I’m going to start a new series of posts… one album each week that I think totally rules. I’ve posted a few times with lists of what I was listening to that particular week, but now I’m going to focus more on specifics.
First up… “Speak” by the Dogs Of Peace. This was recommended to me through my “top ten unknown albums” club. So awesome. It’s a bunch of Nashville studio musicians just throwing down on some killer alternative rock. Gordon Kennedy (who wrote Clapton’s smash hit “Change the World”) on guitars and vocals, Jimmie Lee Sloas (renowned Nashville producer and bassist) on bass/vocals/keys, and John Hammond on drums. The sound is something like STP meets the Posies, with a definite “songwriter” feel to the lyric and structure (not to mention some great vocal harmonies).
From a drummer’s perspective, John Hammond’s feel on this recording is so great. He has a rocking quality that definitely keeps the band from sounding too pop, but his ideas and approach are great lessons on how to play “inside the lines” and “by the book” and yet not make things sterile or plastic-sounding. The fill at the beginning of track 7? C’mon. The Porcaro shuffle in 6/8 on that same track? Seriously.
Everybody should go buy this record, and you can read a review of it here.
3 comments
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August 1, 2008 at 4:15 am
B.C. McWhite
You pretty much know what I like. Would I like this? There’s not much pop Christian music I like, so I’m curious to know why this might be an exception.
Do you find it to be the case (as I seem to) that most Christian pop songs have really insipid lyrics, often (apparently) written by people who really haven’t done much serious study of the Word, and moreover sound like they would have been a cool tune 5-10 years ago, but are now really stale and behind-the-times stylistically (if that’s the right word)?
August 1, 2008 at 4:39 am
stevegoold
Per our discussion the other night at my house… I think you would like this record because it’s good.
What makes it good? First off, while it is possible that, lyrically speaking, it falls under the description/criticism you gave, it would be important to remember that most Christian songwriters aren’t Bible scholars, nor are they attempting to write a treatise on anything. Lyrics are poetry, and therefore art, and specifically MUSIC. They are intimately tied to melodic/harmonic direction (a shortcoming of some of the textually-rich hymns of history). The “art” idea is not the main focus of a worship songwriter, nor should it be, but that doesn’t mean that there is no room for an arena where artistic expression takes a front seat to theologically thought-provoking lyrical content.
Also, you will probably find this record sounding dated, but that’s because it is – Dogs of Peace recorded this project in the mid nineties. I think your comment deals more with the “finger-to-the-wind” market mentality of most mainstream Christian music (i.e. KTIS). Compared to your lyrical criticism, I believe the plagiaristic, profit-serving philosophy on art that produces the “behind-the-times” sound is the bigger crime of the CCM industry.
With that being said, the music on “Speak” is both lyrically compelling poetry and artistically creative. In addition to that, the musicianship is incredible.
Whoa. I didn’t intend this comment to be so long…
July 13, 2009 at 6:36 pm
AaronB
You forgot to mention the crazy sick guitar tones. Crazy. Sick.
As much as I love this album, I’ve never thought of it as a “drum record.” Thanks for the perspective. And thanks for giving me the opportunity to proclaim this album’s greatness to all the interwebs.