Newsgroups: rec.music.christian
Subject: Re: Top 40 CCM albums of 1992
From: jsteiner@anwsun.phya.utoledo.edu (jason 'Think!' steiner)
Date: 10 Jan 93 01:26:09 EST
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rhm@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Bob Miller) writes:
> ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman) writes:
> > jsteiner@anwsun.phya.utoledo.edu (jason 'Think!' steiner) writes:
> > >fish@casbah.acns.nwu.edu (Eric West) writes:
> > >> 
> > >> According to Billboard Magazine's year-end list, here are 
> > >> 1992's most popular CCM albums...
> > >
> > >wow. talk about out of the mainstream. i've never even -heard- 
> > >any of these.
> > 
> > Me either...
> 
> Well, I'm quite flatly amazed...or should I read a smiley here???
> 
> I perceived both of you to be very familiar with the gamut of CCM, 
> including the mainstream (even if you didn't like it). Buried in 
> this list *are* some darn good artists and some darn good songs. Or 
> does the lead vocal have to sound like a cat caught in a KitchenAid 
> to be "meaningful"?;-)

there was a time when i listened to a lot of "mainstream" Christian 
music. so i have a basic familiarity with Amy Grant, Steve Camp, etc. 
talk about anything after Steven Curtis Chapman and i'm likely to say 
"huh?"

the reason? i stopped listening to radio. if it weren't for the odd
college radio program & NPR i'd probably never need a tuner. radio is
a wasteland populated by annoying DJs, worse music and unspeakable
commercials. it also has a big role in selling records and defining
just what the "mainstream" is.

maybe i'm just in a bad part of the country for radio. i stopped 
listening to WHLO (Cleveland Ohio) when they played the Winan's on 
their "hardcore rock show". in Toledo, there are no Christian radio 
stations i know of that play anything that appeals to anyone under 
30. the "secular" stations follow the MTV philosophy of "play it 'til 
there's nothing left but a bloody pulp". those with more of a variety 
make up for it by playing the worst of 70's anthem rock or 
sentimental crap (gag).

so what's left? my own CDs, which i generally get mail order. from that
perpective, it's a lot easier to get the odd stuff along with the
mainstream. in fact, sometimes the -only- way to get the odd stuff is
mailorder. and when it comes down to "do i want the latest Petra?" and
"I don't have any Sam Phillips yet" it's a lot easier to go with the
new & different. there are a few bands i make a point of keeping up
with. (The Choir, Steve Taylor, Breakfast With Amy) 

occasionally, i do find myself in a record store, but any Christian music
they're likely to have isn't much, or it's "odd" enough to be there in
the first place. (Tower is -great- for this. i would have bought Moby,
but they were out. there was a card in the  slot tho', and they had one
of his singles.)

> I often *make* myself listen to the local cheeso CCM station so 
> that I can at least have a clue about the state of the CCM world as 
> a whole. And every now and then I actually *buy* an album based on 
> what I hear.

ahh. i don't. life's too short, $$'s too tight. there is -tons- of new
stuff out there. i -know- what Petra sounds like. i have a few of their
albums. they don't need any more of my money. globalWavesystem might,
tho', and i don't have anything by them yet.

anotr thing i've been noticing: there aren't many -bands- in CCM any
more. it's all single name artists backed up by a studio band. if i
hear a straight name the first thing that comes to mind is "boring".
many times they aren't, but that's the impression i get. after all, 
how tough can it be to come up with a name? it's sort of like the cover
on a book. it may not be a good indicator, but it at least gets my
attention. Out of the Grey (Gray?) is a good example. 

> But I wonder how many times one can listen to 
> 
>   KARRRRRRANGabubalabubalawubawubawhEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...BAM!
> 
> without getting totally bored;-)

not many, actually. depends on what mood one's in. right now i'm in the
mood for Steve Taylor. so "innocence lost" is on the CD player. next
it might be Yello or RiseRobotsRise or Art of Noise. sometimes the
most terrifying-sounding stuff is actually pretty mellow. ever hear
of Miranda Sex Garden? :^)

jason

--
`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`
`,`        "Giving money and power to government is like giving         `,`
`,`        whiskey and car keys to teenage boys" - P.J. O'Rourke        `,`
`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,`,` jsteiner@anwsun.phya.utoledo.edu ,`,`,`
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian