A child has come home

I hope I never "get used" to the feeling I have now.

Let me explain...I have joined a new message board community based primarily on quality Christian fellowship. Yes, we talk about gospel music, too...I ask them trivia questions daily about it...not too hard, all in fun...and I'm glad they enjoy participating in it, and enjoy learning about those who have made the music that blesses us so much.

Tonight, I couldn't help but notice that one of our members described how, while watching the 700 Club, was convinced of the need for a new Lord in her life. The life she'd been living to this point apparently was unsatisfying to the point that she could no longer continue without relinquishing her hold on herself. So she called the prayer counselors manning the phones for the show and announced that she was surrendering her life to Jesus Christ.

Once she'd done that, evidently she couldn't wait to go to her computer and post to the board the announcement of her decision. You see, the other members of that community had been praying for this for a long time...surely they ought to be among the first to know the news.

Once she posted, the happy replies kept pouring in! Stacy had become a member of the family of God! We all had a new sister! As I type this, quite frankly, I'm trying to hold back tears of joy here at my part-time job where I'm typing this...in this cynical day and age we live in, where vitriol and spite are exchanged like Christmas presents in the days after Christmas, I'm glad I haven't become so hardened to the pure joy of hearing about some person I barely know turning her life over to a still-living Savior that has overcome this world!

For I still remember the joy I felt on October 19, 1975 at 8:33P on a Saturday night, when my rebellion came to an abrupt halt...and I surrendered my whole existence to a life...a real life...and a new life...in Jesus Christ. Neil Enloe's excellent song "The Joy Of Knowing Jesus" describes that night perfectly...and remains the soundtrack for my life to this very day!

My prayer for Stacy is that she not only feels that joy today, but that that joy will always be near to her, and easy to find again when the world breaks through and bruises her, as it does at times to all of us. And I pray that she will always remember the time, and the place, and that joy!

Stacy, welcome to our family...we've saved a place in it just for you!:-)

Final reflections on SSQ

...for now, that is!:-)

Things have calmed down for me since my entry here of a week ago, when I was taken to task by some for my impressions of Ernie Haase and Signature Sound, after seeing them on a Bill Gaither television show.

I've not changed my impressions, really...but it's good to know I'm not the only avid gospel music observer that feels as I do about this fine current gospel quartet.

I happened to notice that one of the leading southern gospel bloggers out there caught them at a Gaither Homecoming concert in Florida...and one word he used to describe their performance(particularly their stage routine)was "contrived".

And after a conversation with a gospel singer of note(no pun intended), he related to me that he felt that even though SSQ is composed of fine singers(which I agree with wholeheartedly), they don't sound as good as a group as they could...yet.

I added the "yet"...because SSQ is still a group that has yet to hit its' prime in terms of musical ability...like the rest of us in our lives, they're a work in progress to this point...and any negative impressions anyone has about them need to be tempered with that realization.

But we all look for different things out of our singers...especially gospel music fans.

And if you happen to be the sort of gospel music fan that likes "sizzle" with the steak(past examples would include the Statesmen, the Oak Ridge Boys, and the Thrasher Brothers), SSQ is right up your alley...and you have every reason to enjoy them and be proud to do so!

But if you're a gospel music fan that prefers good songs being presented with as little distraction from the import of the lyrics as possible, SSQ might make YOU feel a bit uneasy at times as well.

Look, their choreography appeals to a lot of people...there's no denying that. But it doesn't appeal to everyone who loves gospel music.

And should it? A better question might be, how CAN it? For there will ALWAYS be those who dislike what you do, for whatever reason they can come up with.

And if you're a group like SSQ that makes a striking impression(one way or the other), then you can see right away that their approach can appear polarizing to some.

Now, please don't misunderstand. I'm NOT being critical of Ernie Haase. I don't know Ernie, but I know people who DO know Ernie...and I'm assured that he is a devoted Christian witness who aims to present the gospel in song, word, and deed.

