Search - Various Artists :: History Makers: Best of Christian Pop 1

Hallelujah! Soul Reviving Retro Rock

Gord Wilson | Bellingham, WA USA | 04/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, the title says "pop," but these songs hail from the days when rock was pop and vice versa. How innocent and fresh some of these songs sound. Larry Norman's "I Wish We'd All Been Ready," (from which the "Left Behind" books were named) hails from his first album, "Upon This Rock." It's disarming and simple, confident and sincere. Along with Elton John and Billy Joel, add another artist who preferred the piano, Keith Green, from his ground-breaking first album, "For Him Who Has Ears to Hear." Scott Wesley Brown claims, "I'm not religious, I just love the Lord," on his first album, and then goes on to explain the difference. Chuck Girard from Love Song has a great rocker,"Rock and Roll Preacher." Second Chapter of Acts deliver stunning rock vocals on well-crafted pop songs, and Matthew Ward, the male voice in the trio, delivers his own solo outing. "Stranger to Danger" is among Mylon's best songs, and had a great video along with it. The artist choices, selected by Thom Granger of CCM magazine, are all top notch, but some of the songs are not representative of the artists. This Andrae Crouch number from the disco era could not escape the shadow of the Brothers Gibb, but don't think this is Crouch's "sound."(There's a History Maker CD that's all Andrae Crouch). The Barry McGuire song is, in my view, a terrible choice (it was also on the "Best of Barry McGuire" CD). Find the out of print albums "Seeds" and "Lighten Up", and hear what Barry (known for singing "Eve of Destruction" can really do. Sheila Walsh changed styles midstream (I prefer her earlier new wave style). Abba-sound-alikes Silverwind and contemporary singer, Twila Paris probably really are "pop" in the later sense, without the rock edge of the other songs. The title says "Volume One." Let's hope lots more History Makers are on the way. These tantalizing songs may inspire listeners to delve back to the roots of rock, finding kindred souls and a joyful noise."