fun with guitars

So yesterday I took my guitar in to see about getting the pickup fixed.

Let me back up. I have a Takamine Acoustic/Electric that my folks got for me back 12 or so years ago. It’s been a very serviceable guitar. About 2 years ago it developed a short in the end-pin jack, so I couldn’t get it amplified. Now, I hadn’t been playing it that much, so it didn’t matter too much. Finally, about 18 months ago I took it in to our local guitar shop, Stars Guitars, to have them replace the jack. They replaced it, but then found that they couldn’t get the pickup to work at all. So, they didn’t charge me for the jack, but didn’t solve my problem, either.

Fast forward to this week. I’m now playing guitar for church every-other week, and my in-hole single-coil passive pickup just isn’t cutting it. So, I figured I’d take it back in and have them take another look. About an hour after I left it there, I get a call on my cell phone. When can I come pick it up?

It ends up that whoever installed the end pin jack last time wired it backwards. Oops. Switch the wires and everything works fine.

So I’ll go pick it up tonight. Better late than never.

feel the beat of a distant thunder...

I have a confession to make. I had been avoiding purchasing Andrew Peterson’s latest album. I don’t know exactly why; I think I had listened to his previous album once and it didn’t really do anything for me. So, I ignored the rave reviews of the RMFO folks and passed it by. I mean, I purchase too many CDs anyway. It’s a really bad habit.

Yesterday, though, I was in the local Christian bookstore on a quest to purchase another item, and The Far Country was sitting there on the demo rack, taunting me. I fearlessly slipped on the headphones and took the challenge. About 30 seconds into the first track I was hooked. I listened to bits of the first three songs, had my opinion cemented enough to merit the sacrifice of $13.97, grabbed a copy, and headed to the cash register. I took it home and listened all the way through it twice (along with repeats of a couple songs an additional time or two), and have listened to it twice again today.

I don’t know how else to say it…. this is a phenomenal album. Andy P has captured the longing for that far-away place with songs like The Havens Grey, Lay Me Down, and, perhaps most notably, Little Boy Heart Alive. His songs are rich in imagery, with abundant references to the writings of C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Musically, this album is also a gem. From the light rock of the title track, to the soft tones of The Queen of Iowa, to the acoustic wonder of Mystery of Mercy (a nice contrast to the Caedmon’s Call version of the same song), it just grabs you from beginning to end.

There were two times listening to The Far Country when I felt like I was listening to the late great Rich Mullins: the hammer dulcimer on Mystery of Mercy, and, well, the whole song Little Boy Heart Alive. I could write so much about that particular song… maybe I’ll make it a separate blog post. It is terrific.

Learn from my lesson. If you haven’t heard this album yet, go listen to it. It’ll grab you. In the end, you’ll thank me. Yes, it’s that good.

One final comment: there is this choice credit in the album liner: “Assistant Executive Producer: Andrew Osenga’s Right Middle Toe, Esq.” :-)

Worship Team changes...

We had our first worship team practice using individual microphones last night.

Currently, we just have one condenser mic on each side of the stage and 3 or 4 people gather around it. The sound quality is terrible. Thanks to Nate Hines who graciously loaned us 4 SM-58’s, we now can practice using individual mics. We’re going to split into two worship teams, each with 3 vocalists and some instrumentalists. The start date is Sept 11, so we’ve got some work to do pretty quickly. I think it’ll turn out OK, though.

Practice last night went about as well as it possibly could have; the singers really noticed how much better things were with handheld mics - better sound, you can hear everybody… good stuff. It was kinda funny - I told Janice “sing louder, we can’t hear you”… and her reply: “I thought if I can hear myself then I’m singing too loud…” Welcome to real sound with monitors! :-) It’ll take some ironing out, but in the end it will be a huge improvement over our current configuration.

not all that amusing: a review of Chris Rice's new CD

I pre-ordered Chris Rice’s new album, amusing, back a couple of months ago when it was advertised by eb+flo. This is Chris’s first album with his new record label, INO, so I was looking forward to hearing what the effort would sound like. The album doesn’t hit the stores until tomorrow (Tuesday August 23rd), but I received my copy in the mail last Friday. Having now had the chance to listen to it a couple times, I’ll hazard an opinion or two.

The Music Musically, Chris makes the most of being on a new record label that has, apparently, given him much more musical freedom. The styles are varied; from the Steven Curtis Chapman-esque bluesy-country-rock of Love Like Crazy, to the made-for-adult-contemporary-radio sound of When Did You Fall, to the quiet piano-driven tones of Sleepyhead Sun, he explores many sounds that will a suprise to those familiar with his discography. I could complain that it isn’t very cohesive in sound, but that’s the case with most of Chris’s albums, so I won’t suddenly hold it against him now.

The Content The subject matter of the songs is perhaps also typically varied; he includes a couple songs that deal with romantic love which lead me to wonder if he (the long-time bachelor) has a new relationship that is driving these thoughts. But the interviews I’ve read don’t mention a thing about it, nor do the liner notes. Bummer.

The Lyrics Here’s where I am more disappointed with amusing. It seems to be missing a song or two with the depth that his previous albums have included. Think back on Deep Enough to Dream (from the album Deep Enough to Dream), The Power of a Moment (from Past the Edges), Home Tonight (from Smell the Color 9), Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus), or Wonder (both from Run the Earth, Watch the Sky). They are songs full of picturesque, thoughtful lyrics, laden with symbolism and imagery. They are the depth that keeps me coming back to those albums again and again. Sadly, amusing doesn’t seem to include much of anything in that vein.

What it does contain in great measure is the more overt, and, to my mind, less-insightful lyrics that eventually drove me away from the music of Steven Curtis Chapman. For instance, the chorus of Love Like Crazy:

Love like crazy We gotta love like crazy We gotta love like crazy The way he loves you and me ‘Cause if the world’s ever gonna change We gotta love like crazy

This may be insightful and motivating for the high-school camp crowd, but it leaves me wanting more. Or this one:

Life gave me lemonade and I can’t imagine why Born on a sunny day, beneath a tangerine sky I live life without pretending I’m a sucker for happy endings Thanks for the lemonade Thanks for the lemonade!

Sure, it’s OK…. but color me a bit disappointed.

This album will not really change my overall opinion of Chris Rice; he’s still one of my favorite songwriters, he’s still provided some of the most thoughtful and worshipful stuff that I’ve ever heard. I’m hoping that amusing is just one slightly low spot in the road that will quickly be forgotten when the next album comes around. It may, though, prompt me to skip the pre-ordering next time and wait to get a listen before making my purchase.

My CD wish list

OK, I’ll admit it: I have a CD-buying habit. It’s not as destructive or expensive as many other habits I could have, but it still drives me to purchase more music, new music all the time.

My last new CD came in the mail on Friday - I had pre-ordered Chris Rice’s new CD, amused, back a couple of months ago. I’m not sure how well I like it yet; I’ll have to listen some more. Chris Rice has been on my automatically-buy list pretty much ever since his first album, and I haven’t been disappointed yet. Hopefully the streak continues. Before that, I got Andy Osenga’s [Souvenirs & Postcards], and then just before that Randall Goodgame’s War and Peace. I guess you could say I’m just doing catch-up as I find these new artists that I like so much.

Since I have to hold back a bit, I’ll at least post my list here so I can add to it from time to time, or note when I have purchased another one. If any of you reading this feel the desire to get one for me, go ahead. :-) They are listed in a basic priority order… which is always subject to change.

The Normals I don’t own any of their albums yet, but I should get all of them:_

  • A Place Where You Belong
  • Coming To Life
  • Better Than This

They are available, all 3 for $24 at http://www.creativesitesmedia.com/normals/merch.shtml. I will admit to being torn between getting them for that good price or supporting Andy O directly by buying them from his site at a slightly higher price.

Randall Goodgame

  • Arkadelphia
  • The Hymnal

Available for purchase at http://www.uthstuph.com/ws/randallgoodgame/. I appreciate his War and Peace more every time I hear it… I need to catch up on his other stuff.

Sufjan Stevens

  • Illinois

I wrote about this one before. I still haven’t purchased it.

Sandra McCracken

  • Gypsy Flat Road
  • The Crucible

I have only one of Sandra’s albums right now: Best Laid Plans. I’d sure like to add the other two.

Other things floating around at the bottom of the list: Ryan Adams’ [Cold Roses], and maybe Nickel Creek’s [Why Should the Fire Die?].

I guess that’s it for now. I imagine I’ll be adding to this list before I subtract from it too much. :-)

Come On! Feel The Illinoise!

There have been a ton of reviews of Sufjan Stevens’ new album, [Illinois], floating around lately. I hadn’t heard any of his music, and after having one friend say “eh… not getting into it that much”, I had pretty much decided that it was going to go on my ignore list. But then three nights in a row, listening to my local NPR station whilst driving my car, I heard some rather interesting tunes… which, when the announcer came back to credit them, were all from the aforementioned Mr. Stevens album.

My interest thus piqued, I did a little internet research and found that Amazon has two free tracks you can download. Then I found this post on Richard’s blog which pointed me towards several more downloads. I’ve downloaded 6 tracks so far (which is only about 25% of the album…) and I’m really impressed. The song names are goofy (“The Black Hawk War, Or, How To Demolish An Entire Civilization And Still Feel Good About Yourself In The Morning, Or, We Apologize For The Inconvenience But You’re Going To Have To Leave Now, Or, ‘I Have Fought The Big Knives And Will Continue To Fight Them Until They Are Off Our Lands!’” is just one example), the subject matter is at times bizzare (“John Wayne Gacy, Jr.”), but the end result is captivating. The layered instrumentation, the quirky rhythms (the first track is in a neat 5/4 time), Sufjan’s mellow vocals, they all serve to create a total package that’s unlike anything I’ve ever heard before… but engrossing at the same time.

I think I’m going to have to go out and buy this album. I looked for it at BestBuy the other night and it was nowhere to be found. Maybe Barnes & Noble will have it; it’s on sale on their website, maybe it’ll be on sale in the store, too. I have a car trip planned to Wisconsin for this weekend; it would be fun to add Illinois to the journey.

Randall Goodgame, where have you been all my life?

Tuesday I found a bootleg concert recording of Randall Goodgame opening for Caedmon’s Call in Minot, ND. I’d never heard his music before; I knew that he’s written some good stuff for Caedmon’s, and that Andy Osenga speaks highly of him, but that was about it. So, I downloaded the songs and decided to give him a listen. Wow, what I have been missing!

War And Peace cover image

The song that has totally captured my head at the moment is from his Peanuts trilogy on his latest album, War and Peace. I’m not sure whether it’s #1 or #3; the bootleg says it’s #3, but when I listen to the clips of his songs from his website, it sounds like it’s #1. I guess I’ll find out for sure once I get the CD; I ordered it back on Tuesday. Hoping it might come before I head out to Norfolk next week, but I’m not holding my breath. Anyhow, he has Danielle Young (of Caedmon’s) singing with him on this one, and it’s just the perfect folksy mix of terrific lyrics and fun music; I’ve had it on repeat for the last hour or so in iTunes and I’m not ready to turn it off yet.

He [Schroeder] played like Harry Truman, without those cokebottles that only Marcie wore, Like Harry Truman, without the atom bomb, Without the burden of a third world war.

Brilliant.

Musical Baton

And so today the musical baton was passed to me by Jeff Holland. It seems like a fun idea, but it will be agonizing to have to make some of these choices…

Amount of music on your computer?

OK, this one is easy, thanks to iTunes. 4123 songs, 12.8 days, 15.03 GB. That’s basically my entire collection - now how much of it I regularly listen to is an entirely separate question - it would be a much shorter list. The total list is bloated by a bunch of classical stuff and then my wife’s albums (things like the entire collected works of Jim Brickman, Best of Air Supply, other stuff to scary to admit is on there…)

Currently listening to?

Hurry, Sleeping at Last, Ghosts

Five songs that mean a lot to you?

Wedding Dress, Derek Webb This springs to mind almost instantly; to me it embodies that spirit of brokenness and repentance that I constantly need to have before God.

Somewhere North of Here, Caedmon’s Call (Derek Webb :-)) One of my favorite CC songs, one of the early ones that hooked me.

There aren’t many others that come to mind, so let’s see what iTunes says I’ve been listening to…

Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright, Bob Dylan I was introduced to this song by a guy I know who sings in my favorite coffeeshop. It’s good, simple, early Dylan.

Say, Sleeping At Last Not necessarily even my favorite Sleeping At Last song (that probably goes to Currents, but it’s the first one on the album, and so it gets played the most.

I Get A Kick Out Of You, Jamie Cullum The young Brit sensation covers an old Cole Porter song. A fun big-band-type arrangement with some good piano work thrown in. I have a huge appreciation for guys like Jamie who have gone back and revived the old big band and jazz.

Top five albums?

Oh gosh, this is a tough one.

Long Line of Leavers, Caedmon’s Call This was my first taste of Caedmon’s, and still, I think, my favorite overall album. If only they could have left off Valleys Fill First…

The House Show, Derek Webb OK, this is a cop-out - it’s not either of his actual studio albums, but it’s live, which kicks it up a notch in my book, it has the best of She Must and Shall Go Free, and it includes Derek’s cover of Bob Dylan’s Every Grain of Sand, which is one of my favorites (of Derek’s, not of Dylan’s).

Ghosts, Sleeping at Last This one has grown on me a ton since I first listened to it. It’s the direction that I like rock music to go, and I reserve it for either times when I need to tune out at work (which must be often, seeing how many times I’ve played the album) or while I’m driving with the windows down in the car.

When Harry Met Sally Soundtrack, Harry Connick, Jr. Here’s my nod to the jazz and big band that I love so much. To think that Harry was early 20’s and recording this album just blows me away. I fell in love with the mellow saxophone solo on Love is Here to Stay way back in high school and it’s still one of my favorite songs. And the piano solo version of Winter Wonderland just makes me shake my head in wonder. Good stuff.

Photographs, Andrew Osenga I always skip Kankakee and start the album off with Kara. From there on, it’s solid all the way through New Mexico at the end.

A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay OK, so I’m listing six albums. I couldn’t decide between Andy O and Coldplay, so you get both. This one gets a lot of playtime, too.

Last album bought?

It’s hard to remember. I think it was Eric Clapton’s Unplugged, which is a very fine album. I just had somebody give me a copy of Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb of God, and it’s top-notch as well.

Recent discoveries?

Jamie Cullum, Andy Osenga, and Sleeping at Last all appeared on my radar about 2 years ago. Sandra McCracken was a nice discovery earlier this year. (Don’t know why I neglected to buy her stuff for so long…)

Passing on the musical baton. Let’s see… Silly Joe Amber Richard Danielle Chris from L.C.

Music, family style... for real.

Well, the long-awaited Sunday finally got here and I got to play keyboards in the worship team at my family’s church with my brother Andrew leading. It was awesome. It was his first time leading a worship band but he did a very good job. The set list was something like this:

  • Blessed Be Your Name
  • Be Glorified In Me
  • Unfailing Love (a new Chris Tomlin song… very good, very singable)
  • Draw Me Close
  • Knowing You
  • I Will Praise Him Still

Somewhere in there Andrew and Ryan (another of my brothers) and I did a special number, the old Steve Camp song Love That Will Not Let Me Go. It was fantastic.

I really enjoyed getting to play keys and sing backup on the team; I’ve been leading my own team for so long, it was fun to play second-fiddle. It was also really neat to see my brother pursue a dream of his, to lead the team. I’m sure he’ll be doing it again… and maybe one of these days I’ll get him to come down here and play on my team. :-)

I've been replaced by a machine!

At least for Sunday, that is… I was unable to wrangle up a musician for the Sunday service, so my next option is to record my piano-playing on the electronic keyboard, so they can just play it back on Sunday. How lame is that? (I am humongously opposed to using recorded music in a church service, pretty much just because it can cause so much trouble for anyone who loses their place, it seems artificial, etc. Live accompaniment is always better.) Anyhow, it’s a nice Roland keyboard with a disk drive built in, so I’ll be recording the tracks and then they can play them back live… it’s at least better than recording on audio tape and playing it back. :-)

I’m sure it’ll end up uncoordinated and kind of lame on Sunday, but unfortunately I can’t really help that. We need more musicians!