 
Our Review Policy Is As Follows
The Sanctified Press review
policy is simply this: Honesty. 
LSU: Dogfish Jones The
Awakening Collection Vol.2 Larry
Norman: We Wish You a Larry
Christmas Larry
Norman: Live At The Mac Larry
Norman: Live At Flevo 2 w/Beam Larry
Norman: Breathe In, Breathe Out Larry
Norman: The Vineyard Larry
Norman: Copper Wires
unVEILed: Youth Music
Vigilantes of Love: Audible Sigh Scaterd
Few: Grandmother's SpaceshipThe
Mother Of All Tribute Albums Ragman:
Niagra Falsetto The
Kreepdowns: Take A Spin Echo
Hollow: Diet of Worms
[Light Records] Michael Knott, whether fairly or unfairly, has long been considered the [and I know he hates this term] "badboy" of christian rock. Rumors have swirled and continue to swirl concerning his personal life, his behavior, etc... But there has always been one thing that has been perfectly clear about Mike Knott; this man has talent. Loads of it. And he knows how to rock. DOGFISH JONES is the latest offering from christian rock's favorite dark eccentric. [And I don't mean that in a bad way. Eccentricity breeds genius.] This album is an allegorical tale of the journey of a wayfaring seaman; the dangers he encounters on his way, and how ultimately God's grace brings him to his final destination. And while this is no "Pilgrim's Progress", I'm sure Mr. John Bunyan could glean some nuggets of truth from Mike's latest offering. Mike has assembled his usual cast of characters here to help him out; Betty's and L.S.U. alumni Andrew Carter on guitar, Jeff Elbel on bass, Chuck Cummings pounding skins, and Adam Again's Gene Eugene [who also engineered the album] on what Mike calls "70's bachelor pad lounge organ". Mike's dad Howard even lends his vocals to the mix on two songs. These two songs, however, break up the continuity of the album and would probably have been better left off.[Sorry Mr.Knott.] This album is a thick, multi layered prduction with multi and I mean multi layered vocal tracks and T.Rex like background harmonies. Musicianship is stellar, and we get to see another of Mike's unusual original artwoks on the cover as well. If you've heard Mike Knott before, either solo or with his with his bands Aunt Betty's, Lifesavors, or L.S.U., you already know what to expect. If you haven't, do yourself a favor and check out one of the finest and most thoughtful artists modern rock has to offer. 14 Songs-Running Time: 57:37 Grade:++++ For ordering info check out Return To Top
For years Larry Norman releases came few and far between; but recently, for reasons unknown, [and who cares as long as we get to hear his music] Jesus rock's grand old man has flooded the market with several projects; each offering a different glimpse into the heart and mind of this complex and often misunderstood genius who almost single handedly put Jesus rock on the map so many moons ago. These recordings vary in quality, and chronologically span from around 1966 all the way to the present. I will follow a sort of chronologcal order in reviewing them, but please note that these are all new releases never officially released to the listening public. There are some gems here and some junk, some wheat and some chaff, but if there's one thing about Larry, he always keeps it interesting and that's why I would still rather listen to his stuff than 97% of the ccm mass market garbage that's released today. It probably seems like overkill
reviewing all this LN stuff at once, but
the fine folk at Solid Rock were
gracious enough to send it, so we'll be
gracious enough to review it. LarryNorman.com Now on to the reviews....... LN Circa:
66-69
WE WISH YOU A LARRY
CHRISTMAS WE WISH YOU A LARRY CHRISTMAS, like the next disc reviewed, LIVE AT THE MAC, is an official release of an unofficial bootleg. Of course it was officially released by the bootleggers, but unofficially in the fact that the official versions of these unofficially released tunes were officially released in an official manner.......Nevermind WWYALC contains 16 songs from Larry's late 60's band People!, as well as six alternate versions of tunes that ended up on the seminal 69 release "UPON THIS ROCK". Quality wise, as Solid Rock admits, this disc is a bit lacking sonically, but for historical reference and collectibility, this is a must for Normaniacs everywhere. GRADE=++++ SONGS:22 RUNNING TIME:69:12
LN: CIRCA 79
LARRY NORMAN: LIVE AT THE
MAC LIVE AT THE MAC, it has been claimed, contains a recording of Larry Norman's best concert ever; and while that could be [and is] disputed, it does contain an incredible concert. Though sonically horrible, like most pre- 80's bootlegs, this disc nonetheless contains the recording of an incredible concert, with Larry and band taking what Bruce Springsteen would call their " shot at the title". Hearing this passionate performance makes me lament the fact that christian rock "coulda been a contender". Instead it's a pretender, on the ropes and punch drunk, apeing every trend that comes down the pike. Most of the usual suspects are here tunewise; and if you are a fan of Larry's you know what that means. One thing of note is that we get to hear now classic tunes like "Soul on Fire", and "Watch What You're Doing" in their earliest stages of development, which gives further insight into the original vision and direction of the songs. Phydeaux sez: Overall Performance-8 Technical quality, ambience, and aural depth-3 Sounds good to me...... GRADE=+++ SONGS:12 RUNNING TIME: 68:40
LN: CIRCA 97
