SHAKE

John William Schlitt was born on February 3, 1950 in Lincoln, Illinois.  He joined the mainstream rock band Head East in 1972 as a lead vocalist.  In 1980 he was fired due to his drug and alcohol addiction.  He became suicidal but thankfully through the influence of his wife and her pastor, became a born again Christian.  In 1986 John became the lead singer of the Christian rock band Petra, when Greg X. Volz left the band.  In 1995 Schlitt released his solo debut, SHAKE (Word).  He writes: “I would like to thank the Lord Jesus Christ.  For through His sacrifice, I have a second chance in life and am able to enjoy the fruits of a happy family as a husband, father, and son.  Thanks to my wife Dorla, for your strength and devotion...I want to thank Petra for having the courage to let me stretch”.

Schlitt, Mark Heimermann, and Dan Huff wrote ‘Wake the Dead’, which is one of the greatest Christian rock songs of all time in my opinion.  It includes great electric guitar work by Huff and is very catchy.  These lyrics are meant to wake Christians from their spiritual slumber: “Wake up!/There’s a job to be done/You’ve got a calling that you haven’t begun/For too long you’ve been coasting along/You think salvation is the end of it all/The fields are ready, but the workers few/You’re not heeding the call/It’s time the body starts to shout the news/And wake the world up to God’s invitation/Wake the dead (2X)/Take up the call and carry His commission/Wake the dead (2X)/Don’t be content and just walk away/There’s too much to do to just walk away”.  The also catchy pop/rock song ‘Don’t Look Back’ follows.  It starts off tackling regret: “Every morning as I look into the mirror/Yesterday’s mistakes are so painfully clear/I could let them take me under/Be a source of misery/Or I could understand the power of the blood that’s shed for me”.

‘Show Me the Way’ is a melodic song that serves as a sincere prayer: “Take me, guide me, lead me/I’m trusting in You, Lord/Teach me and show me the way/Break me, love me, forgive me/I’m asking of You, Lord/Take me and show me the way.../I know for me You have the perfect plan/I know You had it before time began/Don’t want to listen to what others say/Just show me the way”.  ‘Inside of You’ is a beautiful adult contemporary ballad.  One of the co-writers is Billy Luz Sprague.  The song points to our true potential: “Oh, inside of you there’s a heart full of dreams/Like the gold in a stream to be uncovered/Inside of you lies a soul made to shine/Yes, a child meant to fly and discover/All the wonders God can do inside of you/Where dreams can still come true...”

‘Let it Show’ is a funky alternative rock number about sharing the Gospel: “So many friends are being led about, down the path of life’s deceptions/You’d speak the truth, but fear to let it out/You don’t want to face rejection/No matter what the cost/You’ve got to let them know/The key to life you’ve found/You’ve got to let it show/Say you’ve been forgiven/Live the life you’re livin’/Don’t hold back/Just let it show”.  Schlitt wrote ‘Carry the Burden’ with Dan and David Huff.  It’s a standout Christian rock song about relying on our sure hope, Jesus Christ: “Let Jesus carry the burden/And remember His words that were spoken/Let Jesus carry the burden/Trusting in the price of the sacrifice/Shed for you.../When a problem you face starts to break you/If you lift it in prayer/Together you’ll get through/Yes, He’s faithful to always be there/No need to worry, you’re not alone/Don’t have to try to do it on your own”.

‘One by One’ is a moving rock ballad with Donna McElroy, Vicki Hampton, Kim Fleming, and Kari Schlitt on backing vocals.  It encourages us to help others: “One man could do so much/Sharing the life that he lives through God’s loving touch/That light that shines from the mountain top/It is a beacon of strength and of hope/That no one can rob/If I can reach just one, if I can touch just one/If I can help just one/One by one”.  Schlitt wrote ‘Try Understanding His Heart’ with Petra bandmates Jim Cooper and Ronny Cates.  It speaks to God’s character: “Try understanding His heart/His love for you, it is never ending/Try understanding His heart/It has for you enough mercy, grace/And strength for you to face it all/Understand His heart/With Him there is a strength to carry on/He paid the price, He sacrificed/His love is there for you/He wants to help you through”.

‘The Hard Way’ is an adult contemporary track that reflects on the crucifixion: “His anguish echoed against a dark sky/All of heaven watched in silence/And from that mountain He looked through dim eyes/As the world mocked the Messiah/He crossed that valley alone/Exchanged His life for my soul/He would not forsake me”.  The closing song, ‘The Road to Calvary’, was penned by Rich Gootee, John Schlitt, and Jim Cooper.  Joe Spivey plays mandolin and violin on this gospel anthem: “On that road, He walked for you and me/On that road, through all the pain and misery/He knew when it was finished/We would have the victory/On that road, the road to Calvary”.

Some solo albums from frontmen of groups can be a mixed bag quality wise, or even all out duds.  Not so with John Schlitt’s SHAKE.  This album flawlessly blends rock and adult contemporary sounds that at the time of its release in 1995 would appeal to youth and adults.  Schlitt delivers some great vocals here and for the most part it doesn’t sound like a Petra album, which is a good thing to say here, artistically.  Three main lyrical themes emerge on the album: being a witness for Jesus by sharing the Gospel, living for Christ and not looking back, and the events of Good Friday.  Needless to say this record will mainly appeal to evangelicals.  The songs are straight forward without being condemning or using big theological terms.  I’m rating SHAKE a perfect 100%.  For more info visit: www.johnwschlitt.com.

WAYNE WATSON

Wayne Watson was born on October 5, 1954 in Wisner, Louisiana.  His first album was 1980’s WORKIN’ IN THE FINAL HOUR.  Among his Dove Award wins was one for ‘Male Vocalist of the Year’ in 1989.  He’s twice been nominated for a Grammy Award.  Some of his best known songs are: ‘Friend of a Wounded Heart’, ‘When God’s People Pray’, ‘Watercolour Ponies’, and ‘Another Time, Another Place’.  The latter is a duet he sang with Sandi Patty on ‘The Tonight Show’ in the 1990’s.  In 2000 Watson released a self-titled album via Word/Epic.  It was produced by Michael Omartian and Jerry McPherson.  In the liner notes, Wayne writes: “I think this is a better project because we let life get in the way of the songwriting.  My prayer is that it will be timely for all who hear”.

‘More than a little Unusual’ is an upbeat pop song featuring Michael Omartian on piano and Phil Madeira on the Hammond B-3.  It starts with these words of encouragement: “Everybody’s picking on you, you’re not like everybody else/Even when the big bad world backs off just a little/You’re still pretty hard on yourself/Feel like you just don’t fit in/But your faith, your conviction is strong/And just because you march to the beat of a different drummer/Hey, that doesn’t mean that you’re wrong”.  ‘Merciful Heaven’ is an adult contemporary ballad requesting forgiveness: “Merciful Heaven, have mercy on me/Seven times seven, I’ve always believed/You’ve got the power and I have the need/Merciful Heaven, have mercy on me”.  Chris Rodriguez, Gene Miller, and Michael Mellett provide backing vocals on the optimistic pop song ‘Finest Hour’ which includes these words: “What a moment this is/It is good to be alive/There is still time for changing the world/I believe it can happen/God has given us life/He has given us breath/And the sun is not set/We are not finished yet/And I tell you there must be a reason.../This could be your finest hour/This could be your place in time/This could be your defining moment/Get ready to shine (2X)”.

