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

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David & The Giants – Strangers To The Night – 1988

Unfortunately by this point David and The Giants were producing albums too regularly. This album while good feels like they just went into the studio to get another album out. The album is a good listen but there just aren’t any real stand out tracks. Probably the best track is “Perfect Love” which features harmonies from David’s daughter Kellye Huff. Of course CCM charts missed this entirely and picked “Show Them the Light” and “Strangers to the Night” as the charting singles. But while I think “Perfect Love” is a great track it’s not gonna make it onto my regular rotation. To sum up, it’s a good album but unfortunately not a great album.

Tracklist
1 – Celebrate His Power – 3:50
2 – Show Them the Light – 3:54
3 – Lively Stones – 4:22
4 – I’m Not Ashamed – 3:23
5 – Perfect Love – 4:28
6 – Restless – 5:30
7 – Strangers to the Night – 3:49
8 – No Compromise – 4:34
9 – I Believe in You – 3:48
10 – I Was the Nails – 3:40

Credits
Backing Vocals – Dave Mullen, James Bolton, Karen Harding, Kellye Huff, Rick Florian
Concept By, Design, Art Direction – P. R. Allen
Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals – Keith Thibodeaux
Engineer, Arranged By, Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Rayborn Huff
Engineer, Bass, Backing Vocals – Clayborn Huff
Engineer, Engineer [Assistant Remix Engineer] – Terry Ostovich
Mastered By – Denny Purcell
Percussion – Lance Huff
Producer, Arranged By, Backing Vocals – Tommy Sims
Producer, Engineer, Mixed By [Remixed By], Guitar, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – David Huff
Saxophone – Donnie “Sax” Sanders

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Giant Records (13)
Copyright (c) – Giant Records (13)
Distributed By – The Benson Company, Inc.
Recorded At – Huff Recording Studios
Mixed At – Huff Recording Studios
Mastered At – Georgetown Masters

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The 77s – Tom Tom Blues – 1995

A lot of stuff happened between 1984’s All Fall Down and Tom Tom Blues. Six other albums in fact, so the fact that this one stands stark against their 1980s style isn’t that strange. However, here at Real 80s CCM we really like the 80s stuff so I have to talk about it. I first discovered this album in the used CD bin at a local record shop in the mid-90s. I think someone else must have bought it expecting that cutting, pop-new wave and found something else instead. Not that this isn’t a good collection of songs, but it required seriously resetting some expectations. Having said that, I don’t like it as much as some of their other work, such as their self-titled album in 1987. This 1995 release isn’t what I would call grunge, but it came from the grunge era and in retrospect, that is probably the most noticeable influence on the sound. 77s do not really excel at the grunge sound. The lead track, Rocks In Your Head comes on strong, and may be the most memorable one here. Throughout the album there is a lot of rumbly bassline and gutsy guitar. It did make me think back to Ping Pong Over the Abyss with the guitar sound. If there is such a thing as new wave grunge, maybe this is it.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPcTOx34g9XRXbJ9vRQ1CpVQtjCAKdvOn

Tracklist
1 – Rocks In Your Head – 3:37
2 – Honesty – 6:21
3 – You Still Love Me – 5:22
4 – Outskirts – 4:42
5 – Flowers In The Sand – 4:51
6 – Don’t Leave Me Long – 4:21
7 – Gravy Chain – 3:17
8 – Five In The Nave – 1:01
9 – Earache – 6:06
10 – Deliverance – 8:53

Credits
Band [Seventy Sevens Are], Bass, Backing Vocals, Other [Bottom] – Mark Harmon
Band [Seventy Sevens Are], Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals, Other [Everything In Between] – Bruce Spencer
Band [Seventy Sevens Are], Guitar [Guitars], Lead Vocals, Other [Top] – Michael Roe
Cover, Illustration – Rachel Thornton
Design Concept [Art Concept By], Design – Seventy Sevens
Engineer [Engineered By] – Craig Long, Kirt Shearer, Scott Reams
Engineer [Engineered By], Mixed By – Guy Niosi, John Flanagan
Executive-Producer – Gene Eugene, Ojo Taylor
Featuring, Percussion, Other [Cool Vibes] – Cary Avery
Illustration [Inside B/W Illustration] – Kathryn Garcia Smith
Mastered By – Michael Romanowski
Photography By – Pat Johnson
Producer [Produced By] – The 77’s
Songwriter [All Songs Written By] – The 77’s

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Brainstorm Artists International
Copyright © – Brainstorm Artists International
Distributed By – Diamante Music Group
Recorded At – Paradise Studios, Sacramento, CA
Recorded At – Plaid Jacket
Mixed At – Plaid Jacket
Mastered At – Rocket Lab
Pressed By – Disctronics USA – 138314
Published By – 7 And 7 Is Music

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Contender – Fighting To Win – 1990

Right off the bat there is some confusion out there on this band. This is the New York Contender NOT the Illinois Contender. The Illinois version had 2 demos and this version does not have a demo out there I am aware of. Other than that I was unable to find out much about this one album band. The lead singer Eddie Villanueva apparently had some info on the band on MySpace but it’s long since been scrubbed. The album is a straight out Rock album. Some have classified it at Metal but in my opinion it’s Hard Rock. It’s a pretty good album but I feel it should have had a little more production. It was produced by the band and I am surprised that when Refuge picked it up they didn’t bring someone in to work on the album but it really looks like it went straight from studio to pressing. Too bad because I think had this had some better production it would have been a whole lot better known.

Tracklist
1 – I Won’t Give Up – 3:10
2 – You – 3:36
3 – Convenient Christianity – 4:04
4 – You’re There For Me – 4:10
5 – Fighting To Win – 4:03
6 – So I’m Singing – 3:53
7 – Cryin’ Over You – 3:31
8 – I Know You’re There – 4:27
9 – Pullin’ The Wool – 3:10
10 – I Believe In You – 4:19

Credits
Bass – Rich McCarthy
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Backing Vocals – Paul Grimsland
Guitar, Drums, Bass – Bob Vinsick
Guitar, Keyboards, Drums, Bass, Backing Vocals – Steve Atwood
Lead Vocals – Eddie Villanueva

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Refuge Records
Copyright © – Refuge Records
Distributed By – Spectra Distribution, Inc.
Distributed By – Mainroads Music Group

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Keith Thomas – Kaleidoscope – 1986

You might be listening to this thinking you don’t know Keith Thomas but I can guarantee you’ve heard him or his songs. Keith was/is a prolific studio musician and song writer. He has worked for hundreds (yes I do mean hundreds). I’d offer some names here but there really are just too many but in the Christian market they include Amy Grant, Sandi Patty, and Carman plus many many more. This was his second and last album. Like so many high end studio musicians and writers they find great success right up until they try to release their own album. That said in this case Keith really should have had greater success. This album is fantastic and the quality is there through all 8 tracks. The album did have a CCM single with “It’s Only Natural” making it to #4 which is pretty darn good. The album is very synth heavy and at time has a cool funk feel. This is another one that if you missed it in the 80’s you need to give this one a listen now.

Tracklist
1 – Te Deum – 4:18
2 – It’s Only Natural – 3:54
3 – Pinwheel – 5:07
4 – Imagine – 4:31
5 – Home Away From Home – 3:58
6 – Arms Of Love – 4:04
7 – Suspicious Heart – 3:54
8 – Kaleidoscope – 5:55

Credits
Art Direction, Design – Bill Brunt
Backing Vocals – Donna McElroy, BeBe Winans, Greg Guidry, Lisa Bevill
Bass – Mike Brignardello, Jimmie Lee Sloas
Drum Programming – Mark Hammond
Featuring – BeBe Winans, Donna McElroy, Greg Guidry
Guitar – Jon Goin, Tom Hemby, James Hollihan
Illustration – Jim Osborn
Keyboards [Programming] – Brett Perry
Lyrics By – Paul Smith, BeBe Winans, Brett Perry, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Greg Guidry, Keith Thomas
Music By – Keith Thomas
Photography By – Dean Dixon
Producer – Keith Thomas
Recorded By, Mixed By – Jeff Balding
Saxophone – Mark Douthit
Synthesizer – Keith Thomas
Written-by – Keith Thomas

