I bought a CD the other day that uses the word “antediluvian” in one of the songs. I think I have now, officially, seen everything. Care to hazard a guess what album it was and who the artist is?

If you are not familiar with the word antediluvian it means “of or relating to the period before the Biblical flood.”

Michael Janke at CMCentral has just posted an excellent interview he did with Petra during GMA week. At first he speaks just with Bob Hartman but about halfway through John Schlitt comes in and it’s just great to read the banter between the two of them.

Are they really talking about looking forward to Petra’s 40th anniversary!?

You can read the interview here.

With so many new artists vying for a place in the Christian industry it is becoming increasingly difficult for new acts to set themselves apart from the crowd. When every week seems to deliver at least one or two new rocks bands it is refreshing to find one that features a truly unique sound. Adding 60's and 70's sensibilities to a modern rock sound Pivitplex manages to offer something original to the genre with their debut album Under Museum Quality Glass (I'd like to give kudos to the band for the great title for the album).

Pivitplex plays upbeat, melodic, guitar-driven rock and roll mixing things up with some electronic sounds and slightly distorted guitar. Lead singer and songwriter Scott Brownson works in a lot of masterful harmonies and focuses lyrically on the joys and pain of life but always with a view to the hope of eternity.

The album starts strong, kicking off with three solid rock songs. "Some Will Fall" shows off all of the band's best features, showcasing harmonies, guitar and some funky electronics. "Grounded" is a song played over a great background track that finds Brownson anticipating heaven. I couldn't help but think of the band Zilch on this one. Following "Grounded" is "You Know," easily the strongest title on the album and one that has already had success on the charts.

It seems tradition calls for a ballad as the fourth track and Pivitplex offers a great one in "Cash It In," a rock ballad about losing a friend - saying goodbye and then dealing with the pain of separation.

At this point the songs begin to blur together a bit. There aren't any bad songs, but the Pivitplex sound which had felt so original begins to feel a bit used. Still, there are a couple of other standout titles. "Feeling Fear" is a slow ballad that speaks of the fear we feel as we try to hide from God and ultimately the importance of learning to rest in His love. "Clarity," which may have the tightest harmonies of any song on the album, is a rocker that leads nicely into the closing song "Lullaby," a bedtime prayer. Though a bit corny, it is a stirring song with a beautiful and original chorus.

Pivitplex has a sound that is all their own and one that should appeal to fans of downhere, Dakona and bands of that nature. Though I truly like it, I found myself wondering if they would be able to sustain the sound through several more albums without becoming tiring and repetitive. Even on this album the sound started to get old and I wish they could have carried the momentum through the middle tracks. Despite that small hang-up, I enjoyed Under Museum Quality Glass and hope there is a bright future ahead for this band. I will be eagerly anticipating their sophomore release.

This morning I came across a book entitled Get Up Off Your Knees which is subtitled Preaching the U2 Catalog. It is a collection of sermons based on the songs of U2 that was compiled by authors Raewynne J. Whiteley and Beth Maynard. Eugene Peterson wrote the foreward. Here is a description of the book:

A thoughtful and provocative collection of sermons by a group of preachers from across the international church spectrum who have been moved to theological reflection on the art and work of U2. This book will appeal to fans of U2, students of homiletics, and everyone interested in the intersection of art, popular culture, and religion.

RAEWYNNE J. WHITELEY is vicar of Trinity Episcopal “Old Swedes” Church in Swedesboro, New Jersey. She is the author of many articles and published sermons.

BETH MAYNARD is rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Fairhaven, Massachusetts and past president of Gathering the NeXt Generation, the Episcopal Church’s network for postmodern ministry. Her publications include books, pamphlets, sermons, and several articles.

Does anyone else see a conflict with this? How can a pastor preach on this:

Jesus, Jesus help me
I’m alone in this world
And a f****d up world it is too
Tell me, tell me the story
The one about eternity
And the way it’s all gonna be
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN

Jesus, I’m waiting here boss
I know you’re looking out for us
But maybe your hands aren’t free
Your Father, He made the world in seven
He’s in charge of Heaven
Will you put in a word for me
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN

Listen to your words they’ll tell you what to do
Listen over the rhythm that’s confusing you
Listen to the reed in the saxophone
Listen over the hum in the radio
Listen over sounds of blades in rotation
Listen through the traffic and circulation
Listen as hope and peace try to rhyme
Listen over marching bands playing out their time
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN

Jesus, were you just around the corner?
Did you think to try and warn her?
Or are you working on something new?
If there’s an order in all of this disorder
Is it like a tape recorder?
Can we rewind it just once more?
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN
WAKE UP WAKE UP DEAD MAN

I have no idea if that particular song is covered in the collection. It is well-documented that the members of U2 have long had a pretty bad case of potty-mouth. Just recent Bono got in trouble for using the F-word during a live broadcast. Now I do not mean to be legalistic and suggest that people who swear cannot be Christians, but should be holding up such people as examples of great Christians? Should our pastors be basing their sermons on such songs? It seems to me there is a pretty serious conflict here.

I guess I just do not understand why so many Christians hold up U2 as being the poster boys of Christian music. It seems to me that they have done very little to prove that they have true, living faith. Now I realize that these are fighting words for many believers! I would love to be proven wrong, so if you have links to resources that would prove me wrong, please leave a comment with a link.

Seven albums into their careers, the members of Third Day do not have a lot left to prove. They have four gold albums and one platinum and have established themselves as one of Christian music's premier bands. Perhaps all that was left for them to prove was that they had not forgotten what made them so popular in the first place. Since the release of Offerings: A Worship Album in 2000, Third Day has concentrated on mid-tempo and praise and worship music, and fans were beginning to wonder if they had lost site of their rock roots. Wire answers that question with an emphatic "no!" While the band continues to provide a strong, Biblical message, their sound has returned to their unique brand of southern rock we came to know and love through their first two albums. To ensure their sound was fresh as they returned to their rocking roots, the band stepped away from long-time producer Monroe Jones and turned instead to Paul Ebersold. On the song-writing front, while Mac Powell continues to do the bulk of the work, Mark Lee shows growth, contributing three songs to this project, including the title track.

The album gets underway with the rocking songs 'Til The Day I Die and Come on Back to Me, both of which would have been at home on their 1996 debut album. These songs prove right from the beginning that the Third Day which made such a splash in the industry almost 10 years ago has no intention of taking the edge off their music. An anthemic song that is destined to become a concert staple, Come On Back To Me speaks about God's love and how He is a God of forgiveness and second chances. The album then slows down for the title track, a powerful rock ballad written by guitarist Mark Lee. It is a song which allows the band to express the vulnerability of living in the spotlight. "I am walking on a wire / I tiptoe through the fire / Never looking down to see that / I am walking on a wire / The pressure's getting higher / But I don't look around." They then ask "What if I slip / Will they catch me / Or watch me fall?"

Having slowed down briefly for Wire, the band launches into Rockstar, a humorous look at the trappings of the rock star lifestyle. With some great harmonies and guitar work, this song charts new musical territory for the band and is one of the album's highlights. Unfortunately because of the subject matter I doubt we will ever find it on the charts.

The remaining songs are mostly mid-tempo and the album does not slow down again until You Are Mine, an upbeat ballad that hinges on the words "I am yours and you are mine." It is a song about grace, reflecting on how we can never understand why and how much God loves us. Innocent follows seamlessly, speaking about the fact that we have been made innocent in God's eyes. "I am innocent and I have been set free / I no longer have chains around my feet."

San Angelo is a lyrical gem - a ballad in which Powell contemplates questioning God and the loneliness of being on the road. The album wraps up with I Will Hold My Head High, a ballad penned by Lee where he speaks about finding joy and victory through the trials of life. "I will hold my head high / Life my hands to the sky / Rise above all who try to bring me down / I will hold my head high."

This album is more Third Day and Conspiracy No. 5 than Time or Come Together. In rediscovering their roots Third Day has proven they have a lot left to offer their fans both musically and lyrically. One of their strongest albums to date, this one is a definite keeper and indicates that there is no reason to doubt that there is a bright future ahead for Third Day.

I have a large collection of Christian music. I received my introduction to Christian music in 1990 when my friend had me listen to a Petra tape. Just for historical purposes, that album was Beyond Belief. I was intrigued by the music and shortly after purchased Beyond Belief and Petrafied (a Petra compilation). That was the beginning of something of an obsession with Christian music. Though I cannot afford to buy as much as I might like, I have managed to amass a decent collection over the past 13 years. I first posted the collection on the Internet as part of a learning project (teaching myself PHP and MYSQL). My friends soon found it handy so they could browse the collection and tell me which albums they wanted to borrow. And so I have continued to update the database for the past two years. As time goes on I try to add value to the collection by adding more information to the records. It is a slow and time-consuming process and on that is on-going.

Please contact me if you have any burning questions about any of this!

And so I present to you, the Music Collection.