David Lowman – Page 9

Matthew Ward – Toward Eternity – 1979

I have heard from different sources that Matthew Ward’s “Toward Eternity” is either the last Jesus Music album or the first CCM album. Released right around the turn of the decade that many define as the historical marker for the two genres. Produced and written by many that were the founder and stalwarts of the Jesus Music era (Randy Stonehill, Phil Keaggy, Keith Green, Michael Omartian), but decidedly more polished, rock and pop driven than anything released previously.

I simply call it a classic that is clearly the center of a musical paradigm shirt in CCM. Production was stellar, performances spotless and Ward’s vocals soar. This is not a solo project from 1/3 of 2nd Chapter of Acts, it is a brilliant rock album conceived and released by an utterly unique and engaging artist in his own right. These are not left-overs from his group, but rather songs that far exceed much of what his siblings were releasing at the time.

Musicians on the album included those mentioned above along with Abraham Laboriel, David Kemper, Ray Parker Jr. and many more studio pros. The album is nearly flawless and many aficionados will list it in their all time Top 10. It was also released at a time when many Christian Music buffs were cutting their teeth on the genre and this album proved to be a revelation to many. I would not be surprised to find many of the “older” readers complaining on its placement in the countdown, and I will not disagree; I understand their reasoning.

Oddly enough, even fans of hard rock love the album despite its general lack of anything leaning in that direction. Much has to do with the great songs and Keaggy’s outrageous guitar work. It is always odd that Keaggy will often lend some of his best work on projects for other artists. But ultimately it comes down to the fact that Ward possesses one of the greatest voices on the planet. Period!

The album kicks off with the funky rock number “It’s Alright” lead by Keaggy’s great guitar work. This is a fearless rock groove with a monster bass line driving the low-end. The song is built around a particular end times expectation complete with money system, beast and mark. That notwithstanding, the song is just so good. The great vocal bridge leads to Keaggy’s driving rhythm guitar work.

Limited breaks between songs leads the starter right into a great Keith green piano driven song, “Soft Spot.” The Beatlesque (Penny Lane) sound of the chorus complete with a great string arrangement softens what could have been a much heavier song, and it actually works in the artists favor given the content of the song.

The acoustic “Noah” immediately sounds like a Phil Keaggy song. And it is. Written by Keaggy, Ward recorded it and someone once mentioned that Keaggy didn’t want to record it after hearing Ward’s masterful vocals. I don’t know if it’s one of those popular urban legends as Keaggy eventually would record his own version.

A personal favorite is the rocker, “Till the Walls Come Down.” Like the lead track, the song is one of the heavier musically and features Keaggy’s awesome guitar work, especially the solo. Written by Ward, Keaggy and Green (wow, just think about that for a moment), the song is most noted for the Michael Omartian lead “killer bees.” One must listen to truly understand the bees reference.

Returning to the most pop oriented piano sound with Green’s “Better Than This,” Ward let’s the vocals go on a few bright moments when he hits some unreal notes. The song has a great hook, but the same can be said for the entire album. I can go years in between listens and still never miss a note when singing along.

What would be initially the start of side two, “Your Love Came Over Me” is great Doobie Brothers (China Grove) type riff that never quits throughout. I know it may be hard for readers today to understand just how rare it was for a “safe” artist to deliver such a rock oriented album. The industry at the time would allow for the occasional pop rock riff, but rarely an album that rocked from start to finish.

The song was written by Keith Green and a gentlemen named Todd Fishkind. Fishkind may be one of the most important songwriters and musicians from the era that no one really knows about. He was very close to Green and they wrote quite a bit together, including the classic “Your Love Broke Through.” Fishkind would also wrote a book about Keith. He was also considered quite the musician.

“Hold On” follows and sounds like something off pop radio at the time. If not for Ward’s distinctive vocals I would swear it could have been a single off of Chicago 13. In fact, it would have been the best song off of Chicago 13.

The borderline “world music” influenced “Angels Unaware” is the only truly dated song from the project. The lyrics about guardian angels at times are silly (something about the “honkin’ flu”) but no more silly than what Amy Grant would record nearly a decade later.

The hiccup of “Angels Unaware” is immediately forgotten with the stunning and emotionally driving ballad, “Summer Snow.” The simple song of faith and God’s timing is exclusively driven by piano and strings. Tom Keene’s great string arrangement supports Green’s beautiful playing. Matthew shows the range both vocally and emotionally here. It ranks amongst the true classic from the era.

The “much too short” album closes with an Anne Herring tune, “The Vineyard.” It is all but an instrumental, as the only vocals are “ooh’s” playing the part of strings on top of Tom Keene’s beautiful piano work. It is a contemplative ending to an utterly brilliant and timeless classic album.

Whether it ended one or era or started another is not of consequence and the debate shall continue. What is of consequence is how truly revelatory and ground breaking the album was and how, over 30 years later, it is still a brilliant masterpiece by a wonderful artist.

Track Listing:
1 – It’s All Right – 2:34
2 – Soft Spot – 3:42
3 – Noah’s Song – 3:56
4 – Till The Walls Fall Down – 2:29
5 – Gotta Do Better Than This – 3:23
6 – Your Love Came Over Me – 4:07
7 – Hold On – 3:10
8 – Angels Unaware – 2:26
9 – Summer Snow – 3:36
10 – The Vineyard – 2:18

Credits:
Scotty Edwards – Bass
Todd Fishkind – Songwriter
Jay Graydon – Guitars
Keith Green – Songwriter, Piano
Melody Green – Songwriter
Annie Herring – Songwriter
Buck Herring – Producer, Engineer, Songwriter
Phil Keaggy – Songwriter, Guitars
Tom Keene – String Arranger, Piano
David Kemper – Drums
Abraham Laboriel – Bass
Michael Omartian – Horn Arranger, Songwriter, Synthesizer, Piano, Fender Rhodes, Percussion
Ray Parker, Jr. – Guitars
Matthew Ward – Songwriter, Vocal Arranger, Vocals

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Sparrow Records, Inc.
Recorded At – Buckskin Studio
Recorded At – Sunwest Recording Studios

Leon Patillo – The Sky’s The Limit – 1984

Throughout the history of CCM many artists made their way over from secular music to Christian Music. Barry McGuire, Joe English, Bonnie Bramlett and a host of others. But few ever reached the critical mass success as former Santana lead vocalist, Leon Patillo. Patillo got his start in the late 60’s as the focal point of the funk band, Creation. He would later work with Martha & the Vandellas as well as with George Clinton’s Funkadelic. His greatest success would come during an eight year stint with guitar god, Santana. Patillo would leave Santana in 1981 to begin a Christian music solo career. Each of his first three studio album would contain a few CCM classic, but were never stellar projects from beginning ’til end until the release of “The Sky’s the Limit.” Earlier releases would contain monster hits like Dance Children Dance, Flesh of My Flesh and Cornerstone, but here Patillo sparkles from beginning to end. The album contains several top hits including J.E.S.U.S., the title track, “I’ve Heard the Thunder, Love Calling and his second hugely popular wedding song, Security. Several of the more upbeat tunes were often “re-mixed” into extended dances versions that were immensely popular at the time. No Christian roller skate night was ever complete without the extended version of J.E.S.U.S.

Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/

Tracklist
1 – I’ve Heard The Thunder – 4:04
2 – Security – 4:04
3 – Life Is What You Make It – 3:57
4 – Come To Receive – 3:28
5 – J.E.S.U.S. – 3:58
6 – Love Calling – 4:30
7 – Fear Not – 4:07
8 – Sing Unto The Lord – 4:25
9 – The Sky’s The Limit – :43
10 – Small Still Voice – 4:27

Credits
Art Direction – Dennis Hill
Backing Vocals – Donn Thomas, Elisecia Wright, LaVoughn Thomas, Linda Evans
Concept By [Album Cover] – Jackie Patillo
Engineer [Assistant] – Biff Vincent
Photography By, Concept By [Album Cover] – Alan Bergman
Producer, Composed By, Drums, Bass, Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer [Obx-a, Emulator, Dx7, Lynn Drum, Dmx, Simmons], Programmed By [Synthesizers], Lead Vocals – Leon Patillo
Producer, Programmed By [Synthesizer], Engineer, Mixed By – Skip Konte

Companies, etc.
Recorded At – Front Page Recorders
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Word, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Word, Inc.

Sweet Comfort Band – Cutting Edge – 1982

As the 70’s turned the corner into the 80’s, the “last band” of the Jesus Music era morphed from a funky, groovy and R&B driven unit into a full-fledged commercial and corporate rock quartet. And one of the very best CCM ever produced. With only six albums to their credit, the band will have landed four of those titles on this list when all is said and done. Two albums come from the first half of their career with the more R&B style while the final two on the list will come from the “rock trilogy” that closed out their career. Both of those two will be included in the Top 100. Those three albums would be noted not only for the obvious change in musical direction, but also for the fact that Bryan Duncan all but completely took over the lead vocals exclusively and played the part of front man in concert as well. This would be helped by the inclusion of the amazing John Andrew Schreiner on keyboards, both on the recording as well as in live concert support. One other difference were the fabulous brush art album cover artwork. The first two (Hearts of Fire, Cutting Edge) featured a “Spiritual Warfare” theme to the artwork with swords and battle appearance. Cutting Edge artwork shows a glistening sword with a warrior battling a serpent in the sward’s reflection. This warfare theme would also educate the lyrics at times as well. Cutting Edge is a really odd album in that, for some reason, even fans of hard rock and metal seem to like the album with several “heavy music” publications giving the album a great review. perhaps it was the artwork and themes, but no matter, the album is one for the ages.

Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/

Tracklist
1 – Runnin’ To Win – 4:06
2 – What Have You Got? – 3:10
3 – Falling In Love With You – 3:34
4 – Haven’t Seen You – 4:47
5 – Breakdown Love – 3:12
6 – Valerie – 3:23
7 – Changed Hearts – 3:40
8 – Live It – 4:03
9 – What Did It Mean? – 3:31
10 – Armed And Ready – 4:47

Credits
Bass – Kevin Thomson
Drums, Vocals – Rick Thomson
Engineer [Second @ Bill Schnee] – David Shober
Engineer [Second @ Mama Jo’s] – Steve Ford
Guitar, Vocals – Randy Thomas
Illustration, Design – Kernie Erickson
Keyboards – John Schreiner
Keyboards, Vocals – Brian Duncan
Management – David Bendett Artists, Inc.
Mastered By – Doug Sax
Percussion – Victor Feldman
Photography By [Back Cover] – David Randle
Producer – Jack Joseph Puig
Soprano Saxophone – David Hlebo
Tenor Saxophone – John Phillips
Vocals – Bob Carlisle

Companies, etc.
Record Company – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Recorded At – Bill Schnee Studios
Recorded At – Mama Jo’s
Mixed At – Mama Jo’s
Mastered At – The Mastering Lab
Pressed By – Electrosound Group Midwest, Inc.

