is THE COVER OF LOVE (2012, Strobie Records).  It is a collection of love songs recorded between 1997 and 2011, with half of them being covers.

'Between Wyomings' starts things off.  Ken Mansfield is the writer.  He was a young music executive with Capitol Records in the 1960's, helping the careers of the Beatles, Glen Campbell, Lou Rawls, and others.  In 1968 the Fab Four named him the U.S. manager of Apple Records.  Today he has a ministry which involves him being an author and speaker.  'Between Wyomings' finds him love sick: "Seems I've tried a thousand times/But I can't get you off my mind/They say that time is supposed to heal/But it always hurts me when I feel/Lost between Wyomings without your love/And baby, lately I've been havin' dreams about you."  The song would fit nicely on Larry Norman's 1970's albums SO LONG AGO THE GARDEN and IN ANOTHER LAND.  Phil's daughters provide backing vocals.  A fantastic cover of 'Good Vibrations' which was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love in 1966 is up next.  The version here features lead and background vocals by Phil and Gene Miller.  Miller has toured with the likes of Kenny Loggins and Donna Summer.  He is currently a member of the Nashville Alternators, a group that includes CCM industry vets Chris Rodriguez and Tommy Sims.  'Good Vibrations' begins with these magical words: "I, I love the colorful clothes she wears/And the way the sunlight plays upon her hair/I hear the sound of a gentle word/On the wind that lifts her perfume through the air/I'm pickin' up good vibrations/She's giving me excitations."  'She Sees Me' written by Phil and Jon Sexton finds Carl Herrgesell on piano and B3 organ.  It speaks of the intimacy experienced in a love relationship: "Because there's so much there to see/Written between the lines/Oh how do I say it?/She is my best friend and she sees me for who I am/Because there's someone standing there/Standing right by my side/How do I say it?"  The song has a gentle, breezy sound to it.

'Where are you Love?' was written by Phil and Olivia Keaggy in 2011.  Olivia is on lead vocals, while Phil is on guitar and harmony vocals.  The song is a tender ballad about losing love: "Tell me, will you tell me while my heart is breaking?/Walk with me through the flame of the fire/Where are you love, where are you love?/Oh, did you mean to be leaving?/Speak to me/Walk with me."  On 2011's 'My Auburn Lady' Phil handles vocals, guitars, bass and percussion.  It is a soft number with ultra romantic lyrics written for his wife: "Ah, Bern, I am smitten o'er again/Ah Bern, by your beauty my dear friend/Ah Bern, and you know how much I do depend on you/It's true, my auburn lady/Ah Bern, so faithful through the years/Ah Bern, through the laughter, through the tears/Ah Bern, through my dark insides and foolish fears/I knew, I knew.../You to be a rock that I can cling to."  'Somedays' is from Paul McCartney's 1997 album FLAMING PIE.  Phil is responsible for lead and harmony vocals, guitars, mandolin, and keyboards.  The song includes the following words of someone blown away by the love they've found: "We don't need anybody else to tell us what is real/Inside each one of us is love/And we know how it feels/Somedays I look/I look at you with eyes that shine/Somedays I don't/I don't believe that you are mine/It's no good asking me what time of day it is/Who won the match or scored the goal/Somedays I look/Somedays I look into your soul." 

'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You' has an old time rock 'n' roll feel to it.  It was written by Maurice Mysels and Ira Koslof in 1956 and popularized by the one and only Elvis.  These words from it paint a picture of someone head over heels in love: "Ev'ry time you are near/All my cares disappear/Darling you're all that I'm living for/I want you, I need you, I love you/More and more.../Won't you please be my own?/Never leave me alone/'Cause I die ev'ry time we're apart/I want you, I need you, I love you/With all my heart."  'Voices in the Sky' was a hit single for the Moody Blues in 1968.  It includes these lyrics inspired by nature: "Bluebird, flying high/Tell me what you sing/If you could talk to me/What news would you bring/Of voices in the sky?/Nightingale, hovering high/Harmonize the wind/Darkness, your symphony/I can hear you sing/Of voices in the sky/Just what is happening to me?/I lie awake with the sound of the sea/Calling to me."  'Grow with Me' written by Phil and Michael Lewis is an excellent new rock song driven by electric guitar.  Drums are played by John Sferra of Glass Harp.  Read these passionate lyrics: "To have you by my side/I could never ask for more/And when you hold me it's so right/I love you, I do/And that's all she wrote/So let's keep the flame alive/And don't ever let me go/Never let me go/Let's keep the flame alive/And don't ever let me go/Never let me go (2X)."

