Here's the second and last in the Roaring Lambs series. Last week we
talked about the book by Bob Briner, and this week we talk about the
tribute CD to Bob Briner, called Roaring Lambs. This disc was put
together by Steve Taylor, and features the artist which Steve Taylor
believes are doing the best job of being "Salt and Light" to the
world.

ROARING LAMBS - VARIOUS (2000)
by Sara Hicks
We've seen it happen over and over again. In an attempt to heighten
excitement about a new album, the record company will advertise it
relentlessly for months only to raise expectations too high and prove
once more that hype can be deadly to a cd. The exception: Roaring
Lambs. Despite more than six months of advertisement, this Squint
release lives up to expectations in more ways than one. The line up
is phenomenal. It includes artists who are well-known and respected
in the Christian community, but more importantly, who have leapt
outside of Christian boundaries, landed in the middle of a culture of
hungry lions, and roared back: Jars of Clay and Sixpence None The
Richer (both of whom have experienced groundbreaking mainstream
success), worship leaders extrordinaire Delirious?, Ginny Owens (who
performed next to stars like Sarah McLachlan and Sheryl Crow on the
Lilleth Faire Tour), the much anticipated duo of Steven Curtis
Chapman and Michael W. Smith, and many more, all led by Christian
music's big man, Steve Taylor. And its message is even bigger.
Based on the philosophies detailed by the late Bob Briner in his book
of the same title, Roaring Lambs calls us to be the salt of the earth
and the light of the world by invading all areas of our culture with
the Holy Truth. It's a calling that countless Christians have made
their personal mission.

The confident sound of Jars of Clay opens the CD. Their
track, "Headstrong," is a skillfully produced balance of smooth
guitars, rich harmonies, and chunky percussion. It is very similar
in style to the songs on their "If I Left The Zoo" album, as it was
originally supposed to "leave the zoo" as well. Ashley Cleveland and
dc Talk's Michael Tait might not be an obvious combination, but they
deliver a stellar performance, nonetheless. "Salt and Light" is a
fun rock song that stands apart as one of the best cuts on the
album. Next, two CCM veterans, Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W.
Smith, team up for "Out There." Although there is a dynamic
chemistry between their voices, the song itself is a little on the
dull side. Brent Bourgeois and Ginny Owens serve up something
different with "One Thing." Bourgeois wrote the song, and its style
is unlike that of anything Ginny Owens has done in the past. In
fact, I didn't even recognize her voice the first time I heard the
song. Still, Bourgeois' writing is beautifully poetic, despite its
repetitiveness. The next few tracks are what truly bring the
compilation to life. Steve Taylor's "Shortstop" asks "Who will rise
up?," using layers of jazzy piano, quippy lyrics, and an infectious
beat. The previously retired PFR reunited to record track
#6, "Kingdom Come." Calling Christians to "live loud enough to be
heard," its lyrics sum up Bob Briner's philosophy better than any
other song on the album. Charlie Peacock and Ladysmith Black Mambazo
sing of God's never failing power in the African-style,
acappella "'Akehlulek' Ubaba." The direction of the album moves
toward progressive praise with Delirious?' "Touch," another
impressive addition to the group's gracefully evolving worship
style. Burlap to Cashmere follows. As the title of their song
suggests, "Daisies and Roses," is a vision of gentleness and
encouragement, set off by rolling guitars and ear-catching lyrics.
Over The Rhine contributes "Goodbye," a beautiful song that ponders
coming to terms with oneself, while Bill Mallonee and Vigilantes of
Love proffer "Wondering Where the Lions Are" with a harsh sound that
may appeal to some rock fanatics. Legendary for stepping up as
roaring lambs in the secular rock genre, Sixpence None The Richer
tops off the compilation with "The Ground You Shook." This jewel,
written by Matt Slocum, captures a tiny piece of the wonder of God
and wraps it up in a pounding melodic number. A beautiful sound,
indeed.

Roaring Lambs holds nothing back. Its cutting edge music and upfront
lyrics speak volumes about Christianity. The album certainly has
what it takes to make an impact outside the Christian comfort zone,
but will its message reach the rest of the world? Time will tell.
Until then we can take comfort in the fact that as Christians we are
beginning to understand our calling to be silent no more. The Lambs
are roaring beautiful sounds.

For more on Roaring Lambs and if you missed last week's revew of the
book, please look on cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/alternative/roaringlambs


AVAILABLE YESTERDAY (on cMusicWeb.com and at your local store)

HYMNS: A PLACE OF WORSHIP - 4HIM
Veering away from their pop thing and trying to get in the worship
craze, 4HIM goes back a little too far to hymns that are older than
your grandpa.

SO GOOD - THE KATINAS
Those brothers with the cool accent re-release their pre-debut album
on Maranatha! Music.

THE KINDEST OF DAYS - AARON SPRINKLE
Yeah, I know, it's on Organic Records and we usually don't cover
them, but I heard some wierdo liked Aaron Sprinkle. So, here comes
his new CD, which probably sounds exactly the same ase Moontraveler,
his debut.

OK, so there wasn't anything that aweseome, so the PICK OF THE WEEK
is GLO, which releases in the UK this Saturday:
http://cMusicWeb.com/glo


AVAILABLE TO PRE-ORDER (on Christian MusicWeb)

ROCK: http://cMusicWeb.com/rock
Emotion is Dead - The Juliana Theory [8/29]

POP: http://cMusicWeb.com/pop
Live for You - Rachel Lampa [8/1]
Jake (self-titled) [8/15]
ZOEgirl (self-titled) [8/15]

WORSHIP: http://cMusicWeb.com/worship
My Passion - Sammy Ward [8/1]
City on a Hill - Various [8/22]

Click on the album titles on the genre page to order them and recieve
them on the release date.


CHRISTIAN HIT RADIO CHARTS FOR THIS WEEK
> More pop is shooting up and MWS is
> stuck at #8 with his retro sound.
1. Live For You - Rachel Lampa
2. Don't Look at Me - Stacie Orrico
3. God is Watching Over You - Phil Joel
4. Someday - LaRue
5. Written on My Heart - PlusOne
6. I Do Believe - Steven Curtis Chapman
7. I Still Have the Dream - Micheal W. Smith
8. Good Life - Audio Adrenaline
9. My Refuge - SONICFLOOd
10. Tomorrow - Out of Eden

SOURCE: CCM Update (http://www.ccmupdate.com/)


Well, no cMusicWeb updates so far this week, but we hope to have some
very soon. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you being
a "roaring lamb" in whatever you do this week! As always, we're
looking for your comments or questions!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
ICQ - 43224317 AOL IM - dMusicWeb