Contemporary Worship Music

[notCardio]

Ed, Ed, Ed....

You don't like the White Album?

Talk about blasphemy!

You are dead to me. Ptooey!






To me that's their masterpiece.

 

[Ed Dixon]

I think we have to return to the origin of the label "contemporary Christian". It came into vogue in an attempt to distance a new pop-flavored music from the existing genre of gospel. In doing so, there was an inherent devaluation of the term "gospel" among the young fans of CC, and it created a division between the styles of music.

I think that was a critical mistake. Gospel, whether of a country or R&B style, is generally superior music to CC. R&B artists have never had any trouble migrating between popular and gospel styles. Gospel influenced popular artists, such as Johnny Cash and Ray Charles. CC has influenced no one outside of its insular sphere.

I see the phrase as more typical of the service style than the music. The range of music used in contemporary services is quite wide. Some are very acoustic based, some country, and others tending towards rock.

I don’t see it as a mistake at all, but a real plus. The style of many Mega-Churches is contemporary based. From what I have seen in many contemporary churches the term Gospel never even entered the picture.

Much CC music does not even try or intend to influence those outside of church. That’s just not the objective.

Ed

 

[notCardio]

I think we have to return to the origin of the label "contemporary Christian". It came into vogue in an attempt to distance a new pop-flavored music from the existing genre of gospel. In doing so, there was an inherent devaluation of the term "gospel" among the young fans of CC, and it created a division between the styles of music.

I think that was a critical mistake. Gospel, whether of a country or R&B style, is generally superior music to CC. R&B artists have never had any trouble migrating between popular and gospel styles. Gospel influenced popular artists, such as Johnny Cash and Ray Charles. CC has influenced no one outside of its insular sphere.

So while the non-religious are not often fans of gospel music, it's still much more common than a non-religious fan of CC music. That's for a simple reason, the music has higher intrinsic value. I've seen a 13yo kid bring down the house singing "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" on Showtime at the Apollo. I think there are few CC artists that could manage that with their tunes.

And I think that's because gospel, until recently, was it's own thing. It wasn't merely a current form of pop music with the lyrics changed. It wasn't until people like Ray Charles that gospel migrated from the church into popular music, not the other way around.

 

[apl]

CC was so strong back in the mid-90s, DC Talk was peaking, Angelo & Veronica, Susan Ashton, Out of the Grey, The Waiting, Luna Halo, Smalltown Poets, Carolyn Arends, Margaret Becker, Earthsuit, Kim Hill, even Carman was doing some great music. The labels suddenly went way conservative and the music became so generic that I quit listening and got a copy of Kind Of Blue and discovered jazz.

One beef I have with the P&W genre is when some big name act covers a bunch of music they didn't write.

 

[Ed Dixon]

You don't like the White Album?

Talk about blasphemy!

You are dead to me. Ptooey!

Just was not my favorite. I much prefered Sgt. Peppers or most of their earlier efforts.

Ed

 

[soundchaser59]

I am an impartial listener. I have music that I prefer to listen to

This is an oxymoron. No human is impartial...not even you.

One of the most crucial things about music is that they lyrics need to essentially pass without distracting you, and it is the biggest flaw in Christian music.

Lyrics that do not distract might as well be an instrumental. The entire purpose of any lyric is to distract you, otherwise it's time for different lyrics.

Confusion does not lead to religion, not in my life. God has a significant place in my life, not religion. Getting rid of confusion is what allowed me to take God seriously.

 

[mshilarious]

Noodly stuff aside, what religious music do other non-religious like?

I am not Rastafarian, but I too adore the most religious reggae out there.

There has been some criticism of CC lyrics, but it's not the subject matter that is the problem, it's the superficiality of the message when superimposed on the music. Bob Marley sang "Jah live, children yeah!" and it's brilliant. On the opposite side, Social Distortion's "I Was Wrong" is a song a CC artist probably wishes they wrote. I wish I had!

Those tunes come from reality and they connect with listeners, religious or not. It might be enough for a teenager to have an emotional experience, but by the time they are young adults, they will want to reconnect with the outside world. That's the ultimate source of the strength of reggae, the connection between spirituality and social justice.

 

[mshilarious]

You don't like the White Album?

I'm not a huge fan of it either. I agree with George Martin, it should have been a single album

 

[soundchaser59]

For Christian music, the lyrics make the song. A common phrase you hear in Contemporary Christian music is there is no such thing as Christian music, only Christian lyrics.

This seems to reinforce the notion that instrumental music cannot be "Christian." But I feel like if I am truly being a Christian, then any music I create is also Christian, lyrics or not. Of course, the hard part is "being truly Christian." But it's a good thing to strive for.....

Rock is another story, where the music itself and feel may be more of a factor.

"jumpin jack flash it's a gas gas gas....." would be proof of that. As much as I love classic rock, it does have its unfair share of inane, worthless lyrics.

 

[soundchaser59]

It's not the story, it's the word choice. Good country lyrics can tell the story, but use comfortable words that don't stick out like a sore thumb.

