Welcome to cMusicMail! Thankfully, our writers are always trying to search
for the truth behind the music. When Rick first submitted a review of the
latest Joy Electric album, I thought it was great. Yet, after publicizing it
in cMusicMail, some fans immediately disagreed with his assessment of the
lyrical content. So, Rick went back, studied the musical story some more,
and found some very interesting content deep in the lyrics...

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LEGACY VOL. ONE: THE WHITE SONGBOOK - JOY ELECTRIC (2001) REVISED
by Rick Foux

Author's Note: Occasionally, after listening to and reviewing an album, a
writer captures only the surface of what they hear. Further listening shows
the writer that there's much more to a project than they first thought. This
was my error in my initial review of Joy Electric's The White Songbook. In
it I mistakenly categorized Ronnie Martin's project as "a work of fiction."
Now, after much study and reflection, I'm convinced that The White Songbook
is not a fairy tale, but a true story. That story is the story of Ronnie
Martin and Joy Electric, and it is a story worth hearing. Without further
ado, here is a "second edition" of my review: enjoy.

Rarely does an artist release an album which is, in essence, a musical book
designed to relay a story to its listeners. In doing so, the songwriter
transposes himself as an author, and in turn, his musical creation becomes a
work of literature. Yet, Ronnie Martin has done just that, penning a story
of inner joy and tears, of outer success and failure. It is The White
Songbook.

The "story" actually begins in the CD liner booklet, which has even been
divided into chapters and sub-chapters, with the song lyrics serving as the
words to the "book." It's easy to flip through and read in a couple of
minutes, but the true essence of the story is captured on the CD: if you
want to discover the hidden message of the songbook, you'll have to read
between the lines and listen for yourself.

The title track is only a prelude to the story, but Ronnie sums up
everything he wants to get off his chest. First he discusses how the
contemporary Christian market has bent itself to please the pop culture ("to
please the queens one bends the knees / and hopes to befriend the
archenemy"). He also rightfully, yet covertly, makes jabs at dc Talk,
Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, and Forefront Records. These crowd-pleasers have
drowned out Joy Electric's voice and denied them a rightful foothold in the
industry, which is a topic that arises once again in "A New Pirate
Traditional." Ronnie closes by saying how the band has spent "years in
hiding" and how the flow of time diluted what they had to offer to the
world. Additionally, "And Without Help We Perish" seems to be dedicated to
jE's loyal fans. The first verse implies that even some of Ronnie's friends
have "sold-out" to "rustling replicants born of percentage," or in other
words, whoever's popular or "in" at the time. Thus the main reason of the
chorus "Without help we lose it all / without help we perish / without help
we fail" could mean that if Joy Electric didn't have such a loyal and
devoted fan base, they wouldn't exist. As "The Boy Who Never Forgot," Ronnie
recalls his younger years thriving with "hope and a full heart," but then
hints that his hope is gone after being denied significant recognition
within the Christian music industry. His struggle grows as he ponders in
"Unicornicopia" whether or not God is even using him: "the Lord brings us
about to the work of his own keeping / part of you speaks, 'do you need
me?'"

Chapter 2 takes a different turn beginning with "A New Pirate Traditional,"
where Ronnie again bashes the CCM industry, and for good reason. Throughout
the course of the song he exposes the industry's many shortcomings and how
they've gone wrong, catering to the trendy and in-crowd instead of focusing
on the world's lost souls. Ronnie pleas during the song's conclusion, "Who
will love us, the unloved? And will an ounce ever be mine?" And we can't
help but agree with him. Most if not all of his points have merit, and
imaginably it's discouraging to see the newcomers and one-hit wonders come
along and receive more recognition than an experienced artist who's been in
the business for ten years. "We Are Rock" reaffirms this statement, but
Ronnie vows not to give up. Similarly, in "The Good Will Not Be Cloned or
Why Should the Christians Have All the Bad Music," the line "A DECADE OF
BEING FORGOTTEN, NO MORE, NO MORE," is a foreshadowing of things to come.
Obviously, big things are in store for Joy Electric, and whether it's the
Legacy projects or some other secret they're keeping up their sleeves, this
is a band that will finally get recognized. The dual title "Why Should the
Christians Have All the Bad Music" is a hidden message in itself, but it's
pretty self-explanatory whenever you catch its meaning.

