More 80's Nostalgia

I stumbled on this article last year but wasn't able to find it again until today. Amazing what a little down time wrought by minor surgery combined with patience will lead you to discover.

Although the premise of the story is flawed -- the 1988 election wasn't really that close at all -- I'll accept for the sake of argument that it was at least "winnable" for Dukakis had a few things gone differently. I started reading this article thinking it was your typical left-wing whining about if-only-the-people-were-as-smart-as-we-were, but it's actually somewhat plausible.

Of course, then this speech would have been a little different.

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- Honorable Mentions

KINGDOM OF LOVE – Scott Wesley Brown (1984) – A tough call between this and Somebody’s Brother, but we’re going with the earlier work simply because of its success in blending both the traditional and contemporary.

COMIN’ ON STRONG – Carman (1984) – A truly original work and perhaps Carman’s most complete album to date, unfortunately marred by inferior production quality that probably keeps it out of the top ten.

D&K – DeGarmo & Key (1987) – So hard to leave DeGarmo & Key out of the top ten, as they were consistently solid performers throughout the decade, and so hard to choose among their many solid albums. Street Light, Communication, and The Pledge all warrant strong consideration, yet the fact that none stands out from the other probably keeps them from the top ten. They are also handicapped by the fact that the volume of their production led to a fair amount of "filler" on each of those albums, debasing each collection in spite of each one also containing some memorable tracks.

LEAD ME ON – Amy Grant (1988) – Very highly rated by some. A watershed work, as Amy Grant would soon drop the "Christian" from "Contemporary," but nonetheless refreshing and authentic, far more than the overwrought Unguarded that preceded it or the schlock that followed it. It was her The Big Picture, breaking free from the strong but "ordinary" work of her early years and not matched since.

FACES – Hogland Band (1988) – Virtually unknown -- good luck finding this one, even on the Internet -- yet an original European-flavored collection that is consistent top to bottom. Only the lack of notoriety keeps it out of the top ten.

CRACK THE SKY – Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart (1987) – Mylon cranked out nearly one album every year in the latter part of the decade. Face the Music and Sheep in Wolves Clothing were also highlights, yet the sheer volume of work (much like DeGarmo & Key) keep any one album from standing out. Nonetheless, there’s still nothing quite like listening to Reach for the Sky at high volume.

ANOTHER FRIDAY NIGHT – Kenny Marks (1989) – A Sentimental choice that showcases a fellow Falcon maturing as an artist, singing about conflict and resolution without being over-bearing, and helping me get through an otherwise dreadful year.

7 – David Meece (1985) – Meece rescues this otherwise straight-forward synth-rock fare with his creativity and charisma. An upbeat, positive collection boosted both by Meece’s talent as a songwriter and his strong voice.

Telling It Like It Is

I miss Rodney Harrison already, but at least he knew not only when to retire, but how to retire.

Another piece on that subject here.

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's

To Re-Cap -- The first date is the year the album came out; the second date represents the year I first remember hearing it. There's somewhat lof a delay in all but a few cases. Something to do with being 8,000 miles away during much of the decade. I've also linked each title to the original posting, which in retrospect seems kinda pointless -- if nobody read it the first time around, why would anybody read it again?

(1) THE BIG PICTURE – Michael W. Smith (1985) (1986)

(2) RUSS TAFF – Russ Taff (1987) (1988)

(3) MELTDOWN – Steve Taylor (1984) (1985)

(4) BEAT THE SYSTEM – Petra (1985) (1985)

(5) SO YOU WANNA GO BACK TO EGYPT...? – Keith Green (1980) (1980)

(6) THE IMPERIALS SING THE CLASSICS – The Imperials (1985) (1985)

(7) DON’T WAIT FOR THE MOVIE – White Heart (1986) (1987)

(8) PICTURES IN THE SKY – Rich Mullins (1987) (1988)

(9) NO MYSTERY – Rick Cua (1983) (1986)

(10) PASSIN' THE FAITH ALONG – The New Gaither Vocal Band (1983) (1985)

Some honorable mentions to follow...

It is a good day to...

Well, for most of the morning I was in a semi-comatose state in a local hospital before, during and after a relatively routine medical procedure and, during my more conscious moments, pondering the future of my existence and reassuring myself that (1) my eternity was secure and (2) I had plenty of life insurance, and then not only does this happen, but this. And, as Worf would say, "the day is not yet over."

Talk about being upstaged.

