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Jeremy Camp We Cry Out Hits Streets Tomorrow – Israel Houghton Giveaway TOMORROW at TWC
August 23, 2010
Jeremy Camp – We Cry Out
Be sure to read our review of Jeremy Camp’s latest release We Cry Out – The Worship Project and the TWC Interview. Also be sure to grab your copy of We Cry Out tomorrow, August 24, 2010.
Israel Houghton – Love God Love People Giveway
WIN IT BEFORE YOU CAN BUY IT. The Worship community is giving away 5 copies of Israel Houghton’s newest release (August 31, 2010) – Love God Love People tomorrow, August 24. Be sure to come back and get in on this GIVEAWAY!!
Integrity Live/Seminars 4 Worship Live Chat
Don’t forget to tune in to Seminars 4 Worship’s livestream Tuesday night. Join guitarist & producer, Ben Gowell LIVE Tues, August 24 at 9pm EDT / 6pm PDT on http://www.livestream.com/integritylive!
TWC Interview: Jeremy Camp – We Cry Out – The Worship Project
August 20, 2010
Returning to his worship artist roots with his 6th recording project, We Cry Out, Jeremy Camp is bringing it back full circle. I had a chance to chat with him on the phone and talk about returning to a more “worship” driven album.
As the hot summer days wind down, you can find Jeremy writing and working with artist Adam Cappa. They’re working hard on an album that will release next spring. He’s also getting ready to tour this fall with artists, John Mark McMillan and Carlos Whittaker. Jeremy’s family is not unlike yours and mine, he’s just getting his kids back in the swing of a new school year. Read more
Review: Kathryn Scott – We Still Believe + Free Chord Charts
August 9, 2010
We Still Believe: Live Worship from Kathryn Scott is available tomorrow, August 10, 2010. Free chord charts and We Still Believe EPK video below.
Thanks to Kim Castro for providing this review:
Kathryn Scott’s new solo album “We Still Believe” is her third offering after “Satisfy” in 2003 and “I Belong” in 2007. I was excited to have the opportunity to review this album because “Hungry”, the worship song she penned in 1999, is one of my all time favorites-one we still use in our worship sets today.
Review: Worship Rises
July 19, 2010
Once again we’ve put together a great panel review from The Worship Community members forum members.
Background from (Chris Vacher) chrisfromcanada.com:Over the past year and a bit I’ve been spearheading this thing called WorshipRises (facebook|twitter). I’ve mentioned it a bunch of times on the blog and you may be familiar with it. Basically we’ve been gathering Canadian worship pastors/leaders together to develop worship resources for & from the Canadian church.
It’s been amazing to see the response to this thing so far – we’ve had 3 writing days attended by a total of about 50 worship leaders from every kind of church/worship expression you could imagine. Young, old, men, women, white, black, hispanic, conservative, charismatic – it’s been incredible. At our last writing day we were very fortunate to have Paul Baloche and Jared Anderson join the 32 worship pastors/leaders who were there in attendance.
Here are the reviews, thanks to all who contributed!
Eddy Mann
After a peaceful walk and a great breakfast this morning I settled in to listen to a new four song Ep entitled Worship Rises from a group of Canadian worship leaders and pastors. It’s their hope that this collection of songs will help the Canadian church establish their own worship voice.
I was taken by the opening song, Everlasting Light with its memorable phrase ” Oh how bright you shine” and the warm acoustic guitar on the verses. This was countered by a wonderful hand clapping energy in the chorus.
The pulsing Holy Are You God was the only offering with a female voice, but it speaks just as strongly as the others. This song also featured some nice male counter melodies on the closing chorus. A spiritually lifting and confessional song, that like the other three songs offered here, is sung [vertically] directly to God.
My favorite, in the tradition of guitar driven anthems, was the last song Worship Rises. I loved the power and fullness of the bridge and the repeated offering to God “All glory, power and praise may it rise up…” This will definitely make its way onto one of my music plans in the near future.