‘Trust in You’ has refreshingly vulnerable lyrics: “I don’t trust my eyes anymore/They’re easily deceived/Too often led astray by things that cannot be believed/Smoke and mirrors, slight of hand/Make a mockery of the truth/I don’t trust my eyes anymore/But God, I still trust You”.  ‘The Blood of Jesus’ is a beautiful worship anthem: “It was the blood of Jesus/The blood of Jesus/That opened heaven’s door to let me in/It was the blood of Jesus, the blood of Jesus/That washed away the guilt/That washed away the guilt of all my sin”.  One of the backing vocalists is Melinda Doolittle.  She finished third on Season 6 of ‘American Idol’.

Bernie Herms plays the Wurlitzer and Michael Omartian the accordion on ‘One of these Days’.  This song speaks of the emotional toll of living on this fallen planet: “One of these days I’m gonna break down and cry/For the world full of sorrow and sin/One of these days I’m gonna break down and cry/But for now I’m gonna hold it in.../Don’t let my heart grow so cold/So hard against the plot of my enemy/That I can’t feel the suffering/And I can’t see the pain of hearts that ache/For Jesus’ sake”.  ‘Everything Can Change So Fast’ is a nice light pop song that uses horns.  It talks of spiritual transformation: “Jesus said it just takes a simple faith/To wash a lifetime of guilt and sin away/And a heart that is weeping will be dancing for joy/Yeah, the minute you trust Him/The minute you pray/I tell you/Everything can change so fast (2X)/In the blink of an eye/Your sin’s a thing of the past/Everything can change so fast”.

‘The Ones Left Standing’ is an inspirational number about grief: “The peace of God will abide in the season of our sorrow/In the valley of a pain we can’t describe/In the palm of His hand is a shelter from the madness/We can never really understand/Cause the ones left standing have to cry all the tears/And replay all the memories/The good and the bad from the years.../And in eternity when all the mysteries are gone/It will be clear that it was our God keeping us strong”.  An upbeat gospel number called ‘Pray’ celebrates a spiritual discipline: “This is not some last resort, some act of desperation/A string to pull when your hope has just faded away/I believe that the humble, righteous prayer/It can heal a broken nation/I believe a faithful God will hear us and provide a way/Yeah, bring Him all of your worry, all your despair/All your tears, anytime, anywhere/You can pray!”

Scott Dente from Out of the Grey plays acoustic guitar on ‘The Wrong Stuff’.  It deals with spiritual warfare: “How did you get so far from holiness?/How did you get so far from true?/This road will lead you to destruction/You’re not dreaming up something new.../The soul’s at war with principalities, the evil and the good, oh/And the one that tends to get the victory/The stronger part of you and me/Will be the side you give attention to/The nature that you feed, oh”.  Sam Levine plays penny whistle on the very personal ballad ‘Turning into Dad’.  These are some of the words: “I cannot explain it, but I just knew it in my heart/That my hero had breathed his last and said goodbye/We are flesh and we are spirit/It’s appointed to us once to really live and once to die.../Of all the things that I could still become/I could do a whole lot worse/Than turning into Dad”.

WAYNE WATSON is a light Christian pop album with a heavy influence of adult contemporary music.  The slow, worshipful, and reflective songs far outweigh the faster paced ones.  There is not really one central unifying theme on the album besides God and His involvement in our lives.  Some of the topics addressed are: forgiveness, prayer, reaching the lost, worldliness, and trusting God.  Wayne’s maturity really comes through in his lyrics and vocals.  Fans of the more laid back material of Michael W. Smith, Morgan Cryar, and Steve Camp should acquire this album.  These are songs born out of a long personal relationship with God.  I’m rating WAYNE WATSON 92%.  For more info visit: www.waynewatson.com.

 

 

 

BORN TO RUN

Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen was born on September 23, 1949 in Long Branch, New Jersey.  His debut album was 1973’s GREETINGS FROM ASBURY PARK, N.J.  Bruce’s third studio album, BORN TO RUN (1975, Columbia), took over fourteen months to record, with the title track alone taking six months.  The album, produced by Bruce, Jon Landau, and Mike Appel, peaked at #3 on the U.S. Billboard 200.  According to Wikipedia.org, Springsteen wanted the album “to sound like Roy Orbison singing Bob Dylan, produced by Spector”.  In ’75 Bruce was on the covers of ‘Time’ and ‘Newsweek’, and many of this album’s songs got lots of airplay on rock stations.

An earlier version of the album’s first song had been called ‘Wings for Wheels’.  ‘Thunder Road’ takes its title from a 1958 Robert Mitchum movie of the same name.  This memorable rock song makes use of harmonica, glockenspiel, saxophones, and Fender Rhodes.  These lyrics find Bruce being persuasive: “You can hide ‘neath your covers and study your pain/Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain/Waste your summer praying in vain/For a saviour to rise from these streets/Well now, I’m no hero, that’s understood/All the redemption I can offer, girl is beneath this dirty hood/With a chance to make it good somehow/Hey, what else can we do now?/Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair.../It’s a town full of losers/And I’m pulling out of here to win”.  As a single, the next song, ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze Out’, reached only #83 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Bruce doesn’t even know what the title refers to!  This rock song features horns arranged by Steve Van Zandt and Springsteen.  The song is said to talk of how the E Street Band formed: “Tear drops on the city/Bad Scooter searching for his groove/Seem like the whole world walking pretty/And you can’t find the room to move/Well, everybody better move over, that’s all/Cause I’m running on the bad side/And I got my back to the wall.../When the change was made uptown and the Big Man joined the band/From the coastline to the city/All the little pretties raise their hands/I’m gonna sit back right easy and laugh/When Scooter and the Big Man bust this city in half”.  In the song, Scooter is Bruce, and the Big Man is saxophonist Clarence Clemons.

‘Night’ is a fast paced rock song with Max M. Weinberg on drums and Roy Bittan playing piano, harpsichord, and glockenspiel.  These lyrics will appeal to the working man looking for relief from the stresses of the workplace: “You get up every morning at the sound of the bell/You get to work late and the boss man’s giving you hell/Till you’re out on a midnight run/Losing your heart to a beautiful one.../You work nine to five and somehow you survive till the night/Hell, all day they’re busting you up on the outside/But tonight you’re gonna break on through to the inside/And it’ll be right, it’ll be right/And it’ll be tonight/And you know she will be waiting there and you’ll find her somehow you swear/Somewhere tonight”.  ‘Backstreets’ is a terrific rock story song that runs six and a half minutes long and begins with a beautiful piano and organ intro.  Here are some of the lyrics: “Laying here in the dark/You’re like an angel on my chest/Just another tramp of hearts/Crying tears of faithlessness/Remember all the movies, Terry/We’d go see/Trying to learn how to walk like heroes/We thought we had to be/And after all this time/To find we’re just like all the rest/Stranded in the park/And forced to confess to hiding on the backstreets/Hiding on the backstreets/Where we swore forever friends/On the backstreets until the end/Hiding on the backstreets”.