Julie Miller – Meet Julie Miller – 1990

Dear God, how I love this album! There is not one wasted note, riff or beat anywhere to be found. Some may find Miller’s quirky, child-like voice an acquired taste, but I rather consider it simply needing an educated palette. After a very short stint with the group Streetlight, which only recorded an EP, with her husband Buddy Miller, Julie was signed by Myrrh and immediately they began the horrific mistake of touting their Leslie Phillips replacement and their answer to Cyndi Lauper. What they actually had was a brilliant songwriter, singer and performer. Talent runs deep in the Miller household and CCM;s inability to grasp the fact and promote her properly left her looking to mainstream and independent channels for the majority of her fine career. But in 1990 a wonderful, melodic, accessible and utterly enjoyable album found a home in my CD rotation and has never left it. Rich in harmonies, memorable melodies and brilliant musicianship, Meet Julie Miller was a brilliant introduction to the artist.

The 30-second acapella blues number “Dogtown” starts the record before launching right into one of the radio hits from the album, “You Knew the Way to My Heart.” Melodic, pop-driven Americana rock with a hook of a chorus so large you could drive a truck through it. Miller’s ability to work her voice through whispering, soft moments to gravelly pop hooks is quite impressive. The use of her own voice in the backing vocals just works in creating the perfect harmonies in the bridge.

“Mystery Love” follows in the same vein with the bluesy, jangly rock (Mark Heard and T-Bone Burnett would be proud) style. This is one of the few songs that reminds me musically of Leslie Phillips, though one of the great ironies is that Phillips is said to be the one who passed along Miller’s demo to the execs at Myrrh in the first place.

We have mentioned “classics” and what qualifies as one several times on this blog. I firmly believe Miller has one here on this project and it remains her one biggest hit on Christian radio though clocking in at nearly 6 minutes (most stations played the edited version that leaves off the spoken word introduction), with “What Would Jesus Do.”

The song is not the normal sweet and lovely “Jesus loves me” sort of content CCM radio has been known for. But rather, the song is pointed look at the churches lack of genuine Biblical and loving response to the “least of these.” This missional (before the word existed) song features an all-star chorus at the end that is genuinely inspirational in the good sense of the word, including Phillips, Buddy Miller, Russ Taff and a host of others.

“Don’t Cry for me” returns to the more acoustic Americana rock that populates the majority of the album. Dan Posthuma’s production may get occasionally heavy-handed, as a more stark, limited and earthy arrangement would have made this song more authentic. But Posthuma is much more hands off sounding than on some of the work he did a few years previous with Phillips.

Following somewhat in the vein of “What Would Jesus Do,” is the beautiful “How Could You Say No.” A stunningly simply acoustic ballad, the song is both poignant and powerful in its sheer simple faith. When presented with the truth of what Christ suffered on your behalf, how is it possible to reject His grace?

“King of My Heart” is another less than a minute number that moves directly into the one real “rocker” on the album. The funky and rollicking “Song to the Devil” is very reminiscent of the two “Devil” songs recorded by Keith Green over a decade previously. The possibly pretentious silliness of the song is overcome by the sheer joy and humor of the performance.

The completely different “world music” rhythm of “Who Owns Your heart” is so refreshing as sounds cool 20 years later. Reminds me of some of Bruce Cockburn’s music off of “Stealing Fire.”

Live the “devil” song, “My Psychiatrist” is a humorous novelty song that wins the listener over by the sheer joy of it all. Deep within the silliness, though, is a great message.

“Love Will Find You” remains my favorite song from the album and would give the listener a glimpse at what was to come from the artist. The light country/folk of the melody belies a deeper thought process within its message. Also, the song really shows Miller the singer and how she sounds harmonizing with Buddy. Really a pretty song that should and could have been a country hit in the right circumstance.

The darkest and most moving song on the album may be the abortion themed “Dangerous Place.” Here the womb is described as a dangerous place to many an unborn child. Melodically, the song is the darkest and most difficult. The fading refrain of “Jesus Loves Me” sung by a children’s choir at the songs close is quite moving.

The album closes with the traditional, “I Will Arise and Go to Jesus.” This simple reworking of the classic Gospel tune is a fitting finale to this amazing project that throughout tips its cap to the traditional music of Gospel while looking to the future of great artistic folk and rock music in Miller’s career.

Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/

Tracklist
1 – Dogtown – 0:32
2 – You Knew The Way To My Heart – 3:00
3 – Mystery Love – 3:06
4 – What Would Jesus Do – 6:11
5 – Don’t Cry For Me – 3:49
6 – How Could You Say No – 3:27
7 – King Of My Heart – 0:55
8 – Song To The Devil (I’m Thru With You) – 2:38
9 – Who Owns Your Heart – 2:41
10 – My Psychiatrist – 2:09
11 – Love Will Find You – 3:52
12 – Dangerous Place – 2:58
13 – I Will Arise and Go To Jesus – 2:54