The Smoltz Brigade

With John Smoltz making his Red Sox debut tonight, I thought this would be worth posting -- I saw Smoltz pitch for the Richmond Braves (AAA) almost exactly 21 years ago, in July of 1988. He gave up a run in the first inning following a leadoff walk, lost a tough 1-0 decision to the Syracuse Chief (Toronto's AAA entry). Lonnie Smith was the Braves' cleanup hitter and Jeff Blauser was their shortstop. According to this source, the team also included (at one time or another) Ron Gant, Dave Justice, Tommy Greene and Derek Lilliquist, all of whom had respectable MLB careers, but I don't recall if any of them appeared in that game in July when John Smoltz recorded his 100th strikeout of the season. For whatever reason, I snapped the above picture from my seat a few rows behind the 3B (visitors) dugout. I obviously didn't have my flash with me that night, or perhaps had the aperture set wrong. Remember those?

Smoltz was a brash 21-year-old that season, and I also saw him in a television interview at another point that season where he came off as somewhat in love with himself. He's also had some rough spots in his personal life (although I have no knowledge of unexplained absences from work due to trips to Argentina), but he's obviously matured and today strikes me as a pretty classy guy with a strong work ethic, and, I would say, likely on his way to Cooperstown. It's great to welcome him to Boston for what will hopefully be a productive "twilight of his career."

An Interesting Conversation

With the passing of Ed McMahon, the Boston Globe ran a feature on famous sidekicks, including Johnny Pesky to Ted Williams. The following screenshot is from the article. It must have been an interesting conversation, as Williams died in 2002. Although he does look a little cold...

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- #1

THE BIG PICTURE – Michael W. Smith (1985)

Prior to The Big Picture, Michael W. Smith was a talented keyboardist and songwriter. His first two albums were solid efforts with some still-classic songs, worth hearing but overall not much beyond the ordinary. By contrast, The Big Picture exploded with energy, and brought Smitty to the forefront as a complete musician and producer, becoming then and now one of the leading figures in his industry. He could do more than play the synthesizer and hit the high notes on Friends – on this album he surrounded himself with other equally-talented musicians and created complex, multi-layered arrangements that leave you breathless.

Top to bottom, nothing else compares. Lamu sets the stage with a wall of drums and guitars that attack you on multiple sides. Wired For Sound is perhaps the most dynamic Christian song ever recorded. Old Enough to Know became an anthem (alone on the top floor of a youth hostel on a numbingly cold night in the Netherlands). Pursuit of the Dream spins your head around. Rocketown is the obligatory radio-friendly ballad, while Voices is so moving that I considered transcribing the lyrics onto my high school yearbook page. The Last Letter provides hope for the distraught. Even the weaker tracks – Going Through the Motions, Tearing Down the Wall and the enigmatic conclusion You’re Alright are still outstanding for their musical originality and deep lyrics.

MWS followed-up with the strong i (2) eye and then the forgettable and seemingly incomplete Go West Young Man before finding a new niche as a praise & worship performer. He has given us an outstanding body of work and has never compromised his values. Still, it is the album he produced at age 27 that stands far above not only his other works, but the works of a genre over an entire decade, and the standard by which others are judged.

Welcome Back

It's been said that when Dan Duquette stole Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek from the Seattle Mariners for Heathcliff Slocumb, he thought that Lowe was left-handed. You can't really blame him -- Lowe exhibited many of the classic left-hander qualities while in Boston: Hard-throwing, good sinker, somewhat erratic, and prone to losing control both on and off the field.

Lowe nonetheless had a pretty good run in Boston as both a starter and reliever, including a no-hitter in 2002, and is best remembered for his 2004 postseason Renaissance in which he was the winning pitcher (twice as a starter, once as a reliever) in all three clinching games that October. Since leaving the Hub, he's gone 61-53. Not exactly Cooperstown stuff, but about what you'd expect by today's standards.

Lowe was back in Boston this weekend as an Atlanta Brave, re-opening the debate that maybe the Sox should have kept D-Lowe around, or at least brought him back when they had a shot at him via a trade or free agency. Well, maybe, but the opinion here is that it was best for him to leave as a hero than to return and, once the glory of 2004 faded, face again questions about his psychological makeup and mental toughness. Of the players they lost after 2004 (Lowe, Pedro, Roberts, Mientkiewicz, Leskanic and a few others), I would have rather seen the Sox keep Orlando Cabrera at SS. Edgar Renteria? Eeesh.

