San Francisco Bay Area’s Gideon’s Army got their start ministering in the prison system both juvenile and adult throughout California. After many years they finally put out this album in 1982. The album was released on Santa Ana’s Calvary Chapel’s own label “Asaph Records”. This was the second album on the label and as such was not well promoted or known outside of the local California area. Later this label would actually get much better known but in 1982 it was barely known. The band have a strong Late 70’s Southern Rock sound that I think was rather unique for the CCM market. One of the other strange things about the album is the length of some of the songs. There are 4 tracks over the 5 minute mark which was a little more common in the mid 70’s. Because of this the album is limited to only 8 tracks. This album is very unique and you should give it a listen if not just for the historical sound of it.
Tracklist 1 – Light – 6:17 2 – Dream – 4:28 3 – Lift Your Heart – 4:33 4 – What Is Love – 7:12 5 – Better Days – 6:35 6 – On The Move – 3:39 7 – New Man – 6:32 8 – Can You Still Turn Away? – 4:41
Credits Alto Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Rob Carey Backing Vocals – Ron Davis Drums, Lead Vocals – Jerry Anderson Lead Guitar – Dave Angeles Lead Guitar, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals – Mike Banke Lead Vocals, Bass – Mark Greves Organ, Synthesizer, Backing Vocals – Doug Naruo Percussion – Tom Long Trumpet – Jim Gabel, Rob Brockman
I do not cry very often. I will cry in a movie before I cry about things in my own life. I have only cried once at a funeral, but never have I cried when hearing about the death of someone I did not know extremely well. Except on August 17th 1992 when I had learned of the death the previous day of Christian artist Mark Heard. And I don’t know why… Perhaps I was so moved by his music and felt such a connection to it that his death simply moved me. Or I have considered I was familiar enough with the story of his life and trials and struggles he endured for his art that I felt an empathy previously unknown. Sometime I believe it is because I realized the world lost a beautiful soul, a loving man and brilliant artist…and the world didn’t even know it. That is the great shame of the life and death of Mark Heard. It is a shame that most of the world had no idea who the man was and what an amazing collection of art he had created in his 20 years as a musician, poet, producer and performer. “Victims of the Age” was the second album of Mark’s that I would own (though I now own them all) and its consistently carried theme of city life and isolation and the ever-present Gospel ring as true today as it did in 1982. Plus I firmly believe that Victims, more than any other Heard release, walked the very fine line between commercially accessible and artistically intriguing as any other.
Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/
Tracklist 1 – Victims Of The Age – 3:14 2 – City Life Won’t Let Up – 3:40 3 – Faces In Cabs – 3:22 4 – Nothing Is Bothering Me – 4:22 5 – Some Folks’ World – 4:32 6 – Growing Up Blind – 4:57 7 – Dancing At The Policeman’s Ball – 3:53 8 – Everybody Loves A Holy War – 4:24 9 – Heart Of Hearts – 3:14
Credits Backing Vocals – Larry Norman, Leslie Phillips Bass, Backing Vocals – Billy Batstone Drums – John Mehler Electric Guitar, Lead Guitar, Slide Guitar, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Percussion, Harmonica, Accordion [Accordian], Mandolin – Mark Heard Engineer – Bill Cobb Engineer, Photography By – Janet Sue Heard Keyboards – Carl Pickhardt, Tom Howard Mastered By – Bernie Grundman Producer, Engineer, Mixed By, Arranged By, Design [Cover] – Mark Heard Tambourine, Shaker – Harry Stinson
Companies, etc. Phonographic Copyright (p) – Home Sweet Home Records Copyright (c) – Home Sweet Home Records Distributed By – The Benson Company, Inc. Recorded At – Poiema Studios Recorded At – Gold Mine Studio West Mixed At – Wilder Bros. Studios, Los Angeles Mastered At – A&M Mastering Studios
This was the last album Keith recorded before his untimely death later in the same year it was released. He passed away in a plane crash in July of 1982 in an airplane crash that also claimed the lives of his two children, Josiah, and Bethany. His wife was not on the flight and lives in California and continues Mark’s ministry entitled Last Day Ministries. It is unfortunate that this album has that sad piece of news forever attached to it. Lucky for us however there were more recordings made by Keith over previous years so we were able to enjoy more music from him after his passing. Now I will be perfectly clear, Keith does not do my style of music but I know good music when I hear it and this is good music. Probably his best work. That said can anyone explain to me why he didn’t have one chart single off an album this good and especially given the unfortunate attention this album received? I am usually critical of the CCM business because they ignored the up and coming young acts on their charts, but this time I’m critical because they ignored an album that anyone could hear had several chart songs on it. Oh well we are left to enjoy the album and remember Keith as an excellent musician and man of great devotion.
