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Re: Radio Broadcast on 97x (or regurgitating again)

In a message dated 3/13/01 2:47:29 PM Central Standard Time, 
b_lachey at hotmail_com writes:

<< can you provide PROOF that all CCM music 
 isn't bad?!  ;)  Oh wait, I'm ready for another bout of "Is OtR a Christian 
 Band?".  No, really, I am.  :)
 
 Bruce >>

At the risk of getting hooked by a tongue and cheek comment here I go again...

da Proof: Mark Heard, Terry Taylor in his many incarnations, Mike Knott in 
his many incarnations, the 77's, Adam Again to name just a few. 
  The thing is, the CCM industry plays it safe for the most part, and, as 
Jean Cocteau was once quoted saying:"Christ wants art with all its teeth."  
CCM can be pretty toothless...  But there are many great musicians in the CCM 
*ghetto*  who, sadly, are always marginalized to the outer fringes so they're 
NOT what is conjured up in peoples heads when they hear those three little 
letters. But, make no mistake, there are a great many musicians who are every 
bit as pioneering in thier field as OtR are and they deserve a lot of credit, 
these unsung heros. They, unlike many of thier secualar counterparts are NOT 
in in for the money!  The true ones in that ghetto are a strange and 
wonderful breed who love the music so much that they can't do anything but 
make it and keep on making it no matter how small the audience or recognition.
  Anyway let me dive into a few thoughts:
 An artist has a responsibility to (I just read this somewhere and liked 
it-possibly Cockburn) speak "what comes out" if he/she's going to honestly 
create art rather than just propaganda or what the industry/people want to 
hear.  Now, for a Christian who has seen a "different kind of light" speaking 
what comes out can manifest itself in basically two ways, if I can paraphrase 
T-bone Burnett's thoughts on this: He can speak about the light itself or 
what he has seen from that light.  This is where playing it safe is most 
noticeable.  Songs about the light are pretty black and white.  No 
controversy there.Praise God from whom all blessings flow.  But, songs about 
what one has seen illumined by that light...Everyone sees different things in 
different ways so not all will agree on what is seen. (or proper to sing 
about) Kinda like that old parable about the blind men and the elephant.  
Some even happen to see a few of those little black things skiddling for 
cover when the light comes on and decide that those too are a legitimate 
things to talk about from thier Christian POV. See *LSU-Shaded Pain* as an 
example.
  I know it's cliche' to bring out the *Christian musician versus a musician 
who is a Christian* argument but I think that's really the crux of the 
biscuit.  I don't think the CCM idea does anything but damage except for 
those few artists who feel called specifically to lift up the church is 
praise and worship, to sing about the light.  Let us call them the Christian 
musicians if we must call someone that.  But for all those others who are 
musicians living in a Christian frame, please, they are musicians who are 
Christians. Let's get rid of the labels. For one thing, as soon as it's 
discovered a band (unless theyre already popular) has *cough* Christians 
among its members the big labels have it relegated to the gospel bins in 
stores. Can you see having to look for OtR next to Sandi Patti!!!
  So are OtR CCM?  Not on your life!  Neither are the bands mentioned above 
in my book.  CCM should be defined as music about the light alone, anything 
else is for the -- ha- I almost said *real* musicians but that's not true no 
matter how cool it sounds!  They both have legitimate visions.
  One final comment.  U2, Gillian Welch, Bruce Cockburn, possibly Bob Dylan, 
Pierce Pettis, Brooks Williams, The Alarm, The Call, Sam Phillips, T-bone 
Burnett, Victoria Williams, Innocence Mission, Maria Mckee, Midnight Oil, 
Kerry Livgren, the new Alice Cooper (wow that one still blows my mind) none 
of these folk would take to kindly to being called CCM but they're, or most 
of their bands are, Christian.  So, it's not a Christian thing, this CCM 
animal.  Yet, none of them are on a Christian label either, so maybe it's a 
label thing?  ...But the bands on the outer fringes that I mentioned and a 
whole slew of others don't consider themselves CCM either.  So maybe it's not 
a label thing either.  Maybe it's a style all to itself.  Something I've 
called *regurgitated Barry Manilow* music.  It's lyrics are simple, it's 
music is all hook and light and disney and happy and rosey and radio 
friendly. Look out! -- it's, it's, it's the attack of the rabid 
televangelists in leather tights, makeup and permed hair!!!! No wait... ah, 
it's all right, it's just Stryper. Skeered ya dint I?

kevin

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