Though there’s nothing new here, there are four good, easily accessible, songs for corporate worship. Each song is scripturally sound and would compare favorably with any of today’s worship favorites.
Eddy is the Worship Leader at Gloria Dei Church in Huntingdon Valley, PA. As a songwriter he has composed for film and recorded various CD’s. He’s taught music and religion in the Lutheran educational system for over twenty years.
www.eddymann.com | www.eddymann.blogspot.com | twitter.com/eddy_mann
Mark Snyder
Worship Rises offers up 4 songs penned and recorded by various worship leaders from our neighbors up North. This project is a homegrown effort that began with a ‘songwriting day’ and grew from there, and represents the output of a long and fruitful collaboration process.
The highlight of this offering is the title track Worship Rises, which encourages us to offer our lives as an offering of worship. It is a driving rock anthem that definitely stands up to the latest offerings from the ‘bigs’. Melodically, it is diverse enough to translate into other styles such as a more gospel or country presentation. I could definitely see this song becoming a staple in contemporary worship settings.
Maker of My Heart offers us a nice built-in cry declaring “I’m alive in You…” and offers a very personal worship experience centering around how Jesus, who made our hearts now draws alongside us. It offers a more light rock vibe.
Holy are You God and Everlasting Light are the two tracks that round out this EP. Each offers us accessible choruses, plaintive melodies, strong lyrics, and smooth performances.
Overall, the production quality is top notch, as well as the vocal and instrumental performances. There are arrangements with counter melodies and descants which will provide options for variety in presentation.
This EP does not stray far from the tried and true path of most modern worship music. It definitely goes for accessibility, built-in cries, and personal experiences, and does not delve too deeply theologically. It delivers a package with great production quality, solid lyrics, and a great accessibility that belies its humble origins.
Mark Snyder is a small-group lay worship/songleader at PalmCroft Baptist Church in Phoenix, Arizona, and also served as a children’s worship leader for over 10 years at Calvary Chapel churches. As a songwriter, he has composed and offered many songs at the local church level. He works as a software engineer.
Melanie Siewart
This group of Canadian worship leaders in the Worship Rises EP GOT IT! They inspire me because they are worship leaders who got together, wrote songs, and recorded them. Personally, I share their vision of connecting local worship leaders to make an impact in their community. So, I’m excited and honored to have the opportunity to write a review for them.
The first song, Everlasting Light, reminds me of the Newsboys. Personally, I like the Newsboys because they have some of the best melodic choruses in Christian music, and their audience easily connects with their melodies. The same is true with Everlasting Light. The chorus connects well, both lyrically and melodically. I love the a-capella bridge with the clapping leading back into the chorus. I couldn’t help but picture a congregation participating with the worship in the song.
In “Maker of My Heart,” I love the chorus, “I am alive in you; I will survive in you” and the bridge “I’m not alone, I’m not abandoned; I’m not forgotten, I am yours.” For some reason, the bridge sticks out to me. How many times do believers find themselves in a situation where they feel like they’re alone, abandoned or forgotten? It’s always a refreshing reminder to know we still belong to our King despite our circumstances.
Holy Are You God is beautiful. The part I like the most is the counter melodies. While the female vocal sings “Holy are you God,” the male vocal sings, “I will lift up my hands.” Since I’m a sucker for effective counter melodies, I fell in love with it immediately.
Worship Rises is my favorite song in this set. It seems to summarize the other songs. The phrases “May our lives be to you, Lord, an offering” and “may our songs be prayers of praise before our King” share my heart in worship. As a songwriter, I constantly find myself seeking God’s face in crafting lyrics, and asking God if what I do blesses him. Thus, my heart connected with that prayer immediately.