Tracklist 1 – The Lord Is My Shepherd – 4:10 2 – You Are The One! – 2:39 3 – How Majestic Is Thy Name – 3:59 4 – Draw Me – 3:47 5 – Glory Lord Jesus – 3:20 6 – There Is A Redeemer – 3:11 7 – The Promise Song – 3:21 8 – Until That Final Day – 4:38 9 – Jesus Is Lord Of All – 2:32 10 – O God Our Lord – 3:49 11 – I Will Give Thanks To The Lord – 1:47 12 – Holy, Holy, Holy – 3:40
Credits Arranged By [Strings], Conductor – Harlan Rogers Arranged By [Tracks] – Bill Maxwell, Keith Green Backing Vocals – Alphanette Silas, Howard Smith, Keith Green, Linda McCrary Bass – Abraham Laboriel Concertmaster – Sidney Sax Design [Inner Sleeve Design] – Pretty Good Graphics Design, Layout – Stan Evenson Design Drums – Bill Maxwell Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Harlan Rogers Engineer – Gordon Shryock Engineer [Assistant] – Wally Grant Engineer [Orchestra] – Keith Grant Engineer [Overdubs] – Peter Hayden, Willie Harlan Guitar – Hadley Hockensmith Mastered By – Steve Hall Mixed By – Bill Maxwell, Gordon Shryock, Keith Green Mixed By [Assistant] – Wally Grant Percussion – Alex Acuña, Bill Maxwell Photography By – Mark Hanauer Piano – Keith Green Producer – Bill Maxwell, Keith Green Strings, Orchestra – The London National Philharmonic Orchestra Synthesizer – Tom Keene
Companies, etc. Copyright (c) – Last Days Ministries Recorded At – Weddington Studios Recorded At – Olympic Studios Overdubbed At – Paramount Recorders Overdubbed At – International Automated Media Mixed At – Weddington Studios Mastered At – MCA Whitney Recording Studios Published By – Birdwing Music Mastered At – Sheffield Lab Matrix
After Marks graduated from Messiah College in Philadelphia in 1971 he began to perform with Billy Graham’s Afterglow Concert Series and actually did so for almost 10 years. In 1981 he participated in a project/album called “Premiere Performance” by Myrrh Records. The album was actually a fan vote project where fans would vote for their favourite artist and that artist would get an album deal. Kenny won that competition with the song “You Don’t Have To Try To Be Somebody”. That song appears on this album and I actually don’t find it to one of the stronger tracks on the album but it was 1981 and I was listening to Resurrection band at the time so my taste wasn’t exactly aimed at Kenny’s music. Kenny apparently wrote the whole album and while the writing was good it was not the strong writing that he had on later albums. The album had all the best CCM studio musicians of the time but the one odd inclusion was Dan Huff who was at the same time working on the introductory WhiteHeart album. I find it kind of surprising that there wasn’t a CCM charting song on this album. Given that it was 1982 there are several tracks that could have comfortably sat on the charts.
Tracklist 1 – Lean On Him – 3:37 2 – Lovin’ Me For Myself – 2:55 3 – You Need Love – 3:06 4 – You Don’t Have To Try And Be Somebody – 3:13 5 – In The Middle Of The Night – 3:34 6 – He’ll Finish What He Started – 3:11 7 – Follow Him – 3:23 8 – I Give It All To You – 4:35 9 – Ringin’ The Bells – 2:52 10 – When I Least Expect It – 3:10
Credits Arranged By – Don Hart Backing Vocals – Diana DeWitt Hanna, Doana Cooper, Keith Thomas, Pamela Marks, Patti Leatherwood Bass – Jimmie Lee Sloas, Mike Brignardello Drums – Bob Gelotte, Mark Hammond, Tommy Wells Executive-Producer – Neal Joseph Guitar – Brent Rowan, Dann Huff, Jon Goin Harp – Cindy Reynolds Keyboards – Keith Thomas Percussion – Mark Hammond, Terry McMillan Piano – Bobby Ogdin Producer, Keyboards – Keith Thomas Saxophone – Dennis Solee Vocals – Kenny Marks Written-By – Kenny Marks
Companies, etc. Phonographic Copyright (p) – Word, Inc. Copyright (c) – Word, Inc.
