Jesus Culture–’Come Away With Me’ Review

Now before I start I want to say I am a big fan of the Jesus Culture worship music. The last three Albums ‘We Cry Out’, ‘Your Love Never Fails’ and Consumed are on the whole very good indeed and just the type of worship music style that I love. The albums have a great ‘Big’ sound to them and hit you with a powerful wall of music and they pushed musically all the right buttons for me.

That being said we come to the new album ‘Come Away With Me’. I have so far listened to it a couple of times. Production wise it is great and up there with the rest of the albums. The big sound, wonderful vocals from Chris Quilala and Kym Walker-Smith as you would expect. However my main impression of the album is, sorry to say, all style and no substance.

My reason for saying that is because of the lyrical content of the songs. The music itself is the usual highs standard I have come to expect from them. However the lyrics to the songs are what can only be described as biblical truth light and a little on the lovey dovey, wishey washy side. Now there is definitely a place for that in a worship meeting. To sing our heart felt response to Jesus is right and proper. However since it is true that most people pick up a majority of their theology from the worship songs they sing in church then they will be left sorely lacking by these songs.

I like songs that declare solid biblical truth and are taken from parts of scripture. There is very little of this on the album. Previous albums have been much better and especially when they have done their own interpretations of other well know worship songs.

I don’t doubt for a second the devotion and heart felt way in which these guys worship God. I would dearly love to have powerful spirit led worship times like they do. However this album is frankly disappointing for the above stated reasons. Sorry guys!

Casting Crowns Live, Stoke, November 2010

I was greatly blessed to have seen Casting Crowns for a second time last night at the Queens Theatre in Burslem, Stoke, UK.

Although being on my own this time I enjoyed this gig better than two years ago when I saw them in the same location (Review here). This time it was just CC playing without major support so it was pretty much over two hours of the band which was great.

What I like about CC is that they are not just musicians that are Christians. They are first and foremost youth pastors, youth workers and the music comes from that experience of dealing with people. This gives the lyrics a raw, earthy reality while at the same time being 100% rooted in scripture. Few bands music can reduce me to tears but CC’s music can do it to me with uncomfortable regularity because what Mark Hall sings is so heart felt and speaks to God from where we are at.

The song that particularly gets me every time is ‘Praise you in this Storm’. It has particular meaning recently given what happened in my life earlier in the year. Last night Mark had not even sung the first line and tears were streaming down my face. I sobbed through most of it glad for the relative darkness of the theatre.
Here is that song with an explanation of why it was written. I have posted this many times and I doubt it will be the last time either:

Another thing I really liked about CC and Mark Hall is his clear communication of the Gospel at each gig. Cleverly woven in between the songs. I had to smile as his explanation of how we come to know Christ was thoroughly Reformed. God calls us to Him and it is nothing in us that makes it happen, it is all by Grace, nice! I wonder if this riled any non reformed Christians in the audience?

The audience were very impressive last night with the heartfelt singing and worship of God. Most importantly God was Glorified in that place.

It is a shame they seem to only manage to tour Europe every two years as more people should see them live and appreciate the ministry God has given them. Also would be nice if they did a gig a little nearer the south .

Please go and see them if you ever get the chance and be blessed.

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One negative thing to note and nothing in any way connected to Casting Crowns was this. NXT ministries who organised the evening, as well as two years ago, have an event coming up in 2011 where Brian McLaren is speaking. From what I understand he preaches a very wooly Gospel at best and unscriptural at worst. Best avoided!

Really Like this Song - Maria Mena 'Just Hold Me'

Heard this on Radio 2. Just like it, that is all!

Find more Maria Mena albums at Myspace Music

MUSE - Neutron Star Collision (Love Is Forever) [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

Love Muse and okay I admin it the Twilight films as well!!



and my Favourite track:

What a Privilege!

These are three songs that I have the privilege to play on Sunday in Church. It is a great privilege indeed to play drums and be part of leading a congregation of worshippers into the presence of God. I love playing Drums as part of my worship and service. Anyway just thought I’d share these great songs.

Some Great Songs I love currently

Love this song particulary:



Kim Walker has such a great voice, and:



and



Love playing this one in church:

O Holy Night - Beautiful!

This is one of my favourite Carols and this version is just amazingly beautiful with the lovely voices of the Celtic Ladies, the Choir and the Orchestra. Enjoy and listen to the words!

 

Hallelujah - Which Version?