Credits
Rose Banks – Background Vocals
Mickey Cates – Songwriter
Shawn Colvin – Background Vocals
Craig Finley – Background Vocals
Dan Garcia – Mixed
Amy Grant – Background Vocals
Amy Hargrave – Choir Vocals
Katie Hargrave – Choir Vocals
Jean Johnson – Background Vocals
Ron Krueger – Keyboards
Howard McCrary – Background Vocals
Buddy Miller – Associate Producer, Engineer, Songwriter, Bass, Guitars, Keyboards, Drum Programming, Background Vocals
Julie Miller – Songwriter, Guitars, Vocals
Kathy Pinto – Background Vocals
Dan Posthuma – Producer, Bass, Drum Programming
Lee Trudy Posthuma – Choir Vocals
Millard Posthuma – Violin
Sara Posthuma – Choir Vocals
Sara Richards – Choir Vocals
Lincoln Schalifer – Bass
John Andrew Schreiner – Keyboards, Accordion
Leland Sklar – Bass
Russ Taff – Background Vocals
Carlos Vega – Percussion
Billy Jo Walker – Guitars
Kelly Willard – Background Vocals
Victoria Williams – Background Vocals
Robin Williamson – Hurdy-Gurdy

Companies, etc.
Record Company – Word, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Word, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Word, Inc.
Manufactured By – Word, Inc.
Published By – Word Music
Published By – LCS Music
Published By – StraightWay Music
Manufactured By – JVC
Designed At – OSS

Phil Keaggy – Phil Keaggy And Sunday’s Child – 1988

I guess this album was the result of “if you can’t beat them, join them.” Constantly compared to Paul McCartney during his career, why not just do a Beatles album? What was actually supposed to be a possible semi-regular group, Phil Keaggy & Sunday’s Child only ever released this one album. But what an album they created! Making up the rest of “Sunday’s Child” are Rick Cua on bass, Mike Mead on drums and Lynn Nichols on guitar and vocals. It also may go down in CCM history as the single nicest group of musicians to record a record together. There is this one odd thing about many Keaggy albums. Those with great songs have a tendency to lack the guitar prowess that many clamor for, while those with great guitar work have tendency to lack quality songwriting throughout. This album is all about the songwriting and is clearly some of Keaggy’s finest work in the regard. And true to form the album is not filled with blazing and intricate guitar work, though many tasteful and enjoyable examples can be found. There album is also the most “band” sounding in his career outside of the Crimson and Blue recordings. But that band is supported by a Hall of fame list of musicians including Steve Taylor, Mark Heard, Randy Stonehill, Alwyn Wall, Derri Daugherty, Russ Taff and the always impressive and often overlooked James Hollihan on guitar. Many of the guests also provided songwriting help. The Beatles comparisons are not subtle. They were clearly the inspiration and that adds to the sheer joy of the album. In fact, according to the liner notes, Ringer Starr’s drum kit was used on the recording. Older amps, instruments and recording processes were employed to give the album the rich, analog sound.

The album kicks off with the mid-tempo rocker, “Tell me How You Feel.” This tone setter reveals what will follow with the head side bopping beat and Keaggy’s higher end vocals at times reminiscent of McCartney with abandon. But there is also a clear nod to the Byrds here and throughout. The title track, co-written with Stonehill, was a hit, and for good reason. This song is memorable and smart at the same time. I believe I hear Stonehill’s vocals in there as well. The two released a wonderful album a year or so ago that employed some of the same musical stylings. A personal favorite, and one of the better rockers on the album is “I Always Do.” Starting slow before kicking halfway through the verse into a killer rocker that is more reminiscent of Glass Harp’s poppier side. The song also features one of the more upfront guitar solos and the best hook on the entire album. Without blazing fingers and extended riffs, Keaggy here shows the power of a well controlled, melodic and tasteful rock solo. It should be noted this is a Mark heard penned tune. “I’m Gonna Get You Now” is more early 70’s rock and sounds the least like the Beatles as any on the record, excepting the song that follows. But it should be noted that it also provides some of Keaggy’s best rock vocals. Co-written by Lynn Nichols, the songs edge gives Keaggy the change to explore some vocal styles he hadn’t previously. If someone mentioned that Steve Taylor co-wrote one of the songs, my guess would immediately be “Bless Be the Ties,” and that would be correct. More psychedelic than the rest of the album, this slower, dare I say darker (?) song remains one of the best as well. This Could Be the Moment” returns to the more fun rock and roll. This is a good old-fashioned, put the top down on the convertible and hit Pacific Highway. The chorus is a monster with some great harmonies. The instrumental break just pounds with Mead’s great driving beat and Keaggy’s subtle and building guitar work. Even Cua gets a short solo here! This was a great song live I should add as it was extended to include solos from everyone. Side Two kicks off with the loudest guitars and a song co-written by Stonehill called “Ain’t Got No.” But this Stonehill is Sandi, the then wife of Randy. Oddly enough, it sounds like something randy would have recorded himself. It’s hard to decide which song stands out as the “best” on such a great album, but “Somebody Loves You” would have to receive recognition. The acoustic driven rock song is pure Keaggy and one of the songs Keaggy penned entirely by himself. Keaggy here shows his guitar prowess is not just limited to electric and solo, but tasteful and smart acoustic rhythm work as well. This alone gives it more of a Byrds feel. Another of the darker feeling songs follows with “Big Eraser.” Another Nichols co-written tune, it is perfect fit for something on the Chagall Guevara debut. The vocals are clouded amongst a large rock vibe and huge drum sound. This would make sense given Nichols involvement with the group. The Mark Heard penned “Everything is Alright” is a true dichotomy. A dark and almost atmospheric verse structure followed by a pop and memorable hook driven chorus. This is also around the time of Ideola, and the style shows through. “I’ve Just Begun (Again)” brings the album back to the joyful musical expressions that dominate the vast majority of the album, while the following “Walk In Two Worlds” represents the darker, rougher edge. One would have hoped future releases would expand upon this sound as it worked so incredible well here. The album closes with a wonderful version of the traditional spiritual “Talk About Suffering.” Staring nearly in an acapella (drums only) before adding the band, this version is both beautiful and unforgettable. A fitting ending to a great album. This may be Keaggy’s finest hour as a songwriter, though another album of his will appear much later in the countdown, it is a real shame this ended up being only a one-off and no further collaborations between these men exists in this format.

