Reviews

MUSIC REVIEWS

Welcome back, ATF

Der Kommissar: The CBS Recordings by After The Fire (Edsel Records, 2 CDs, £15).
Signs of Change by After The Fire (Roughmix, CD £12).

Available online: www.afterthefire.co.uk, or from major music stores.

Tastes in music seem to go in cycles, so apparently late 1970s/early 1980s sounds are now back in vogue. Following a successful gig at Greenbelt 2004, the return of trailblazing Christian rock band After The Fire is therefore timely – a new album is promised, plus a reworking of 1979 debut single One Rule For You, supporting the Trade Justice campaign.

In the meantime, almost their entire CBS back catalogue 1979-1982 (three albums, plus B-sides of singles) has been shoehorned into a 43-song, 2-CD package.

Laser Love, Take Me Higher and Like The Power Of A Jet were essentially worship songs, contemporary in language and musical idiom – arguably the precursors of 1997 Delirious? chart single Deeper (former ATF frontman Andy Piercy was actually Delirious?’s producer). Check It Out and Listen To Me had an evangelistic angle, and One Rule For You turned on press criticism: “You say believe in what you like as long as you can keep it to yourself. I say if what I know is right, it’s wrong if I don’t tell somebody else.”

On later tracks, ATF were outspoken on other subjects: challenging shallow human relationships – Who’s Gonna Love You (When You’re Old And Fat And Ugly), or debunking society’s excesses (It’s High Fashion and Rich Boys).

Prior to The CBS Recordings, After The Fire had a sizeable following as a progressive rock band, their sound built around Peter Banks’ antics on Hammond organ and Minimoog. Recorded in 1977, self-financed album Signs Of Change effectively drew a line under that era, as ATF switched to a repertoire of three-minute ‘new wave’-influenced songs. All 4,000 LPs sold within weeks, and Signs Of Change has never been released on CD, until now.

Though probably not so fashionable now, the tracks still stand as well-crafted examples of their genre – Pilgrim is an 11-minute summary of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, while Now That I’ve Found and Back To The Light can best be described as ‘prog rock’ worship numbers.

The CD includes early demo recordings too – Samaritan Woman (from John 4) is another epic, and Hallelujah was a longtime concert favourite, an instrumental improvisation around Easter hymn Jesus Christ Is Risen Today.

After The Fire were a major influence and source of inspiration for a generation of Christian rock musicians. Having seen the long queues at Greenbelt, I know I’m not alone in welcoming their comeback and the re-released albums.

Worship with a jazz twist

Redemption Songs – Live Worship by Kate Simmonds (Kingsway Music, CD, £14.99).

There was a time when live praise and worship recordings were almost a predefined musical genre in their own right. Thankfully those days are long gone, and there’s real diversity in style and delivery. Jazz-influenced worship songs have perhaps become Kate Simmonds’ particular speciality, and on Redemption Songs that jazz flavour is all the more in evidence with the presence of saxophonist Ben Castle in her band.

To get a bit of groove going, Kate kicks off her set with the popular When I Was Lost (There Is A New Song). A couple of tracks later, Indescribable is refreshingly uplifting, while by contrast Matt Redman’s Jesus I Could Sing seems quite a sober reflection on 1 Corinthians 13. Lifting the mood from the quiet devotion of Holy Spirit, You’re Here Now and Saviour I Must Sing, there’s some first-rate saxophone work on In Him I Have Believed.

The upbeat jazz/Latin stylings return with You’re The Mighty God (complete with Santana-style guitar solo), before Kate wraps it all up with the exuberant We Have Come To Praise, medleyed with Edwin Hawkins’ gospel classic O Happy Day.

It’s hard to listen to all this with a long face.

Bit of a mixed bag

More ... Best Worship Songs Ever! (EMI/Kingsway Music, 3 CDs, £16.99).

With a title like this, and TV adverts promoting the album, there are high expectations at stake, and some key questions to be answered: How were these “best worship songs ever” selected? Which versions?

Looking at the sleeve notes, and listening to all 50 tracks which made the cut, I see little clear structure and I’m really none the wiser.

The majority are standard ‘repertoire’ worship songs, but a few may be less familiar. Many are the original songwriter versions: from Keith Green’s There Is A Redeemer and Twila Paris’ He Is Exalted (both dating from the 1980s), Delirious?’s Thank You For Saving Me and Matt Redman’s It’s Rising Up (mid-1990s), right up to Beautiful One (2002) by Tim Hughes and the Newsboys’ He Reigns (2003).

Some tracks are fresh interpretations of older material: Abba Father and I Am A New Creation, from Steve Gerrat and Sarah Sadler respectively. Classic hymns crop up too, including Robin Mark (Mandate) with I Will Sing The Wondrous Story, and Chris Tomlin/Matt Redman with their new slant on When I Survey.

A stylistic hotch-potch, though pretty good as a ‘one-stop’ music resource, or as the starting point for a praise and worship CD collection.