I am arguing semantics again. The way I see it, you would never mistake a "contemporary christian" song for a traditional song, because the words are not artfully used in the same manner that they are used in traditional music.

It's the sneak attack that is most effective. That's why Creed (who I hate) was arguably more effective preachers than any other christian musicians. the fans liked alkie's voice and abs and their sound, and may have discovered the message (and found it to be more compelling) afterward. When you hit the audience over the head with "Died on the cross", they are jarred from participating intensely in the music (even as a listener).

Of course, you do have a valid point here. And this is why I use catchy phrases like "Stevie Ray Vaughn meets Jesus" when I try to describe what I would like to hear. I believe "contemporary Christian" music needs to change the way the message is delivered (choice of words, as you put it) because soooo many people will simply scoff and walk away the first time they hear, "My Jesus, My Saviour" being sung out loud. But a lot of those same people will sit and listen to Scott Krippayne singing "I'm not cool cuz I dont care how I'm sposed to wear my hair, I'm not cool but that's ok, my God loves me anyway..." I believe it's possible to write lyrics that contain "the message" but without using phrases that make people think they are at some old time revival meeting. That Hendrix guitar sound can catch the ear so that the carfty lyrics can catch the heart.

 

[Codmate]

I am not Rastafarian, but I too adore the most religious reggae out there.

There has been some criticism of CC lyrics, but it's not the subject matter that is the problem, it's the superficiality of the message when superimposed on the music. Bob Marley sang "Jah live, children yeah!" and it's brilliant. On the opposite side, Social Distortion's "I Was Wrong" is a song a CC artist probably wishes they wrote. I wish I had!

Those tunes come from reality and they connect with listeners, religious or not. It might be enough for a teenager to have an emotional experience, but by the time they are young adults, they will want to reconnect with the outside world. That's the ultimate source of the strength of reggae, the connection between spirituality and social justice.

If the Contemporary Christian music captured half the mystery, reverence and sense of awe at the universe that the deep roots reggae stuff brings, then I would listen every day

 

[soundchaser59]

One beef I have with the P&W genre is when some big name act covers a bunch of music they didn't write.

Then by definition you must have this same beef with all genres.....?? There are many, many acts in ALL genres that will never write the stuff they record or perform...


And I have to agree that The White Album is the Beatles best work ever.... nothing else like it!

 

[c7sus]

You guys could have had Jessica Simpson if you just could have got over her tits.

 

[apl]

Then by definition you must have this same beef with all genres.....?? There are many, many acts in ALL genres that will never write the stuff they record or perform...

I meant like a whole album of it.

 

[soundchaser59]

I meant like a whole album of it.

Three Dog Night comes to mind.....

 

[rory]

You guys could have had Jessica Simpson if you just could have got over her tits.

I'd like to get over her tits........... and under them and around them and in between them.

 

[Zaphod B]

What is wrong with you people?

"Christian rock" is a self-contradiction. It's a mutually exclusive term, like "military intelligence."

It is anathema.

Everyone knows that rock music is about meaningless sex, failed relationships, drug addiction, and any other dark hole in the human psyche that leads to darkness, insanity, and drooling, babbling, straightjacket-in-a-padded-room hopelessness.

I tell ya, Christian rock is blasphemy!

 

[sile2001]

So while the non-religious are not often fans of gospel music, it's still much more common than a non-religious fan of CC music. That's for a simple reason, the music has higher intrinsic value. I've seen a 13yo kid bring down the house singing "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" on Showtime at the Apollo. I think there are few CC artists that could manage that with their tunes.

This isn't necessarily the case any more. Take the group David Crowder Band. They actually ARE forging their own sound and extending influence past their own sphere. Four of my non-Christian friends have heard their albums and absolutely love it...they know all the songs and go around singing/humming/whistling them all the time. Any time they ride with me somewhere, it's always "dude, throw Crowder on!"

It's not exactly to my taste and some here would argue the quality of the typical screamo band, but Underoath has taken that sound and raised the musical quality of it to a much higher level than any of their peers, and are influencing an audience outside of the "Christian circle". There are lots of other similar examples as well.

 

[apl]

Switchfoot and Matt Kearney, too.

 

[cephus]

Lyrics that do not distract might as well be an instrumental. The entire purpose of any lyric is to distract you, otherwise it's time for different lyrics.

Your meaning of "distract" is different from my intent. Didn't you write a song and have a line in it that just makes it sound not like a real song, but a song written by some dork such as yourself? I have. Have you ever heard a song like maybe by bon jovi or poison that had those shitty lyrics that make you embarassed for the singer? I have.

To me that is ineffective communication. Artistic expression aside, if you have a message, and you botch it, you're ineffective. the message is so important, so I think artistic expression should come second.

On the other hand, "Happiness is a Warm Gun" is one of my favorite songs of all time and it's lyrics are totally distracting and artful at the same time. It is also about a gazillion times better than any CC song I've ever heard.