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Word, Inc.
Copyright © – Word, Inc.
Recorded At – Gold Mine Studio
Mixed At – Gold Mine Studio
Designed At – Private Eye Studio

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Greg X Volz – No Room in the Middle – 1989

This was Greg’s 3rd solo album and his first on what I suspect is his own label “River Records”. I am actually quite impressed how well he did with a new label release. You can’t argue with an album with 4 top 20 CCM chart hits with “Waitin’ On Someday” doing the best making it to #5. Now we know that CCM chart hits do not translate into sales so I would love to hear some sales numbers for this album as it did struggle with distribution. Anyway let’s get to the album itself. Greg’s excellent vocals dominate as usual. CCM chart numbers mean nothing to me so I think the best track is “Gethsemane”. Unfortunately because it is 7:40 long it will not end up in my regular rotation as quite frankly I get bored with it at about the 5 minute mark. I feel I need to address the “Feelings” track as I can’t decide if it was intentionally quirky or just a bad musical decision. But that’s the end of my criticisms because this is a great album and is a must listen to.

Tracklist
1 – Walk Toward The Light – 4:51
2 – No Room In The Middle – 3:48
3 – Love Moves In A Different Circle – 4:13
4 – The Carpenter – 4:05
5 – I’m Yours – 5:58
6 – Servants And Witnesses – 5:05
7 – Feelings – 5:18
8 – Frontline – 4:19
9 – Gethsemane – 7:38
10 – Waitin’ On Someday – 5:46

Credits
Arranged By – George Atwell, Michael Atwell
Bass – Gary Lunn, Matt Pierson
Co-producer – Greg X. Volz
Design – Camille Engel
Drums – Marvin Steinberg
Guitar – Kirk Henderson, Paul Brannon, Tom Hemby
Keyboards [Additional] – Jonathan David Brown
Keyboards, Arranged By – Carl Marsh
Mastered By – Ken Love
Mixed By, Producer, Recorded By – Jonathan David Brown
Photography By – Russ Harrington
Saxophone – Mark Douthit
Synthesizer – Joe Hogue
Vocals – Greg X. Volz

Companies, etc.
Distributed By – GMI Records
Recorded At – Johnny dB’s Basement
Mixed At – Johnny dB’s Basement
Mastered At – Mastermix
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – River Records
Copyright © – River Records

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Paul Smith – Live and Learn – 1986

Paul Smith is probably best known for his time as an Imperial. He replaced Russ Taff in 1981 when Russ left to pursue a solo career. Paul would follow that same path in 1986 with this album. There has been much discussion as to why lead singers fled the Imperials. My best guess (and it’s only a guess) is that it was money. A solo album contract is always better than a group contract. That said as many album as the Imperials were selling I kind of doubt Paul made as much as a solo artist. That said I can guarantee Russ Taff made more money as a solo artist than he did with the Imperials. But really that’s all speculation. Anyway Paul released this album in 1986 on Dayspring Records and it did very well. It had 4 singles on the CCM charts with Never Be Another doing the best climbing to #2. The others didn’t do quite as well but 4 singles on a first solo album is pretty darn good. But keep in mind his musical pedigree guaranteed the album would get noticed. The album is a solid AOR pop album and while a little on the easy listening side for me I still quite enjoyed it.