Tracklist
1 – Tell Me How You Feel – 3:21
2 – Sunday’s Child – 3:57
3 – I Always Do – 4:50
4 – I’m Gonna Get You Now – 3:47
5 – Blessed Be the Ties – 3:56
6 – This Could Be the Moment – 3:48
7 – Ain’t Got No – 3:29
8 – Somebody Loves You – 4:05
9 – Big Eraser – 4:33
10 – Everything Is Alright – 4:19
11 – I’ve Just Begun (Again) – 3:00
12 – Walk In Two Worlds – 3:37
13 – Talk About Suffering – 4:50

Credits
Robbie Buchanan – Organ B3
Lenny Castro – Percussion
Rick Cua – Bass
Derri Daugherty – Vocals
Lance Demers – Songwriter
Dave Hackbarth – Mixed
Mark Heard – Songwriter, Engineer, Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals
James Hollihan – Guitar
Wade Jaynes – Mixed
Eddie Keaggy – Mixed
Phil Keaggy – Songwriter, Guitars, Bass, Percussion, Vocals
Mike Mead – Drums
Lynn Arthur Nichols – Producer, Songwriter, Guitar, Vocals
A. Palladino – Songwriter
Jack Joseph Puig – Mixed
David Schober – Engineer
Jimmie Lee Sloas – Vocals
Bart Stevens – Mixed
Randy Stonehill – Songwriter, Guitar, Vocals
Sandi Stonehill – Songwriter
Russ Taff – Vocals
Brian Tankersley – Engineer
Steve Taylor – Songwriter, Percussion
Rudy Valentine – Vocals
Alwyn Wall – Vocals

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Word, Inc.
Copyright © – Word, Inc.
Manufactured By – Word, Inc.
Distributed By – Word, Inc.
Recorded At – Music Grinder Studios
Recorded At – Neverland Studios
Recorded At – Bill Schnee Studios
Recorded At – Fingerprint
Recorded At – The Hop
Mixed At – Bill Schnee Studios
Pressed By – U.S. Optical Disc

Lone Justice – Shelter – 1986

Damn that Maria McKee can really sing. That may be the single greatest understatement in the first 370 post on this list. But really, if anyone can find a better way to express the sheer power, passion and presence of McKee’s vocal virtuosity, have at it. It was said co-Producer Little Steve (E Street Band) remarked that McKees vocal performance on “Inspiration” was the most powerful and passionate vocal he had heard since Bruce Springsteens “Adam Raised a Cain.” Mighty high praise indeed. And well deserved. More commercially appealing than the debut, Shelter infused a little more country rock and significantly less cow punk. It is better produced (in some spots a bit over-produced) and the songwriting is more accessible with superior ballads and a more consistent sound. It should have been the record to make Lone Justice rock stars. Rather, it became their swan song. I Found Love and Shelter were both that singles that just never broke through, though they ended being covered by a few CCM artists including Geoff Moore. But the real strength on this album is on the deeper cuts and ballads. Beacon, Belfry and Dreams Come True all rock with great guitar work and McKe’s emotive presence. And as mentioned earlier, Inspiration is just an emotional vocal tour de force with a once in a lifetime performance. The two side-ending ballads should also be noted. Wheels is a beautiful country song that should be covered by a more modern country female vocalist. The album closer, Dixie Storms, is just haunting and would point to the direction McKee would follow in her solo career.

Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/

Tracklist
1 – I Found Love – 4:15
2 – Shelter – 4:37
3 – Reflected (On My Side) – 4:57
4 – Beacon – 4:18
5 – Wheels – 5:05
6 – Belfry – 5:03
7 – Dreams Come True (Stand Up And Take It) – 4:06
8 – The Gift – 4:16
9 – Inspiration – 3:49
10 – Dixie Storms – 3:37

Credits
Acoustic Guitar [Additional], Rhythm Guitar [Additional] – Little Steven
Bass, Vocals – Gregg Sutton
Coordinator [Production Coordinator] – Janet Weber
Cover – Cooper Edens
Design – Kim Champagne
Drums – Rudy Richman
Engineer [Additional] – Bruce Lampcov, Don Smith, Greg Edward, Joe Borja, Nikko Bolas, Scott Litt, Shelly Yakus, Steven Rinkoff
Engineer [Assistant] – Craig Engel, Marc De Sisto, Michael Bowman, Rob Jacobs, Ross Stein
Guitar – Ryan Hedgecock, Shane Fontayne
Keyboards – Bruce Brody
Keyboards [Additional] – Benmont Tench, Charles Judge, Tommy Mandel
Lacquer Cut By – J. Webster
Management – Ice Cream Management
Management [Associate] – Tony Ferguson
Mastered By – Stephen Marcussen
Mixed By – Greg Edward (tracks: A4, A5, B1, B3, B4), Humberto Gatica (tracks: B2), Joe Chiccarelli (tracks: A2), Mike Shipley (tracks: A1, A3), Shelly Yakus (tracks: B5)
Photography By – Melanie Nissen
Producer – Jimmy Iovine, Little Steven, Lone Justice
Production Manager – Chuck Reed
Recorded By – Joe Chiccarelli, Robert de la Garza
Vocals, Guitar, Piano – Maria McKee