Steven Soles may be the most accomplished artists in CCM that very people had ever heard of. Soles was member of Bob Dylan’s famous “Rolling Thunder Revue” tour in 1975 and, along with a few friends were one of those who shared the Gospel with Dylan. Two other band members, T-Bone Burnett and David Mansfield, started the famed Alpha Band and released three amazing albums. He has also gone on to perform on albums by Dylan, T-Bone Burnett, Peter case and Elvis Costello. After The Alpha Band disbanded he recorded two solo projects for the Christian market. Both were widely critically acclaimed if not necessarily widely received. The better of those two is Walk By Love. Using a light reggae rhythm throughout the world music influence set him apart from anything else in the Christian Music world. Lyrically straight forward and yet very smart and original. The title track should have been a hit if not for the suspicious nature of Christian radio and refusal to play music that didn’t fit the normal scheme of things even if it was directly commercial.
Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/
Tracklist 1 – Walk By Love – 3:44 2 – Shepherd Of The Valley – 3:29 3 – The Last Round Up – 5:07 4 – Joy In All – 2:43 5 – The Talents – 4:32 6 – Let Him In – 3:17 7 – Standing In His Power – 3:35 8 – Love Come To You – 3:59 9 – Light Of Lights – 3:20 10 – Walk By Love (Reprise) – 1:29
Credits Bass, Vocals – Jerry Scheff Engineer – Bobby Macias, David Goldstein Flute, Saxophone – Marco Macisso Guitar, Mandolin – David Mansfield Guitar, Vocals – Steven Soles Keyboards, Vocals – Danny Timms Photography, Art Direction, Design – Herbert Wheeler Worthington III Producer – Steven Soles Recorded By, Percussion – Larry Hirsch Vocals – Jude Johnstone, Tommy Funderburk, Wendy Matthews Vocals, Drums – Ron Tutt
Companies, etc. Distributed By – Word Records (2) Published By – Good News Records Phonographic Copyright (p) – Good News Records Printed By – Shorewood Packaging Made By – Shorewood Packaging Copyright (c) – Specific Gravity Music Copyright (c) – Dunamis Music Copyright (c) – Nophir Music Copyright (c) – Arthur Buster Stahr Music Recorded At – Monterey Sound Studios Mixed At – Paramount Recording Studios
Joshua Paharia formed the band Joshua in 1983. Later the same year he became a Christian and the band suddenly made lyrical changes to reflect this. This is their first album and it’s pretty darn good. It straddles the hinge of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock and does it well. Strangely the album was a huge success in Japan with “November Is Going Away” making it to #1 on some Japan chart. The album was released in 1984 with 2 bonus tracks in Japan. Those bonus tracks were included in subsequent releases of the album through the years and they have also been included here.
Tracklist 1 – Falling Again – 4:19 2 – November Is Going Away – 4:57 3 – Sweet ‘Lil Hurricane – 3:11 4 – A Song For Lisa – 4:20 5 – Let’s Breakaway – 4:47 6 – Broken Dream – 3:01 7 – Flying High – 4:17 8 – Portrait Of A Woman – 4:25
This 1982 release from The Degarmo & Key Band was required listening in the early 80’s. Recorded in Oklahoma City, OK, this album sold very well and was a must have in every CCM listener’s library. The album is a great representation of their first 4 studio albums and ranges from an acoustic guitar cut or two, a strong blues song, a rather odd bass solo cut, and lots of Rock and Roll. I actually was able to attend one of the concerts on this tour and I remember really enjoying it. Perhaps one of the most Rock & Roll shows I had seen to that point.
Tracklist
1 – Light Of The World – 3:58
2 – Go Tell Them – 3:52
3 – Stella, This Ain’t Hollywood – 3:21
4 – When He Comes Back – 3:01
5 – Jericho – 4:44
6 – Alleyways Of Strife – 4:06
7 – Mary – 2:54
8 – Wayfaring Stranger – 3:40
9 – Bass Solo – 3:00
10 – Enchiridion – 1:50
11 – Long Distance Runner – 4:30
12 – Matter Of Time – 4:55
13 – Emmanuel – 7:27
14 – Oklahoma Blues – 6:08
15 – Preacher I’ll Need A Friend – 5:56
16 – Over And Over – 3:45
17 – Let Him Help You Today – 9:25
18 – Love One Another – 3:50
19 – I Have Decided – 3:20
Credits
Art Direction, Design – Bill Brunt
Bass, Vocals – Tommy Cathey
Drums – Greg Morrow
Engineer – Malcolm H. Harper Jr.