Next up is the album’s title track, ‘Born to Run’.  Danny Federici plays organ, while Clarence Clemons plays saxophone.  Unfortunately, both of these talented men are no longer with us.  At any rate, the song hit #23 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and #17 on the U.S. Cash Box Top 100 Singles chart.  Roger Daltrey and Melissa Etheridge are among those who have performed live covers of it.  It is an energetic rock song told from the perspective of a dreamer: “The highway’s jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive/Everybody’s out on the run tonight/But there’s no place left to hide/Together, Wendy, we can live with the sadness/I’ll love you with all the madness in my soul/Someday girl, I don’t know when/We’re gonna get to that place where we really want to go/And we’ll walk in the sun/But till then, tramps like us/Baby, we were born to run”.  Garry Tallent plays bass on ‘She’s the One’, which reflects on a gal: “With her killer graces and her secret places that no boy can fill/With her hands on her hips/Oh, and that smile on her lips/Because she knows that it kills me/With her soft French cream/Standing in that doorway like a dream/I wish she’d just leave me alone/Because French cream won’t soften them boots/And French kisses will not break that heart of stone/With her long hair falling and her eyes that shine like a midnight sun/Oh-o, she’s the one, she’s the one”.

‘Meeting Across the River’ was the B-side of the title track.  Early on it was known as ‘The Heist’.  Randy Brecker plays trumpet and Richard Davis the double bass on this curious ballad about making an escape: “Hey Eddie, can you lend me a few bucks and tonight can you get us a ride?/Gotta make it through the tunnel/Got a meeting with a man on the other side/Hey Eddie, this guy, he’s the real thing/So, if you want to come along/You gotta promise you won’t say anything/Cause this guy don’t dance/And the word’s been passed/This is our last chance”.  Closing things off is an epic nine and a half minute story song that uses strings and includes an extended sax solo.  ‘Jungleland’ includes the following words: “Barefoot girl sitting on the hood of a Dodge/Drinking warm beer in the soft summer rain/The Rat pulls into town, rolls up his pants/Together they take a stab at romance/And disappear down Flamingo Lane.../Beneath the city two hearts beat/Soul engines running through a night so tender/In a bedroom locked/In whispers of soft refusal/And then surrender/In the tunnels uptown/The Rat’s own dream guns him down/As shots echo down them hallways in the night/No one watches when the ambulance pulls away/Or as the girl shuts out the bedroom light”.

BORN TO RUN is a beautiful rock album.  Bruce’s vocals are gritty and passionate and the musicianship is second to none.  The eight songs on the album flow well together.  As a whole, the album is a great work of art.  However, if you are looking for mainly verse and chorus sing-a-long songs, there aren’t many to be found here.  The lyrics on this album are autobiographical and it is not easy to decipher the meanings of the songs and the references in them.  I’m rating BORN TO RUN 85% and recommending it to fans of Tom Cochrane and Tom Petty.  Springsteen’s next studio album wouldn’t emerge until 1978.  For more info visit: www.brucespringsteen.net.

 

 

ALL SUMMER LONG

The Beach Boys released four albums in 1964, with one being a live concert.  ALL SUMMER LONG (Capitol) was released on July 13^th, and was the group’s sixth studio album overall.  It hit #4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 Albums Chart, and was arranged and produced by Brian Wilson.  Group members on the album are: Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine.  Session musicians used include Hal Blaine and Glen Campbell.  This was the last regular studio album the group recorded before Brian’s nervous breakdown in December 1964 and his retirement from touring.  In the album’s original liner notes, Brian writes: “People ask me sometimes how I come up with my ideas.  Sometimes I don’t know.  The feelings you get from going to school, being in love, winning and losing in sports-these are my inspirations...I love to make records that my friends like to hear”.

‘I Get Around’ is one of seven Brian Wilson/Mike Love co-writes.  The duo share lead vocals on this their first #1 single in America, and their first Top Ten hit in Great Britain.  This fun rock ‘n’ roll song includes a lead guitar break, handclaps, and these lyrics: “We always take my car cause it’s never been beat/And we’ve never missed yet with the girls we meet/None of the guys go steady cause it wouldn’t be right/To leave their best girl home now on a Saturday night/I get around from town to town/I’m a real cool head/I’m makin’ real good bread/I get around”.  George Lucas used ‘All Summer Long’ for the closing titles of his 1973 film ‘American Graffiti’.  This breezy pop song makes use of the xylophone and opens with these words: “Sittin’ in my car outside your house/’Member when you spilled coke all over your blouse/T-shirts, cut-offs, and a pair of thongs/We’ve been having fun all summer long/All summer long you’ve been with me/I can’t see enough of you”.

Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman wrote ‘Hushabye’, which was a Top 20 hit for the Mystics back in 1959.  This pretty ballad would be a good one to sing to your young daughter: “Lullabye and goodnight/In your dreams I hold you tight/Lullabye and goodnight/Till the dawn’s early light/Pillows lying on your bed/Oh my darling, rest your head/Sandman will be coming soon/Singing you a slumber tune”.  The Beach Boys did not have a hit with ‘Little Honda’, but it went Top 10 for the Hondells.  It’s a happy rock ‘n’ roll tune: “It’s not a big motorcycle/Just a groovy little motorbike/It’s more fun than a barrel of monkeys/That two wheel bike/We’ll ride on out of the town/To any place I know you like/First gear/Honda, Honda/It’s alright, faster, faster/Second gear/Little Honda, Honda/I lean right, faster, faster/Third gear/Honda, Honda/Hang on tight, faster, faster/Faster, it’s alright”.

Brian Wilson and Gary Usher co-wrote the romantic ballad ‘We’ll Run Away’.  It makes good use of the Hammond organ and includes these thoughts: “They warned us that we can’t live on love forever/But we just tell them we’ll get by somehow/Our problems will be greater/We’ll worry ‘bout them later/We’ll run away and get married anyhow/If other kids went through it, then I know we can do it/If our love is that much stronger/It will last that much longer”.  ‘Carl’s Big Chance’, penned by Brian and Carl, was originally called ‘Memphis Beach’.  It’s the last surf-guitar instrumental recorded by the group.  It’s a dandy, bouncy, danceable song, featuring Carl on guitar.

Mike and Brian share lead vocal duties on ‘Wendy’, a song about heartbreak: “Wendy, Wendy what went wrong, oh so wrong?/We went together for so long/I never thought a guy could cry/Till you made it with another guy/Oh Wendy, Wendy left me alone/Hurt so bad”.  ‘Do You Remember?’ is an upbeat rock ‘n’ roll song that praises rock ‘n’ roll artists: “Chuck Berry’s gotta be the greatest thing that came along/He made the guitar beats and wrote the all-time greatest song/Well now, do you remember all the guys that gave us rock and roll?/Elvis Presley is the king/He’s the giant of the day/Paved the way for the rock and roll stars/Yeah, the critics kept a knockin’, but the stars kept a rockin’/And the choppin’ didn’t get very far/Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!”