Tracklist
1 – Everlasting Joy – 4:03
2 – Live And Learn – 4:32
3 – Never Be Another – 3:51
4 – Keep The Light On – 4:05
5 – So Good To Know – 4:11
6 – Let Love Happen To You – 4:43
7 – A Holy Nation – 3:39
8 – Praisemaker – 3:49
9 – Beautiful The Dreamer – 4:00

Credits
Art Direction – Buddy Jackson
Backing Vocals – David Martin, Denny Henson, Greg Guidry, Keith Thomas, Lisa Bevill, Patti Morris, Paul Smith
Bass – Jimmie Lee Sloas
Drum Programming – Keith Thomas, Mark Hammond
Drums – Mark Hammond
Executive Producer – Neal Joseph
Guitar – Jon Goin
Keyboards – Keith Thomas
Percussion – Terry McMillan
Photography – Ron Keith, Scott Bonner
Producer – Keith Thomas
Saxophone – Jim Horn
Synthesizer [Additional Programming] – Brett Perry

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Word, Inc.
Copyright © – Word, Inc.
Manufactured By – Word Records Limited

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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

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White Heart – Freedom – 1989

Freedom is the sixth studio album by White Heart and their last with Sparrow Records though Sparrow would continue distribution under an arrangement between the Sparrow Records and Star Song labels. This was also the last album for Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy and Chris McHugh. I guess you could say this album marked a end of a chapter for the band. I read a few reviews of this album and some reviewers thought this was one of their best if not their best album. I don’t really fall in that camp of reviewers. It’s a pretty good album and there’s a track or two that will make it into my rotation but their best? Not really. The album is a nice mix of CCM singles with 3 making it to the charts and “The River Will Flow” doing the best at #13 There’s also a couple power tracks that are more my style. So my final rating is pretty darn good and has enough different style to satisfy most listeners.

Tracklist
1 – Bye Bye Babylon – 4:06
2 – Sing Your Freedom – 4:59
3 – Let the Kingdom Come – 5:04
4 – Over Me – 5:19
5 – Eighth Wonder – 4:25
6 – Power Tools – 4:20
7 – Invitation – 4:53
8 – The River Will Flow – 6:55
9 – Set the Bridge on Fire – 4:31
10 – Let It Go – 4:15
11 – I’ll Meet You There – 4:22

Credits
Art Direction – Barbara Catanzaro-Hearn, Larry Vigon
Backing Vocals – White Heart
Band [White Heart Is] – Billy Smiley, Chris McHugh, Gordon Kennedy, Mark Gersmehl, Rikk Florian, Tommy Sims
Design – Larry Vigon Studio
Engineer [Additional Engineer] – Byron House
Engineer [Assistant Engineers] – Carry Summers, Kevin Twit, Mark Nevers, Paula Montondo, Shawn McLean, Steve Bishir, Todd Moore
Executive-Producer – Peter York
Lead Vocals – Rikk Florian (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 6, 9 to 11)
Mastered By – Bob Ludwig
Photography By – Mark Tucker
Producer [Produced By] – Brown Bannister
Recorded By, Mixed By – Jeff Balding

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – The Sparrow Corporation
Copyright © – The Sparrow Corporation
Recorded At – The Bennett House
Recorded At – The Castle Recording Studios
Recorded At – Digital Recorders
Recorded At – OmniSound Studios
Mastered At – Masterdisk
Manufactured By – EMI Jax
Published By – Songs Of PolyGram International, Inc.
Published By – Yellow Jacket Music, Inc.
Published By – Word Music
Published By – Birdwing Music
Published By – Kid And The Squid Music

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Disc

Ben Okafor – Nkiru – 1989

Occasionally I just take a day and root through a record company library to see what I find. This is one I found while rooting through the Refuge library. I’d never heard of the artist though actually he’s relatively well known for the period. Ben claims to have grown up as a child soldier in Nigeria. These stories don’t usually end well but his does as he was able to immigrate to the U.K. He was actually a well known artist in the anti apartheid movement and shared the stage with several prominent artists at that time. He has continued on with his somewhat unique style today. As for that style I would best describe it as pop oriented folk reggae. The industry refers to it as Afrikanese reggae but I don’t care for that description so I’ll go with mine.

Tracklist
1 – Wake Up – 4:38
2 – Got Me Running – 4:56
3 – Oke Na Ngwele – 2:55
4 – Man Of Sorrow – 4:28
5 – I Need Love – 5:17
6 – Raise Your Conscience – 5:10
7 – Filippino – 3:33
8 – World Gone Crazy – 3:57
9 – No Matter What It Is – 4:27
10 – Look Out – 2:34