Engineer [Road Engineer] – Chris Taylor
Guitar, Vocals – Tony Pilcher
Illustration – Tracy Britt
Lighting Director – Jimmy Taylor
Management – Dan Brock Associates
Mastered By – Larry Nix
Mixed By [Monitor Mix] – David Knight
Photography By [Backcover] – Vernon L. Gowdy III
Photography By [Inside] – Larry Dixon
Producer, Keyboards, Vocals, Mixed By – Ed DeGarmo
Producer, Lead Vocals, Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Mixed By – Dana Key
Producer, Mixed By – Dan Brock
Production Manager [Concert Productions By] – Darlene Brock
Recorded By [Recording Crew] – Mason Harlow, Paul Stutz
Stage Manager – Terry Mackie
Companies, etc.
Distributed By – The Benson Company, Inc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Lamb & Lion Records
Copyright (c) – Lamb & Lion Records
Produced For – Mint Productions (2)
Mixed At – Ardent Studios
Mastered At – Ardent Mastering
This was their fifth release, and their third and final for Light Records. D.M.Z. was the hardest rock that they had given us yet, and it fit the early 80s metal age perfectly.
Opening with a high energy track, Military Man, and pulling out a relentless guitar solo intro on White Noise, they sounded exactly like rock was supposed to in 1982.
The CCM industry at the time couldn’t figure this out but Resurrection band could.
== 1 == Military Man Military Man was the opening track and it became a signature piece for their live shows and a central part of their ceatalogue. The era was still post-Viet Nam. The movie First Blood came out in 1982, Missing in Action in 1984, and Rambo in 1985. Sympathy for soldiers was strong and Glenn’s writing reflected that. A call for pacifism was not the mainstream, but that’s what was different about the CCM world.
== 2 == Reluctance Wendi takes the lead on this song, as she does with three of the ten tracks on this album. She brought energy to the band that Glenn’s vocals, for all their intensity, could not. There were a few critics of Wendi’s vocal style, but there is no doubt she was an integral part of Rez.
== 3 == Babylon Typical Rez fashion was a hard sound like this paired with Glenn’s lyrics about human suffering. In Bablyon his desire to reach lost souls comes through again. The band had a ministry that always returned to the needs of the people, and the desire to share the gospel. At the same time, this is another great rock song from the earliest, hardest Christian rock band of substance.
== 4 == I Need Your Love A rough voice streaming out smooth vocals over a guitar ringing with a mean-streets tone is exactly what we expect from Rez Band. There is energy in the playing, the singing and the writing. This didn’t become one of their most popular tracks but it is just as strong, and a great part of the structure of this album.
== 5 == Area 312 Area 312 is the area code for Chicago’s core, in case you didn’t know. Kids that are born there, grow up there, and need to find hope there are what Rez was about. JPUSA was the birthplace of Rez, and JPUSA was essentially a commune in a needy part of Chicago.
== 6 == No Alibi Almost a hymn of confession, this connects with yet another part of the faith they professed. The process of confession is central to the Christian faith, and whether it is a formal part of your church service or not, here it is, right on your record player ready to bring you into it. Every Rez concert had an altar call where people came forward and members of the band would preach and pray with the people in small groups. This fits perfectly with their message.
== 7 == White Noise is a CCM guitar classic. I remember I was listenting to it and someone asked me, “Is this AC/DC?” I answered that no, it was Rez. “Reall? This isn’t Rez. This is For Those About To Rock.”
It wasn’t AC/DC, and I don’t think a music fan should be able to mix the two songs up, but you get the idea of what kind of music this is. It’s hard rock. It’s what the kids were doing in the 80s. Rez gave us an alternative to following the weird path of Ozzy Osborne, Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, all the way to Twisted Sister. We were proud of the music we listened to because it was different, it was ours, and it was better.
== 8 == Lonely Hearts Loneliness is part of living in a city of 2 million people. It’s a different kind of loneliness, where people are surrounded and alone. Once again bringing the inner city message, this song connects.
Looking back at it from 2018, we look at this as a Tinder attempt to connect with people and finding everything hollow. Emotions stay relevant forever regardless of technology.
== 9 == The Prisoner Rez did a lot of “cause” songs. This one is written from the perspective of a wheelchair bound human being, struggling to be seen as such. I don’t know the back story but it seems clear there is one, and Glenn connected with it. Rez made a big effort to humanize marginalized people, whether it was the poor, the Black South Africans, or the wheelchair-bound.
== 10 == So In Love With You In with everything else, Resurrection Band also wrote praise songs. The Psalms are more blues (lament) than praise, but the praise is there and they never forgot to incldue some of that on their albums. This is a joyful sound, created in the style of Rez.