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- #2

RUSS TAFF – Russ Taff (1987)



Eponymous albums are usually debut works, but Russ Taff was hardly a rookie when he released this album in 1987. His work leading the Imperials (Stand by the Power, Priority) earlier in the decade produced several memorable works, none more agonizing brilliant than Be Still My Soul which he co-wrote with his wife Tori. He then produced two solo projects that were solid showcases of his vocal talent, but it wasn’t until this third solo project that Taff produced a project that would be head and shoulders above the rest of his work.


The production (Jack Joseph Puig, before he was famous), the musicianship, and the range of material combined with Taff’s natural talent result in a complete project that is about as close to perfect as a album could be. Some have pointed out the conceptual nature of the album, beginning with the angry Shake, peaking with the cathartic I Still Believe and resolving with the compliant Healing Touch. That may be, and it may or may not be intentional, but it doesn't matter -- it runs strong from start to finish.


Others on this list had difficulty abiding by the one-album-per-artist rule; not here. Oddly enough, and perhaps unfortunately, Taff took his subsequent work in a different direction that may have been artistically satisfying to him, but which came nowhere close to repeating the chemistry of this blockbuster. And like anything else, one can nit-pick (the second side is somewhat weaker than the first; Steal Away doesn’t quite fit, and I’m not sure why the tracks are listed in alphabetical order on the label). But it’s still Russ Taff at his very, very best.

Independence Day

It never hurts to be reminded where we came from:

Our Judeo-Christian Heritage from Randy Forbes.

American Again from Carman (not the actual music video, but close enough).

Any questions?

Memo to Brett Favre

JUST.

GO.

AWAY.

PLEASE!!!

Your career -- which was never that good to begin with -- is OVER. O-V-E-R. DONE. FINISHED. KAPUT. FINITO. We don't care about your shoulder, we don't care about your "heart," we don't care about the Vikings, we don't care about you. In case you missed it, your last season was a disaster. You should have taken that team to the AFC Championship, but instead decided to take the second half of the season off. You're DONE. COOKED. BAKED. STICK-A-FORM-IN-'EM DONE. Go back to Mississippi and stay there.

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- #3

MELTDOWN – Steve Taylor (1984)



Steve Taylor produced only five regular albums, the first of which was a 6-track "EP" and the last of which appeared in 1993. Yet each one was special in its own right, and the quality of the first four make this by far the most difficult call for the one-album-per-artist rule.




Meltdown is Steve Taylor’s first full-length album, although it contains at least two tracks intended for I Want to Be a Clone, the debut EP that appeared two years earlier.




While it lacks the biting satire of Clone, and the production quality isn't quite as polished as On the Fritz and I Predict 1990 which followed, and each album contains a jaw-dropping range of musical styles and versatility (not to mention the ongoing satire), Meltdown gets the nod because it brings Taylor into his own not just as a songwriter, but as a complete musician.




Ironically, Taylor's three best songs of the decade (Bad Rap from Clone, To Forgive from Fritz -- one of the greatest songs of the decade -- and I Blew Up the Clinic Real Good from I Predict 1990) are found on other albums. Again, it's almost unfair to limit Steve Taylor to only one entry on this list, but rules is rules, and Meltdown is the clearest example of the Steve Taylor experience, from the jarring opening title track to the stirring closing ballad Baby Doe and everything in between.

Geography Lesson

So I'm getting ready to exercise this morning and I have the morning news on while the DVD player is warming up and there's a story about the indictment of R. Allen Stanford for an alleged Ponzi scheme.

Fine. But then the reporter goes on to talk about how Stanford is one of the few Americans to have been knighted, noting that he received the honor from "both Antigua and Barbuda."

Emphasis added.

Good grief.

And these people wonder why nobody trusts the media.

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- #4

BEAT THE SYSTEM – Petra (1985)

Remember the "one album per artist" rule? Second only to the soon-to-be-revealed #3 on this list, this was the most difficult call.

I had to think long and hard on this one -- Petra did virtually nothing wrong this decade. Never Say Die, More Power To Ya, Not of This World, Back to the Street, This Means War!, On Fire! and Beat the System right in the middle. If I'm picking a personal favorite, I almost have to go with Not of This World. Almost. Greatness, however, has to go beyond simply "favorite." Beat the System makes this list because it presents the classic Petra lineup at its peak, turning in a strong, consistent performance from beginning to end. They were able to introduce the synthesizer -- all too ubiquitous in the 80's -- as complementary and not alternative instruments, allowing Bob Hartman's superstar guitar work to continue to highlight the album.

