Salvation Army Band - Phil Keaggy

What kind of guy would I be without dedicating a Culture Corner spot to one of the best rock guitarists of all time (and undoubtedly the best nine-fingered guitarist ever). Of course, I speak of Phil Keaggy. While he is quite good with his band, I prefer to hear him solo--just his guitar and massive spread of effects pedals. I got to hear him a few years ago in just this manner, and it was a performance in which all I could do was shake my head and wonder. Now that I have a few pedals at my own disposal, I am realizing how hard it really is to find the right effects for the right songs, not to mention add backing vocals, drum beats and baselines to songs with just a loop and a guitar. How does one even think up something like that? The man's talent is ridiculous.

So without further ado, I present to you Mr. Phil Keaggy.

Dangerous Mood - Keb' Mo'

This installment of Culture Corner was an obvious choice.  I had been trying to profile a song by this particular artist for a while, but I couldn't decide on which one.  As soon as I heard "Dangerous Mood", though, I knew this was the song to introduce Keb' Mo' to the Tiger.

Keb' Mo' exemplifies the slow, southern blues style pioneered by Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and pretty much everyone Kenny Wayne Shepherd visited back in 2004.  His skills on the guitar are amazing.  He doesn't have the sheer speed a la Chris Duarte, but every note he plays is filled with emotion--his guitar tells its own story, lyrics notwithstanding.  He also brings a deep, soulful voice to his masterful guitar playing.  He has that one-two knock-out punch that most of us only dream of possessing.  

And remember, if you enjoy this song half as much as I do, then I had twice as much fun as you.

Come Alive - Foo Fighters

When Jesus had crossed over again in the boat to the other side, a large crowd gathered around Him; and so He stayed by the seashore. One of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and on seeing Him, fell at His feet and implored Him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her, so that she will get well and live." And He went off with him; and a large crowd was following Him and pressing in on Him...

...They came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, "Your daughter has died; why trouble the Teacher anymore?" But Jesus, overhearing what was being spoken, said to the synagogue official, "Do not be afraid any longer, only believe." And He allowed no one to accompany Him, except Peter and James and John the brother of James. They came to the house of the synagogue official; and He saw a commotion, and people loudly weeping and wailing. And entering in, He said to them, "Why make a commotion and weep? The child has not died, but is asleep." They began laughing at Him. But putting them all out, He took along the child's father and mother and His own companions, and entered the room where the child was. Taking the child by the hand, He said to her, "Talitha kum!" (which translated means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded.

Love Addict - Family Force 5

My pastor recently told me about RadioU, a radio station that streams actual, good Christian music online. Here in Denver, there is a dearth of such music, which I largely believed to be mythical since the demise of dc Talk and good Audio Adrenaline. (For non-Christian readers out there, those two bands used to rock!) Anyway, RadioU has pleasantly proved me wrong. There is good Christian music out there, after all. Let me give you an example.

Family Force 5 is a band out of Atlanta, Georgia. They are comprised of three brothers, sons of 80s musician Jerome Olds (anybody actually know who this is? I sure don't), and two of their friends (presumably brought in because Family Force 3 just doesn't cut it). I am not sure how to describe their music, other than...awesome. Why do I like them?

1. They sing and play with emotion. It's almost like they're passionate about God! (Don't tell K-LOVE!)
2. They know their audience. They interact with the culture while retaining their core message.
3. They prominently feature the guitar. (Yes, as everyone knows, I adhere to Phil Keaggy's philosophy: Love one woman...many guitars.)

See for yourself.



Awesome. And really weird. Just my cup of tea!

Woke Up Dreaming - Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa is the closest thing we have to SRV today. He has much of what Stevie had: A powerful voice and incredible guitar playing. What's more, Joe plays and sings with passion. He is not just a technically adept player, or an average singer. He truly makes you feel what he's feeling--he communicates through his music in a way that few equal.

I found this clip of him playing in a music store, just him and a guitar. All I can say is I wish I could play guitar like that.

Enjoy.

Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan

In an effort to introduce good music to people everywhere, I am starting a new feature on this blog. This new feature is called Culture Corner, and with it I will attempt periodically to post videos of excellent music. In today's culture, there is little truly good music coming to us. This is not to say that there is not good music--just that one will not find much of it in pop culture. To do my part to alleviate this matter, I am beginning Culture Corner.

