Albums – Page 90 – Real 80s CCM

The Alarm – Strength – 1985

After several bad experiences with mediocre to horrible opening acts at concerts my friends and I were in no hurry to get to the LA Sports Arena for U2’s War Tour performance. Fortunately for all of us, the traffic was mysteriously light on a Friday night through Los Angeles. Even stalling to purchase a tour program, T-shirts and buttons would make us late, as much as we tried. Then a loud acoustic crescendo rocked the arena and all we could make out through the curtained corridors were the words, “Come on down and meet your maker, come on down and take your stand.” We all looked at each and ran to our floor seats as quickly as we (and the security) would allow. There began my love affair with The Alarm. Mike Peters and crew have created a score of albums filled with punch, power, presence and an unparalleled passion. There is never a moment in any song where the listener doubts a single word. Filled with Biblical images, inner city turmoil, depression like conditions and hopeful anthems of faith and perseverance, Strength goes beyond platitudes and delivers stinging rebukes and hope filled sermons. I have always considered the “color” music creates. Artists paint with many shades of colors from the brightest hues and technicolor bouquets (Owl City) to dark and gloomy grays (Saviour Machine). To me, the Alarm painted in earth tones of dirt brown and industrial smog orange. These are images of the working class in urban settings filled with clotheslines draped from apartment buildings and kids playing stickball on gravel roads with broken glass. Vivid pictures of real life. But through it all a sense of hope and strength that emanates from a place deeper than the hole the subjects populate. Songs like Deeside present this contradiction most clearly. While the centerpiece of the album and highest charting single, Absolute Reality, rings with the anthemic furor that built the Alarm such a consistent and adoring fan base. Strength doesn’t contain a “hit” in the normal sense of the word, but it ends up being one of the most consistently strong records of their career. Knife Edge, the title track and the stunning closer, Walk Forever By My Side, remain as powerful and stirring as they were some 25 years ago.

Tracklist
1 – Knife Edge – 5:06
2 – Strength – 5:34
3 – Dawn Chorus – 5:24
4 – Spirit Of ’76 – 7:05
5 – Deeside – 3:08
6 – Father To Son – 4:04
7 – Only The Thunder – 4:06
8 – The Day The Ravens Left The Tower – 4:45
9 – Absolute Reality – 3:24
10 – Walk Forever By My Side – 3:32

Credits
Artwork – Lewis Evans
Bass – Eddie Macdonald
Drums – Nigel Twist
Engineer, Mixed By – Nigel Luby
Guitar – David Sharp
Keyboards – Rupert Black
Management [Alarm Management] – Ian Wilson
Mixed By – Mike Howlett
Photography By – Kevin Cummins
Producer – Mike Howlett
Vocals – Mike Peters
Written-By – Eddie Macdonald (tracks: A1, A3 to B6), Mike Peters (tracks: A1, A3 to B6)

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – International Record Syndicate, Inc.
Copyright (c) – International Record Syndicate, Inc.
Recorded At – Marcus Recording Studios
Manufactured By – MCA Records (Canada)
Distributed By – MCA Records (Canada)
Mastered At – MCA Pressing Plant, Gloversville
Published By – Illegal Songs, Inc.
Mixed At – Battery Studios, London
Pressed By – Cinram