Companies, etc.
Distributed By – WEA Music Of Canada, Ltd.
Pressed By – Cinram
Recorded At – A&M Studios
Recorded At – Atlantic Studios
Recorded At – The Village Recorder
Mastered At – Precision Lacquer
Lacquer Cut at – McClear Place
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – The David Geffen Company
Copyright © – The David Geffen Company
Printed By – Ever Reddy
Published By – Little Diva Music
Published By – Little Steven Music
Published By – Looking-Glass Feet Music
Published By – Black Platinum Music
Published By – Agreeable Music

Tonio K. – Notes From The Lost Civilization – 1988

Tonio K released two albums for the Christian market in the mid 80’s on What? Records. Both of them reach the Top 100 on this list. Both a must own album and truly brilliant works. Both are completely different musically and differ greatly in topic and theme. More will be said about Tonio K in a future post, but it should be noted here that for nearly three decades he released some of the most important releases that no one knows about. Before embracing the Christian faith Tonio K released several critically lauded and publicly ignored masterpieces. The same rang true in Christian music circles. I believe “Notes” was the last release for What? Records, a brilliant label whose imprint was the kiss of death in the CCM world. I cannot confirm this right now, but I believe every What? Records release appears on this countdown. The label was a joint effort between Word Records and A&M with the intent to bring Christian music to the masses with artists that had the chops and integrity to pull off the crossover. Where Tonio’s CCM debut (Romeo Unchained) was driven by technology and “new wave” rhythms and production, “Notes” was organic, blues and country influenced Americana rock and roll set in the heart of city life and suburban nightmares. There are two versions of the album with the Word released version not containing a song that will be discussed later. No one should own the Word version and I refused to carry that version in my store at the time.

Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/

Tracklist
1 – Without Love – 3:33
2 – Children’s Crusade – 4:56
3 – Stay – 4:14
4 – City Life – 4:07
5 – You Were There – 4:46
6 – The Executioner’s Song – 6:27
7 – I Can’t Stand It – 4:08
8 – What Women Want – 4:27
9 – I Can’t Stop – 3:19
10 – Where Is That Place? – 3:59

Credits
A&R [Productive A&R] – Aaron Jacoves, Tom Willett
Arranged By – David Miner, T Bone Burnett, Tonio K.
Art Direction, Photography By, Design – Linda Myers-Krikorian
Bass – James Jamerson, Jr. (tracks: 7 to 10)
Bass, Double Bass [String Bass], Harmonium, Marimba – David Miner
Drum Programming – Ralph Forbes
Drums – Raymond Pounds (tracks: 7 to 10)
Drums, Synthesizer [Dynacord] – Jim Keltner
Electric Guitar – Jack Sherman
Electric Guitar [12-string, Gut String, National], Acoustic Guitar – T Bone Burnett
Engineer [Assistant Engineering] – Barry Conley, Bob Loftus, Brian Soucy, Dave “The Blade” Knight, Duncan Aldrich, Ira Rubnitz, Tom Banghart
Executive-Producer – T Bone Burnett
Graphic Design, Layout – Karl Shields, Susan Shields
Mastered By – Tony Dawsey
Mixed By – Tchad Blake
Organ [Farfisa] – Rick Neigher
Organ [Hammond] – Booker T. Jones
Percussion – Alex Acuña
Piano – John Keller
Producer [Produced By] – David Miner, Tonio K.
Recorded By – Larry Hirsch
Recorded By [Additional Recording By] – Larold Rebhun (tracks: 8)
Rhythm Guitar [Occasional], Vocals – Tonio K.

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – What? Records
Copyright (c) – What? Records
Manufactured By – A&M Records, Inc.
Distributed By – A&M Records, Inc.
Recorded At – The Sound Factory
Recorded At – American Recorders
Recorded At – Ocean Way Recording
Recorded At – Mad Hatter Studios
Recorded At – A&M Studios
Mixed At – The Sound Factory
Mastered At – Masterdisk
Published By – Bibo Music Publishers
Published By – N.Y.M.
Published By – Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp.
Published By – Safespace Music
Published By – Unicity Music
Published By – Tea Time Tunes
Published By – Yellow Brick Road Music
Published By – VALEVISTA Music

Kim Hill – Talk About Life – 1989

Kim was that “girl next door” artist CCM was looking for. That is, if you lived next door to a really attractive girl who appeared to live on a farm and possessed nothing but jeans and an acoustic guitar who drove a 1950’s era puck up truck. Yeah…that next door. After a decent debut that showed glimmers of hope for originality and artistic merit, Kim Hill’s sophomore release, Talk About Life, revealed those possibilities. Less Nashville pop and more female singer-songwriter. Less AC pop and more rock, country and folk. Hill was Christian music answer to the Melissa Etheridge/Meredith Brooks. jean wearing female rocker/songwriter. Hill’s husky alto voice (think Chistine McVie, KT Tunstall)) was great fit to the earthy, acoustic rock on the album. What also worked is a strong lyrical content that went beyond the normal CCM categories, even if the themes remained similar. There is a passion in the content as well as in the performance. “Snakes in the Grass” is one of the great songs in the history of CCM female artists. Her vocal flexibility and range mixed with a stark and edgy production makes this a stand out on so many levels. It’s a song Maria McKee would do, but with no guarantee of better results. The acoustic guitar accentuated by an incredible “rock” string arrangement is pure studio magic. Brown Bannister, more noted for his AC pop, outdid himself on this album. The title track and Closer to a Broken Heart continue the great rock sound in the vein of The Pretenders and Tom Petty. In fact, there are really no weak moments on the albums and has remained her strongest effort, though her follow up also contained similar quality work. Hill would later move in a more worship direction and an involvement with Women of faith type ministries. She has yet to return to this type of music and that is true loss for Christian Music. But even some 20 years later this album sound fantastic and not dated in any way.

Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/

Tracklist
1 – Inside Of You – 4:22
2 – Stop, Watch And Listen – 5:14
3 – Secret Place – 4:45
4 – Snake In The Grass – 4:08
5 – Let’s Talk About Life – 2:01
6 – Closer To A Broken Heart – 3:37
7 – Turning – 3:50
8 – Testimony – 3:33
9 – Charm Is Deceitful – 2:21

Credits
Art Direction, Design – Jackson Design
Coordinator [Production Coordinator] – Richard Headen
Cover [Cover Coordinator] – D.L. Rhodes
Executive-Producer – Michael Blanton, Terry Hemmings
Mastered By – Doug Sax
Mixed By – Jeff Balding
Photography By – Russ Harrington
Producer [Associate Producer] – Wayne Kirkpatrick
Producer [Produced By] – Brown Bannister
Recorded By [Additional Recording] – Splash Headen, Smash Kirkpatrick
Recorded By [Assisted By] – Carry Summers, Steve Bishir
Recorded By [Overdubs Recorded By] – Slash Bannister
Recorded By [Tracks Recorded By] – Jeff Balding

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Reunion Records
Copyright (c) – Reunion Records
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Word Records Limited
Copyright (c) – Word Records Limited
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Word (Uk) Ltd.
Copyright (c) – Word (Uk) Ltd.
Manufactured By – Word, Inc.
Distributed By – Word, Inc.
Recorded At – OmniSound Studios
Overdubbed At – Home Groan Studio
Mastered At – The Mastering Lab
Published By – Pupfish Music
Published By – Knightsville Music
Published By – Edward Grant, Inc.
Published By – Birdwing Music
Published By – Songs Of PolyGram International, Inc.
Published By – Yellow Jacket Music, Inc.
Published By – Emily Boothe, Inc.
Published By – Word Music (2)
Published By – Riverstone Music, Inc.
Pressed By – DADC – DIDX-006789

Rich Mullins – Winds Of Heaven, Stuff Of Earth – 1988

Here is another example of the different presuppositions between this list and the previous blogs list for determining placement. Though significantly more important to the overall progression of the CCM market, the album does not fair as well when compared to multiple releases per artist and exclusive artistic achievement guidelines. That is not so say this is not a great record, God Forbid. This is ana amazing record and no serious collector should have it missing. “Winds of Heaven” is a lighter, sweeter, sometimes melancholy project that is punctuated with worship and promise. But ultimately it came down to impact and lasting impressions and nothing on “A Liturgy” (or too many other albums for that matter) can match what “Awesome God” has meant to a generation of believers despite being an overall stronger project. If the reader is only familiar with the classic worship tune then they are missing a truly great project. On this album Mullins would change how many people approach the Lord every Sunday morning all across the globe. What started out as a quickly penned worship song for a Youth gathering in Michigan became the single most often sung modern worship song in history. It was also listed as the Number One Christian song in history in CCM Magazine’s countdown of the greatest songs. Oddly enough the verse structure and content is nothing like any other worship song and, in fact, does not lend itself to corporate worship. But when the chorus kicks in there is nothing to compare it to. Memorable, large, boisterous, powerful and lasting. Generations later I am firmly convinced this chorus will still be a staple for God’s people in worship. “If I Stand” follows and may be the strongest song on the project. This song ultimately is about the recognition of man’s frailty and God’s loving compassion toward man. It is a story of reliance on the creator by that which is created. Mullins points to the ultimate relationship a man must have…greater than anything he can find on Earth. One other radio hit from the project is “Such a Thing as Glory.” A musical backdrop bordering on world music sets the stage for a lyrical expression devoted to recognizing the great work of Jesus. Other highlights from this album include “…and I Love You,” and “Home.” For those who may dismiss this album as a “one hit wonder” they have truly missed the heart of an artist that was just beginning to hit his stride. After two poorly received projects (though decent releases on their own), this project moved him into a whole new level of acceptance and the Church and music industry is the better for it. The only thing I have noticed in Mullins music is the lack of humor that he so often displayed in concert. In fact, I remember the first time I saw him was when he opened up for Steve Taylor and Amy Grant (seriously, they toured together). He sat down to polite applause and said; “Now, I know most of you don’t know who in the world I am…but, then again, I don’t know who you are either!” That broke the ice with the crowd and he then proceeded to perform a medley of songs he had written for other artist including Amy Grant’s “Sing Your Praise to the Lord.” That, for some reason, is etched in my memory as much as his memorable songs. He is missed.

Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/

Tracklist
1 – The Other Side Of The World – 2:43
2 – With The Wonder – 4:25
3 – Awesome God – 3:03
4 – If I Stand – 3:39
5 – Home – 4:01
6 – Such A Thing As Glory – 2:41
7 – . . . And I Love You – 3:46
8 – Ready For The Storm – 3:37
9 – One True Love – 4:03
10 – How Can I Keep Myself From Singing – 3:51

Credits
Alan Arnett – Background Vocals
Reed Arvin – Producer, String Arrangements, Keyboards, Synclavier
Jeff Balding – Additional Mix
Janis Broughton – Background Vocals
Heidi Brown – Background Vocals
Fred Carpenter – Fiddle
Susan Coker – Background Vocals
Scott Coupland – Background Vocals
Steve Cudworth – Songwriter
Lyn Curley – Background Vocals
Keith Edwards – Drums
Jennifer Farrar – Background Vocals
Jon Goin – Guitar
Allison Gordley – Background Vocals
Chris Harris – Background Vocals
Paul Harris – Background Vocals
Mark Heimermann – Background Vocals
Terry Hemmings – Executive Producer
Kim Hill – Background Vocals
Bonnie Keen – Background Vocals
Brent King – Mixed
Wayne Kirkpatrick – Background Vocals
Bryan Lenox – Background Vocals
Lori Loving – Background Vocals
Gary Lunn – Bass
Pam Mark Hall – Background Vocals
Dougie McClain – Songwriter
David McCracken – Background Vocals
Jerry McPherson – Guitar
Marita Meinerts – Background Vocals
Carmen Minard – Background Vocals
Jeff Moseley – Executive Producer
Rich Mullins – Songwriter, Vocals
Craig Nelson – Acoustic Bass
Pam Ourada – Background Vocals
Rafael Padilla – Percussion
Cynthia Ratliff – Background Vocals
Mark Ratliff – Background Vocals
Chris Rodriguez – Background Vocals
Melinda Scruggs – Background Vocals
Billy Simon – Background Vocals
Michael W. Smith – Piano
Billy Sprague – Background Vocals
Melodie Tunney – Background Vocals
Hank Williams – Mastered

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Reunion Records, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Reunion Records, Inc.
Manufactured By – Uni Distribution Corp.
Distributed By – Uni Distribution Corp.
Recorded At – Goldmine Recording Studios
Recorded At – OmniSound Studios
Recorded At – Spence Manor
Mixed At – Mastermix
Mastered At – Mastermix
Published By – Edward Grant, Inc.
Published By – Limetree Publishing, Inc.
Manufactured By – DADC
Glass Mastered At – DADC – DIDX-010100

Mad At The World – Mad At The World – 1987

The story goes that while Roger Rose, the taller and older Rose brother that makes up the band, Mad At The World, was working as a mailman he dropped of a demo tape int he mailbox of Jimmy Kempner, owner of Frontline Records. The tape was passed along and the Rose brothers were eventaully signed by Frontline and in 1987 they released their first of several very successful projects, the self-titled Mad at the World. Completely programmed and synthesized techno music with aggressive 80’s dance beats and a very European vocal styling, the very well produced debut became an instant hit in many Christian circles. Mainstream music was filled with bands like Depeche Mode and Tears for Fears but Christian music’s edgier sounds were usually punk bands of long hair glam rockers like Stryper and Shout. MATW filled a huge void as Christian “dance clubs” were also starting to spring up and techno music was very limited. The lyrics were very “Christian” thematically but dealt with the darker side of life and some people initially struggled with the more dark sounding content. Kids, though, flocked to the album and their reputation spread quickly, especially in Southern California. They were invited to play a New Year’s Eve event at Knott’s Berry Farm, a popular theme park in Orange County. The set consisted primarily of older brother Roger on guitar and keyboards and 15 year old Randy on a bizarre looking electronic percussive contraption. The cool factor was high and their outside show drew huge crowds. Styles would change to darker and heavier rock and eventually to a more Beatlesque pop sound, but it is the first two albums that the band is most remembered for.

Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/

Track Listing:
1 – Living Dead – 3:28
2 – All The Lonely Sheep – 5:50
3 – I Want To See Heaven – 4:25
4 – No Room Left – 4:05
5 – Easy Way Out – 3:50
6 – Bad Motives – 4:20
7 – No More Innocence – 5:00
8 – It Can’t Rain Forever – 5:00
9 – Here We Go Again – 3:28
10 – Dry Your Tears – 4:10
11 – Mad At The World – 3:55
12 – Change Of Luck – 3:42

Credits
Arranged By – Roger Rose
Art Direction – Brian Kay, Ed McTaggart
Artwork [Photographics] – Ken Baley
Backing Vocals, Electronic Drums, Percussion – Randy Rose
Engineer – Roger Rose (tracks: B1)
Engineer [Basic Tracks] – Dave Hackbarth (tracks: A1 to A5, B2 to B5)
Engineer [Vocal Tracks] – Dave Jahnsen (tracks: A1 to A5, B2 to B5)
Guitar, Keyboards – Mike Pendleton
Lead Vocals, Keyboards, Guitar, Synthesizer, Electronic Drums, Percussion – Roger Rose
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Photography By – Linda Dillon Baley
Producer – Roger Rose

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Frontline Records
Copyright (c) – Frontline Records
Distributed By – The Benson Company, Inc.
Recorded At – 3-D Studios, Costa Mesa CA.
Recorded At – Asylomar Studios
Recorded At – MATW Studios
Mastered At – Bernie Grundman Mastering
Pressed By – Record Technology Incorporated – 23329
Pressed By – Record Technology Incorporated – 23330