LARRY NORMAN WITH BEAM: If you have a copy of Larry Norman's "LIVE AT FLEVO WITH Q-STONE", then you are in posession of one of his finest live recordings. LIVE AT FLEVO 2 WITH BEAM is a good album as well, though not as satisfying as the other project LN and Beam have collaborated on, BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT which is reviewed later in this issue. For those of you who don't know, BEAM are a dutch art/metal band that have recieved rave reviews and have been compared to such bands as KING'S X and GALACTIC COWBOYS. FLEVO 2 is a recording of Larry's concert at the 1997 Flevo Totaal Festival in Holland. I read a review of this elsewhere and the reviewer commented that he thought that it took the band a while to get warmed up on this disc; and I have to agree with that assessment. After coming out strong with a new tune called "HEAVEN WANTS TO BLESS YOU", the band kind of settles into a lull for a few songs, only to pick up some momentum about midway through the set. Larry sounds kind of weak throughout, no doubt due to his many health problems. There are standout cuts, including the 7+ minute "Bombs"; which includes some awesome Ty-Taboresque psychedelic guitar work. A driving, almost metal version of "Shot Down" stands out as well. Overall, this album may be a dissappointment to some. It was to me only because I heard the "Breathe In" disc first, and was expecting something to totally blow me away on the basis of the recordings of the rehearsals for this tour. It's still a good album; just not as good as it could have been. GRADE+++ SONGS:11 RUNNING TIME: 59:29
BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT offers Larry and Beam relaxed and recording in studio during the rehearsals for their recent European tour; and this double disc, 20 song collection is some of the finest stuff Larry has released to date. What makes this disc really special are guitarists Robert Riekerk and Tommy Riekerk of Beam. Both are stellar musicians, with each his own distinct style that Larry weaves seamlessly together at the mixing board. They even have an instrumental cut called "Snowball". Several new tunes are offered up on this release, including the catchy "Let it Go"; another called "It's Alright", "When you sent your Son", "Love is the Reason", and a few others. There is also a driving version of D.C. Talk's "Jesus Freak" that is more direct and less experimental than the version Larry and Charly [Norman, Larry's brother] recorded on "The Mother of All Tribute Albums". Interspersed throughout is some interesting studio chatter; that captures producer Norman trying to coax just he right sounds and guitar textures out of his new band mates. There is much excellent work here, but the show stopper is the reworking of one of the old classics; a blistering and ominous version of "I wish we'd all been ready", that rivals and possibly surpasses the finest recorded versions of the song. And if you realized how many times and how many different versions of this song Larry has recorded, you would know that that is saying something. This album chronicles some very special moments in the studio. There was definitely a chemistry going on during these sessions. Here's hoping they get together again soon. Grade:++++ Songs: Disc1: 8 Disc2: 12 Running Time: Disc1: 55:24 Disc2: 55:07
LN:CIRCA 99
LARRY NORMAN: THE VINEYARD
THE VINEYARD is probably the finest acoustic concert recording that Larry has ever released. Sonically crisp and clear, this nearly two hour double disc set finds Larry at his best; in strong voice, good humor, and with a passion to communicate his love for God and connect with his audience. This album reminds me a lot of STREET LEVEL and BOOTLEG, in that it is a mixture of tunes, preaching, spoken word, more tunes, etc.... The result is a superb release. A real gem of an album. All the old tunes and a lot of new ones as well. A must for Normaniacs everywhere. GRADE:++++1/2 SONGS: DISC 1-17 DISC 2-21 RUNNING TIME: DISC 1-49:28 DISC 2-72:56
LN CIRCA:98
LARRY NORMAN:COPPER WIRES COPPER WIRES is an interesting and eclectic collection of new Larry Norman studio recordings. While primarily comprised of carefully selected cover tunes; including Bob Dylan's "WHEN HE RETURNS", from Bob's stellar 1979 release "SLOW TRAIN COMING" [one of the THWEATT TOP 20 coming soon...] Also included is the old Byrds by way of Pete Seeger by way of Solomon tune "TURN, TURN, TURN; a jamaican version of the children's tune "OIL IN MY LAMP", and the traditional "I AM A PILGRIM" which was recorded a few years back by THE LOST DOGS. An excellent new recording of PEOPLE!'s "I LOVE YOU" shows up here, with Larry doing all the lead vocals and the familiar keyboard solo replaced by a flute solo that would make Ian Anderson smile. Several new songs are included as well, many of them having a distinctly 50's- ish tremelo vibe to them, not unlike CHRIS ISSAK's early work. Like something you would have heard on the radio while driving your 1955 Buick out to the country with the kids. Primo cut of the disc by far is the covr of the old CURTIS MAYFIELD hit, "PEOPLE GET READY". Though covered by such heavy weights as ROD STEWART/JEFF BECK, U2, DYLAN, and others, Larry's passionate vocals [some of his best ever] and Charly's emotion laden guitar work rank this up there with the best of them. As a bonus, we get twenty or so
minutes of live stuff from Larry's 1997
"Virtual birthday party", broadcast live
on the internet from the "street level