Sweet Comfort Band – Breakin’ The Ice – 1978

If there was one group that bridged the gap between the Jesus Music of the 1970’s and the introduction of what is known as CCM, it is the Sweet Comfort Band. Four immensely talented musicians, songwriters and a future superstar in the making in lead vocalists Bryan Duncan. Borrowing directly from the funk/soul sounds of the late 70’s without falling into the trap of disco, Sweet Comfort created an album for the ages with sharp production, killer grooves, monster vocals and some of the most stirring ballads for the day. The style was much more Chicago and Steely Dan than just about anything else. Kicking it off with a long time live favorite, Got to Believe, Duncan shares the lead vocal duties with guitarist Randy Thomas who really shines on guitar later in the song. And the horn section just takes the song to a level comparable to the aforementioned Chicago. At the time CCM was really lagging behind in the production quality world (this based more on minuscule budgets than musicianship) and the band really created a new standard here. The title track also shines with Thomas also taking on vocal duties and the horn section again driving the song. Other rockers that shine include: Melody, Harmony, Searchin’ For Love and possibly the best song song on the whole project, Good Feelin’. Good Feelin’ really shows Duncan’s range and Thomas’ guitar prowess. But I would be remiss to discount the strength of the ballads on this album. I Need You Love Again is a beautiful call to the Lord for His graciousness toward a fallen soul. But it’s the albums closer, I Love You With My Life, that remains a true classic and a song many believe (myself included) is the finest song the band ever performed. This beautiful reminder of Jesus’ final words to the disciples is comforting and inspiring. It also contains the trademark Duncan powerful ballad vocals. Breakin’ the Ice will not be the last of the Sweet Comfort albums listed as the band was incredibly important in the burgeoning CCM scene and made several exceptional albums. Breakin’ is simply one of them.

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

Tracklist
1 – Got To Believe – 3:56
2 – Breakin’ The Ice – 3:40
3 – Young Girl – 3:15
4 – Melody, Harmony – 3:20
5 – I Need Your Love Again – 4:30
6 – Good Feelin’ – 4:00
7 – Searchin’ For Love – 4:06
8 – The Lord Is Calling – 3:56
9 – I Love You With My Life – 4:01

Credits
Arranged By [Horns] – Kim Hutchcroft
Bass – Kevin Thomson
Design [Cover Design], Artwork – Kernie Erickson
Drums, Vocals – Rick Thomson
Engineer [Maranatha Studios] – Dan Willard
Engineer [Martinsound Studio] – Jack Joseph Puig
Engineer [Mastering] – Ken Perry
Engineer [Mix Down] – Mike Stone
Guitar, Vocals – Randy Thomas
Horns – The Seawind Horns
Horns [The “Seawind Horns”], Alto Saxophone, Organ [Flute Organ], Synthesizer [Oberheim Mini Moog], Synthesizer [Prophet 5 Synthesizers] – Larry Williams
Horns [The “Seawind Horns”], Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Kim Hutchcroft
Horns [The “Seawind Horns”], Trombone – Bill Reichenbach
Horns [The “Seawind Horns”], Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jerry Hey
Keyboards, Vocals – Bryan Duncan
Percussion – Steve Foreman*
Photography By – Linda Dillon, Mark Worthington
Producer, Arranged By [Horns] – Bob Wilson

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Recorded At – Martinsound
Recorded At – Maranatha! Studio
Mastered At – Capitol Studios
Published By – Lexicon Music, Inc.
Published By – Sojourn Music

Shelter – Prophets And Clowns – 1983

There is very little information out there on this band. I’m a little surprised at this as the album was produced by Terry Taylor (Daniel Amos). Rob Watson (Daniel Amos) also helped with some Keyboards. The sheer involvement of these guys should have made this band a little more known. On their album sleeve they thank Servant so there is some connection with them too. But that’s it, that’s all I could find on this band. The album is mainly easy listening with a couple livelier tracks but for the main part is light rock. It’s good though and the production is strong so it really deserves at least one listen. It won’t make it into my regular rotation but as I say, it’s worth a listen.

Tracklist
1 – Singer And The Song – 3:15
2 – Prophets And Clowns – 3:22
3 – Super Heroes – 3:15
4 – Walk In The Spirit – 3:15
5 – Here I Am Again – 3:25
6 – This Is The Day – 4:59
7 – Hope – 3:38
8 – I’ll Play The Fool – 3:18
9 – Song To The Church – 4:16
10 – Come All Who Labor – 4:15
11 – Singer And The Song (Reprise) – 1:12

Credits
Bass, Vocals – Mark Sullivant
Drums – Darrell Ferraiuolo
Guitar, Vocals – “Jimmy T” Thomas
Keyboards – Tim Robbins
Producer – Terry Scott Taylor
Vocals, Guitar – David Bunker
Vocals, Keyboards, Percussion – Jan Thomas