All four songs in this collection reveal the group’s heart for worship. As a matter of fact, I found myself worshiping at first listen. I even had to let it soak in a while before I could begin writing this review. Yeah, I find it that good!! Every song is easily adaptable to most worship services, and I can see any of these songs used in most setlists. Kuddos to the Canadian worship leaders who put this together. I am blessed beyond blessed to be a part of a panel to review their musical offerings. May the Lord globally use them as a testimony to the heart of many believers in His church. Way to go, Worship Rises!!
Melanie Siewert is a Christ follower, wife to a wonderful man of God, and mother of two incredible boys. She has several years experience mentoring high school worship bands, and desires to continually write music for the Lord’s church. Her passion for music accompanies her passion for making Christ known.
Kim Castro
I consider myself blessed to be able to listen to and review the album, “Worship Rises”. I am always encouraged when men and women and God are willing to put time and effort into a project that will bless others. What better way than to lead people into worship with music?
“Everlasting Light” –This is a very catchy song with a great sound. The rhythm and timing might be a little difficult for congregation singing, however. I love the melody and bridge. Upbeat yet not bubble gum pop.
“Holy Are You God”-Good for taking people to the throne…it reminds me of the angels and elders in Revelation. Catchy, repetitive phrases make it easy to sing. I appreciate that there are several vocalists in this song, each carrying a melody or harmony that blends into a pleasing whole. This is not done often!
“Maker of My Heart”- This song brings in the congregation early on with the repeating phrases. It’s an uplifting, hopeful song. The chorus is easy to sing, catchy. The lyrics are deep and heartfelt, and the theme is very accessible.
“Worship Rises”-I love how the song starts out a little empty instrumentally, then builds. It’s very dramatic. I also appreciate how this last song ties the entire set together. This is a powerful worship song with a beautiful ending.
Overall, this album took me on a journey of worship, praise, and contemplation with overtones of joy and hope. I can imagine these songs sung and loved in any church that appreciates modern worship music. The production was excellent, as was the musicianship. Every aspect of the album was strong, from the songwriting to the vocalists and instrumentalists. I will definitely be worshipping with this album in the future.
Kim Castro is a lover of Christ and family. She is a worship leader and songwriter hailing from central California. Her heart is to obey the Great Commission and to serve others as God leads.
Review: The Medicine By John Mark McMillian
July 16, 2010
Review provided by Jesse Gordon. Thanks for taking the time to review for The Worship Community!
Last week, John Mark McMillan released “The Medicine”, his much anticipated new studio project. While most everyone has heard “How He Loves”, I was anxious to hear what this new collection had to offer. My initial impression was that this is an album that’s going to get a lot of plays on my iPod.
The album as a whole feels to me more like a collection of songs than an overarching narrative, although that doesn’t detract from the quality of the songs. I found that the majority of the songs aren’t really appropriate for congregational singing, but there are 4 songs that I feel are ready to be sung corporately. These are “Skeleton Bones”, “Dress Us Up”, “My Only”, and “How He Loves”.
REVIEW: ALM UK – Name Above All Names
July 1, 2010
Thanks to Shannon Lewis and Gary Durbin for providing their insights and perspectives on ALM’s newest release, Above All Names.
Review: Songs From The Hope Farm by Saint Lewis
May 21, 2010
We’re very excited to feature a brand new release from one of the Worship Community’s longstanding and faithful contributors, Saint Lewis (Shannon Lewis). We’ve put together a great panel of reviewers for Saint Lewis’ Songs From The Hope Farm. A special thanks to them for taking the time to listen and review this album for The Worship Community!
Each contributor brings a unique perspective to this review!
The reviewers are asked to comment on scriptural basis, congregational singing, band accessibility, and their own personal insights.
We hope you enjoy this review and find it helpful when selecting songs for your local worship experiences and hope you’ll support this artist by purchasing they’re album and adding it to your personal collection.
Please leave your own comments and insights regarding Songs For The Hope Farm in the comment section or respond in the forums! You can get a copy of this album from CDBABY.
