The latest part of the ongoing series chronicling the greatest 1001 recordings made by Christian artists

521. AUDIO ADRENALINE - SOME KIND OF ZOMBIE, 1998. From the album 'Some Kind Of Zombie', Forefront.
The 'Some Kind Of Zombie' album marked the completion of AA's steady move away from the singalong pop of "Big House" to a multi-layered, grunge-tinged sound which was altogether darker. The title track was inspired by vocalist Mark Stuart's observations of voodoo worship in Haiti where he was raised as the son of missionaries. Here the songwriter brings out a parallel about Christians being dead to sin and though the point of the song is somewhat obscure, the lurching funk rock rhythms make it possibly the most inventive and rhythmically dense track the CCM hitmakers ever attempted.
Tony Cummings

522. PHILLIP LARUE - CHASING THE DAYLIGHT, 2009. From the album 'Let The Road Pave Itself', BEC Recordings.
I've always liked Philip LaRue's huskily expressive voice since those memorable CCM hits he and his sister cut as LaRue so I was delighted when he returned to the vocal mic with the 'Let The Road Pave Itself' album. And in a collection of haunting, understated, lovingly crafted songs this is my favourite. The arrangement is simple enough, chugging mid tempo rhythms over which Philip declares a new found dimension of faith. He declares, "There's still arrows in my heart/There's still time I fall apart/And all I am left with is whys." But then God's healing love falls like rain. As I said, a beautifully crafted song of faith.
Tony Cummings

Waking Ashland

523. WAKING ASHLAND - SHADES OF GREY, 2005. From the album 'Composure', Tooth & Nail.
Waking Ashland were a San Diego-based band influenced by such diverse elements as Joe Jackson, The Pixies and Husker Du who in singer, songwriter and pianist Jonathan Jones had one of the most underrated talents in recent rock history. His band's ability to create brooding emotional piano melodies underpinned with sonic distortion guitars was a riveting listening experience and this track, the opener on the second of Waking Ashland's releases (two albums, two EPs), is a haunting confessional ("I, and I am to blame/I sit here in shame/I threw you away again"). When the wall-of-sound guitars burst in after the extended voice and piano start the effect is electrifying.
Tony Cummings

524. ARKANGEL - WARRIOR, 1980. From the album 'Warrior', Joyeuse Garde.
To quote from Mark Allan Powell's Encyclopedia Of Contemporary Christian Music, "'Warrior' sets new standards for artistic quality and innovation; at a time when many Christian artists were blatantly trying to imitate the sounds of successful secular performers, ArkAngel came out with a rock masterpiece that sounded nothing like anything that anyone had ever heard before - in either arena." As it turned out, at the time of release the Christian public didn't get 'Warrior''s fusion of deft acoustic folk, Pink Floyd style art rock and medieval instrumentation and textures and it was many years later that the album began to be praised as an innovative classic and the band's creative driving force Kemper Crabb was recognised for his writings and occasional solo releases. Back in 1980 it was, ironically, only secular radio stations in Houston who noticed this track, part of an opening suite of songs which praises the Lord's might in spiritual battle. Amazingly, it became a number one regional radio hit. Inspired by Revelation 19:11-12 the track is a powerful reminder of the Lord's power and that "he gives strength unto his people" and "the angel of the Lord camps around the ones who fear him." Today it still carries the ring of authentic biblical militancy.
Tony Cummings

525. SENSATIONAL NIGHTINGALES - BURYING GROUND, 1956. From the album 'Songs Of Praise', Peacock.
For many this is possibly the greatest "death record" ever recorded. The Gales were one of gospel's greatest quartets and this hit for Peacock Records in 1956 shows them at their peak. It's a simple ring shout: "I wonder can you hear," rasps the Rev Julius Cheeks in his resonant baritone and the group's unique harmonies, featuring Jo Jo Wallace's high skinny tenor, all slurs and off notes, and John Jefferson's rolling bass, respond accordingly. "Cancha hear, cancha hear, cancha hear" they sing before Julius completes the line "the church bell toning. . .way over yonder in the new burying ground." Then the group sing high and loud, leading to a piercing plateau of "way over yonders", Rev Cheeks enumerates all those who've already passed on ("I got a mother, I've got a father") before Jo Jo changes the key on "yonder" and the climax sees the group feeling the Spirit and responding with spontaneous shouts. As Cheeks gracefully drops from a screamed "way over yonder" to a husky, final "in the new burying ground" he, in the words of gospel authority Anthony Heilbut, has "summoned up any Tony Cummings

526. TENTH AVENUE NORTH - BY YOUR SIDE, 2008. From the album 'Over And Underneath', Reunion.
The wistful lilt of lead singer Mike Donehey's vocal carries the intro with just a picked acoustic guitar on the first verse so it has to be a very strong song to keep interest. It is. As the other instruments make their introduction the mood of dreamy reflection becomes one of passionate exultation. It's easy for rockers who like their music at setting 11 to dismiss a pop rock outfit like this new team from Florida but if you're looking for lilting melody and lyrics which aren't couched in obscure metaphor, a song like this will connect. The lyrics may only just stay on the right side of spiritual truism ("I'll be by your side wherever you fall/In the dead of night whenever you call") but when the melody and arrangement is as warm and inviting as this, that's no problem.
Tony Cummings