Companies, etc.
Manufactured By – Word Records Limited

Jerusalem – Prophet – 1994

Jerusalem previous album was released in 1987 and they subsequently disappeared. Then suddenly in 1994 they reappeared with this astonishing album. I’ll be honest I was quite taken aback by this album. Put quite bluntly I believe this is their best album ever. Describing the musical style of this album is a bit difficult but if I had to I guess I would say Commercial Metal meets U2. Ulf’s vocals on this album are simply his best work yet. The influence of U2 is unmistakable but I don’t feel he was trying to be U2. It actually has a distinct sound all it’s own. It was released by Viva Records in Europe, R.E.X. Records in North America, X ZERO Corporation in Japan, and strangely DR Studio in Poland. Without a doubt my favourite track is “On The Road” which by the way does not have the U2 sound of other tracks. It probably has Ulf’s best vocal effort ever. Anyway I can go on and on about how much I love this album but I urge you to give it a listen yourself and let me know what you think.

Tracklist
1 – City On Fire – 5:43
2 – Risen – 5:07
3 – The Waiting Zone – 4:40
4 – Umbrella – 5:36
5 – Be There With You – 6:43
6 – On The Road – 3:20
7 – Likes Them – 4:11
8 – Truth – 4:52
9 – Face In The Crowd – 5:50
10 – Tomorrow – 4:19
11 – Berlin 38 (Next Year In Jerusalem) – 9:07
12 – Soldier – 5:39

Credits
Art Direction, Design – S. Durling
Bass, Bass [Pedals], Backing Vocals – Peter Carlsohn
Drums, Backing Vocals – Michael Ulvsgärd
Engineer – Magne “Manicken” Svensen
Guitar, Lead Vocals – Ulf Christiansson
Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Reidar I Paulsen
Lyrics By – Christiansson
Mixed By – Bernt A. G. Austad
Music By – Ulvsgärd, Carlsohn, Paulsen, Christiansson
Photography By – Anders Kristensson
Producer, Arranged By – Jerusalem

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – R.E.X. Music Inc.
Copyright (c) – R.E.X. Music Inc.
Licensed From – Viva Records
Recorded At – Studio Kuling
Recorded At – Jerusalem Studio
Mixed At – Musikkloftet
Manufactured By – Disc Manufacturing, Inc., Huntsville – 101666

Straightway – Black or White – 1989

Straightway were a Mid 80’s Metal band out of Houston, Texas who had a couple demo’s before releasing this EP in 1989. It has a very commercial Metal sound and is actually pretty well produced considering they produced it themselves. In reality this is a 4 song EP with a short instrumental and a novelty rap song. In my opinion they should have just left then off. The rap track is ridiculous and difficult to listen to but maybe my opinion would have been different in 1989. Actually I doubt it. So let’s remove those 2 tracks from the review and talk about the final 4. Like I said they have a pretty commercial sound and I’m a little surprised they didn’t have a follow up album but I honestly feel their Beastie Boys’ish rap track hurt them. Actually if someone had done a Beastie Boy’s type album it might have had some success but I wouldn’t have bought it. So if you like your metal with a commercial feel this is the EP for you.

Tracklist
1 – Black Or White – 4:32
2 – Come Back – 3:58
3 – Intro In C# Minor – 0:36
4 – Wounded Heart – 4:41
5 – Christ Is King – 5:05
6 – Don’t Even Swerve – 1:29

Credits
Artwork [Logo] – Juan Hidalgo
Bass, Vocals – Mark Walton
Drums, Vocals – Damon Tankersley
Engineer – Cary Wise
Lead Guitar – Doug Middleton
Lead Vocals, Keyboards – David Walton
Other [Hair & Makeup] – Renee Arrowood
Photography By – Jesslar Photography
Producer – Straightway
Rhythm Guitar, Vocals – Mike Locke

Companies, etc.
Copyright (c) – Platinum Records International
Recorded At – Fourth Creation Studio, Conroe, Texas

Rick Riso – Gotta Have The Real Thing – 1985

Rick Riso was the lead singer for Messenger in the 70’s who released 2 albums the last in 1978. Rick then disappeared until this album showed up in 1985. The style is similar to Messenger with a funk feel/sound. As I mentioned on my review of a Messenger album I really can’t find out much about Rick. There just isn’t any info on him. This is a little odd as this album had a top 10 single. “Gotta Have The Real Thing” made it to #10 in October of 85 and even stayed on the charts for 22 weeks. So I’ll have to leave the review at that. This is a fun funk pop album and deserves a listen.