The last three songs turn our attention to Divine Love.  'Motor of Love' is another Paul McCartney number, this time from 1989's FLOWERS IN THE DIRT.  It is a beautiful sounding, blatant song of testimony: "Motor of love, motor of love/Heavenly Father, look down from above;/I can't get over Your powerful motor of love/I can't get over Your love/No matter how lost I feel/I know my love is real thanks to You/You simply reached out Your hand/And touched me deep in my soul/Came in out of the cold, thanks to you/I won't steal anything from You/You give me more than enough."  'What Matters Most' written by Phil contains these spiritual words of invitation: "Come close to me and open your heart/Come here and listen, and open your eyes/Come and embrace, open your arms/What matters most is love never dies/Go to the sea of forgiveness/Go to the well that never runs dry/Walk in the land, the land of the living/What matters most is love never dies."  The closing track 'Where the Morning Dawns', written by Phil and Mike Radovsky, was inspired by author George MacDonald who died in 1905.  Musically this song that credits James Hollihan Jr. with trumpet and strings arrangement, will please Beatles fans.  Lyrically, it is a tribute to God who is Himself Love: "In the holy hush of the early dawn/Oh to hear a Voice speaking/'I am with you all day long'/And to know that Love has a Face/The giver of Amazing Grace."

THE COVER OF LOVE has on the cover a totally cute picute of Olivia Keaggy when she was four.  The album was produced, recorded, and mixed by Phil Keaggy at Kegworth Studio.  It was mastered by Mike Pachelli at Fullblast Recording Studio.  According to his bio: "These days, Phil Keaggy continues to delight audiences all over the U.S. performing primarily acoustic shows, and occasional concerts with a band."  In the liner notes Phil says: "Thank You my Lord for granting me grace, mercy and peace and love that endures through all eternity.  I am humbled and eternally grateful to You."  I recommend THE COVER OF LOVE to those who enjoy good pop music on the lighter side of things, and to those whose favourite Bible book is Song of Songs.  I'm rating this CD 87%.  For more info visit http://www.philkeaggy.com/.