Chapter 3's "Sing Once for Me" is dedicated to two individuals named Melissa
and Beth, who we know nothing about thus far, but "The Heritage Bough"
openly speaks about the downfall of Christian music and how it's been
perverted. "What once was fair and divine you misplaced with the parts of a
devil who made you unfaithful," Ronnie sings, meaning that Christian music
once had only one purpose: to glorify and edify God. Now that purpose has
been lost, and more and more artists are getting involved in the industry
simply because it's growing and there's more opportunity. Such artists have
snagged the young and innocent and caught them in webs of deceit ("secretly
the cups of children hanged as wreaths"). Ronnie ends his rantings with "The
Songbook Tells All," in which he alludes to the title track and asks the
listening audience if we understand ("can you not read music, plain greek
alphabet?"). The lyrics "your surname's come up, in exchange for dumbing up"
seem to imply that the artists mentioned in "The Heritage Bough," know
exactly what they're doing, yet pretend to be oblivious to it all. The line
is a reminder that no one can escape the judgment of God.

Upon re-analyzation of The White Songbook, I find it more intriguing than
before. Some of my interpretations may be off, but I've tried to understand
to the best of my ability. Frankly, I believe that Ronnie Martin has a
message for all of us. A story that he'd like us to hear. His story. I for
one am eagerly awaiting Legacy: Volume 2 to find out how the story
continues.

Special thanks to Buckley Cloud and Jason Ewert, who inspired me to
"revisit" this album in search for truth.

Read the old review of The White Songbook:
http://cmusicweb.com/alternative/joyelectrical/thewhitesongbook-old.shtml

Read more about Joy Electric at cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/joyelectrical


WIN CREATION STUFF
More winners will be chosen for the Creation Festival giveaway this week, so
check your e-mail often to find an e-mail from us! You can win Creation
Videos or the Creation Worships disc.


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, JULY 30 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

THE CALL - VINEYARD MUSIC
A rare to-do from Vineyard, this studio album delivers some all-new worship
songs in a stripped-down, acoustic style.

IF YOU SAY GO - VINEYARD MUSIC
Definitely not as boring as the one above, this album was recorded in my
native city, Minneapolis, at a church I have never been to. But, the sound
of the disc has a edgy rock feel to the all new worship songs.

NEW SONG CAFE - WORSHIP TOGETHER
While it says "New Songs," I don't see hardly any new songs included. But,
these new recordings of such songs as "Better Is One Day" by such mellow
artists as Rita Springer and produced by John Hartley and Derri Daughterty.

ONE AND ONLY - BIG DADDY WEAVE
These guys have a definitely unique sound. Their acoustic style is somewhat
reminiscent of Dave Matthews Band, some jazz music, and a couple other
things. Their scripture-based lyrics keep the album grounded in faith, also.

WINGS TO FLY - PLANKEYE
One of the late 90s most popular punk rock bands, Plankeye is now calling it
quits. But, before they go, they released this new project, with 6 new songs
and 12 classic Plankeye favorites, for everyone to enjoy! Get the last
effort from Plankeye because it is the PICK OF THE WEEK.


THE LATEST NEWS HEADLINES
- Switchfoot Officially Signed to Columbia Records
- Jake Still in Business
- Tree63 Prepares for New Album
- RUMOR: Chapman To Record Live Album
- delirious?, Worship Circus on Big Brother 3
- Mary Mary Debuts at #20 On Billboard
- New Christian Reality Series Headed For Cable
- New U2 Single Ready For Airwaves
- PFR Disappears Again
- Big Daddy Weave Releases Debut Today
- Prepare to be Touched
- Christmas On A Hill
- 3D Members Lend a Helping Hand
- Everything's Okay With Chris Rice
- Festival Con Dios Launches Version 2
- Bebo Norman Hits Fall Circa 2002 Tour
- News From the BEC Front
- David Crowder Band Takes Worship to the Streets
- Third Day's Offerings Experience Takes the Airwaves
- And more!

View all the latest stories on cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/


OTHER NEW STUFF ON cMUSICWEB.COM
Review: Raw Material - Mars Ill
http://cMusicWeb.com/hiphop/marsill/rawmaterial.shtml

Review: The White Songbook - Joy Electric
http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/joyelectric/thewhitesongbook.shtml


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