Melanie Siewert
Songs For The Hope Farm by Saint Lewis grew on me the more I listened to it. To be quite honest, I did not connect with it at first. The more I listened and reviewed the lyrics, the more of a glimpse I got into the heart of the artists.
The opening song, “All in All,” is a great song. It has several elements I find appealing. Lyrically, I’m reminded of the “heart of worship” story, which made a long-lasting impact on my life. For “All in All” to remind me of that personal impact says much. Musically, I actually thought the 70s vibe in the pre-chorus was kind of neat. It was tastefully done. The bridge even broke out into two melodies. Not many songs can get away with that, and “All in All” did it well. I recommend this song for anyone’s worship set.
“Rejoice in Me” and “Quiet Your Heart” are lyrically written as though God is speaking to us. In a worship service, sometimes I simply want to be silent and listen to the lyrics and allow the Spirit to speak to me. These two songs lend themselves to such a time as this. Where “Rejoice in Me” is more edgy, “Quiet Your Heart” is more tender.
“Wandering Heart” has an edgy tone to it. It has the same kind of tone expected from someone who is prone to wander needing divine intervention (Psalm 119:36). I found myself praying, “turn my wandering heart to yours.” Very catchy!
“You Come Running” is a good testimony of a believer. No matter how far away we run, Christ is still there with us. This song also would work well in other congregational settings.
Overall, every song is true to scripture and true to the nature of God. Each song has their unique sound (not one song sounds like another), which says a lot since many albums have songs that sound alike. Songs For The Hope Farm has songs for personal reflection with a few songs that could be used for congregational singing mixed in.
As aforementioned, these songs provide a glimpse into the heart of those who made this collection possible. Enjoy!
Melanie Siewert is a Christ follower, wife to a wonderful man of God, and mother of two incredible boys. She has several years experience mentoring high school worship bands. Her passion for music accompanies her passion for making Christ known.
http://twitter.com/MelaSie
http://worshipvanguard.blogspot.com/
Samuel Sutter
My first listen through the Songs For The Hope Farm worship album was a little like my first experience with Fondu. First I thought it was a little weird, then I started to love it, then I loved it so much I wanted to figure out how to do it at home. Initially I really thought that the songs were vocally fast and would be a bit difficult for a congregation to sing (and I might still be right about that) but I think the brash determination of the lyrics to encourage God’s people to think and act in worshipful ways makes up for the challenge of the melodies. I’d love to be a part of a service that was corporately committing to the kinds of things that All in All (You’re all I need) ask for. I’d love to hear my church singing the chorus – praising God
for creation and committing to trust Him as their substance.
Overall the songs err on the side of being melodically complex, but the words are powerful and Biblical – I can see songs like Wandering Heart working with a congregation – melodically it’s very catchy and the words are a powerful confession of the weakness of humanity. At worse, the songs will help bring the individual listener to private worship in a way that brings God’s presence and the Spirit’s conviction to the heart’s forefront.
Samuel Sutter is an assistant pastor on Long Island, where he plays keys or lead guitar in the worship band and occasionally ventures into songwriting.
www.SutterSaga.com
www.facebook.com/samsutter
www.twitter.com/suttersaga
Buddy Eades
The first time I heard three cuts from Songs For The Hope Farm, I knew they were going on my iPhone. As a worship leader and pastor, the first thing I consider when listening to music is how well the music and the content fit together. There are songs on this album that may be beyond the ability of some bands to play, however this album has some great songs for worship and also those that are just great songs for your heart! I recommend listening to this album with your headphones, which made this album even better.
All In All (You’re All I Need) Great first track, chorus grows on me. Good solid song of praise.
Rejoice In Me- powerful song about promise in the middle of life. Worth considering for use in worship understanding that the range is high.
Wandering Heart- this song speaks to me. Shannon delivers the passion that the lyrics deserve. I could see this being sung with congregation doing chorus and verses sung by worship leader. Musically challenging and needs a worship leader who is able to carry the passion even without all the energy if you don’t use a full band.