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		MUSIC REVIEWS Welcome back, ATF Der Kommissar: The CBS Recordings by After The Fire (Edsel Records, 2 CDs, £15). Signs of Change by After The Fire (Roughmix, CD £12). Available online: www.afterthefire.co.uk, or from major music stores. Tastes in music seem to go in cycles, so apparently late 1970s/early 1980s sounds are now back in vogue. Following a successful gig at Greenbelt 2004, the return of trailblazing Christian rock band After The Fire is therefore timely – a new album is promised, plus a reworking of 1979 debut single One Rule For You, supporting the Trade Justice campaign. In the meantime, almost their entire CBS back catalogue 1979-1982 (three albums, plus B-sides of singles) has been shoehorned into a 43-song, 2-CD package. Laser Love, Take Me Higher and Like The Power Of A Jet were essentially worship songs, contemporary in language and musical idiom – arguably the precursors of 1997 Delirious? chart single Deeper (former ATF frontman Andy Piercy was actually Delirious?’s producer). Check It Out and Listen To Me had an evangelistic angle, and One Rule For You turned on press criticism: “You say believe in what you like as long as you can keep it to yourself. I say if what I know is right, it’s wrong if I don’t tell somebody else.” On later tracks, ATF were outspoken on other subjects: challenging shallow human relationships – Who’s Gonna Love You (When You’re Old And Fat And Ugly), or debunking society’s excesses (It’s High Fashion and Rich Boys). Prior to The CBS Recordings, After The Fire had a sizeable following as a progressive rock band, their sound built around Peter Banks’ antics on Hammond organ and Minimoog. Recorded in 1977, self-financed album Signs Of Change effectively drew a line under that era, as ATF switched to a repertoire of three-minute ‘new wave’-influenced songs. All 4,000 LPs sold within weeks, and Signs Of Change has never been released on CD, until now. Though probably not so fashionable now, the tracks still stand as well-crafted examples of their genre – Pilgrim is an 11-minute summary of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, while Now That I’ve Found and Back To The Light can best be described as ‘prog rock’ worship numbers. The CD includes early demo recordings too – Samaritan Woman (from John 4) is another epic, and Hallelujah was a longtime concert favourite, an instrumental improvisation around Easter hymn Jesus Christ Is Risen Today. After The Fire were a major influence and source of inspiration for a generation of Christian rock musicians. Having seen the long queues at Greenbelt, I know I’m not alone in welcoming their comeback and the re-released albums. Worship with a jazz twist Redemption Songs – Live Worship by Kate Simmonds (Kingsway Music, CD, £14.99). There was a time when live praise and worship recordings were almost a predefined musical genre in their own right. Thankfully those days are long gone, and there’s real diversity in style and delivery. Jazz-influenced worship songs have perhaps become Kate Simmonds’ particular speciality, and on Redemption Songs that jazz flavour is all the more in evidence with the presence of saxophonist Ben Castle in her band. To get a bit of groove going, Kate kicks off her set with the popular When I Was Lost (There Is A New Song). A couple of tracks later, Indescribable is refreshingly uplifting, while by contrast Matt Redman’s Jesus I Could Sing seems quite a sober reflection on 1 Corinthians 13. Lifting the mood from the quiet devotion of Holy Spirit, You’re Here Now and Saviour I Must Sing, there’s some first-rate saxophone work on In Him I Have Believed. The upbeat jazz/Latin stylings return with You’re The Mighty God (complete with Santana-style guitar solo), before Kate wraps it all up with the exuberant We Have Come To Praise, medleyed with Edwin Hawkins’ gospel classic O Happy Day. It’s hard to listen to all this with a long face. Bit of a mixed bag More ... Best Worship Songs Ever! (EMI/Kingsway Music, 3 CDs, £16.99). With a title like this, and TV adverts promoting the album, there are high expectations at stake, and some key questions to be answered: How were these “best worship songs ever” selected? Which versions? Looking at the sleeve notes, and listening to all 50 tracks which made the cut, I see little clear structure and I’m really none the wiser. The majority are standard ‘repertoire’ worship songs, but a few may be less familiar. Many are the original songwriter versions: from Keith Green’s There Is A Redeemer and Twila Paris’ He Is Exalted (both dating from the 1980s), Delirious?’s Thank You For Saving Me and Matt Redman’s It’s Rising Up (mid-1990s), right up to Beautiful One (2002) by Tim Hughes and the Newsboys’ He Reigns (2003). Some tracks are fresh interpretations of older material: Abba Father and I Am A New Creation, from Steve Gerrat and Sarah Sadler respectively. Classic hymns crop up too, including Robin Mark (Mandate) with I Will Sing The Wondrous Story, and Chris Tomlin/Matt Redman with their new slant on When I Survey. A stylistic hotch-potch, though pretty good as a ‘one-stop’ music resource, or as the starting point for a praise and worship CD collection. © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.