Search - Adam Again :: Homeboys + Dig

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Mark J. Aronstein | Annandale, VA United States | 12/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Is this "gospel"? Maybe it's just great music. The name "Adam Again" refers to Christ, the "2nd Adam" of history (it was also a cool Michael O"Martian album from the 70s). That's appropriate, because this band makes music for Christians who aren't afraid to confront their "old self" in relation to the good life that Christ offers.



These two albums are arguably the best of the five original studio albums Adam Again made. "Homeboys" (1990) lays down a generous amount of funk a la the mid-80s Talking Heads (check out the cover of Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues"). Despite the sense of loss heard in some of the tracks, the band chugs along and does its thing with a lot of energy. I'd heard that somewhere along the way leader Gene Eugene and Riki Mchele got divorced from one another... was it after this album? You can hear tension in the music, but the themes of morality and redemption are still there. "Occam's Razor" (the philosophic idea that the simplest theory with the fewest assumptions is the most likely to be found correct) is THE song for a gospel apologist in the modern area.



"Dig" (1992) is very complex and rewarding. It's darker, more brooding and melancholy, but again, if you listen carefully, the singer does not deny the greatness of God -- he merely admits that he often does not live up to the promises God has given. The grungy, electric-guitar-heavy music seems to push the listener further, until all the failures of self are crushed underfoot and only the love of God is left. It's powerful stuff. And great music.



Gene Eugene often sounds like a poor man's Michael Stipe (if you really like REM's sound, check out also their last studio album, "Perfecta"). Unlike REM, who seems at time to simply make art for art's sake, Adam Again thrashes out with purpose and, ultimately, a destination. If you're a modern day Christian who appreciates honest music with its rough edges intact, this is defintiely the place for you.



Honesty like this calls to mind the passage in Hebrews in which the writer describes the heroes of faith throughout history who, though forced to hide from persecution in caves, were those "of whom the world was not worthy." Five stars are not enough!





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Awesome Album

Robert Shepherd | Nampa, ID | 09/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just discovered this band 3+ years after the passing of Gene Eugene. What a loss!!! This is a great disc, the only complaint I have is that they left a track off of each album to make both of them fit onto one CD. I found a used copy of Dig and I just ordered it today. Homeboys is not so readily available. The songs are just wonderful, there is an honesty that is not often found in most Christian music. There are no rose colored windows here!! But it is an honest portayal of someone who struggled in faith to serve Christ, and I think that is a great testimony.



PS. I picked up Homeboys finally (a few years back), and the song that was left off was No Regrets. That song is well worth whatever you pay for the original CD. I printed off the tabs and play that pretty regularly. I love that song.

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