But sometimes things can happen between here and there...and however laudable and sincere Ernie's convictions may be, sometimes because of the staging, that aspect of Ernie and the guys in SSQ doesn't come across in the way it's intended to.

Is that wrong? It's impossible for me to say. To know that, I'd have to have a WHOLE lot more insight into the hearts of SSQ than I do...and since I'm not God, or one blessed with divine insight, I can't answer that question.

I can only speak for myself, and for me, sometimes the choreography and staging appear to overshadow the material they sing, and how they sing it. And when I sense that, it makes me a bit uncomfortable.

For those of you who don't share my mindset, and get a blessing from the total experience of watching and listening to SSQ, I'm glad you feel as you do. And I'm glad they obviously make the majority of their fans happy.

For part of spreading the gospel through music is spreading joy...and isn't that what loving Jesus is all about?

If you still think I need help in understanding the phenomenon that is SSQ, take it to Someone that can do something about it...for I never turn down help or insight from THAT Source!

Back for more

Well, to say the least, it's been a busy week so far!

Aside from the already hectic pace "real life" brings this blogger, my recent entries have gotten more response than in the past.

A fact which I'm very thankful for...because even if what I'm posting about doesn't get total agreement, it is gratifying to know that there are people visiting this humble little corner of the web, and that those who do care enough to voice(or type)a response!

And to those who visit, thank you....and a special "thank you" to those who have chosen to post a response!

I always wanted my blog to be interactive, and it most certainly is now that SouthernGospelNews has consented to host it! Thanks to Susan and Deon Unthank, too!

And I want also to acknowledge Daniel Mount, a fine blogger and chronicler of gospel music in his own right, for linking this site to his blog, and for his thoughtful(if not always spot on)commentary on my musings. Thank you, Daniel.

So where do I go from here? After all, I've covered EHSSQ, semantics, philosophical issues, and the Super Bowl in just half a week...all the while balancing my duties at Fresno's leading radio station in the process!

One thing I'd like to do is more album reviews as Daniel Mount does...I'm sure people will read them, and I know I'll learn much by the responses and feedback from you, my readers. Indeed, I have learned much about a lot of things from your comments and responses thus far this week....and I can always stand to learn more.

Stay tuned then...and see what's coming!:-)

Turn off the hype machine!

This week has already gotten off to a raucous start with my recent thoughts on Ernie Haase and Signature Sound.

I'm still taking in all the fallout from that, but rather than shrink away from posting anytime soon, I'm jumping right back in with more thoughts on stuff going on around me!

Tonight, I think it'll be a far less controversial topic...at least to gospel music fans, anyway.

As most people in the United States know by now, the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts won their respective conference championships yesterday, and will face each other in Super Bowl XLI(why the Roman numerals has never been explained adequately to me)in two weeks in Miami.

Thus begins possibly the biggest, most sustained media blitz during the year, when we will hear everything that we care to know(and a lot that we don't!)about the Bears and the Colts, about how Peyton Manning and Rex Grossman(the teams' respective QBs)match up with each other, and what a momentous occasion it is that both teams' head coaches are black(the first time that's happened in Super Bowl history), and we''ll be inundated with this and more tidbits about the teams until we get sick of it, or the game starts(wanna bet the first of those comes first?).

Why can't the two teams just play the following week, and get it over with? Football wasn't meant to be played in February...anymore than baseball is meant to be played in November...but this is where we're headed!

I'd be willing to bet that if you asked the players, they'd want to play TODAY...at least next week. But because the media buildup has to be so big for this football game(fans ought to be forgiven for thinking that the Super Bowl is only a mere football game), the game is held back an extra week, so that we lucky fans can learn all there is to know about players like Manning, Joseph Addai, Marvin Harrison, Dwight Freeney, Grossman, Brian Urlacher, Cedric Benson, Robbie Gould, and Devin Hester...I can hardly wait, can't you?

