Throughout this exploration of the greatest music in Christian Music history, much has been said about the shame that it is one of CCM’s great realities: great bands don’t sell and disappear much too quickly. The greatest (worst?) example of this axiom if the band Prodigal. The great crime of CCM is that this amazing band only made three unbelievably impressive albums and then… …nothing! Their swan song was the impressive “Just Like real Life,” an album filled with so much great music and original concepts that any description will really not do it any justice. Ranging from hard “new wave” to American rock and roll there are ten fantastic tracks here. Production quality is through the roof fantastic for what was, I am sure, a minuscule budget. The vocals are as diverse as the music as three different lead vocalist shared the duties. the most notable is Loyd Boldman and his HUGE voice. Boldman always seemed to tackle the big rock numbers and so is often recognized as the lead vocalist though that is really not the case. It should be noted that quite often his songs are the most memorable. This is the case here. Future Now starts with a musical introduction that always reminds me of the soundtrack to movie St. Elmo’s Fire, especially the primary song, “Man in Motion.” “Safety in Numbers” starts off with a great guitar lick the harkens to Daniel Amos’ “I Love You #19.” Throughout the entire record great riffs and monster walls of sound permeate every song. What is truly impressive about the band, though, is their lyrical content. Not content to recite the normal CCM diatribes, Prodigal placed themselves directly into the songs and transparently admit their failings along with those around them. A constant theme is the alienation of the modern world and need for honest and actual relationships. Both with God and with one another.
Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/
Tracklist
1 – Future Now – 3:55
2 – Push And Shove – 3:00
3 – Safety In Numbers – 2:52
4 – Answering Machine – 3:57
5 – Under The Gun – 3:47
6 – Jump Cut (Just Like Real Life) – 3:14
7 – Incommunicado – 2:50
8 – Next Big Thing – 2:44
9 – Burn It Up – 3:16
10 – The Big Sleep – 3:16
11 – Just Make Up Your Mind – 3:13
Credits
Loyd Boldman – keyboards and vocals
Rick Fields – guitars and vocals
Mike Wilson – bass
Dave Workman – drums and vocals
Executive Producer – Jon Phelps
Produced and Engineered by Gary Platt
Arranged by Prodigal and Gary Platt
Synthesizer Programming – Wes Boatman
Synth Solo on “Push And Shove” – Wes Boatman
Recorded at – Fifth Floor Studios, Cincinnati, OH, Boatman’s Ranch, New Richmond, OH, Starke Lake Studios, Ocoee, FL
Assistant Engineer – Carol Burkart
Assistant Engineer / Concert Sound – Steve Moller
Companies, etc.
Distributed By – The Benson Company, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Heartland Records Company
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Heartland Records Company
Mastered At – Criteria Recording Studios
Pressed By – Hub-Servall Record Mfg. Corp.
