Van Halen

Enosh · Post by **Enosh** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 1:52 pm

Lexington,

I don't have but like a couple secular albums and I rarely listen to them. I usually listen to Petra, a couple local christian bands, or my collection of christian music from years past.

Just purely for discussion purposes I ask the question, "Is there really allot of "GREATchristian music out there nowadays?" I do believe there is more Christian music out now. Christian music is really stale right now. Don't get me wrong, there are a couple bands and artists that sound good as well as putting forth a great message. For the most part though, Christian music doesn't do anything that isn't safe. If pop is cool, then everything you hear will be pop. Praise and worship has been overdone so much we even have praise and worship songs that acknowledge it in "The heart of worship" It's a fad for the most part instead of a heartfelt cry from our hearts.

Christian music is experiencing both a slump, and the highest sales they ever had. The music just isn't as good as it used to be. The focus isn't always on who it should be. What I think of when I think Great Christian
music.

Petra
Steven Curtis Chapman
Whiteheart
I'll even say DC Talk
Second Chapter of Acts
Keith Green
Rich Mullens
Pillar
Audio Adrenaline
Tournaquet
Bride
Steve Taylor
Guardian
Mylon Lefevre and Broken Heart
Bash-n- the code
Steve Camp
Stryper
Disciple

What are your opinions?

Shell · Post by **Shell** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 3:18 pm

That's a good list, Enosh. You remember Bash N The Code? Hehehe. I liked them.

And Steve Taylor ROCKED.

And don't forget...

Daniel Amos
DeGarmo and Key
Rick Cua
Michele Pillar
Leslie Phillips
Randy Stonehill
Phil Keaggy
Kenny Marks
Sheila Walsh
Kim Boyce

There are probably others, I'll think of 'em later.

bakersfieldpethead · Post by **bakersfieldpethead** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 7:23 pm

How about

Butt n' pain
Whoo I'm cheezy
Red Diet
Turn and spit
Walking Weird
Walking Scared
Walking Up
Walking Down
Walking All the way around

LexingtonPethead · Post by **LexingtonPethead** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 7:23 pm

Please don't take offense when I say this, guys (and gals), but from your lists, I'd say there's a lot you haven't heard.

I mean, you guys are listing artists that were prevailant 15 - 20 years ago, and some weren't really all that great even then, at least IMHO.

You really need to hear the new stuff.

Enosh, I couldn't disagree with you more about the state of today's Christian rock. There is SO much out there that I don't think you've heard.

Check out these bands (or buy their CDs!):

Anberlin (great CD!)
Audio Adrenalin (excellent)
Building 429
Barlow Girl
Jeremy Camp (one of my favs)
Delirious?
DC Talk
Detour 180
FM Static (positively awesome)
Jars of Clay
Jonah 33 (if you haven't heard them, you don't know what you're missing)
Kutless (superb, another one of my favs)
Lifehouse (another superb band)
MercyMe
Trevor Morgan
Newsboys (self-explanatory, here)
Paul Colman Trio
Pillar
Plumb
Relient K (great alternative band)
Sanctus Real (very good, indeed)
Seven Places (absolutely awesome)
Skillet (different, but these guys are unique and they rock)
Smalltown Poets
SonicFlood (I know it's worship, but they're still awesome)
Rebecca St. James
Strange Celebrity
Switchfoot (The Beutiful Letdown CD is positively SUPREME)
Tait (Michael Tait from DC Talk)
Telecast
The Benjamin Gate (a little wierd, but worth listening to)
Third Day (can't leave 'em out)
Thousand Foot Krutch (another great rocker, same lead singer as FM Static)
Tree 63 (another one of my favs)
Paul Wright

And there are others, but these I have been able to listen to a lot.

Like I said, Christian rock is awesome nowadays and with music like this, who needs secular rock???

Shell · Post by **Shell** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 7:44 pm

Yeah, I like Audio Adrenalin, Delirious, Jars of Clay, Newsboys and Rebecca St. James. I like Violet Burning too.

I've said several times I'm stuck in the 80s and need to be dragged into the 21st Century, LOL. I'll check out some of the bands you listed I'm not familiar with.

bakersfieldpethead · Post by **bakersfieldpethead** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:26 pm

I'm stuck in the 80s and need to be dragged into the 21st Century

slow down, take your time

LexingtonPethead · Post by **LexingtonPethead** » Tue Aug 10, 2004 8:27 pm

Bakersfield, you are a RIOT!!

Enosh · Post by **Enosh** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 7:29 am

Hey Lexington, noi offence taken man. It's just a discussion. You make some good points. There are good bands out there. I was talking the industry in general.

I know that allot of the bands we listed were considered "old" but it's really not the deal of having never heared these bands or artists. I've heard most of the bands you've listed. I'm really not that old, I just think that allot of music sounds the same today. The problem is in secular music too. Everybody jumps on a bandwagon and runs it into the ground until you are just sick of it.

Look at Ska. Christians embraced it, i even loved it. Then they drove it deep into a hole. Now it's this new style of rock. The problem is that bands are not distinct in sound. To me at least. Very few of the songs are going to be remembered as a classic. That's why I enjoy some of those "old" bands. Allot of the songs by those artists are classic. Songs that everybody still knows years later. There are allot of bands, but my concern is that there seems to be allot of filler, and little thriller.

Sure, there is some great Christian music out there. I don't deny that But I get more frustrated when i go into family christian stores than excited about new music. Plus the thing I see is more bands, less ministries. I think of these things when I label somethinig Great christian music. The music can sound cool, but what is the ministry behind it.

Below are some of my comments on some of the groups listed.

Audio Adrenalin (excellent) They were on my list.
Building 429 (I really like these guys sound)
Barlow Girl (Girls in bands ROCK)
Jeremy Camp (one of my favs) I like him, he needs to consistantly rock on his albums. Take my life rocks hard!
DC Talk (On my list)
Kutless (Ok, but not my favs)
Lifehouse (One good song, didn't really hold me)
MercyMe (I like em, but they start to sound the same after a while)
Newsboys (They had me until Microphone. Got everything else. Liked the praise album though)
Pillar (Love em!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Skillet (Not so much)
Smalltown Poets (Great?, uh.
Rebecca St. James (Love her)
Strange Celebrity Haven't heard them yet.
Switchfoot Like the new song.
Tait (Michael Tait from DC Talk) Good in theory. Songs just haven't grabbed me.
Third Day (can't leave 'em out) (Why not?) I just really don't get into it.
Thousand Foot Krutch ( I like these guys. I actually played with them.)
You forgot Casting Crowns! Great band!

LexingtonPethead · Post by **LexingtonPethead** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 8:32 am

Enosh,

Yeah, I also forgot 12 Stones, POD and a few others.

You also make some very good points. Especially about bands not having a "distinct" sound.

Back when I used to listen to secular rock, you always knew the band by the "sound", like Styx, Lex Zeppelin, Eagles, etc... That's why classic rock is a weakness for me. You're right... I miss the individuality and creativity that artists had back then. It was very noticeable.

In Christian music, most of the "big" artists that got (and continue to get) airplay on AC radio all sounded the same, to me anyway. I had to choke down Christian radio from the mid-80s all up to about a year and a half ago when I discovered Air1 was broadcasting locally in my area. The Christian artists and bands that dared to stand out were out there, but we needed a lot more of them back then, and a lot of them had no presence on Christian radio.

Today, if I'm listening to Christian AC radio, I can hardly stand it. Except for when they play an AC song from a valid Christian rock band, like Petra for example (although it seems ages since I've hear Petra on the radio). To me, most of it sounds the same, and I don't like what I hear.

Sure, I'll admit that there isn't much variance in the new sound these days, BUT - if you like the sound, and if you like new rock, there's a lot out there to hear in the Christian world.

Spayth · Post by **Spayth** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 10:55 am

Hy all this is my first post here. A tid bit about VH is Ed's wife Valerie is rumored to be a Christian and the lead singer they had for a while after sammy... I forget his name but he used to sing for Extreme. If you ever listen to to Extremes stuff it had a christian slant on alot of thier songs. I was a huge VH fan back in the day. I prefer the david lee roth days. I agree with the post that they we're a more "fun " band then. I did'nt know they were even still toghether. Oh well. I guess I'm get to old to keep up

HE HE

LexingtonPethead · Post by **LexingtonPethead** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 5:13 pm

Enosh wrote:Strange Celebrity Haven't heard them yet.

You probably already know this, but just case others who see this post don't know it already, Quinton Gibson, former guitarist for Petra during Bob's sabatical, is the guitarist behind Strange Celebrity's driving sound.

The Remedy CD is awesome.

LexingtonPethead · Post by **LexingtonPethead** » Wed Aug 11, 2004 5:17 pm

Enosh wrote:Third Day (can't leave 'em out) (Why not?) I just really don't get into it.

Yeah, you're right. They have some great songs, but trying to listen to an entire CD is punishing!

Enosh · Post by **Enosh** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 11:54 am

Wait! This has to be a first. Lexington, I think we deserve some kind of medal or something. This is the first time two people started off on a topic with what seemed like differing opinions on the Petra zone, opened a dialog on the subject, expressed points of view, and came to an understanding of each others views without 20 pages of back and forth arguing! Congrats Lexington!!!! We did it!!!

Seriously,

I know about Quinton, and want to hear the album. I just haven't yet. Third Day is one of those bands you either like or don't. they do have some good songs, I just don't care for the guys voice. That, and I wasn't happy with the version of Creed they did by Rich Mullens. That song is classic. I love it when bands are able to sound distinct. I guess I don't get into allot of the stuff because I know that really people are out there with new ideas and sound and the record companies are putting them into a box and saying, Do things our way if you want to sell albums. Record companies don't have a clue as to what people WANT to hear. (Except Inpop who gave us Jekyll and Hyde)

I look forward to the day when Christian bands are allowed to be more creative.

Hello Spayth,

Good to have you aboard. I have heard those same things about Valarie, and Gary Charone. 3 sides to ever story by Extreme is one of the secular albums I do own.

Shell · Post by **Shell** » Thu Aug 12, 2004 11:57 am

What? 20 pages of arguing back and forth here on the Zone? Never, we're all too mature and reasonable for that.

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Wed Aug 18, 2004 7:17 am

Spayth wrote: Hy all this is my first post here. A tid bit about VH is Ed's wife Valerie is rumored to be a Christian and the lead singer they had for a while after sammy... I forget his name but he used to sing for Extreme. If you ever listen to to Extremes stuff it had a christian slant on alot of thier songs. I was a huge VH fan back in the day. I prefer the david lee roth days. I agree with the post that they we're a more "fun " band then. I did'nt know they were even still toghether. Oh well. I guess I'm get to old to keep up HE HE

Hey, wait a second... I know someone from Shreveport whose name is "Spayth."

The Petra Zone

Van Halen

............................

VH more Christian than you know

Re: VH more Christian than you know

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