‘Girls on the Beach’ features the group on lead vocals and at times sounds like ‘Surfer Girl’.  It was the title song from the only beach movie the group appeared in.  Some of the lyrics are: “How we love to lie around/Girls with tans of golden brown/The girls on the beach are all within reach/And one waits there for you/Girls on the beach/The sun in her hair/The warmth of the air on a summer day”.  ‘Drive-In’ is a fun rock ‘n’ roll ditty all around: “A big buttered popcorn and an extra large coke/A few chili dogs and man I’m going broke/Down at the drive in/Yeah at the drive in/We love the drive in (2X)/Don’t sneak your buddies in the trunk ‘cause they might get caught by the drive in/And they’d look kinda stupid gettin’ chased through the lot/Around the drive in”.

‘Our Favorite Recording Sessions’ is just banter of the Boys goofing off in the studio.  Last up is ‘Don’t Back Down’, a song about courage when it comes to surfing: “When a twenty-footer sneaks up like a ton of lead/And the crest comes along and slaps ‘em upside the head/They’re not afraid, not my boys/They grit their teeth, they don’t back down/Don’t back down, you gotta be a little nuts/Don’t back down/But show ‘em now who’s got guts/Don’t back down/Don’t back down from that wave”.  A CD re-issue of LITTLE DEUCE COUPE/ALL SUMMER LONG would include some bonus tracks.  Two were alternate takes of ‘Little Honda’ and 'Don’t Back Down’.  Another was ‘All Dressed Up For School’, with Carl singing lead.  The school girl fantasy goes way back: “All summer long she had a crush on me/But I just couldn’t care at all/But those new to school threads really did it for her/Now she’s turned into a doll/All dressed up for school/Dressed up for school, ooo what a turn on!”

ALL SUMMER LONG really does find the Beach Boys in very fine form!  The group’s harmonies are spot on.  The group shows a maturity on this record that isn’t on their earlier records consistently.  Girls are the main topic here, with cars coming in second.  The faster paced rock ‘n’ roll cuts outweigh the ballads.  David Leaf wrote in 1990: “This was really the first time the Beach Boys recorded a complete album about their own Southern California lifestyle”.  Though the Beatles were popular at the time, the Beach Boys could certainly hold their own!  I’m rating ALL SUMMER LONG 95%.  For more info visit: www.thebeachboys.com.

 

 

SHUT DOWN VOLUME 2

In 1963 the song ‘Shut Down’ hit the charts for the Beach Boys as the B-side for ‘Surfin’ U.S.A.’  Without the permission of the band Capitol Records issued a various artists album in July of that year.  It was named SHUT DOWN and was all about cars.  The album was a #7 hit.  This is how SHUT DOWN VOLUME 2, released on March 2, 1964 got its name.  Released on Capitol, it was the Beach Boys’ fifth album and their first during Beatlemania.  The album reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard 200 Albums chart, and was the first of 3 albums the group would release that year!  It was the first album not to feature rhythm guitarist David Marks.  Appearing on the album are: Al Jardine, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson.

Starting things off is one of four Brian Wilson/Mike Love compositions on the record.  ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ is a marvelous rock ‘n’ roll song that was a #5 hit for the group.  Mike Love sings lead on this story song: “Well, she got her Daddy’s car and she cruised through the hamburger stand now/Seems she forgot all about the library like she told her old man now/And with the radio blasting/Goes cruising just as fast as she can now/And she’ll have fun, fun, fun/’Til her daddy takes the T-bird away”.  ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ is one of two co-writes between Brian Wilson and Roger Christian, a DJ.  Brian sings lead on this beautiful ballad about a guy, a gal, and his car: “She told me/’Baby, when you race today just take along my love with you/And if you knew how much I loved you/Baby, nothing could go wrong with you’/Oh, what she does to me/When she makes love to me/And she says/’Don’t worry baby (3X)/Everything will turn out alright’”.

‘In the Parking Lot’ sings the praises of one’s girl: “She looks so great in the morning/She doesn’t even have to try now/It’s not my metal flake paint that the guys are digging when they pass now/Outside it could storm, but we’ll still keep warm/All the kids are splitting to their lockers/But we’re still making out in the car now/Just one long kiss and we’ll be gone/Cause two minutes all there are now”.  Mike Love thought doing a humorous cut on this album would be a good idea.  The result is the novelty song ‘Cassius’ Love Vs. ‘Sonny’ Wilson.  On it, Mike and Brian make fun of each other’s singing voices, with references including an opera star and Mickey Mouse.

Mike and Brian wrote ‘The Warmth of the Sun’ in Brian’s office the day after President Kennedy was assassinated.  Brian writes: “We knew we had a spiritual song on our hands and we recorded it with that kind of attitude”.  According to David Leaf, Brian had just broken up with his first serious girlfriend.  Witness these lyrics from the easy listening ballad: “The love of my life/She left me one day/I cried when she said/’I don’t feel the same way’/Still, I have the warmth of the sun within me tonight/I’ll dream of her arms and though they’re not real/Just like she’s still there/The way that I feel”.  Drummer Dennis Wilson sings lead on ‘This Car of Mine’, which is a love song to one’s wheels: “There’s been a lot of races we been through/No slow poke now/I never want to part with her you see/This little car means a heck of a lot to me/This car of mine, oooo/I remember the day/A-when I chose her over all those old broken junkers/Thought I could tell/Underneath a coat of rust she was gold/No clunker”.

Originally ‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love’ was a Top Ten hit for Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers in 1956.  Here, Brian Wilson sings lead on the pleasant sounding doo-wop song, which begins: “Why do fools fall in love?/Why do birds sing so gay?/Love is awake at the break of day/Why do they fall in love?/Why does the rain fall from up above?/Why do fools fall in love?”  ‘Pom Pom Play Girl’ is a fun rock ‘n’ roll ditty penned by Brian Wilson and Gary Usher: “Since she’s the head cheerleader she dates the quarterback/And her best friend’s going out with the full back/She might even run for an office this Spring/And that ought to really make her telephone ring”.

Brian sings lead on ‘Keep an Eye on Summer’, a reflective song: “Those things I say in my letters/You’ll find them most sincere/Keep an eye on Summer this year/Soon we’ll be graduating and we’ll be so far apart/And though you could be dating/I’m waiting and waiting”.  Carl Wilson wrote the fun instrumental title track ‘Shut Down, Part II’.  It includes surf guitar and Mike Love on sax.

Richard Berry wrote ‘Louie Louie’ in 1955.  The Kingsmen had a hit with it in 1963.  The Beach Boys cover features Mike Love’s bass vocals.  Last up is ‘Denny’s Drums’ written by Dennis Wilson.  David Leaf notes: “This may have been the first drum solo recorded by a member of a vocal group”, in the liner notes to a CD-reissue of SURFER GIRL/SHUT DOWN VOLUME 2 in 1990.  An extended single version of ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’ is one of the bonus tracks.  Another is ‘I Do’, a song Brian Wilson wrote.  Earlier, he had produced a version of the song for the Castells, but it didn’t chart.  The song is about marriage and makes use of bells: “Well, I heard from my folks time and time again/To make sure that I found the right one/And every time you meet your heart will beat/And you’ll want to say/You’ll say/’I do take you for my wife/For the rest of my life/Oh, yes I do’”.