527. CASTING CROWNS - IF WE ARE THE BODY, 2003. From the album 'Casting Crowns', Reunion.
In 2003 Mark Hall and his team of musical youth workers seemed to emerge from nowhere to connect with first the American and then the international Church with songs that moved far beyond the safe platitudes of much Nashville CCM to address, with the authority of a prophet, the issues and difficulties facing today's Church. This, the first of Casting Crowns' continuing stream of hits, in many ways set out Hall's lyrical agenda for all that was to follow. It starts with a succinct picture of a broken girl attending a church meeting - "It's crowded in worship today/As she slips in trying to fade into the faces/The girls' teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know/Farther than they know." Then in comes that unforgettable chorus which prophetically pummels the notion of churches as little more than passive, self-satisfied religious clubs - "But if we are the body/Why aren't his arms reaching?/Why aren't his hands healing?/Why aren't his words teaching?/And if we are the body/Why aren't his feet going?/Why is his love not showing them there is a way/There is a way." Amen to that.
Tony Cummings

Michael W Smith

528. MICHAEL W SMITH - LOVE ME GOOD, 1997. From the album 'Live The Life', Reunion.
Down the years Michael Whitaker Smith has had undergone his fair share of musical changes but it was this effervescent track from 1997 that caught the CCM icon at the top of his game. Clearly Michael and Wayne Kirkpatrick - who penned "Love Me Good" - had been listening closely to Paul Simon's 'Graceland' and the track contains the same rollicking, joyful vibe of Mr Simon's flirtation with township jazz. What really works are the staccato lines written with little regard for scan pinpointing the frustrations of our modern world ("Sometimes I wish I was in a movie or some '70s TV thing/Where everything gets wrapped up by the end of the show/Yea, but this ain't Hollywood and this sure ain't the Brady Bunch/And how the plot's gonna all pan out I don't really know"). Such wry observations are interspersed with a small choir of backing singers singing the rollicking chorus "Give me love, give me love, love me good." Wonderful stuff.
Tony Cummings

529. RUSS TAFF - TABLE IN THE WILDERNESS, 1989. From the album 'The Way Home', Myrrh.
Darrell Brown, David Batteau and Russ Taff penned this moving song about a table in the wilderness "where the blessed sing of his tenderness" and "where the lame can walk and the weary rest." Russ's smoky, gritty vocal is perfect and the great James Hollihan provides a bluesy guitar solo. Seldom has inspirational music been delivered with such soulful passion.
Tony Cummings

530. DELIRIOUS? - GOD YOU ARE MY GOD, 2000. From the album 'Glo', Furious?.
Rock/Gregorian chant crossover, anyone? At the turn of the millennium Delirious? stood on the threshold of that thing which all bands dream about: mainstream breakthrough. Having reached the Top 20 of the UK singles chart the previous year, and with 'Mezzamorphis' a number 25 hit album, the music press were beginning to sit up and make comparisons with Radiohead, even if the d:boys were getting only occasional airplay on mainstream radio. When a killer album would surely have been the tipping point into fame and fortune, Delirious? took the uncommercial route and outrageously released a worship collection. True, in one sense all of their art can be viewed as "worship songs". But, as they well knew, an album like 'Glo' was never going to connect with the great unchurched. But amongst the many songs which form the rich legacy that the group have left on deposit with the CCM world, the opening track here is crucially overlooked. Segued into "Glo In The Dark (PT01)", the song "God You Are My God" is utterly awesome. With sections from the monks at Ampleforth Abbey in Yorkshire, this Stu G composition features lyrics which repeat most lines in a liturgical manner whilst evoking Psalm 27: 4-6 perhaps. The vocal effects from Anna Smith are in themselves sufficient to make the hairs on the back of the neck stand up. A sound track for life, no less.
John Cheek

...to be continued
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The Complete Spirit Of Rock And Soul As So Far Published In Chronological Order
As published in CR1, 1st May 1990
Dave Marsh was a colleague of mine; way back when hair was long and party-nights were longer. We didn't know each other too well though well enough, through sharing the same book publisher, to have a lot of respect for someone who, as they used to say in the music biz back then, had 'good ears'.

That meant he knew the difference between the brilliant from the merely good and could find songs, out of the hundreds and thousands of records that pour into the lives of professional rock journalists that had that glimmer of creative genius. Sometimes Dave was even able to locate and codify in words (always a frustrating mode of expression when dealing with music!) why they were brilliant. A good reliable reviewer of Dave was.

Now 20 years on he's gone rock music legit and got a book of rock reviews, published by Penguin. It's called The Heart Of Rock And Soul. What you get are Dave's reviews of a thousand and one tracks hyped on the book cover as 'the greatest singles ever made'.

All lovers of pop music should investigate the book. Dave's ears are as good as ever and though there's just a touch of the portentous about some of his writing, the veteran journalist does do a good job in flagging down plenty of classics in the millions of songs recorded in the post-war years. But what is sorely missing in Dave's tome, as the author himself admits, is gospel music. "There are no gospel singles in The Heart Of Rock And Soul quite simply because I could find no way of contextualizing them without trivializing them," he writes.