Inevitably, the hype is so huge, and swells to such a degree, that no matter how good the game is, it's an anticlimax. NO football game can live up to the typical Super Bowl hype, except for maybe this year's Fiesta Bowl!

One really tragic casualty, in my opinion, of all this Super hype, is the Sunday evening church service. Our culture has changed to the point that having evening church services is considered cost prohibitive(as if cost ought to be a factor in reaching the lost)or intrusive...so in many places, since the Super Bowl kicks off at 6:20 PM EST approximately, a number of churches don't even try to compete with Super Sunday, opting at best to have Super Bowl parties in members' homes.

Even here in California, churches drop their nighttime services on Super Sunday, possibly reasoning that people are so tired from the reverie of the games that they're in no shape to worship anyway.

So my lonely plea to the NFL hierarchy is this: Cut the hype, it's only a game...and play it the following week and get it over with!

That'll never happen in my lifetime, but hey, a fella can dream, can't he?

Undaunted

Well, if I ever wonder how to get comments on this blog, I shouldn't anymore.

All I have to do is write about a gospel group like Signature Sound...regardless of what I say, or how I say it, I'm SURE to get a response!

That's not just my experience...almost everywhere I see SSQ discussed, reactions range all over the board, depending on what is said.

My last entry here was one based on my impressions after seeing them last night on TV. I thought it was worth writing on, because I couldn't quite figure out initially why their set made me feel so uncomfortable, especially since their singing was pretty good.

So I opted to try to explain myself, in part by referencing what some of their detractors say about them, and attempting to explain why they get such criticism, fair or not.

I was NOT surprised to learn that the majority of the posted comments(my most commented-on post yet!)disagreed with my impressions...SSQ's got lots of fans, and they earned them! And those fans are loyal and quick to come to the group's defense when it appears they're being criticized.

I was surprised by the most angry response, for I thought the person posting it knew me better than it appears she did!

So, just to address her main points of criticism....

1. I was deliberate in posting my criticism, because I was trying my best to be fair to SSQ...NOT because I was looking for an excuse to "slam" them. In the past, on other subjects, I was even more even-handed, and got raked over the coals for some of my observations, to the point where the place I referred to banned me from their site(even though I violated NONE of their rules!)! Long ago, I learned that if people want to be mad at you, they'll find a way to do so...no matter WHAT you say or do! It comes with the territory when you voice an opinion. I seem to have that knack for arousing those kinds of reactions.

2. I took great pains to say repeatedly that, IMO, SSQ ia a fine quartet, and NOT what many of their detractors say they are! They're NOT wild or disrespectful or trying to "cross over" into CCM! Their style is exaactly that of a modern gospel quartet...they don't do anything musically that groups like Gold City or Legacy Five don't do. They just make some people nervous because of their hairstyles and stage movements...and there is plenty of precedence in gospel music for groups that look and act a little different! And they reach the people they want to...and for that, I can only tip my hat to them.

3. A lot of people enjoy reading my thoughts...so I'm going to keep posting them. I'll be around for a while!

4. I have been a huge gospel quartet fan since the age of 9, which would be 39 years now. (You do the math and figure out how old I am!) I think that helps give me a unique historical perspective on gospel music...especially since I have a large collection of recordings of it.

5. Most of my posts are not critical at all, but positive evaluations of people who I think deserve mention...and the majority of my entries here will continue to be that way!

6. Finally, I never claimed in my previous entry to know the minds and hearts of the members of SSQ...nor suggested in any way that they are "faking" what they do...and no careful analysis of my words can demonstrate such an accusation.

I'm just an "inquiring mind" that loves gospel music, and loves to discuss it with people.

And as far as my credentials, well...I'm the world's leading expert on my own opinion!(ght Bruce Williams)

So there.

Watching Ernie and SSQ

Maybe I AM officially an "old fogey" now.

I had a rare opportunity to watch a Bill Gaither TV program tonight at work...it was a concert where the Gaither Vocal Band teamed up with Bill's newest "star" attraction, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound.