Tracklist
1 – Military Man – 3:39
2 – Reluctance – 2:14
3 – Babylon – 2:36
4 – I Need Your Love – 3:24
5 – Area 312 – 3:56
6 – No Alibi – 4:39
7 – White Noise – 3:41
8 – Lonely Hearts – 3:00
9 – The Prisoner – 2:54
10 – So In Love With You – 3:38
Credits
Artwork By [Other Art & Layout] – JPUSA Graphics
Artwork, Cover – Dick Randall
Bass [Fretless Bass], Synthesizer, Backing Vocals – Jim Denton
Drums – John Herrin
Engineer – Roger Heiss
Guitar, Keyboards – Stu Heiss
Mastered By – Steve Hall
Photography By – Denise Omernick, Linda Dillon (2), Pat Peterson (2)
Producer – Resurrection Band
Saxophone – Steve Eisen
Vocals – Wendi Kaiser
Vocals, Guitar – Glenn Kaiser
Companies, etc.
Manufactured By – Word Records Limited
Farrell and Farrell were for the main part a easy listening/light rock band but this live album offers a hint to their ability to do some Rock and Roll. Recorded live at the Civic Center Music Hall in Oklahoma City this concert sounds like it was great. I normally wouldn’t normally listen to a Farrell and Farrell very many times but honestly this album is on my regular listening rotation. I actually wish I had been at this concert. Something that most would be surprised to hear me say given my penchant for Rock & Roll. So if you think Farrell and Farrell are a little to easy listening for you give this album a listen, you might be pleasantly surprised. Point of trivia about this album is that it was in part produced by Eddie DeGarmo which probably gives it the sound that I like it so much.
Title
1 – All You Need
2 – Let the Whole World Know
3 – After All Those Years
4 – Boundless Love
5 – Make Me Ready
6 – No Need
7 – Homesick Soldier
8 – You Keep Me Holdin’ On
9 – Jailhouse Rock
10 – Let the Whole World Know (Reprise)
Credits
Member Role
Leonard Ahlstrom Songwriter, Electric Guitar, Background Vocals
Brown Bannister Songwriter
John T. Benson Songwriter
Dan Brock Producer
Eddie DeGarmo Producer
Mike Demus Songwriter, Electric Guitar, Piano, Prophet V
Nancy Demus Bass, Background Vocals
Bob Farrell Producer, Songwriter, Acoustic Guitar, OBX, Percussion, Lead Vocals
Jayne Farrell Lead Vocals
Scott Hutsel Rhodes Piano, Arp Axe, Arp Pro, Arp Omni, Moog, Soloist
Alice Keister Songwriter
Shane Keister Songwriter
Bill Landers Songwriter
Dennis Louwen Songwriter
Tim Sheppard Songwriter
Lynn Williams Drums
This was Candy’s first solo album. She started her music career in her family band who had great success with 13 albums and 6 Dove awards. In the mid 70’s she started a band called Heirloom but they never released an album. That brings us to 1982 when Candy finally got her own record deal and this album is the result. At this point in history all the labels were looking for the next Amy Grant and Candy fit that search. Now I am going to cause some controversy because I think Candy is a better vocalist than Amy. I’m kind of confused as to why she didn’t have a lot more success. That said this album did spawn a single, In A Different Light, but it only made it to #28 on the CCM charts. The best part of this album for me are that there are a couple of country tracks on the album that are very good and could easily be released today. It’s a traditional country but it’s very well done.
Tracklist
1 – In A Different Light – 2:41
2 – The Shepherd – 3:04
3 – The Only Real Peace – 3:31
4 – Cast Your Bread Upon The Water – 3:15
5 – I’m Gonna Hold On To You – 2:49
6 – I’m Yours Now – 3:51
7 – Hold Fast To The Right – 3:17
8 – I Am Not Along – 3:09
9 – The Rock That Never Rolls – 2:37
10 – Make Yourself At Home (In My Heart) – 2:56
Credits
Backing Vocals – Bill Beld, Caroline Traylor, Diane Tidwell, Joel Hemphill, Julie Mouser, Labreeska Hemphill, Lisa Silver, Norman Holland, Sheri Huffman, The Cherry Sisters, Trudy Barker
Bass – Jack Williams, Steve Schaffer
Guitar – Billy Sanford, Bobby Thompson, Pete Bordonali
Keyboards – Bobby Wood, Hargus “Pig” Robbins, Shane Keister
Percussion – Jerry Carrigan, Kenny Malone
Steel Guitar – Pete Wade
Strings – The Nashville String Machine