Eight of the twelve songs on SHUT DOWN VOLUME 2 are fast paced rock ‘n’ roll songs, one of which is doo-wop.  On this album, the Beach Boys sound like they are having a lot of fun!  An appreciation for girls is the main lyrical theme, with cars coming in second.  This is definitely a youth oriented album.  Three of the songs of note are the energetic opener ‘Fun, Fun, Fun’, ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ which actually mentions making love, and the novelty song ‘Cassius’ Love Vs. ‘Sonny’ Wilson, which is good for a laugh.  I’m rating SHUT DOWN VOLUME 2 an 88%.  For more info visit: www.thebeachboys.com.

 

WHO WE ARE INSTEAD

Jars of Clay take their name from 2 Corinthians 4:7 which reads: “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us”.  The band released their self-titled debut in 1995.  Fast forward to 2003 and the band put out their fifth full length album, WHO WE ARE INSTEAD (Essential).  Group members on the album are: Dan Haseltine, Charlie Lowell, Stephen Mason, and Matthew Odmark.  The producers on the album are Jars of Clay, Mitch Dane, and Ron Aniello, while the executive producer is Robert Beeson.  Here, I will be reviewing the standard edition of the CD, but there is a special edition with two additional songs, ‘Tonight’ and ‘Shipwrecked’.

On the album opener, ‘Sunny Days’, John Catchings plays cello.  This pleasant pop song is the album’s second single and is optimistic: “Sunny days, keepin’ the clouds away/I think we’re coming to a clearing and a brighter day/So far away/Still I think they say/The wait will make the heart grow stronger or fonder/I can’t quite remember anyway/So if you’re waitin’ for love/Well, it’s a promise I’ll keep/If you don’t mind believing that it changes everything/Then time will never matter”.  ‘Amazing Grace’ is a rootsy ballad.  Ashley Cleveland is a guest vocalist on this testimony song: “I hitched a ride, I was a beggar/I had murder on my hands/I needed water to rinse these stains/But only blood could remove what’s spillin’/And pardon me the blame/Amazing grace/I feel you coming up slowly now/Like the sun is risin’, heat on my face/Oh love that keeps on shinin’/Don’t let the shadow come/Ya know I gotta feel your healin’ rays”.  Dan and Cathy Peek wrote ‘Lonely People’.  It was the second single from America’s 1974 album HOLIDAY.  The song hit #5 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Jars of Clay’s cover version here, was used on the TV show ‘Everwood’.  The opening lyrics are: “This is for all the lonely people/Thinkin’ that life has passed them by/Don’t give up until you drink from the silver cup/Ride that highway in the sky”.

‘Only Alive’ is an easy listening love ballad: “I’m only alive with you/I can’t get by and I won’t get through/So put me in the river and let me say ‘I Do’/I’m only alive with you/Though my heart has been torn by loves I have worn/And I’m tempted by them ever still/I tremble inside when you walk in the room/You hold my affections and will”.  Aaron Sands co-wrote ‘Trouble Is’ with the group, and Kenny Meeks adds vocals to it.  This gospel influenced number is about a search for peace: “Can’t find no rest for my soul/Can’t find no rest on my own/Jesus told me so/Still I’m not so sure that I know/Man, the trouble is/We don’t know who we are instead/I’ll keep runnin’ the other way/My heart ain’t built to stay (2X)/And the world just ain’t that way”.

‘Faith Enough’ is a soft pop song with poetic lyrics: “The storm is wild enough for sailing/The bridge is weak enough to cross/This body frail enough for fighting/I’m home enough to know I’m lost/Home enough to know I’m lost/It’s just enough to be strong/In the broken places, in the broken places/It’s just enough to be strong/Should the world rely on faith tonight”.  Chris McHugh plays drums on the album’s first single, ‘Show You Love’.  It’s a pretty pop song: “You’re beautiful and I am weakened by the force of your eyes/So shine bright to separate the truth from the lies/I’m gonna show you love/I’m gonna show you love in every language/I’m gonna speak the words that need no form/I’m gonna give you what you never had before”.

‘Lesser Things’ is contemplative: “If the wind should shake this house apart/The cradle hits the ground with a broken heart/Will we say we never knew a thing?/While we pray to the god of the lesser things/Is there grace for a wayward heart?/Is there grace for a wayward heart?/Grace, grace”.  ‘I’m in the Way’ is an upbeat pop song: “If you think that hope was left behind/I picked it up a mile ago/And I am running close behind/So don’t give up and don’t let go/I’m in the way of fallin’ down/I won’t let you go that far now”.

Next up is ‘Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet’.  In the liner notes the band writes: “We originally heard this song on a Gavin Bryars recording.  It was a 72 minute loop of a homeless man singing this simple chorus over and over.  The contrast of one so lowly expressing such certain and simple faith was and continues to be nothing short of astounding”.  Jars dedicate their version and the proceeds from it to those suffering in Africa.  ‘Jealous Kind’ is an adult contemporary ballad about spiritual unfaithfulness: “I built another temple to a stranger/I gave away my heart to the rushing wind/I set my course to run right into danger/Sought the company of fools instead of friends.../Tryin’ to jump away from rock that keeps on spreading/For solace in the shift of the sinking sand/I’d rather feel the pain all too familiar/Than be broken by a lover I don’t understand/’Cause I don’t understand”.

Aaron Sands plays bass on ‘Sing’, a light Christian rock song about love for God: “I walk through flame, I touch the fire/You know that I still burn for You/Flood, water, rain crash down/Soak the ground, still I thirst for You/Still I thirst for You/Sing another love song (2X)/Though it makes no sense to me/You make me wanna sing/Make me wanna sing”.  ‘My Heavenly’ looks ahead to the future: “So when I’m lonely or when I’m old/Life is more behind me/All the stories have been told/I can fix my gaze up through the clouds/Where I’m gonna be, where I’m gonna be, my heavenly/My, my heavenly/My heavenly”.

WHO WE ARE INSTEAD is mainly a Christian pop record, with folk and gospel influences.  It is not danceable pop though, say in the vein of Newsboys.  Instruments used with great artistry here, include: organ, accordion, lap and pedal steel, mandolin, and banjo.  The lyrics are well crafted and maybe it will take you two or three listens through the album to fully appreciate the messages being conveyed.  Themes include: having faith when times are tough, redemption, loving God and loving and caring for one’s fellow man, and anticipating heaven.  Dan Haseltine’s vocals are warm and inviting.  I’m rating WHO WE ARE INSTEAD 96%.  For more info visit: www.jarsofclay.com and www.bloodwater.org.

