And now for something different. What with my blog colleagues here so taken with a particular famous singer who shall remain nameless, I've sort of left the popular culture stuff up to them here at W4--I'm very content to do so. But it seemed to me we could use a break and a reference to something quite different from the usual, and as I was smitten yesterday with this new song (new to me) and took some time over a post about it on my personal blog, I decided to cross-link here.
Enjoy. If you like 80's-style inspirational pop with quality lyrics, you'll love it. If you like fancy electric guitar solos in the middle, you'll like it a lot. And you get my selected quotations from the Bible and C.S. Lewis thrown in for good measure.
Comments (7)
And I know it's a bit sentimental.
A bit? You'd need lead boots to stay on the ground from all the uplift. :)
Posted by Scott W. | September 2, 2009 11:27 AM
Yes, but on a lovely autumn day, who wants to stay on the ground? I say, crank up the speakers. Even I can't be deadly serious all the time.
Posted by Lydia | September 2, 2009 11:47 AM
You're a fan of 80's music? Say it ain't so.
Posted by Step2 | September 2, 2009 12:14 PM
Mostly I know Christian music of that style, and that goes back to the 70's. I like Mannheim Steamroller, too. I love the theme from Chariots of Fire. Once at the old Enchiridion Militis blog I did a post on the Imperials--they were a 70's-early-80's group that combined Christian pop, country, and ballad styles. I still like them. Got no comments on the post as I recall. I'm afraid nobody knew what I was talking about. They have one song called "Bread Upon the Water" with one of those "take it away" electric guitar solos in the middle that is really fun to crank.
Posted by Lydia | September 2, 2009 12:51 PM
I like Mannheim Steamroller, too.
I was an early fan when they were doing Fresh Aire I-IV and I saw there first Christmas concert tour way back when. The concert was excellent because they included a complete performance of side I of what I regard as Chip's best work, Fresh Aire II. After IV however, I think success had a bad effect as he piled on more and more instrumentation/orchestration and the music generally wasn't up to the task. That, and his penchant for the Muzak sound. But he is a Cornhusker (my wife's doctoral school), so he gets extra points. :)
I don't really hear MB as an 80's sound. Now this is an 80's sound.
Posted by Scott W. | September 2, 2009 3:25 PM
I am frequently a sucker for the lugubrious and overwrought pop song what with the I IV V progressions, stepping modulations, and sappy melody (I love Rudyard Kipling, too; what can I say?), but I was a bit put off by what you noticed too, Lydia, the I I I will do it, get there, win it, it is all about me bombast even though the lyrics are easily interpreted as spiritual.
Posted by mark butterworth | September 3, 2009 12:25 AM
Hmm. When I think of the 80s, I think of this.
Posted by Tim | September 6, 2009 9:16 PM