Now I realize that EHSSQ have been stars well before they joined forces with Bill and his troupe, but these days Bill has used them as one of his main attractions...and commercially, it makes sense, as Bill's GVB and SSQ are arguably the biggest draws on the southern gospel circuit these days.

I also know that Ernie consciously markets his quartet to a younger audience, what with their appearance and stage demeanor, and his group does do a good job in attracting and holding that audience, particularly when one considers that musically, they're basically a straight, modern gospel quartet, with relatively few concessions to current Christian pop stylists. And they make their audiences happy, which could be argued is the bottom line.

With all that, then, why do I feel uncomfortable watching EHSSQ on TV?

I suspect that if I were only listening to them, I wouldn't feel uncomfortable in the least, being that I'm about as dyed-in-the-wool a quartet fan as one could imagine, but that's the trouble when they're on TV. I'm NOT just listening to them...I'm seeing them as well...and I confess, watching SSQ in action is a little unsettling for me.

I've long since gotten used to the trendy haircuts and the short ties...and I'm used to hearing more voices than I see when I watch the group.

So what's your problem, John? Why are you unsettled?

In answering that question, let me just say that I can understand why more traditional(read "older")quartet fans have a hard time watching SSQ...their entire stage presentation is an exercise in "glitz"...from their mannered vocals, to their requisite "sincere" looks on their faces when they sing songs with "deep" lyrics, to Ernie's mike antics, to bass Tim Duncan's borrowed stage theatrics when singing.

In other words, they look like a professional pop act that could be onstage in Las Vegas as much as they could be in a church in rural Ohio. Not that there's anything wrong at all with looking as polished as possible...a little polish has always been a welcome diversion in gospel music to this observer.

But that sort of impression can bother those fans of gospel music who fear their music can appear too "worldly", i.e., too much like a top secular act that could care less about devotion to the Savior they hapen to be singing about.

Again, I don't feel EHSSQ is insincere in the least...they just might look that way to some people because of their appearance and their obvious staged "choreography". I put the word in quotes because to me, it looks incredibly hokey and contrived.

Now people may have thought the same thing in the 1950s when they saw the Statesmen Quartet. I understand that.

Maybe it's just my age and orientation, but there's a big difference in the moves of the Statesmen onstage and those of SSQ. To me, the Statesmen appeared to be far more spontaneous in their onstage persona, while SSQ appears more contrived...as if they're trying to recapture the appeal to the Statesmen by aping their moves, rather than studying and applying the whole picture, i.e., the song presentation as well as the onstage moves.

SSQ's well-known version of the Statesmen show stopper "O What A Savior" embodies what I'm trying to describe. Ernie Haase seems to be more interested in making a show of the song rather than just sing it as well as he can, as Rosie Rozell did in the day. Such an approach empties the song of its' content and uncomfortably tries to fit it into a "show" context. And as hard as Ernie tries, he's not the showman that ANY of the Statesmen were, or even the Blackwood Brothers. Even Glen Payne and George Younce were dynamic, unpretentious stage presences compared to what Ernie Haase seems to be.

Now, granted, this is just an impression based on this TV show...but I've seen EHSSQ in person a number of times apart from that, and my general impression of them remains the same, they're so into the "show" that they seem to overlook their songs and what they're singing about.

SSQ'a encore was their new version of "Get Away Jordan", and it underlined all I said above. SSQ's version had a lot of physical movement, but it lacked the flair, style, commitment, and overall energy of the Statesmen's famous version.

I've heard a rumor that McCray Dove was not very fond of SSQ doing "Get Away Jordan", especially after his Dove Brothers made a successful cover of the old classic....based on this performance, I can see why, if that is true.

Make no mistake. EHSSQ is a good quartet, and their sound is NOT too wild or too "contemporary" or irreligious. But onstage, they're still a little unsettling to this long time quartet fan. I remain to be convinced I'm wrong about them.

Another one of those days

Well, we all have 'em.