 

FOR THE SAKE OF THE CALL

Steven Curtis Chapman was born in Paducah, Kentucky on November 21, 1962.  In 1987 he released his debut album, FIRST HAND.  FOR THE SAKE OF THE CALL (1990, Sparrow) was his fourth album.  Produced by Phil Naish and executive produced by Peter York, it won a Grammy for ‘Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album’ and a Gospel Music Association award for ‘Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year’.  In the liner notes Steven reflects: “Jesus’ invitation was and is so simple-‘Come follow Me’.  Beginning with twelve unlikely men, history records the lives of many who have responded to that call at all costs and so shown themselves to be disciples of Christ...Somehow when they recognized Who it was calling them, they needed no other reason to obey.  It was the simple yet profound fact that God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, in all of His authority had called”.  The album is dedicated to the 12 disciples and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

The title track, ‘For the Sake of the Call’, is one of a handful of songs on the album penned solely by Chapman.  This adult pop song about obedience makes good use of the Christ Church Choir from Nashville, Tennessee: “Empty nets lying there at the water’s edge/Told a story that few could believe and none could explain/How some crazy fishermen agreed to go where Jesus led/With no thought for what they would gain/For Jesus had called them by name and they answered/’We will abandon it all for the sake of the call/No other reason at all but the sake of the call...’”  ‘What Kind of Joy’ is a light pop song about spiritual maturity: “What kind of joy is this/That counts it a blessing to suffer?/What kind of joy is this/That gives the prisoner his song?/What kind of joy could stare death in the face and see it as sweet victory?/This is the joy of a soul that’s forgiven and free”.

‘Busy Man’ is a bouncy adult contemporary song about the often hectic lives we live: “Billy, Billy, Billy/You’re a very busy man/But you’re running with your eyes closed/You could be missing life all along the way/And you’d never even know it/You’re a busy man/Billy, Billy, you’re a busy man/Just too busy man/You’re too busy man/You’ve got a lot of nice things there Billy/But they’ve cost you more than you know/’Cause what is it really worth, can you tell me/If you’re gaining the world, but you’re losing your soul?”  Chapman co-wrote ‘Lost in the Shadow’ with James Isaac Elliott.  It has a melodic chorus that reveals a pure heart’s desire: “I want to get lost in the shadow of the cross/To answer the call, surrender it all/In the shadow/I want to live each day/With a humble heart that’s ready to pay/Whatever it costs to find myself lost/In the shadow of the cross”.

‘Higher Ways’ is one of two co-writes with Phil Naish.  This adult contemporary ballad opens with very relatable words: “If I could only fly/I’d go up and look down from the sky/So I could see the bigger picture/And Lord if I could sit with You/At Your feet for an hour or two/I’m sure I’d ask too many questions/Cause there’s so much going on down here/That I must confess I just don’t understand/I don’t understand”.  ‘Blind Lead the Blind’ is a co-write with friend Geoff Moore.  It speaks of the need for discernment: “There’s a preacher in a nice church anchored in the heart of town/People flock to hear his eloquent delivery/He talks of Jesus, how He can please us/But the cross cannot be found/Makin’ theory out of facts until they’re all deceived/And the lost lead the way and more hearts are led astray.../This is a dangerous time and the truth can be so hard to find/So let His Word light your way and guard every step you take”.

Bob Sauer co-wrote, whistles on, and provides background vocals on ‘You Know Better’.  This light pop song reminds us not to compare ourselves with others: “I saw you staring out your window/Watchin’ the people passing by/Taking some notes on what you saw out there/So you would know how hard you need to try/I heard you asking lots of questions/How in comparison you stand/Please let me warn you to be very careful/God wants our best and not our better than”.  ‘When You are A Soldier’ is a lovely adult contemporary ballad of comfort: “When you are a soldier I will be your shield/I will go with you into the battlefield/And when the arrows start to fly/Take my hand and hold on tight/I will be your shield/Cause I know how it feels when you are a soldier”.

Brent Lamb is a backing vocalist on one of my favourite Steven Curtis Chapman songs, the upbeat pop number ‘No Better Place’.  It’s a happy testimonial: “I was eight years old when I decided to follow Jesus/I started down that road/Somebody told me that this path that leads to heaven/Will not be the easy way/Well, I found that to be true/But I also found, I found out/There’s no better place on earth than the road that leads to heaven/No other place I’d rather be/No better place on earth than the road that leads to heaven/No better place to be”.  ‘Show Yourselves to Be’ is a ballad about obedience: “He said/’You will show yourselves to be the ones who follow Me/By the evidence you leave along the way/They’ll know that you are Mine like the branches on the vine/If you show yourselves to be following Me.../The fruit cannot help but grow if the branch is joined into the tree/And love cannot help but show in the one who goes where Jesus leads”.  A short instrumental reprise of the title track ends off the album.

FOR THE SAKE OF THE CALL deserves the awards it received.  The songwriting, musicianship, and vocals are top notch!  Style wise these are pop and adult contemporary songs, with pretty much an equal number of fast and slow paced songs.  The most common theme is finding the contentment and security Christ brings even in the midst of life’s troubles.  The next most common theme is obedience to God.  There is also a song about discernment and a song about friendship.  Steven looks so young in the pictures accompanying this CD!  Fans of Scott Wesley Brown and Steve Green will appreciate this album which I’m rating 95%.  For more info visit: www.stevencurtischapman.com.

 

 

LITTLE DEUCE COUPE

LITTLE DEUCE COUPE was the third album released by the Beach Boys in 1963!  It came out on October 7^th on Capitol Records, just a month after SURFER GIRL.  Four of the twelve songs appeared on previous albums by the band.  This album gets its name from the 1932 Ford Coupe.  It was the last Beach Boys album to officially include rhythm guitarist David Marks until 2012’s THAT’S WHY GOD MADE THE RADIO, according to Wikipedia.org.  In 1990 David Leaf wrote: “To those American kids for whom surfing was an impossible dream, the universal appeal of the car songs proved irresistible.  This album was a huge smash, spending eight weeks in the top ten.  After all, everybody in 1963 America knew somebody with a hot car”.

The title track ‘Little Deuce Coupe’ is first up.  It’s one of seven songs here co-written by Brian Wilson and L.A. disc jockey Roger Christian.  Hal Blaine plays drums and Mike Love sings lead on this #15 hit.  This upbeat rock ‘n’ roll song finds a guy boasting about his car: “Well, I’m not braggin’ babe so don’t put me down/But I’ve got the fastest set of wheels in town/When something comes up to me, he don’t even try/Cause if I had a set of wings, man I know she could fly/She’s my little deuce coupe/You don’t know what I got”.  ‘Ballad of Ole’ Betsy’ finds Brian singing lead.  This easy listening song is about an aging car: “She had a classic beauty that everyone could see/I was the last to meet her, but she gave her life to me/She may be rusted iron, but to me she’s solid gold/And I just can’t hold the tears back/Cause Betsy’s growing old”.

Brian and Mike wrote ‘Be True to Your School’.  Drums and sax are featured on this danceable rock ‘n’ roll ditty about loyalty: “I got a letterman’s sweater with a letter in front/I got for football and track/I’m proud to wear it now when I cruise around the other parts of the town/I got a decal in back/So be true to your school/Just like you would to your girl or guy/Be true to your school now/Let your colors fly”.  Next up is the doo-wop song ‘Car Crazy Cutie’.  It sings the praises of girls and of cars: “Well my steady little doll is a real live beauty/And everybody knows she’s a car crazy cutie/She’s hip to everything man from customs to rails/And axel grease imbedded ‘neath her fingernails.../I take her to the drags, man, and everyone flips/For her big blue eyes and her candy apple lips”.