Tracklist
1 – Don’t Let It Fool You – 4:16
2 – Remember Me – 4:32
3 – Gotta Have The Real Thing – 4:00
4 – He Is Willing – 3:43
5 – I Only Wanna Follow You – 4:12
6 – Take A Stand And Fight – 4:23
7 – Your Loving Hands – 3:49
8 – Armor Of The Lord – 4:21
9 – Each Moment Of My Life – 3:54
10 – Worship You – 3:56

Credits
Backing Vocals – Donny Henderson
Bass – Dave Marotta, Leon Gaer
Bass, Backing Vocals – Tim Jaquette
Drums – Dave Spurr, John Ferraro
Engineer, Mixed By – Tim Jaquette
Executive Producer – Chris Christian
Guitar – Carl Verheyen, Carlos Rios
Guitar, Backing Vocals – Bob Somma
Harmony Vocals – Alexa Anatasia
Keyboards, Arranged By – Bill Meyers, Mark Levang
Mastered By – Bernie Grundman
Percussion – Paul Bahn
Producer, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Songwriter – Rick Riso
Saxophone – Brandon Fields
Songwriter – Joey Arreguin
Synthesizer – Marc Hugenberger
Synthesizer, Backing Vocals, Arranged By, Keyboards – Brad Cole
Trumpet – Walt Fowler

Companies, etc.
Recorded At – Studio Masters
Mixed At – Studio Masters
Mastered At – Bernie Grundman Mastering

The English Band – What You Need – 1985

The best of all of Joe English’s contribution to the world of CCM was also his last. There was band name from The Joe English Band to just The English band and a decidedly much more contemporary sound than the previous albums that seemed dated, even by the standard of the day, despite having some wonderful songs and killer production attached to them. Joe English entered the Christian Music world with a bang with name recognition high as the drummer for the band Wings of Paul McCartney fame. After producing a few pop albums in a distinctly 70’s feel there was clear need for a change. That change came in the form of a new label, new musical direction as well as the previously mentioned band name change. More “modern” sounds with heavier guitars, bigger and glossier production, electronic drums (a thankfully short lived music experiment in the world of music) and more contemporary musical arrangements made the album a pretty big hit with several Top 10 radio hits. His back up band were an amazing group of musicians that also recorded a solo record of their own under the name Forerunner with former Petra member John Lawry handling the vocals. What You Need, The Master, Yield to the Spirit and Children of the Light are all stand outs. It may be difficult for some to listen to the album now is it was clearly impacted by the sound of the day and does not translate as well as other album. But for the time the album was a standard. The musical direction also impacted groups like the Imperials. English would return to do a solo album a few years later that did not make a dent. He then simply disappeared and was unable to continue drumming due to some physical ailments regarding his ankles. He has also recently been seen filming a video for a questionable and controversial Church in the south where he denounces his years in CCM as a fraud, claiming to have never been a Christian during those days.

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

Tracklist
1 – What You Need – 3:33
2 – The Master – 3:38
3 – Take the Cross – 4:05
4 – The First Stone – 3:10
5 – Easy Street – 3:13
6 – I Will Follow You – 3:51
7 – Yield to the Spirit – 3:52
8 – The Joy of the Lord – 4:12
9 – Children of the Light – 3:29
10 – Through the Veil – 2:22

