chazba said:
This thread is a continueing from a thread in the mixing/mastering BBS that started getting some off-topic stuff, so I thought I would move it over here and give the critics and the people who are active in the P/W a chance to talk about some of their concerns. I am an ordained M/M and totally immersed in P/W music. What's wrong with it???Well, for one thing, there's not enough GREAT P/W. I would like to see(hear) more great P/W bands and to that end I do all that I can to encourage young people get better, to further their education in music and to jump at any opportunity to perform and present.
chazba
Ok, I'll give you my run down of it.
First off, I was a Christian for 25 years, converted back to atheism some 10 years ago. While I've left the Christianity behind, I still listen to GOOD praise music - there isn't much of it, though.
When I was a Christian, I thought praise music sucked in general, and rock praise music sucked hardcore. Rock music has always been about rebellion, and it's super hard to do the whole rebellion thing when you're singing/being sung to about conforming.
Christian rock <> rock in its very attitude.
As for contemporary pop praise music, it's a little worse than it's secular counterpoint, only because the subject matter is so limited. You can only hear the lyric "I love you Jesus" or "He died for me" or "By your hand" so many times. It's been played to death.
And a lot of times the performances on these contemporary gospel songs are so weak, white bread and unfeeling, it's almost like the people who are singing them don't believe what it is they're presenting to you. They very need to remain un offensive to everyone, makes the music so BLAND, that it wreaks of emotional abandonment.
Back in the early 90's I went to a concert - Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, and the guy Amy Grant used to be married to.... It was an amazing SOUNDING show - best I've ever heard, even to this day. But the music was two dimensional cardboard. It was totally void of any of the grit that live music is supposed to be comprised of. Too clean, too polished, too acted, cookie cutter non offensive blandness, etc....
And Christian rap? Are you serious? What the hell is that? Gangsta Jesus? Horrid.
Who's good? Some of the contemporary bluegrass bands that do praise music are real good... Kentucky Thunder - can't think of the famous guy who is the singer, but when you hear him pickin' and praisin', you feel it. It's genuine. The a cappella R&B group Take 6 is outstanding. I can't think of any contemporary rock gospel music that is any good, though. It just doesn't work.
My opinion, don't care if you agree.