‘Cherry, Cherry Coupe’ was originally 1962’s ‘Land Ahoy’.  Here, it’s an ode to a car: “My coupe’s tuck and roll underneath the hood/And the rugs, seats, and panels now are looking good/When I go looking for something to do/She’s got enough room now to barely seat two/Go cherry, cherry coupe now (3X)/My cherry coupe beats ‘em up coming off of the line/Go cherry, cherry coupe now/And she really gets sparks when she starts to wine”.  ‘409’ is an all around happy rock ‘n’ roll song: “When I take her to the track/She really shines/She always turns in the fastest times/My four speed dual quad posi-traction 409/Giddy up (3X)/409.../Nothing can catch her/Nothing can touch my 409”.

‘Shut Down’ was a #23 hit for the band.  It tells a competitive story: “Superstock Dart is windin’ out in low/But my fuel injected Stingray’s really startin’ to go/To get the traction I’m ridin’ the clutch/My pressure plate’s burnin’ that machine’s too much/Pedal’s to the floor, hear his dual quads drink/And now the four-thirteen’s lead is startin’ to shrink/He’s hot with ram induction but it’s understood/I got a fuel injected engine sittin’ under my hood/Shut it off, shut it off/Buddy, now I shut you down”.  Of the next song, ‘Spirit of America’, David Leaf writes: “In the early ‘60s, Craig Breedlove set the land speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.  His car was named ‘Spirit of America’, and this beautiful ballad is a tribute to the man and his car”.

‘Our Car Club’ is a harmless story song: “I’ve been cruisin’ round the town now with the guys for quite a while/We been thinkin’ ‘bout starting up a club that shows some class and style/And we’ll get the finest cars/We got a Deuce Coupe, a Stingray, a rail job, and an XKE/We’ll start a car club/We’ll be the fastest at the drags, man, we’ll really cut some low ET’s/We’ll start a car club/And wipe out the other clubs”.  Brian and Mike sing lead on ‘No-Go Showboat’ a light rock ‘n’ roll song that laments one’s dud of a car: “Well, the engine compartment’s filled with all chrome goodies/In my no-go showboat/Yeah, but everybody takes me, even old Ford woodies/In my no-go showboat/When it comes to speed, man, I’m outta luck/I’m even shut down by the ice cream truck/’Cause it’s a no-go showboat”.

Bobby Troup wrote the tune to ‘A Young Man is Gone’.  It was originally known as ‘Their Hearts Were Full of Spring’, but here, the Boys change the lyrics into a tribute to the late actor James Dean, who died in a 1955 car crash: “Screaming tire, flashing fire/And gone was this young star/Oh, how could they let him die?/Still a man is gone/Yet his legend lingers on/For he died without a cause/And they say that he’ll/Be known forevermore as the rebel without a cause”.  Last up is ‘Custom Machine’ which testifies to the greatness of one’s car: “Well, she’s metal flake blue with a Corvette grill/Check my custom machine/And they say it looks better when she’s standin’ still/Check my custom machine/When I step on the gas she goes wa aa aa/I’ll let you look but don’t touch my custom machine.../A stereophonic speaker set with vibrasonic sound/Magnesium spokes, it stands an inch off the ground”.  The song includes a boogie woogie piano break.  It should be noted that a Single Version of ‘Be True to Your School’, which is nifty, appears on the CD re-issue LITTLE DEUCE COUPE/ALL SUMMER LONG, with the Honeys providing cheerleading sounds.  This version cracked the Top 10.

Guys are often accused of having one track minds.  On this 1963 album though, the Beach Boys are clearly intoxicated with a love for all things car related!  There are nine faster paced rock ‘n’ roll songs and three ballads.  There are eight happy songs about cars, three sad songs about cars, and there is one song about school pride.  Songs about surfing are absent on this record.  Even though I am not particularly fascinated with cars and am not familiar with much of the terminology used, this is a fun album to listen to.  I’m rating LITTLE DEUCE COUPE 91%.  For more info visit: www.thebeachboys.com.

 

 

SURFER GIRL

SURFER GIRL was the third studio album by The Beach Boys.  It was produced by Brian Wilson and was released on Capitol Records on September 16, 1963.  In the UK it wasn’t released until 1967.  According to Wikipedia.org the cover photo “was taken by Capitol photographer Kenneth Veeder at Paradise Cove, north of Malibu”.  Pictured from left to right are: Dennis Wilson, David Marks, Carl Wilson, Mike Love, and Brian Wilson.  Al Jardine is not on the cover, but does appear on the album and co-wrote ‘South Bay Surfer’.  SURFER GIRL reached #7 on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart.  In 1990 Brian Wilson wrote: “SURFER GIRL was a good step in the right direction.  I was tired from touring and this album helped me to relax and be creative”.

First up is the title track, ‘Surfer Girl’, written by Brian Wilson in 1961.  He sings lead on the song that was the highest charting of the album’s three singles, hitting #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart.  The liner notes of the album include the following: “This song is fast becoming the romantic ballad of the day, and it’s making thousands of new friends for the boys”.  These lyrics are innocent ones of infatuation: “Little surfer, little one/Made my heart come all undone/Do you love me?/Do you surfer girl, surfer girl, my little surfer girl?/I have watched you on the shore/Standing by the ocean’s roar/Do you love me?/Do you surfer girl, surfer girl, surfer girl?/We could ride the surf together/While our love would grow/In my Woody I would take you everywhere I go/So I say from me to you/I will make your dreams come true”.  Mike Love and Brian Wilson co-wrote the happy rock ‘n’ roll song ‘Catch A Wave’.  Mike sings lead and his sister Maureen plays harp.  The song sings the praises of surfing: “Not just a fad cause it’s been going on so long/All the surfers going strong/They said it wouldn’t last too long/They’ll eat their words with a fork and spoon/And watch ‘em they’ll hit the road/And all be surfin’ soon/And when they catch a wave/They’ll be sittin’ on top of the world”.

‘The Surfer Moon’ was the first Beach Boys song to feature a string arrangement.  It includes these poetic words: “There’s a moon in the sky somewhere I know/Waiting for all the love to burn below/If you fall and it happens all too soon/Blame it all on the surfer moon.../Brings the tide in/Takes it all away/Helps us ride in/Brings us waves each day/I say”.  Brian and Mike sing lead on ‘South Bay Surfer’ a fun rock ‘n’ roll number: “Oh, the boys are rough and ready to handle anything/They take the big one/They’ve got to be the best thing going/South Bay surfer’s really swing/Okay, rock out!/Oh Chicago, can’t you hear them?/Hear that shore pound slam/You’re gonna eat it!/Smash!”

‘The Rocking Surfer’ is a cheerful instrumental that uses the Hammond organ and includes a Carl Wilson electric guitar solo.  ‘Little Deuce Coupe’ was penned by Brian Wilson and Roger Christian.  Mike Love sings lead on this love song to one’s car: “She’s got a competition clutch with the four on the floor/And she purrs like a kitten till the lake pipes roar/And if that ain’t enough to make you flip your lid/There’s one more thing/I got the pink slip daddy/And comin’ off the line when the light turns green/Well, she blows ‘em outta the water like you never seen”.