Purists might prefer Not of this World or More Power to Ya among their earlier works, and strong cases can be made. The forgotten Back to the Street gave us the best song of the decade (by Petra or anybody else) in Fool’s Gold, and the band rounded into form with This Means War! that followed, with the excellent John Schlitt now firmly established as lead vocalist. All are great compilations, but Beat the System got the alchemy exactly right for ten outstanding tracks.

Nine Years Ago

That's hard to believe. We all were so young, and you were too. Still missed today.

We'll see you soon!

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- #5

SO YOU WANNA GO BACK TO EGYPT...? – Keith Green (1980)

Released in May 1980, it's really a 70's album, but it still makes the cut for this decade. Keith Green released four albums in his lifetime and all were outstanding. His first two don't qualify for this list chronologically. Songs for the Shepherd would follow and have slightly better production values; many consider it the first "worship album." Egypt gets the nod regardless, however, as it presents Keith Green at his most versatile, inspired and passionate, and even features Bob Dylan on harmonica.

It was also the album which introduced this writer to CCM, and I remember not only being impressed with the musical quality and creativity, but with the booklet that came with the album and included the lyrics, the background of each song, comprehensive Scripture references, and reprints of several tracts from Keith's outfit Last Days Ministries. A tour de force from an artist taken from us far too soon, and greatly missed nearly thirty years later.

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- #6

THE IMPERIALS SING THE CLASSICS – The Imperials (1985)

Not, as some might think, a greatest hits album, although it comes closer to that than anything else on this list. Rather than performing their classics, the greatest vocal band in Christian music history performs ten songs made famous by other performers, but heard here in their own classic style.

The Imperials struggled for an identity in this decade, trying to establish themselves in a market that was getting younger and adopting a harder musical edge. Nonetheless, they produced some great work. Heed the Call is a near-miss on this list, featuring the incomparable Oh Buddha, and Stand by the Power follows closely as an excellent compilation in its own right. Other efforts were solid but reflected their identity crisis. However, when they returned to their roots in 1985, they gave us their best work of the decade, and an album for the ages, re-introducing ten great songs and a great band to a new generation of fans.

Zen-Master vs. the Red-Master

So here we go again. The LA Fakers are on the verge of another championship which, if they don't blow it this time, will put Phil Jackson ahead of Red Auerbach in total championships won as a coach. Both currently have 9.

Phil Jackson is a great coach. He's proven his ability to win and manage superstars, and if the ownership group had cooperated in Chicago he probably would have won a few more rings.

But, seriously, when you talk basketball coaches, there are two categories -- Red Auerbach and everybody else. Phil Jackson has won with talent assembled by his predecessors; Red had to start from scratch. More than once. Phil won in an established league where revenues were never a problem. Without Red, the NBA would not have survived the 1950's, and Phil would never have had a chance to play for the Knicks or even coach the Albany Patroons, much less find success in Chicago and LA. He's probably still be in Deer Lodge, Montana coaching his granddaughter and 4 of her closest friends as they battled in the quarterfinals of the Powell County playoffs.

Finally, one can argue that Red has 16 (or even 17) rings, as he had a significant part in every one of the Celtics' championships from his seat in the front office, up to the point of hiring Danny Ainge who put the pieces in place for last year's banner. I somehow don't envision Phil having the patience to fill such a role. He's not exactly known for sticking around when things aren't going his way.

The yankees have updated their website...

to reflect their new ownership:

And outside Fenway Park last night...

A conventional broom just wasn't big enough for this job...

Meanwhile, STILL in Tampa...

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- #7

DON’T WAIT FOR THE MOVIE – White Heart (1986) –

The first five White Heart albums, from their eponymous debut (with Steve Green as lead vocalist!) through Emergency Broadcast each had defining tracks as the band successfully tread the ground between contemporary rock, radio-friendly ballads, and heavy metal. The later works were somewhat more ordinary. Don’t Wait for the Movie makes the list because its musical and production quality is outstanding without being overbearing, and it is easily the most consistent work of the first five -- not to mention the best album cover of them all.

Ironically, it was a debut album of sorts, with a new lead singer (Rick Florian replacing Scott Douglas). Each of the other four albums is worth hearing, and Emergency Broadcast features their best song of the decade (No Taboo), but Movie is the best of the bunch.

History Lessons

Bob Ryan offers one here on the Yankees' ongoing ability to rack up #27. Somewhere in the Bronx there's a 8-year-old wondering why the Red Sox always beat the Yankees.

And of course I could like to everything Victor Davis Hanson writes, but this refresher on American history is worth a review in light of claims of the current administration.