Quiet My Heart – The arrangement of this song is a good mix of electric, drum, keys and bass. Might not translate well to acoustic. Simple song with potential for beginning worship.
Fly – good use of scripture in the middle pulling to a great chorus. This one would also work well with a worship team.
You Come Running This song does a good job of communicating scripture in testimony form. This one is also easily translated to a church worship band. I could see this one working with a basic set of bass, guitar, keyboard and vocals.
Call Me To Live Call me to live is one of those songs that I wanted to listen to over and over. Good mix of acoustic and electric guitar. Chorus on this one really sings. You need a good vocalist to give depth if choosing to use a full band.
Never Cease to Sing Piano adds a nice touch to this song.
Coming Kingdom This song features some great acoustic guitar and harmonies which is a great contrast to the other powerful songs on this album.
While Shannon brings a powerful voice and musical style which may make some shy away from attempting some of these songs in worship, this album is worthy of playing and sharing. The flow of the album made me want more. The words and music fit, the scripture is all in these songs and they communicate a passion for God and at the same time an honesty that is refreshing.
Buddy is an Assistant Pastor of Worship and Community Life at Christ Presbyterian Church in Newnan. He has just joined Worldwide Discipleship Association and is beginning a ministry to Artists and Worship Artists in Atlanta, GA.
www.budeades.com/EadesMinistry
www.twitter.com/budeades
www.facebook.com/EadesMinistry
www.facebook.com/budeades
Mathew Garret Reames
When I got my copy of Songs From the Hope Farm I was eager to listen to it. An Album from Saint Lewis, one of our own contributors here on TWC is always a good thing.
This album is a mix of congregational worship and more personal worship. I enjoyed listening to this, the diverse nature of the songs kept me interested. There was only one song on this album that that seemed out of place. “Fly” was a good song, but it was a little too different and seemed to go against the flow the album had established.
There are a couple of songs that would be great for a Sunday morning Worship. The First track, “All in All (Your All I Need)” is tailor made for a small Sunday morning team. “You Come Running” is an amazing song. I could see this being a very popular worship song if it was released on a major record label. I would love to sing this with my team. “Call Me to Live” is also great. It has that simple worship feel, whilst still being a good driven song with passionate lyrics. “Never Cease to Sing” is a good congregational song as well. It’s a simple song that holds with it passion for worship and Jesus.
“Wandering Heart”, “Quiet My Heart” and “Coming Kingdom” are all great songs that I could worship to often. But they might not really flow in a congregational setting. “Coming Kingdom” could do well, but for a full team it would need a different arrangement to fill it out a little. It seemed to have an abrupt ending as a song, and is the last song, so it was an abrupt end to the album.
Congregational Songs: “All in All (Your All I need)”, “You Come Running”, “Called Me To Live”, and “Never Cease To Sing”
Personal Worship: “Quiet My Heart”, “Wandering Heart”, and “Coming Kingdom”
Final Thoughts: This is an album I am happy to have, its been playing on my iPod for a few days now and I am still listening happily to it regularly. The recording quality is quite good as opposed to a lot of independent releases. That made this album even better. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for solid worship that isn’t just another “Pop Worship Radio” hit. Well worth multiple listens.
Mathew Garrett Reames is a young worship leader. At only 23 years of age his experiences and viewpoints are different than a lot of worship leaders. His passion for Jesus is the driving force behind his worship. Living in Kansas City, MO, a city rich with worship, he is blessed to be around many different sources of inspiration.
http://www.twitter.com/matreames
http://www.facebook.com/matreames
For more information on Saint Lewis and how to purchase a physical copy of this album please visit the official Saint Lewis website and stay up to date on the Saint Lewis facebook page.
Review: Unshakable by Deluge
May 12, 2010
As a worship leader, I am not what you would call normal. I am not a fan of much if any mainstream ‘radio’ worship. I have nothing against those types of worship albums, but they don’t stimulate me through the full hour. Usually there is one song that stands out.
This is partially because I tend to be a more independent person, but also because I come from what most would call a ‘charismatic’ church; though I never cared for that term as it doesn’t accurately describe me or my church.
I say that to give some background to this review. It is hard for a worship album to really knock my socks off, but it seems like 2010 is becoming the year for it to happen. The recent release of Gungor’s ‘Beautiful things’ was phenomenal, and I had nothing negative to say on it. I have already incorporated much of it into my weekly worship services.
‘Unshakable’ by the Band Deluge is another album that impressed me greatly, though there are some things I felt could be changed. The Self-Titled debut from Deluge was a decent offering, but seemed lacking to me. Honestly I did not go into this expecting much change.
‘Unshakable’ has a noticeable improvement in production quality. It had a wonderful flow, I know this comes from it being a studio album, but still it was a treat. The first track is simple an instrumental intro into the album and flows right into the Title track. Unshakable is a solid rock/worship song, and I can see it being used by many youth groups. The next track called ‘Deeper’ is a true delight. It has the modern flow of something that you would expect from a Hillsong or Delirious album. Its lyrical content is superb. Honestly, it’s exactly what my heart cries on a daily basis. This is a song I look forward to incorporating into my rotation.
The Fourth track on the album is my favorite from a musical standpoint, but I would imagine being quite controversial. The track is called ‘Power’ and comes from Acts 1:8. It has a very industrial feel to it, its raw emotion, and hits hard. But this song is not typical worship, its about a desire to function in the gifts of the Spirit like the church leaders in Acts did. This song fits for their church, as it is a charismatic center that advocates gifts, signs, wonders, and supernatural miracles. However, I do not think this song is suited to a more traditional church. The focus is to power oriented and less on relationship.
The fifth track is nice, but seems very generic. I mean that I could see it being on a Hillsong Album, or Chris Tomlin, or a number of other albums. It doesn’t have the distinction that makes me go ‘wow, that’s sweet.’ It is a very congregational friendly song, easy to play, and great flow. It just doesn’t blow me away. Also, coming right off of ‘power’ which is a hard driven song, this seems almost dead quiet.
The following track ‘Refuge’ is my favorite on the album over all. Musically its strong and delivers even though it’s a slower pace. The lyrics really resonate in me. I have been caught several times singing the chorus, at work, at home, and just out on the street. To me, this is one of the marks of a great song. I am fully intent on learning the song and using it in worship as soon as I can. This song alone would be worth the whole album.
Track seven, ‘Sing of the blood’ is also brilliant. It could just be my imagination, but it seems like songs about the blood always have to work harder to become popular. Almost as if blood is taboo and we don’t want to think of it or sing it. I love songs of the Blood of Jesus and think this is an excellent addition to the list. It has great flow, and passion, and would fit in almost any church service. I could especially see this for a non-traditional communion setting.
Here is where the album picks up the pace again. ‘Overjoyed’ is a good medium to fast paced track that would be wonderful as an opener for a worship set. It reminds me of the feel of ‘The Lord Reigns’ from CFNI. Driven, but relaxed at the same time.
‘I Wanna Dance’ is just about the only song I didn’t care for on the album. The song itself is not bad, but the bridge ruins the song for me. The bridge has a very defensive tone to it, defending the idea of dancing in church. If you cut the bridge, this would be a great song for a youth setting. I have trouble with the argumentative nature of the bridge, and it hurts the whole song in my opinion.
‘Come alive’ is a song that has a wonderful slow driven electronic beat in the back with some soft guitar. This song is more a horizontal song of encouragement to the believer. It’s a solid offering, but I do not see it being used often as a congregational worship song.
‘Let’s worship’ is a nice change of Pace. It’s driven from the piano rather than the electric guitar. Its another horizontal song from believer to believer, but this one is more of a call to worship style song. I like it a lot, and could see it as song used by many churches. Though it is not stated anywhere on my copy of the album, I did note the guest vocalist’s distinctive tone. Kari Jobe adds something almost mystical to the song with her vocal mix. Kari is always a Joy and treat, and adds to any song.
‘Come in my Courts’ is almost the Lord’s response to the previous song. It’s a song of the Lord singing over us, beckoning us to come to him. I love it, there is a great moment in worship where we have cried out to him with everything inside of us, and suddenly he responds and sings over us. That feeling is beyond belief. That little touch of his presence as he responds to the call of our hearts is worth everything, and this song is a great example of that.
The final track on the album is another piano driven work called, ‘I want to be used by you’ this song is a passionate cry between man, and his God. It’s a great way to close of the album.
The Tracks ‘Deeper’ and ‘Refuge’ are the two that I think stand out the most in terms of usability in the church setting. Most of the album would be great, and fit, it all depends on how your worship setting is. In the end, if you spend the money for this album, you will not be disappointed. While it is not an album that will change the face of worship, it is a solid hour of worship that you can pop in to your car or stereo and just spend time with God
Mathew Reames
[Review] Matt Redman – We Shall not be Shaken
April 30, 2010
A confession: Matt Redman’s CD WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD single-handedly opened my heart to contemporary worship after nearly an 8 year stint singing – by my own choice – almost soley from hymnals. His songwriting touches nearly anything I’ve ever penned, and I find his approach to leading others in worship inspirational beyond words.
That said, WE SHALL NOT BE SHAKEN doesn’t have the lasting power of his last 4 or 5 CDs, nor does it house a single tune that is a sure-fire “We absolutely have to sing this next Sunday” track, which Redman’s past catalogue is brimming with.
That’s not to say that Matt doesn’t show any progress here, however. “Through it All”, “The Glory of our King”, & “My Hope” are stylistically so unique and different from what Matt has recorded in the past that were they released together on a 3 song e.p., I would think they were from a different “Matt Redman” entirely – you may not even recognize his voice, as even his vocal approach is new. They are fresh, unique, and pleasant to listen to, though not necessarily very useful corporately.
In fact, unlike most of Redman’s CDs, only two tracks stand out as the sort I might introduce to a congregation. “How Great is Your Faithfulness” (chord chart) has a modern hymn-like quality, with a strong anthemic chorus. “For Your Glory” (chord chart) is a high-energy rocker, reminiscent of Redman’s classic “Dancing Generation” that would work well in a college/youth setting.
One positive is that this may be the best sounding CD Redman has ever released – the production values are top-notch. The guitar tones are brilliant, and the playing creative. Don’t judge it by it’s first single, “This is how we Know” – it’s a fine song, but no-where close to corporate, unique, creative, or even memorable. In fact, it’s one of the least interesting songs on the CD – who know why it was chosen for a single.
Though it lacks anything quite as triumphantly corporate at “You never let Go”, the lyrics are Biblical, production is top-notch, and the creative stretching makes the majority of this CD still a worthy listen. If you’re an iTunes person and a little nervous taking the jump, the necessary tracks are: “How Great is Your Faithfulness“, “For Your Glory“, “Through it All“, and “The Glory of our King“. If you connect with those, download the rest.
Album Review: Ragamuffin Soul by Carlos Whittaker
April 27, 2010
Ragamuffin Soul by Carlos Whittaker
In 2006, I went to the Saddleback Worship Conference. I was looking to get podcasting going for our church, so I went to a workshop called “Podcasting/Blogging” by Carlos Whittaker. I was disappointed, because all this guy talked about was blogging. What I didn’t know was that his blog Ragamuffinsoul.com was becoming a phenomenon, and now has a worldwide following of more than 20,000 people and was ranked “Best Ministry/Theology Blog” by COLLIDE magazine readers. It also inspired me to start my own blog, and I’ve been blogging ever since. I’m now grateful that I went to that class, because now I’m in the blogging world, connected to all kinds of people. Carlos, or @loswhit, for us on twitter, really influenced me in that.