SONGS FOR ISRAEL

     SONGS FOR ISRAEL (2010, Candlelight Concerts and Records) features the talents of four singer-songwriters: Phil Keaggy, Randy Stonehill, Bob Bennett, and Buck Storm.  The following words from artist Ray Ware who painted the front cover 'With His Disciples in Galilee', shed light on the background for this project: "In November 2008, Candlelight Christian Fellowship and Compass International of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho embarked on an experiment-of-sorts by inviting four songwriters to visit Israel and other Biblical locales with the purpose of writing and recording a new body of music inspired by what they experienced together...Note that these artists were not in a cocoon of their own but lived and traveled with a diverse group of one hundred and fifty Christian pilgrims from across the USA."  Pastor Paul Van Noy sheds further light on this endeavour: "We chose to make this record because we believe it is God's will that we support and pray for Israel.  The Lord has and will use her to make Himself known to the rest of the world.  Today in the Church Age, He uses believers in Jesus as His ambassadors to the 'Jew first and also to the Gentile.'"
     The album begins with a deeply emotional song, 'Jerusalem', written and sung by Buck Storm who has a gravelly voice: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem you who stoned the prophets/How I have longed to gather you into My arms/Jerusalem, Jerusalem you who stoned the prophets/Precious in weakness and loved by the God who made you/Darkness comes to the City of David/Bone and skin lie bare to the wind/Blood and bent fingers/A Son crying out to His Father/Precious in weakness, perfect in love."  'House of the Lord' is a mellow song written and performed by Phil Keaggy.  It has God making promises to Israel: "And I will pour on the House of David/And those who dwell in Jerusalem/The spirit of grace and supplication/And they will see Him who was pierced/Who was pierced for all their sins/If My people who are called by My Name/Will humble themselves/And pray and seek My face/If My people turn from their wicked ways/Then I will hear from Heaven/Forgive their sin, and heal their land."  'Eyes Upon the Land' is an easy listening song delivered by Bob Bennett.  It speaks of God's goodness amidst heartache: "So much trouble, so much pain/An endless supply of well-worn hate/Sorrows that no man can ever number/Sown into this tiny piece of real estate/But God keeps the faithful preceding me/To tend this garden in the sand/Who keep the Torah and tell of Him/Who always keeps His eyes upon the land."
     'The Secret Name of God' is a wonderful Randy Stonehill ballad that runs over six minutes in length.  The lyrics look forward with hopefulness to the afterlife: "Mighty is His mystery, glorious in power/In ecstasy the heavenly hosts applaud/And when we are transformed, when spirits don their wings/It's then we'll know the secret name of God/The secret name of God."  'John the Revelator' is a song that will be familiar to Phil Keaggy fans from years past.  This song really brings the funk and is about an amazing experience John had while on the Isle of Patmos: "Well he wrote to the Seven Churches/And he wrote to those scattered abroad/He said 'Hold fast, return to your first love/And keep your faith in God'/Now tell me who's that writing?/John, John/Well, tell me who's that writing?/John, John'/Well, tell me who's that writing?/John the Revelator/He wrote the Book of the Seven Seals."  'God of All Creation (from Psalm 8)' is a song of praise that finds Buck Storm rejoicing: "Hallelujah, God of all creation/How exalted is Your name in all the earth/You've set Your glory high above the heavens/And You think of me/Beneath Your watchful gaze a flower grows/The seasons give their song, the oceans heave/The pain of childbirth fades/A baby breathes/The sparrow's flight does not escape Your eye." 
     'Deliver Us, Deliver Me' is a rock number written and sung by Bob Bennett and Phil Keaggy.  It points to the proper attitude we should have towards sinners: "The words of the Savior, 'Go and sin no more'/He would not throw a stone at the sinner/A welcome for the stranger, a cup of cool water/Forgiveness that melts away the winter/Why then do we judge and condemn?/When it's never meant to be a matter of us versus them/If the way of the cross leads us to peace/How can we not help but heal them?"  'Exiled' is a nice, thought provoking instrumental written by Phil Keaggy and Kyle Jones.  It affords the listener the opportunity to reflect on what has been sung so far.  On 'The Garden' Buck Storm shares of his personal experiences on the trip to the Holy Land: "I have tarried in the garden/I have rested in the sound of Spanish hymns/Filled with the mystery of pardon/And the wondering of grace bestowed to men/In the garden/I stand in the half-light with the dust of ruins on these travelling clothes/Caught somewhere between the angels and the ghosts."
     'Psalm 121' is a light pop song performed by Phil Keaggy.  It puts total confidence and trust in God: "Behold, He who keeps Israel/Shall neither slumber nor sleep/The Lord is your keeper/The Lord is your shade/On your right hand/The sun will not smite you by day/Nor the moon by night/The Lord will protect you from all evil/He will keep your soul/The Lord will guard your going out/And your coming in/From this time forth and forever."  'Broken Places' is pretty and has Randy Stonehill delivering a great vocal performance.  This song which would later appear on his SPIRIT WALK cd, speaks of God's promises to us: When the world has gone insane/When you're ragged from the strain/Call My name/You call My name/I'll meet you in the broken places/In the shadows of your pain/In a sea of strangers faces/I will find you, stand beside you (2X)/Anytime you call My name/Anytime you call/Just call My name."  The album ends with 'The Lord Bless Thee' featuring all four artists.  It contains these familiar words from a benediction uttered in many a church: "The Lord bless thee and keep thee/The Lord make His face to shine upon thee (3X)/And be gracious unto thee/Be gracious unto thee/The Lord lift up His countenance/Upon thee and give thee peace (2X)."
     SONGS FOR ISRAEL is, for the most part, a gentle contemplative project that will draw you closer to the person of Jesus and to the Holy Land.  The musical talents of the legendary Phil Keaggy are all over this album which is produced by Buck Storm.  The photographs of the artists in various geographic locations are a nice touch.  I'm rating SONGS FOR ISRAEL 85% and recommending it to those who wish to deepen their Christian walk.  To purchase this project go to http://www.candlelightfellowship.org/ and click on 'Ministry Products/Store.'  For more info on artist Ray Ware visit http://www.artistrayware.com/.