And today was one of the worst days I've ever had, if days can be defined in terms of circumstances.

Since they can't entirely, it may have not been the worst day of my life. For I've lived long enough to know that God has a marvelous ability to take bad things that happen to us, and use them to make good things happen later...so that we can learn to love and appreciate Him more.

I am waiting on Him...and trusting that all the things that have been said about Him in my favorite songs are eternally true.

More observations on music and life next time.

Why do we want to be “American Idols”?

I confess, I've never been a fan of "American Idol".

But to be honest, I fail to understand why this TV show has become such a national obsession...or maybe I do, and it makes me shudder.

Part of the reason I'm not a fan of the show is that I disagree with its' basic premise, that "fame" is something worth pursuing at virtually any cost, regardless of whether the people pursuing it have what it takes to achieve it.

Now don't get me wrong...I'm the last person in the world to discourage people from following their dreams. They should...at least until it's apparent that their particular dream has no basis in reality.

And frankly, a great number of the "Idol" contestants are dreaming(read "hallucinating")if they actually believe that they're just a "big break" away from reaching that brass ring...and to allow these people to delude themselves to that extent, and risk not only ridicule but permanent psychological damage is cruel and manipulative. And we want to see THAT?

When I first became aware of "American Idol", it reminded me eerily of Chuck Barris' infamous "Gong Show", which ran in the 1970s and 1980s. It became a stage for both the ridiculous and sublime in terms of "talent", and soon the "hook" for the show became laughing at and ridiculing the contestants that had no talent at all, but proceeded to demonstrate to us exactly why they didn't. To put people like that up on a stage just to laugh and mock them represented some of the most base human values that I could imagine.

Now, one good friend of mine was actually a contestant on that show. And his "talent" was one that was good for a laugh, but not one that had a lot of longterm practical value. He made music with his armpits...which impressed the "Gong Show" judges and delighted the audience. He did well...but most people did not, and a lot of them were laughed right off the stage.

That friend, incidentally, is now one of Fresno's leading evangelical leaders...proving he did have REAL talent...although his talent would not have been suited for the "Gong Show"...not even "American Idol"...but there was one thing about him that was different from most of the contestants of the "Gong Show" AND "American Idol".

He didn't take himself that seriously...and he knew himself...and was comfortable about who he was. He looked upon his appearance there as something "different", and fun...he was under no illusion that he would become famous by being there. Unfortunately, too many people go on shows like "American Idol" thinking(or at least hoping)that they'll fulfill their elusive show business dreams..a la Kelly Clarkson or last year's winner(whose name unfortunately escapes me at the moment).

While watching the news today, I saw clips of "Idol" contestants driven to tears as they were sliced to ribbons verbally by Simon Cowell(the one breath of fresh air on that show). Granted, Cowell could be a bit more tactful at times, but he rightly realizes that he does no favors by pretending that some of the people that appear on the show have any realistic chances of achieving the "fame" that dangles at the ends of the sticks attached to those contestants.

And what is gained by being reduced to tears? Well, when one shakes off the initial hurt of rejection, one may be struck with a sudden dose of realism and turn their life's direction toward something more in line with their actual abilities...which may or may not involve becoming well known, as if that were the measure of true "success".

Look, I know a lot of people like "Idol", and make a habit of watching it each week. That's fine if that's what you like, and if you enjoy watching it, I have no quarrel with you(except for your taste in entertainment, maybe). But I have a quarrel with the notion that the show is there to give people their big "break". It is there to attract an audience, nothing more, nothing less. And if the way they choose to do it is to essentially manipulate people into thinking that the nation wants to see John and Jane Doe embarrass and humiliate themselves by their lack of any discernible talent, then that's where we have a parting of the ways.

I realize that there are some genuinely talented people that appear there, and if that's how they get their "break", then more power to them.

I just don't feel the values that "American Idol" represents are my values. So I don't watch it...and don't plan on doing so any time soon.

I’m fine…don’t worry!

Yeah, I know, I haven't done much here in the last few days.