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- #8

PICTURES IN THE SKY – Rich Mullins (1987) – Ah, yes -- freshman year in college, waking up to Screendoor every stinkin' day at the unearthly hour of 7:00 AM thanks to this album in my roommate's clock/radio/cassette. It was my first introduction to Rich Mullins (and an inauspicious one, I daresay), but I eventually cut through the early-morning blahs and came to appreciate Rich's creativity and originality. Nonetheless, I had to buy the CD before I realized that Screendoor was not the album's opening track. My roommate had kept the cassette on "side 2" that whole year.

Other artists had their peer group; not Rich Mullins. His sound was (and is) unique; original in its own right, and emulated by none since. Pictures in the Sky showcases Mullins at his versatile best, with each track unique yet with an overall cohesion. Along with another artist on this list, taken from us far too soon, and greatly missed.

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- #9

NO MYSTERY – Rick Cua (1983)
Rick Cua’s first five albums were all good, but No Mystery, his second, provides a little more polish than his debut Koo-ah and precedes his slide into over-produced top-40ish rock. Ten solid tracks of power rock and power ballads with no weak spots, including The Power, the signature tune of a noteworthy weekend college radio show at the end of the decade. One Way Out is unquestionably Cua's best song from this era (probably ever), but it's hard to pick favorites. Like #10 on this list, it's a shame it's hard to find, but worth the expense if you can locate it. And, incidentally, doesn’t this guy remind you of Billy Ray Cyrus?

Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- #10

PASSIN' THE FAITH ALONG -- The New Gaither Vocal Band (1983)

Surprised? While there’s a lot to be said for complexity (see #1 and elsewhere on this list), simple pleasures are often the best. The legendary Bill Gaither continued writing great music throughout the decade, and the GVB in various incarnations was his vehicle for recording it. The vocalists are the musicians, with the bare minimum of instrumentation to complement, not smother, their voices, and the songs are crisp, diverse and original. By producing a contemporary sound without compromising his principles, Gaither provides more evidence (as if any was needed) that he's among the best songwriters and producers of the last 50 years. Still enjoyable (if you can find it!), a quarter-century later.

Another list to argue about...

Not on the list...

For the past several months, I've been compiling a list of my ten favorite Christian Contemporary albums of the 1980's. I guess it's about time I published them, so they'll be following in regular installments in the weeks to come. Feel free to post your comments and suggestions.





First, the ground rules. Very simply:


• One album per artist makes the list. Thus, it's not only the ten best albums, but the best album from each artist.
• Release dates 1980-1989
• No greatest hits, compilation albums with multiple artists, live albums or soundtracks.





Second, the criteria (and perhaps a guide to understanding my descriptions to follow):


Consistency – In today’s MP3 society, listeners tend to take their favorite 2-3 songs from an album and forget about the rest. In fact, the entire concept of an "album" is rapidly becoming obsolete. I’ve got nothing against "Greatest Hits" albums, but a regular-issue album, including those that are somewhat uneven, still represent a snapshot of that artist at that particular time in the artist’s performing career. Undeniably, many albums contain more than their share of "filler," thus the evolution to the cherry-picking we see today. Thus, a key criterion in compiling this list was to have an even performance from the first track to the last, both in terms of musical quality and production effort.



Maturity – We were looking for albums that, where possible, captured the artist at the peak of its performance ability and musical style, reaching a sound with which the artist was clearly comfortable. Thus, few debut albums, however good they may have been, are included on this list as the artist may have needed to go through a few production cycles before reaching a point of musical maturity.



Influence – Both on other artists, and on the listener.





More to come...

65 Years

This D-Day tribute is worth 10 minutes of your time. Make sure you watch it all the way to the end.

The Victor

Dr. Victor Davis Hanson, as always, gets clearly and concisely to the problem of racial preferences in the Sotomayor worldview. Worth a look here.

Government CEO

Briefly yesterday I was tuned into a radio host (I think it was Jim Quinn) in the midst of a solioqy about the ineffectiveness of governmental management. He rattled off a long list of big-government failures (and a few small-government failures), from public schools to the post office to the Department of Energy, and concluded by asking (supposedly rhetorically) "Name one thing the government has managed successfully!"

Although I was in sympathy with his argument, I nonetheless came up with something right away -- "World War II."

Which then led me to thinking -- if the only thing government can do right is manage a war (and then, not always with equal degrees of success), why is that the one thing that left-wingers don't want them to manage?

Not exactly the deepest thought I've ever had, but it kept my brain occupied for a few seconds.