I guess if you've been following these Friday music posts of mine you'd have guessed by now that I'm not really into a lot of contemporary Christian music. In fact, I think it is often pretty woeful. It seems to lack maturity and heft, in my opinion, doesn't seem to value musicianship highly, and overly values a kind of stock-youthfulness. So few of the performers have the wisdom of many years in the wind, if you know what I mean.
Then there's the lyrics. Talky, preachy, lesson-teaching, positive re-enforcement, often egregiously shallow and repetitive, noteworthy only for their singular lack of creativity. There, I said it.
Give me acoustic music with deep roots in tradition, and yet also open to the endless possibility of the form . . . featuring both musical and lyrical maturity. Like Darrell Scott's "Shattered Cross":
Even Robert Plant, who is nothing if not "wizened," can show you the artistic value of maturity (something Christian contemporary music has simply written out of the formula):
6 comments:
Definitely agree with you here.
Oh, Bob I couldn't have said it any better.
I do not even listen to 'contempory christian' music if I can help it. I have grown increasingly more attached to the hymns of my childhood.
Give me jazz, blues, celtic, opera, baroque music anyday.
Am I an old fogey? Perhaps. It doesn't matter anyway.
Good music is good music. Stop and ponder what makes music good. It's a great exercise. Most of CCM does not have staying power.
I asked Rick what's the first thing that comes to mind when he hears CCM. He says 'besides boring?'..... nuff said.
http://www.worldontheweb.com/2008/04/19/music-the-challenge-of-liking-and-listening-to-music/#comments
Hmmm, I seem to have struck a chord! Yah, Rick, you got that right! Thanks for keeping in touch, Lois. Every time you drop me a note it gives me a boost! I agree with you Lois. Performers that can draw from our incredible musical heritages (note: plural!) are the people creating the most solid music today.
Ryan (RealityDisease), thanks for stopping by. Somehow I'd lost track of your fine blog, so I'm especially glad for your note, which allowed me to get re-acquainted with you. I'm adding you to my list of "Other Fools" on my blogroll (hope you don't mind the label!).
great mix on the instrumentals
sounds good on a monday too
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