cafe" on Larry's web site:
The old stuff sounds real fresh here, and if anyone has a copy, or knows someone that has a recording of the whole Virtual Birthday Party please Drop me a line and maybe we can work out a deal. The only real criticism of this release, and the same can be said of most of his studio stuff, going all the way back to 89's "HOME AT LAST", is that it's obvious, and probably understandable considering Larry's ill health, that Larry is no longer the studio perfectionist that he used to be. While his earlier albums like "ONLY VISITING THIS PLANET", "IN ANOTHER LAND",and "SO LONG AGO THE GARDEN" were intricately detailed studio masterpieces, his latest stuff, while still very good, reveals he no longer has the tie, the strength, or possibly the desire, to put in the studio time necessary to create the groundbreaking masterpieces that epitomized his early career. Maybe he's just not as consumed with making records that blow people's minds as he used to be; or maybe he realizes that rock and roll is really not that big of a deal after all. As BONO said in "GOD PART 2"; "I don't believe that rock n roll can really change the world, as it spins in revolution, spirals and turns. I believe in love". Or Larry himself in "GOD PART 3" "I don't believe in the cover story or the gospel charts, you can easily hit number one with a bullet, and totally miss the heart. I believe in God." I personally would love to see Larry work with an outside producer like T-Bone Burnett or Daniel Lanois, who could worry about twisting the knobs while Larry concentrated on the songwriting. Even someone like a Charlie Peacock, with his pop sensibilities and attention to detail, could bring something interesting to the table. GRADE:+++3/4 SONGS:15 RUNNING TIME: 56:29
[AWAKENING RECORDS] I can't really decide if Volume 2 of the Awakening Compilation is better than Volume 1. Reason being, I never heard Volume 1. But Volume 2 is pretty darn good. The Awakening Compilation is a vehicle for the fine folks at Awakening Records to expose the listening public to their deep pool of talented artists. Stylistically, this is primarily acoustic music; poetic singer-songwriter stuff, some folkier than other, most of it well produced and finely crafted, with an emphasis on lyric and mood. Most of these artists will be unknown to all but the most informed music connoiseurs, with the exception of one Mr. Bill Mallonnee and his band Vigilantes of Love; who, if you haven't heard already, are one of the finest bands on the planet. Two Vigilantes tunes are included here. If you are into acoustic, folky music, the whole unplugged thing, then pick this up. You'll be glad you did. For ordering info go to the Awakening Records web site and tell them Sanctified Press sent you. Grade=+++ 18 Songs-Running Time: 74:02 Scaterd Few:
Grandmother's
Spaceship You hear a lot of talk about "old school" and "new school" these days. Rappers talk about being "old school". The Classic Sports Network asks, "are you old school?" NBA players talk about being "new school" NBA. Well try this on for size; I'm so old school I still call Allan Agguire, the lead singer of the Scaterd Few, Romald Domkus. Now that's old school!. For the uninformed Scaterd Few burst on the scene in the early 90's with their first major label release, "Sin Disease"; a 33 minute shred fest that burned with the intensity of a napalm bomb. Then there's that scripture about the tongue being a fire.... Allan Agguire called himself Romald Domkus at the time, and with his wild looking dreads, puffy eyelids, and brazen onstage persona, coupled with his loose cannon off the cuff comments in interviews, he kept his self in hot water with the public and the press most of the time. After a year or two of controversy, followed by the release of the fine and underappreciated indie JAWBONEOFANASS, the Few seemingly dropped off the planet. Some years later however, Romald reemerged as Allan, his given name, and went about trying to clean up his image and clarify some of what went on while in the Few. Allan's SPYGLASS BLUE project was then released and so we figured that this would be the vehicle he would use as an outlet for his immense talent and passion. Well, we were half right. SPYGLASS still exists, but the FEW have returned. And well worth the wait, I might add. GRANDMOTHER'S SPACESHIP is an eerie, shredding study of the falsehood and alienation that has been spawned in this cyber age of information overload. SPACESHIP expands on all of the musical influences that have shown up on previous SF albums; the psychedelica, the shred, the punk, the reaggae,the Beatles, Terry Taylor, the psalmist David.... As well there is a generous helping of Chili-Pepperish funk-o-metal. Agguire, who has always been an exceptional, if at times obtuse, lyrcist, has done some of his finest work to date on this release. "Arbitrator" is especially good lyrically, artfully describing and capturing the mystery and majesty of the Creator. Though obviously and blatantly christian, the lyrics are never cliche or sappy, and are an example of how when spiritually is allowed to weave seamlessly through art, without sloganeering or catering to a specific demographic, beautiful results can ensue. So put on your headphones, crank up the volume, and prepare to take a ride through cyberspace on GRANDMOTHER'S SPACESHIP. This a definite treat for the Few faithful. GRADE: ++++ SONGS:16 RUNNING TIME: 61:31 To order go to The Scaterd Few official web site.
RAGMAN:
NIAGARA FALSETTO Before I even mention the music just
let me say a word about the packaging of
this disc. This is the CD equivalent of
those tri-gatefold albums of the 60's
and 70's.
22 pages, awesome artwork on nearly
every page, picture disc.... Very
classy.
And the music is pretty good too...
I remember loving a Ragman demo that
I reviewed way back in 1993 in
Sanctified Press #9. Grunge was still
the thing, and I expected RAGMAN
to sign a major label deal and release
the first authentic grunge album into
the christian market.
At the time I wrote: "Grunge from
Delaware? Cool. This is the real stuff.
Psychedelic, raw, nasty, grunge..."
Alas, things didn't work out like I
had figured, and RAGMAN, like many very
good bands, were relegated to the status
of "whatever happened to....."
When I recently came across the add
for the NIAGARA FALSETTO album in HM
magazine, I found out "whatever happened
to" these guys.
After existing in relative obscurity
for a time, they decided to again get
together and record what is a very well
made album.
There are obvious similarities to
such modern rock bands as ALICE IN
CHAINS, SEVEN MERRY THREE, SOUNDGAREN
and DAYS OF THE NEW, but at times one
can also sense such influences as BLACK
SABBATH (VOL.4 era) and THE BEATLES.
Everything is still very heavy and
the grunge element still exists, but
acoustic guitars hold everything
together on the periphery.
Vocals are occaionally mixed too loud
and pushed too far forward in the mix,
but overall the album is well produced
with careful attention paid to detail.
Songwriting runs the gamut from
intensely personal tunes to songs with
very up front christian themes.
Overall, a very good release, and
especially so considering it was made on
an indie budget.
Hats off to RAGMAN.
GRADE:+++3/4
SONGS:11 (Not counting the obligatory
"hidden" tracks. Enough of that
already!)
RUNNING TIME: 47:35
(BETTIE ROCKET) When a guy's musical
pedigree includes a stint as guitarist
with the Violet Burning, and some work
with Mike Knott, you know he can
probably deliver the goods. GRADE:+++ SONGS:10 RUNNING TIME: 37:35 HM RECORDS If you've paid any attention to christian rock music for the past ten years or so, you've undoubtedly heard the name Doug Van Pelt, editor of "Heaven's Metal" magazine [now "HM: Your Hard Music Authority"]. HM has grown immeasurably over the years, both in writing quality and sheer impact, and Doug has become one of most [if not the most] noteworthy of the movers and shakers in the christian rock underground. When Doug got the idea to do MOTHER OF ALL, he wanted to do something a little out of the ordinary as far as tribute albums go. Rather than do the typical tribute album where a series of artists cover tunes by one band or musician, Doug decided to contact several artists and bands, of varying stripes and within several different genres, and ask them who they would like to cover. The result is an eclectic and interesting disc, which is a composite of what is best and worst about these tribute discs. On the downside, there are varying budgets and time constraints, which makes for widely varying production values, and leads to an overall uneven feel for the album. On the upside, however, is that the artists can be more laid back and experimental, without the label pressures, or having to stay within one conceptual framework. Some excellent bands are included here, including ECHO HOLLOW, DOUG PINNICK, ATOMIC OPERA, VIOLET BURNING, LARRY NORMAN, SPYGLASS BLUE and others, covering everyone from U2 to KING'S X, DC TALK, THE BEATLES, RUSH, 77'S STRYPER and several others. There are a few stinkers on here, but if your cd player is programmable a couple pushes of a button will fix that, still leaving you with 50 or so minutes of excellent music. GRADE:+++ SONGS:15 RUNNING TIME: 65:01
unVEILed:
YOUTH MUSIC Sean Doty's albums have always
teetered on the edge of
greatness. VIGILANTES OF LOVE: AUDIBLE SIGH As you probably know if you're a VOL
fan, Audible Sigh has been held up
indefinitely. However, a few copies are
supposed to be let loose at
C-Stone.
ECHO HOLLOW:
DIET OF WORMS I was never really nuts about
Tourniquet. |