Credits
Kim Boyce – Background Vocals
Paul Brannon – Songwriter, Bass, Guitar
Steve Camp – Songwriter
George Cocchini – Producer, Songwriter, Guitars, Bass
Rick Crawford – Songwriter
James Isaac Elliott – Songwriter
Joe English – Producer, Songwriter, Drums, Vocals
Glen Allen Green – Songwriter, Background Vocals
Monroe Jones – Songwriter
Chris McCollum – Songwriter
Paul Mills – Songwriter, Keyboards, Synclavier
Justin Peters – Songwriter
Brian Tankersley – Producer, Engineer, Mixed, Background Vocals
Becky Thurman – Songwriter
Geoff Thurman – Songwriter
David Zycheck – Background Vocals

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Word, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Word, Inc.
Distributed By – GMB
Distributed By – Nye Toner / Teovision
Distributed By – Finngospel
Distributed By – Sephora Diffusion
Distributed By – Emmaul
Distributed By – GMI Records
Distributed By – Filadelfia Forlag
Distributed By – La Sorgente Music
Distributed By – Master Music
Distributed By – Grace Music
Distributed By – Master-Vision-S.A.
Distributed By – Leon Music A.B.
Distributed By – Kir Music
Distributed By – Word (Uk) Ltd.
Distributed By – Pila Music
Engineered At – Rivendell Recorders
Mixed At – Rivendell Recorders

Zero Option – Absolute Zero – 1988

Zero Option was actually just one guy, Ralph Ward. I guess you could call him the Thomas Dolby of Christian music. Well maybe more the Howard Jones due to his vocals. This is actually his second album, his first album was titled “Ralph Ward” but using the artist name Zero Option. Does that qualify as a self titled album? When asked why he didn’t refer to his work by just his name he said “…..people expect you to be one bloke standing there with an acoustic guitar!” He took the name Zero Option from the nuclear disarmament policy of the same name which I guess was big in the U.K. in the early 80’s. He played anywhere he could including pubs, schools, and Churches. The album is a synth affair with upbeat vocals. At times I hear Harold Faltermeyer, Howard Jones, and even Men Without Hats. Speaking of Men Without Hats the album cover looks like it’s right out of the music video for “Safety Dance”. This is the style of music I loved i the 80’s and it’s too bad I had to wait until 2021 to hear this album because I really like it.

Tracklist
1 – Throwing It All Away – 5:32
2 – Let Me Die On Platform 9 – 6:09
3 – Still In Love With You – 3:31
4 – Let Go And Let God – 5:43
5 – The Telephone Song – 5:30
6 – Caught Up On The Wrong Side – 3:42
7 – In My Dreams Tonight – 5:47
8 – For Eternity – 4:33
9 – Love Looks Down – 3:19
10 – Hold Out Forever – 5:00

Credits
Instruments, Vocals, Producer, Songwriter – Ralph Ward
Producer, Engineer – William Jackson

Jacob’s Trouble – Knock, Breathe, Shine – 1990

The second release from Jacob’s Trouble was also the one most clearly influenced by producer Terry Scott Taylor, and in a very good way. Of the three “retro” sounding albums in the JT catalog it remains the strongest and most consistent. Strong from start to finish and filled with very memorable hits. Wisely chosen covers, some help from a few legends and some brilliant original material combined for a wonderful project. The first two cuts (Look at U Now & Little Red Words) were co-written by Terry Scott Taylor and Randy Stonehill, respectively. Both received a good amount of Christian rock radio airplay. The cover of Bob Dylan’s “I Believe In You” is nicely paced not to sound too much like the original while keeping the strong contemplative feel of the original. These more straight ahead classic acoustic rock numbers are interspersed by great originals like Dreamaker, Further up & Further In (taken from CS Lewis’ The Final Battle), There Goes My Heart Again and the semi-controversial, “About Sex Part 2.” Taylor’s influence can be felt throughout both musically and creatively. The album’s closer should have been a hit. A huge it! And it was. Unfortunately for the band “These Thousand Hills” would become a hit for Third Day when the band covered it several years later.

