Michael Sweet: A Stryper album, an autobiography, a solo release, Sweet/Lynch

Sunday 19th October 2014

Tony Cummings talks to the hard working veteran of rock music, MICHAEL SWEET



Continued from page 2

Michael: Yeah, I am. I'm very pleased with that album. If I could go back - would've, could've, should've - I might have added another song with a little more edge to it. But overall I'm very pleased.

Tony: I remember talking to some Stryper fans who didn't like your first solo project because they felt they were too pop.

Michael: It was very pop. Stryper's 'Against The Law' came out in 1990, and at the time I left in '92 we had sold maybe 150,000 copies - if that. When I released my first solo album in '95, it sold 250,000 copies. So I would say, comparatively speaking, it did all right.

Tony: The marketplace was changing then, and Christian radio stations decided that maybe hard rock wasn't of the Devil. It was a slow battle.

Michael: Absolutely. I don't ever say this to expect people to take pity on this - pull out their violins and start playing - but Stryper has definitely been on an uphill mission: we've been going against the tide from the beginning. We knew what to expect, but, at the same time, it's gets difficult to always hear 'No'. When you put in your name to go out and be the opener for a Judas Priest tour - because that's our mission, where our hearts are, to reach as many people as we can; and Judas Priest is one of our greatest influences - and you're told 'No' because Steel Panther got the gig. Add to that 29 or 30 years of that. A lot of times we hear the reasoning behind it: they'll come right out and say, 'It's because you're a Christian band'. We are - we're Christians - but we're a rock band.

Tony: From the beginning you've had a strange situation where there were parts of the Church preaching against you, so you've got a battle on two fronts.

Michael: You've really nailed that. We have a battle on the Christian side because of the music and our appearance, and we have a battle on the mainstream side because of the Christian faith - caught between a rock and a hard place. But that hasn't stopped us from being who we are.

Tony: The battle is being won, and the new battlefield is rap. A Christian rapper told me recently that Christian radio isn't playing rap because the Church takes 20 years to catch up with the culture.

Michael: It's like America with clothing! I don't know that it takes 20 years to catch up, but we're a little behind the times: we follow the lead of Italy and all the fashion capitals. It's just the way it is from the beginning of time. Sadly, it takes the Church a little longer.

Tony: But there are many problems in today's Church.

Michael: It's sad - and all in the name of God. Lisa, my wife, and I were just watching a minister I won't name on television the other night: we were flipping through and we stopped on him for ten minutes because we were disgusted. He was promising people all sorts of things not Scriptural. All in the name of God, taking people's money. These are the same guys that are telling people that what we do is of the Devil. I'm just thinking this is so twisted. I'm never one to judge: those people that do judge will be judged by God for what they do, which is far worse. We do what we feel led to do, called to do, and we try not to judge other people. We accept everybody - we love everybody - and we've been practicing that theory for years. I want to treat people the way I would expect to be treated, and show them the same love God has for us.

Tony: I read a very moving testimony. A Christian magazine published it and had so many letters attacking them. It was about a padre who visited Nazi war criminals in their cells; men who had done atrocious things. That padre led a number of them to Christ. Many church people couldn't handle that idea.

Michael: It's because we aren't capable of portraying and showing God's love. We're human, we're sinners: we don't have that capability. But we need to realise that God can change all people, no matter what they've done, who they are; and as horrific a life as they've lived, God still loves them. That's hard for people to grasp. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.
About Tony Cummings
Tony CummingsTony Cummings is the music editor for Cross Rhythms website and attends Grace Church in Stoke-on-Trent.


 
Showing page 3 of 3

1 2 3


Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.