It's not like there aren't things on my "inquiring" mind, it's just that I haven't been able to really sit down and process them. In case some of you haven't been following the news, it's been unseasonably cold out here in California, and that has caused the internet systems we have at my day job to go down...so my access to the "net" is sporadic right now.

When things start to thaw out around here, my activity should increase accordingly.

So bear with us "wimpy" Californians while we endure what most of the rest of you go through this time of year.

A review of ground previously covered

Once more with feeling...

Especially after my last entry here, but in general anyway, I don't like to address the subject of my own credentials as a blogger.

But once again, I'll address the subject. Not in response to anything or anyone in particular, but simply to clarify how I see my purpose here, and to possibly dispel any unwarranted conclusions or rumors.

I have been called many things...some of which I can share here, and some I cannot. Because of what I do for Southern Gospel News, and the posting I do for various message boards devoted to gospel music, I am referred to at times as a "historian".

True, gospel music history is one of my primary avocations...and it's a subject I've spent a lot of time and energy devoting myself to learning, and I think I have learned a lot of it...and I've been given a gift to impart what I've learned to others, which makes me very grateful.

But I've never been into titles...when someone who enjoys what I've shared from what I've had the pleasure to learn over a period of many years showers me with accolades, besides being grateful that I could be of service in that way, I tend to wonder why I'm given the rather lofty-sounding title of "historian". My response at heart is the same that the famous baseball announcer Vin Scully gave to the media when he signed yet another contract to do the play-by-play of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team, which he has done now for the past 56 years.

Scully said, "All I've ever done for all these years is talk about the accomplishments of others."

And that's all I do in my history articles, in my message board postings, in correspondence with other people, and in conversations with my friends...I just talk about what other very gifted people have done, and why they should be appreciated.

If that makes me a "historian", so be it. Maybe "reporter" or "chroncler" might be a bit more accurate, but neither may sound as lofty or important as "historian", so for the benefit of those who want to give me a lofty compliment...I'll take "historian" grudgingly.

For I'm not a keeper of history as much as I'm a reporter of things I think are important to report to people. I can't(or won't)speak for others who are called "historians" for the same reasons...but that is how I see myself. It truly is a humble calling I have, and since I have no reason not to be humble, I'm eminently qualified for what I do in that respect!:-)

On another topic, I do tend when doing what I do to express an opinion or two about what I see...this blog is the main place I do it, but I do it elsewhere as well. And in so doing, some wonder what makes me qualified to be a "critic".

The answer to that is, it takes no qualifications whatsoever to be a "critic". All of us are inherently "critics"...grnated, a background in whatever subject you're expressing an opinion on may or may not give you more credibility as a critic, but as far as being an actual "critic" goes, we're all born that way! We all have opinions, and we all express them at one time or another!

Some of us are fortunate to have public outlets to express such opinions...some of us don't, for one reason or another. And some of those opinons are factually correct, and some of them not. But we are all enititled to have and express those opinions, regardless of their correctness or not.

Are my opinions correct? Well, at the time I express them, I think they are...otherwise, they wouldn't be my opinions!! Are they after further reflection? Sometimes yes...and sometimes no. Do I mean to offend others in expressing those opinions? Of course not...at least the majority of the time, anyway!:-) I'm just expressing myself, and the last time I checked, it's legal to do that.

As to whether I'm doing the right things to those I'm expressing my opinions toward, that is always an open question. But I always take full responsibility for the consequences of my behavior, and in the end, that's all any of us can do. And ultimtately, we ALL do that.

So if anything I've ever said on this blog or on a message board or in one of my articles or even on the air, doing live radio, has offended any of you, for that, I apologize. Do I apologize for my opinions? More than likely, not. I can't help what I honestly feel...but the way that I react to it probably will need work as long as I live!

Would that be cause for denying me access to avenues of fellowship or association? That's a question for God and the readers to decide...in each individual case.

And as for cases, I rest mine...again...for now.

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