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

Tracklist
1 – Look At U Now – 3:04
2 – Little Red Words – 3:40
3 – Dreammaker – 4:20
4 – Further Up & Further In – 2:33
5 – Beggars And Kings – 3:43
6 – Is It True? – 2:58
7 – Islands, Buildings And Freeways – 2:50
8 – I Believe In You – 4:44
9 – There Goes My Heart Again – 3:18
10 – Bad Lick & Gun Shot – 0:06
11 – Mr. Hitler – 4:10
12 – I’m A Little World – 2:33
13 – About Sex (Part II) – 4:02
14 – Wounded World – 3:40
15 – These Thousand Hills – 3:07

Credits
Art Direction – Ed McTaggart
Backing Vocals – Jerry Chamberlain, Riki Michele, Sharon McCall, Terry Taylor
Bass, Backing Vocals – Steve Atwell
Cover [Cover Design] – Court Patton
Drums, Percussion, Vocals, Backing Vocals – Jerry Davison
Electric Guitar – Greg Flesch
Electric Guitar [Electric Lead], Rhythm Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals – Mark Blackburn
Harmony Vocals – Randy Stonehill (tracks: 4), Terry Taylor (tracks: 4)
Keyboards, Backing Vocals – Rob Watson
Mastered By – John Matousek
Photography By – Jimi Stratton
Piano – Ojo Taylor (tracks: 9)
Producer, Directed By – Terry Taylor
Recorded By – Gene Eugene
Saxophone – Dan Michaels (tracks: 13)
Written-By – Bob Dylan (tracks: 8), Jerry Davison (tracks: 1 to 7, 9 to 15), Mark Blackburn (2) (tracks: 2 to 4, 6, 11, 13 to 15), Randy Stonehill (tracks: 5), Steve Atwell (tracks: 2 to 4, 6, 11, 13 to 15), Terry Taylor (tracks: 1, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13)

Companies, etc.
Record Company – Frontline Music Group
Distributed By – The Benson Company, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Broken Songs

The Reach – Under The Same Sky – 1989

Before “In Reach” there was “The Reach”. They were essentially the same band with some slight personnel changes. Though they had 2 demo’s this is their first real album. The album was produced by David Zaffiro (Bloodgood). I don’t know if that’s why Image Records picked them up or if it was because Image picked them up. I really can’t find out too much information about the band so I guess I’ll talk about the album. I was really surprised at how good this album was considering it’s relatively unknown. It has a great 80’s pop sound though I have seen some writers refer to it as an AOR album but I actually beg to differ. The album if anything leans rock but is definitely a pop album. Maybe I’m splitting hairs here but the AOR title just doesn’t seem appropriate to this album for me. The lead track makes you want to listen to the whole album and I would have played it when I was a secular DJ. It definitely could have held it’s own on the Billboard charts. I’m not saying a top 10 but it could have made top 100 no problem. So if you missed this one in the 80’s you should give it a listen now and see what you missed, I think you’ll like it.

Tracklist
1 – Vogue – 3:15
2 – Rightful One – 3:27
3 – Big Time – 2:40
4 – 1 Lufthgir – 0:22
5 – Under The Same Sky – 4:05
6 – Tonight – 4:01
7 – B-4-I-Go – 4:14
8 – You Are The Light – 3:02
9 – 1000 Candles – 3:00

Credits
Arranged By – The Reach
Backing Vocals – Dave Schuller, Paula Meserole
Bass – Scott Burell
Consultant [Mixing Consultant] – Terry Shelton
Design [Album Design], Art Direction – James Jacobson
Drums, Percussion, Sound Designer [Sounds Effective], Text By [Sleeve Text Layout Assistant] – Vince Grant
Engineer, Mixed By, Edited By, Guitar [Additional] – Charles Meserole
Executive-Producer – Dorn Reppert
Guitar – Ken Mesford
Keyboards – Brooke Lizotte, David Hubbard
Producer, Arranged By, Engineer, Mixed By, Edited By, Backing Vocals, Sound Designer [Sounds Effective] – David Zaffiro
Vocals, Guitar, Backing Vocals – Brett Williams

Companies, etc.
Copyright (c) – Image Records
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Image Records
Recorded At – Extra Sensory Productions
Mastered At – Motown/Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios