Twila Paris is one of those singer/songwriters who, it seems, never really learned how to write a bad song. Oh, she’s made a few half-hearted attempts, but deep down, she just doesn’t have what it takes to craft a convincing dud. It takes work for her to even come close. And on top of that, she has a sweet voice, and she’s beautiful—inside and out. Every time I think I’ve found my favorite Twila Paris song, I find another favorite.... Read more
Some people think it’s “cheating” for a songwriter to make use of a hymn for the bridge of his song. The idea is that the song needs to be good enough to stand on its own, and falling back on a hymn to carry it at the climactic point is like using a crutch. I can see both sides to the debate. On the one hand, it is a slight disappointment when a writer doesn’t put in the effort to... Read more
Brian Regan is a refreshing exception to the rule that you can’t work it clean if you want to make it in secular comedy. He’s not a Christian to my knowledge, but he deliberately avoids the kind of “humor” that most people seem to accept as a matter of course these days. This not only makes his brand of comedy accessible to a wider audience, it also makes it much more funny and creative. And here is his finest moment:... Read more
This is an excellent post on the “new face of Focus on the Family” and its implications for conservatism in America. Specifically, it addresses the recent dust-up over Blake Mycoskie and his organization’s association with FotF—or rather the lack thereof. I would like to hope there are other conservatives similarly alarmed over the direction the organization has been gradually taking ever since Dobson stepped down. The pathetic attempts of ostensibly conservative Christians to curry favor with a political side that... Read more
Today Daniel J. Mount of southerngospelblog.com turns 25. I am grateful to him for giving me my start in the blogosphere as New SoGo Fan. He made me an official contributor for several months, and the response to what I wrote was overwhelming. I found out then and later that my reviews (which you can read all in one place here) had directly caused people to invest in southern gospel music, people who may not otherwise have made those particular... Read more
This is my first Greater Vision project ever. I’m just starting to get into the group, so my review may be a little different from the many others that have been posted. This is the opinion of somebody coming to GV’s music with fresh ears. Hopefully that’ll get you to read this even though everybody and his uncle has already reviewed the album. Enjoy! 1. He Didn’t When He Could Have Passed By (Griffin): Perfect country/gospel opener. Brisk fiddles get... Read more
If you hang around here, you’ll occasionally see me grouse about the loss of poetic ear in songwriting. I can get kind of cranky on this particular topic. Well, with this series, I’ll showcase some contemporary songs that are particularly well-crafted from a poetic standpoint. They won’t necessarily be southern gospel songs, just songs that are poetically good. I’ll start with a song I encountered just yesterday: “Burn Away.” The artist is Bill Cantos, one of the most underrated and... Read more
‘Tis the season for new bloggers. Just recently my friend Friday Night Revival launched his blog, and now another joins the ranks. Except this one is different, because it’s coming from the other side of the stage. This isn’t a fan blog. It’s an artist blog. Fans: Read and learn! http://anartistsperspective.com/ Read more
Happy 4th of July y’all. Today I thought I’d tackle a well-worn topic: Christianity, patriotism, and Christian patriotic music. Hopefully I can bring something new to this familiar discussion. Most Christians don’t have a problem with saying the Pledge of Allegiance loudly and proudly, singing “God Bless America” in church, or giving a singing group a standing ovation in concert for a stirring patriotic number. However, there are some Christians who feel uncomfortable with demonstrating love and pride in America.... Read more
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Without a Song…
I was browsing through comments on an old post at another blog, and I came across a fascinating discussion. A guy posting under the pseudonym of “soundcheck” was commenting on the vocal abilities of a couple of lead singers, both of whom he had worked with live and in the studio. He said that although the one had more popularity and name recognition, the other was unquestionably more talented. The way this guy put it was that singer A had... Read more