Lefty Side of the Dial

Randy Stonehill is for the most part "adult contemporary" in his music, but he wasn't always so. For this concept album of sorts, he teams with Terry Taylor for a quirky gem of an album that is quite moving without ever really wallowing in 'hit you over the head' evangelism. I found it to be one of my favorite Stonehill albums.

A Jesus jamband group, that's all you needed to say, and this album was an instant purchase. This group encouraged taping and circulating of its concerts. They are rock jammy without dwelling too much into noodling. Sadly, soon the band members went their separate ways, and the principle married artists got a little too acoustic/introspective for me. Still this album and their previous albums are quite terrific.

Veil of Ashes was one of those bands that you may have heard only if you live in the Bay Area. They played several shows in the area, and they played their hearts out. The lyrics are sobering, dealt with subjects taboo to some Christians, but needed to be addressed. Just a fantastic band.

Terry Taylor is an institution in the Christian underground. He has had his hands in several bands, including Daniel Amos, not to mention producing some of the finer Christian albums (including the Stonehill Wonderama I mentioned earlier). On this album, Taylor harness the wall of sound meets Brian Wilson sound that permeates much of his work and hones in into a rather great concept album.

This is the Traveling Wilburys of the Christian Underground. Terry Taylor (Daniel Amos), Derri Daugherty (The Choir), Mike Roe (the 77's), and Gene Eugene (Adam Again) got together to do several collaborations, before Gene untimely death. This first album caught many by surprise because with all the underground talent, the album is firmly grounded in folk/Americana/blues/country genres.

NO, Jimi Hendrix never said that Phil Keaggy was the best guitarist in the world. However, Phil is still an awesome talent in his own right. On this album, Phil pays tribute to the 60's British sound with an album full of Beatles-ish sounding songs that is very, very entertaining.

Life Savers Underground was one of the edgiest bands in Christian music. Their first album, Shaded Pain was so gloomy that I wondered if they even believed in the new life given in Jesus Christ. This album gave me hope, and reassured me that I didn't have to become a Christian zombie blindly following the herd in search of the Christian consumer culture with their trendy/catchy Xtian trinkets and t-shirts. The album made me want to search for something authentic.

Gene Eugene died much to early. He died in his sleep in his recording studio on March 20, 2000. His band, Adam Again caught many people's ears, but it wasn't until this album that I came onboard. They sound very much like R.E.M. I loved singing along with the album, and loved the way Eugene would turn a phrase in his lyrics.

My first exposure to The Choir was hearing a friend talk about seeing Russ Taff, and saying this bunch of hippies opened for Russ. That piqued my interest and picked up Wide Eyed Wonder only to discover that these weren't hippies, they were alternative underground artist. This album became my constant companion for several years, and I wore out the cassette and replaced it with the CD. It's solidly in the alternative sound that evokes Joy Division mixed with Simple Minds...only very American sounding. They were very artful, almost poetic in their lyrics. I've seen the Christian band the most in concert, and I am thankful that they are still around.

Swirling Eddies were one of Terry Taylor's strangest bands. I saw them perform at Biola University when I was visiting the campus to decide if I want to go to college there. They were opening for Randy Stonehill, and they audience were clearly his type of fans. So when this band came out in skirts and dresses, you could feel the awkwardness in the audience. It was then I knew I had found a band I wanted to claim as my own. I do have one regret. I regret not picking this album up on CD, and I still check eBay from time to time hoping to locate a cheap copy of this fantastic quirky album.

Ric Elias was always compared to John Mellencamp. I can hear the resemblance, but what always slays me listening to this disc are the lyrics. Rick wrote some amazing lyrics that moved me into worship. The jangley guitars and music are full of oomph. This is roots rocks wrapped up in lyrics that examined man's role in God's plan and the need for intimacy with his creator.

Man I wish I had this on CD, but it usually goes for $70 on eBay. This concept album reimagines that Kansas City Prophets, especially Bob Jones, as a Grape Prophet to a bunch of Southern California orange pickers. Bob Jones claimed to be a prophet who supped with Jesus in his throne room. He later ended his ministry when he admitted to sexual misconduct. The Kansas City Prophets had some involvement with John Wimber and the Vineyard church for a time. Oh, and this album just rocks hard.

After Wide-Eyed Wonder came out, I waited years for Circle Slide to come out. After hearing the album I was just blown away. It was for a very long time my favorite album I owned. The albums addressed several themes like relationships, God, faith and what not, and the music was ethereal.

I am so glad Ed Stewart turned me onto Derek Webb. For years I had given up on Christian music, after not hearing anything that moved me, or addressed issues that needed to be discussed. Webb challenged the status quo in American Christianity by questioning whether God would truly have us ignore the poor in our cities, whether it right to kill our neighbors (in Iraq), and challenge the listener to question their politics. I am soooooo stoked to see Derek here on campus in October. I really can't wait.

Michael Knott (LSU) produced this great album that still knocks my socks off. I Am No Christ is a classic with me. Knott's lyrics really cut through a lot of bullshit, and makes the heart and mind examine itslef. It is a very personal album, and I dug the moody, restlesness.

Maybe I just should hav ejust listed my top 20 favorite terry Taylor projects? This concept album is very Lewisian (as in C.S.), as a person waits in limbo before passing into the gates of heaven. I never owned this album, and really wished I had a copy on CD, however the multiple times I heard this album I affected me. To this day I can still feel what it was like sitting in my friend's (Anthony Velez) house and listening to this album as we pondered what grace feels like and the afterlife might hold while listening to an artist that really cared about his art.

Rich Mullins was a rarity in the Christian music business. I regret never being able to see him in concert. This CD is one of my perenial favorites, and to this day I play it often. The Maker of Noses always seems to move me into a state of prayer and worship, which is sadly a rarity for me nowadays. I miss Mullin's authenticty and voice.

Charlie Peacock has done lots of various projects since the West Coast Diaries. He became an author, a jazz musician, and an artist. However, these early works in his career, for me, are his most intimate. Of the three WCD, I love the second on the best, which is very acoistic, and features some very powerful songs, including one of Psalm 51, that just hits me so hard everytime I listen to it.

This is my favorite line-up of the 77's. Mike Roe plays a mean guitar, and is perfectly complemented by the Temptations/Romeo Void drummer Aaron Smith. This album just flat-out rocks, and proved to me that Christian music didn't need to be be neatly packaged and water-down from "real" rock & roll.