I was lying in bed yesterday when I heard from downstairs a song I recognised but a version a didn't. Yes it was the X-Factor winners version of Leonard Cohen's song Hallelujah. Personally I am a great fan of the definitive version, in my view, by Jeff Buckley. Buckley's voice here is perfect for such a song with the raw emotion he manages to muster.

Now this is song everyone knows, or at least has heard somewhere along the way. However if you listen to the lyrics you find that what the song is about is not what the melody itself would bring out. It is a very catchy chorus that seems quite positive. Hallelujah means 'Praise the Lord' after all. However it is a deeply subversive song about emotional and sexual torment and even violence among other things. Very cleverly written by Cohen.

This leads me on to the X-Factor version. Well all I can say is:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!

Another clone comes out of the manufactured pop factory of Simon Cowell and his cohorts. Yes she can sing, that is obvious. But to do that to the song! I know she didn't write that version so she is not totally to blame. But please! To design a competition so that it guarantees the Christmas #1 is frankly criminal and then to do it with this song deserves a criminal record. Which it is, do you get it ;-) Ho Ho!

Anyway for a good article about the songs History click HERE!

For Buckley's version on youtube Click HERE!

Jeremy Camp - Speaking Louder than Before

Here is the video to the title track from the New album. Great song and brilliant new album.

 

I heard the Bells on Christmas Day - Casting Crowns

My song of the Moment from my band of the moment: Casting Crowns

When I heard this live myself it sounded better than this live recording but hey ho I love the song.

Casting Crowns Gig - Queens Theatre, Stoke

I had the privilege of seeing Casting Crowns live on the 1st November at the Queens Theatre in Stoke on Trent. The fact I live in Sussex near the south coast may give you an idea of how much I wanted to see them. I rarely drive 3.5 hours for 200 miles to see a band play.

I have really only discovered them as listening experience this year. I had been previously only aware of them without knowing their music. I now rate them as one of my favourite bands. I find Mark Halls lyrics to be so honest and they cut right to the heart of whatever he is writing about, be it struggles with the Christian life or kicking Christians up the backside to be more true to the word of God and less wordly.

Anyway I just wanted to say they are fantastic live. Very open and direct about their faith and plainly love worshipping God during their gigs. A blessing indeed! If you ever get the chance to hear them live don't miss it.

I also liked YFriday who supported them. More a straight worship band but great lively rocking stuff.

Praise you in this Storm

This song sums up what it means to truly know what worship of the Lord is! The beginning introduction is a real heart wrenching story. I challenge you not to have a tear in your eye by the end, gets me every time, enjoy!

 

Tina Dico - On the Run Video

Another great song from the lovely Ms Dico

Switcfoot - This is Home from Prince Caspian

Tina Dico Live at Komedia Brighton - Review

As per previous post I saw Tina Dico live at the Komedia in Brighton last night. This was in what is known as Komedia Downstairs and is a fairly small intimate venue.

The support act who mercifully only played about 25 minutes was called Ain and hails from Dublin. All I can say if that is your day job then you are in trouble. Sorry to be so negative but it was truly awful and hats off to the very English polite crowd who clapped in the right places and didn't make any loud or rude comments. The man knows one melody, in the loosest sense I use that term and played several songs with different lyrics to that same melody. Awful!

Anyway to the reason why I went. Miss Tina Dico performed for around one hour fifteen minutes. Short yes but so very good. It was just her and her two guitars along with her beautifully crafted intelligent vocals. I knew she had a great voice from the albums and from seeing some recorded live work but in the flesh so to speak, simply knock out. Emotive, pure and powerful live bringing all the nuances of the songs to life.

Musically it really impressed me that way she can play some quite complex guitar rhythms and plucking whilst singing the melody lines she writes. Not only a great vocalist but great musician as well.

She deserves greater recognition in the UK than she has as she is so much more talented than the likes of Amy Whinehouse, Amy MacDonald or Katy Melua to name but a few. Go out and by her albums and help raise her profile in the UK.

Tina Dico @ Brighton plus Count to Ten Review

I am going to see Tina Dico tonight at the Brighton Komedia. This will be an acoustic gig as far as I know which will be interesting. I have not heard her live before except on video. If you have never heard of her then I suggest looking on her Home Page to discover a really great talent. She is from Denmark and has what I think is a quite unique style. Yes there are many female singer songwriters out there but her choice of melodies I think makes her stand out from the crowd.

Her new album Count to Ten is really very good. The previous album 'In the Red' is a firm favourite on my iPod and this is as good if not better. Stand out tracks are You know Better and On the Run to name but a few. This is an 8/10 album easily. Emotive and relaxing with well crafted lyrics and interesting melodies.

My favourite song from In the Red is Warm Sand and here it is live, enjoy:

Jeff Wayne's - The War of the Worlds Live

On Thursday night, heavy cough, cold and all, I went to see Jeff Wayne's 'The War of the Worlds' at the Brighton Centre. I have been a fan of this piece of music since I was given a copy by my uncle shortly after it was released back in the seventies. It made a great impression on this young boy I can tell you. The ticket was a present to my Uncle who accompanied me and drove since I was feeling rough.

The show was very impressive with a screen across the whole back of the stage. A 10ft high projection of a digitally animated head of Richard Burton. Justin Hayward and Chris Thompson singing who were on the original. A large string section and numerous musicians, again some of the originals, bringing a big sound and the man himself, Jeff Wayne conducting the whole affair. Two hours of great entertainment with a mixture of live acting/singing, CGI animation and original artwork telling the story with the music.

As much as the music is very much of the seventies it still has somehow not dated either. The audience was both young and old. I guess parents bringing their children, Men bringing their partners, a whole mixture and totally sold out over three nights in Brighton. I recommend seeing it if they do it again next year.

Anyway here is a taster from YouTube:

Rush Live at Wembley - October 10th 2007

I went to see Rush at Wembley Arena last week on the 10th of October.

The fans are looking older and less and less Rock as the years go on. I am sure they are garnering new fans around the world but the UK fans don't seem to be any younger. Having not been to Wembley for a few years I hadn't seen the refurbishments before. The new atrium on what was the back of the arena and the stage now at the opposite end. I have to say it made a difference and makes the arena reasonably pleasant to go to.

Sadly the sound hasn't been improved and the acoustics inside were as bad as ever. Having last seen them 3 years ago for the 30th Anniversary Tour and suffering Tinnitus ever since I was prepared with my ear plugs this time around! Now they weren't nearly as loud as that last show but after 3 songs I decided I had to use the plugs. It actually made an improvement to the sound. Ok, so I lost the top end frequencies but I could hear the bass and drums better.

They started around 7:45 and played for around an hour and ten before having a 25 minute break on the grounds that they are getting old! The second set was much longer and all the way through until nearly 11:00pm. I was a little disappointed with some of the song choices. They played about 5 new songs in a row at one point which I felt should have been spread around a bit more. Yes they played some great classics but the trouble with having 30+ years of history is what to play live. I know you will never please everyone and that is fine. I did feel there were too many of the new instrumentals which aren't a patch on the old ones. They did finish with YYZ which is always great to hear live. No La Villa sadly which surely is the greatest instrumental they have.

Obviously being a drummer, I was anticipating Neil Peart's drum solo. Every tour he changes what he plays without losing some fundamental patterns that are always there. This one I thought was a little, how can I say it...... dull! It just didn't do it for me sadly. Technically brilliant and all that but it just didn't seem to flow well and seemed bitty. Whilst on the subject of Neil Peart's drumming I was a little sad that the only time he used the rear V-Drum kit was during the solo. Being a V-Drum player myself I missed seeing him use them during some of the songs. I think there are v-drum triggers more integrated around the main kit so as to remove the necessity to rotate the kit.

Other highlights were the South Park intro to Tom Sawyer. I am not sure if this was from an actual show or made especially for them but it was very funny. Instead of tumble dryers this time around behind Geddy Lee was a rack of Roast Chicken machines. Weird huh, they even had a chef come on a couple of times and check them!

Overall though it was enjoyable and is always a treat to see the 3 of them play. Geddy and Alex always seem to be having fun on stage and enjoy being there, unlike Mr Peart, but that is another story. I first saw them in 1988 for the 'Hold Your Fire' tour. This was my 4th time seeing them at Wembley. Who knows one day I may see them at a venue that has decent sound.

Take That - Rule the World Video

Well I never thought I would post I video by Take That but hey a good tune is a good tune. Here is the video to 'Rule The World' written for the new film Stardust.

I review of the Rush concert I went to a week ago will follow soon! (Rush and Take That in the same post, another first!)

Marillion - Thank You, Whoever you Are!

Just found this video on YouTube and thought I would post it as it is the best song off the new album which is very average for a Marillion Album.



Brilliant song I think, shame about the rest of the Album. Marbles is much better if you want a recent good album!

This is Easter, one of my favorite songs of all time:



This is Neverland off Marbles and is my fav off that album:



And Afraid of Sunlight, a classic piece of musical perfection: