School Of Rock, Christian Rock

The School Of Rock is one of the better movies I’ve seen in a while. It does a great job capturing the joy of music. I dunno, there’s something about playing music, when it all comes together perfectly, that’s magic and the movie gets that. I actually teared at the concert. Odd.

Jieun appreciated the teaching aspect of the film a lot. I thought that was interesting.

What I thought amazing was how the kids were all actually playing the instruments. They didn’t cheat, with the possible exception of the piano during the first classical music scene. But everything else, they were playing their parts. Incredible. Especially the guitarist, I dunno, I thought it was impressive. Jack Black’s playing was fudged in parts but that was OK.

But yeah, the movie “gets” the joy of music and that was pretty good.

So Jieun asks me on the way home, is there Christian Rock? I didn’t know the answer. I mean, there is “Christian Rock” but is there really Christian *Rock*? If that makes any sense. Probably not. But yeah, is there? Petra? Eh, kinda, I guess. Definitely not Newsboys, I think. They’re pop-rock at best. I dunno, I’ve been out of the Christian music scene forever so I really have no clue.

I wanted to play her my old 77s CDs but don’t think she would have liked it. But yeah, I think they rock. They even cover a Led Zep song on “Drowning With Land In Sight”. In ways, they’re like LZ without the pretention. Thing is, they only rock out on maybe 1/4 their songs, the rest they play this moody altish stuff, which I like, just it doesn’t rock out.

Actually, Rachel Rachel’s cover of Carry On My Wayward Son on their debut album rocks pretty good, even if it is almost exactly like the original except with women, and guitar instead of piano on the verses.

You know, one of these days I need to compile a list of Christian albums that don’t suck that not enough people appreciate. Just, let’s be honest, a lot of Christian music sucks. But there are jewels out there. I think I’ve pushed Out of the Grey’s first two albums enough – it’s just perfect constructed pop. No other way to put it. Anyway, here are some diamonds:

• Rachel Rachel: You Oughta Know By Now – Rachel Rachel was this all female Christian group. Toured with Whiteheart a bit. Only made 2 albums. First one sucks besides the Kansas cover. But this one is awesome. Great power pop. “You’ll Never Know” is one of my all time favorite songs.
• 77s: Sticks and Stones – A bunch of unreleased and alternate versions of songs from their early years. I dunno, I like this album a lot. They were actually signed to Island Records and released one album with them but got lost in the shuffle as labelmate U2 got big. Unfortunate timing.
• 77s: Pray Naked and Drowning With Land In Sight – Two great moody rock albums. Mike Roe the lead is fairly amazing; he can play Jimmy Page licks and sing at the same time. Their next albums sucked though, a few members left and they became a trio.
• Lost Dogs: Scenic Routes, Little Red Riding Hood, The Green Room Serenade Vol 1 – So the leads of these 4 Christian alternative bands (by “alternative” it means for the most part bad, except for the 77s and some of what the Choir did) get together and make these mostly acoustic albums, surprisingly good. My sophomore roommate liked all of these; he felt like it was “honest” music. And it is. One of them (who wrote and performed some of the stuff on the first City On A Hill CD, including I think it’s called “Light Of The World” which the KCPC Youth Group once performed. I always thought that bizarre. Just, I wondered if they’d ever heard his other stuff. It’s weird music. His stuff with Lost Dogs is great though. This one song, “Jimmy”, I made Paul Lee put on a FiCS slideshow. It almost makes me cry every time I hear it.) died since these albums and the ones since haven’t been the same, I think.
• Whiteheart: Freedom – This one was actually relatively popular in Christian circles but whatever, not enough of my friends have it so I’ll put it on the list. But yeah, good honest rock, solid and not overproduced. After this album half the band left and went on to become successful session artists and producers so their subsequent albums weren’t nearly as good. Neither were their previous ones actually. This is just one of those albums that just came together. I made some kiddies from FiCS do the last track for one of their Senior Appreciation Nights but it didn’t quite work out. But anyway.

Whoa, is anyone even reading anymore? Anyway yeah, some albums I recommend that I know no one will care about much less buy. Love of the game.