Brian Wilson and Gary Usher co-wrote one of the best ballads the Beach Boys ever recorded, ‘In My Room’.  Bring sings lead and Mike Love’s sister Maureen plays harp on this song about sanctuary: “There’s a world where I can go and tell my secrets to/In my room, in my room/In this world I lock out all my worries and my fears/In my room, in my room/Do my dreaming and my scheming/Lie awake and pray/Do my crying and my sighing/Laugh at yesterday”.  ‘Hawaii’ is a peppy song of invitation: “I heard about all the pretty girls/With their grass skirts down to their knees/All my life I wanted to see/The island called Hawaii/Go to Hawaii, straight to Hawaii/Oh, do you wanna come along with me?.../Everyone that goes comes back with nothing but raves”.

‘Surfers Rule’ finds Dennis and Brian singing lead.  All around, it’s a fun rock ‘n’ roll tune: “It’s plastered on the walls all around the school now/Surfers rule, surfers rule/Becoming just as common as a golden rule now/Surfers rule, surfers rule/Take it or leave it, but you better believe it/Surfers rule.../Surfers rule/Four Seasons, you better believe it!”  Hal Blaine plays drums on ‘Our Car Club’, while Mike and Brian sing lead.  The song uses saxophone and tells a story: “We got a Deuce Coupe, a Stingray, a rail job, and an XKE/We’ll start a car club/We’ll be the fastest at the drags/Man, we’ll really cut some low ET’s/We’ll start a car club/And wipe out the other clubs/We’ll set a meet and get a sponsor and collect some dues/And you can bet that we’ll have our jackets on wherever we cruise”.

Brian Wilson and Bob Norberg wrote ‘Your Summer Dream’, a nice love ballad: “Drive your car down to the sea/All the while you build a scheme/Take her hand and walk on with her/Make it real, your Summer dream/Smell the warm and salty air/See a wave reflect a beam/Stop and find a pretty shell for her/Make it real, your Summer dream”.  ‘Boogie Woodie’ is an instrumental honky-tonkin’ good time!  It should be noted that a German language version of ‘In My Room’  appeared on the album RARITIES and as one of three bonus cuts on the CD re-release entitled SURFER GIRL/SHUT DOWN VOLUME 2.

SURFER GIRL really is a wonderful album!  There are eight fast rock ‘n’ roll songs and four ballads on it.  Thematically the most common topic here is surfing, followed by an appreciation for girls and for cars.  Two instrumentals are thrown in for good measure.  The vocal harmonies on this 1963 project are terrific!  This is a fun, mostly carefree album to listen to.  I’m rating it 93%.  For more info visit: www.thebeachboys.com.

 

KUTLESS

Call Box was a campus worship band formed in Portland, Oregon.  By 2001 they were known as Kutless.  In 2002 they released their self-titled debut album on BEC Recordings. It was produced by Aaron Sprinkle and was executive produced by Brandon Ebel.  Two of the songs, ‘Run’, and ‘Your Touch’ hit #1 on ChristianRock.net.  The album peaked at #27 on the Billboard Christian Albums Chart.  Group members on the album are: Jon Micah Sumrall (vocals), James Mead (guitar), Ryan Shrout (guitar), Nathan ‘Stu’ Stuart (bass), and Kyle Mitchell (drums).

‘Your Touch’ is a manly rock song that admits spiritual need: “I discern I was wrong in my way/Looking for peace in another, another domain/And I realize that it’s true and I seek You, whoa/I realize that it’s true/I need You/And I reach out and I touch You and I know that I need You/To reach out and to touch me and I know/I know that I need Your touch/Not knowing why I ever retreated from Your arms/A mistake I made”.  ‘In Me’ is a song of testimony: “Only seven days ago/I let go of my life/Yes, I gave it all/I let go of all I used to do and I gave it all away/You want to know, the differences between us/You want to know, why these things have changed/You’ve got to know the One who lives in me/He lives in me, in me”.

‘Run’ is a moving rock ballad that finds God calling out to one of His children: “Looking down from above as you watch TV/Wondering why, oh you’re ignoring Me/Do you remember, remember when I came to you/And you loved Me?/And I’m waiting for you (2X)/Why do you run, why do you hide?/Oh, don’t you know I just, just want to be with you, to be with you?”  ‘Vow’ is a song of good intentions: “I’m going to make a vow to repent and turn to You/I’m crying out to You now as I make my New Year’s vow/I’ll tell You I love You and I’ll honor You somehow/Hear my prayer to You in my New Year’s vow/I give You all of me/You’ll be all of my life and I’ll never think twice to do all that You have for me”.

‘Pride Away’ is a rock prayer: “Lord keep me only focused on You/Make me a humble man/Don’t ever let me take the credit for all that You have done/Woah/Take my pride away, my pride away/Take my pride away, pride away/And take my pride away”.  Ben Hulbert provides a rap break on the song.  ‘Down’ tackles an all too familiar societal issue: “A young girl walks into her room and doesn’t like what she sees in her reflection there/She’s not what she wants to be/She cries out, she cries out/The frustrations of this life are filling her head/How could such a simple thing have a grip so intense?/She cries out, she cries out/I want to be like the movie stars and models on the screen.../She wants to fly away from this/Only God knows how to fly away from this”.

‘Again’ is a song of gratitude to God: “A fountain flows with gifts from You that I do nothing for/You cover me with Your love though I nailed You to a cross/I don’t understand, but I thank You the same/This must imply that/Love again, again, again/I don’t deserve this love You gave”.  ‘Dry’ speaks of spiritual valleys: “The feeling’s gone, but I know You’re still there/I guess it’s just a part of life that I must bear/It doesn’t feel the same/And I’m feeling down/Amidst my pain/I see all my shame/And I’m feeling dry/But who am I to complain?”

‘Tonight’ is a hard rocker that glorifies God: “So let me ask you/Can’t you feel the music all around you?/Flashing lights, but love can fill your mind/Can’t you feel the sounds of love flow through you?/We’re praising Him tonight”.  ‘This Time’ finds one friend talking to another: “You were the one that I looked to/I never thought I’d see you run/I never thought I’d see you turn your back on all you knew was right/You turned your back on God”.

‘Saved’ is a strong rock song that offers these words of spiritual invitation: “Oh now won’t you come and take Him in/He’ll be more than you could ever dream/It’s Jesus Christ, in Him we trust/He is the truth, the life/And the way, the way, the way, the way/To be saved”.  Danielle Capps sings backing vocals on the last song, ‘Grace and Love’, a pretty ballad.  It includes these words: “I thank You Lord for dying upon the tree of Calvary/I thank You Lord for loving me/I thank You Lord for dying for me/Because it’s by grace and love I am saved/And it’s by grace and love You’ve forgiven me, hey/And by that love and grace I’m amazed/And it’s by grace and love I am free/I am free”.

KUTLESS is a terrific debut album from the group of the same name.  Style-wise it will appeal to fans of Creed and Nickelback.  Fans of Petra’s lyrics, which are pretty straight forward, will appreciate the simple approach here to sharing the Gospel in a very down to earth fashion.  This is a rock album, but not in a pounding way.  Several of the songs start off slow and simmer, and then turn into more energetic fare.  Vocalist Jon Micah Sumrall does scream at times, but not the majority of the time by any means.  These songs encourage an active, living, personal relationship with a loving God.  I’m rating KUTLESS 88%.  For more info visit: www.kutless.com.