Much of the music I share on Culture Corner will likely be the blues because it is so sorely underrepresented in today's music; however, it is one of the best forms of music in my opinion. Perhaps I will explain why I feel this way in a future blog, but before I do that, I will show you my reasons...

The very first song I want to share with you is Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan. He was simply the best. He inspired an entire generation of guitar players (most definitely including me). He played with a passion that no one could equal. Although his life was cut short by a helicopter crash, I can only hope that his music will live on forever. Enjoy.

10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads

I recently obtained 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads, a dual-disc album put out by Kenny Wayne Shepherd. In 2004, Shepherd, along with Chris Layton and Tommy Shannon (SRV's old band, Double Trouble), went on a road trip throughout the South in an effort to preserve the music of the originators of the blues. (The blues has the same roots as jazz, both having come from slave music.) Shepherd tracked down many of the pioneers in blues, most of whom are very, very old. But my, oh my, can they still play!

The album contains a CD of 15 of the songs that were recorded on the trip. I believe all of the songs were recorded live, in one take. As I listened to it, I realized how good these musicians are, even in their 70s, 80s and 90s--they only need one take! Their ability to connect with the listener via music is second to none.

The album also comes with a DVD documentary of Shepherd's road trip. It is put together similarly to a PBS special. By watching, I learned many interesting things about the men and women who formed the blues, and I really came to respect the musicians and their music even more than I, a blues fan, already did.

This is more of an informational posting than a "blog" per se, but if you like music at all, I would recommend picking up this album. First, it's just plain ol' good music. Second, it's a history lesson about black American culture. (It's truly a shame that black culture has turned to rap and R&B for its music, when it has such a rich musical past.) Third, it might get you hooked on the blues, which can only be a good thing.

(By the way, if any of you do like the blues or great guitar playing, also check out Joe Bonamassa, who I think is the best rock/blues guitarist on the planet right now. )

Happy listening!

Belief.

In my mind, there is no question that John Mayer is a good musician. With his latest endeavor, Continuum, he has exercised more creative freedom than in his previous releases by moving to a less-pop-more-blues style of music (good for him!). Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino round out Mayer's trio of talented musicians. And, as he should, Mayer willingly and humbly admits that he is much less talented than the great SRV. But, hey, he's got some good songs.

I have an axiom, however, by which I live: "Do not let any musician influence your worldview." Yet again, Mr. Mayer validates this rule with his song Belief. Here is a sampling of the lyrics:

We're never gonna win the world
We're never gonna stop the war
We're never gonna beat this
If belief is what we're fighting for

What puts a hundred thousand children in the sand
Belief can

What puts the folded flag inside his mother's hand
Belief can

Mayer is not a fan of belief, so it seems. Throughout the song, he states the various negative consequences of people acting upon their beliefs. Soldiers die; 100,000 children are buried (I am not sure whom he is referencing with this statistic); war will continue ad infinitum. But do these bad effects really render all belief as unproductive, or even evil, as Mayer suggests?

First, Mayer does not distinguish between unfounded belief and justified belief. What if what I believe is true and justifiable? According to the song, I should not even then act upon my convictions (at least not in the public sphere). Yes, a person with unfounded, incorrect beliefs likely will cause harm by acting upon them (think 9/11). Mother Teresa, though, spent years helping the people of India by acting upon her (in my opinion) justifiable beliefs. Martin Luther King is another example of a person who changed this world for the better specifically by acting upon his beliefs. I would submit, in fact, that all great men and women are great because they act on their convictions in the public sphere. True, the same holds for the most evil of men and women, but as C.S. Lewis argued, the greatest sinners would make for the greatest saints. In other words, the acting out of one's beliefs is not necessarily good or bad; that depends on the beliefs and the people who hold them.

Second, Mayer condemns acting on convictions, yet he wants the listener to act upon his belief of not acting upon beliefs, which is self-contradictory. This is a very good example of where postmodernism breaks down. There are no moral absolutes or metanarratives within postmodernism, yet it comes chock full of "ought" statements. There can be no ultimate basis within postmodernism to tell someone he or she ought to do anything. (For more in depth treatment of this topic, consult Lewis in The Abolition of Man.) To what standard does Mayer appeal, and how can he justify his request, which denies the very idea it seeks to affirm?

Perhaps Mayer should have covered Pride and Joy instead.