Aww Mondays

Wake Me Up When There’s Food

Monday’s Music Moves Me

Last week the theme at 4M was a trip or journey. In our fair city there was a gathering of cycle trail enthusiasts. I didn’t capture any images of the actual races but I did manage a few photos around the vendor area. Trail cycling has become a big deal on our town and several races are held here each year. There are miles and miles of trails that range from paved to off-road for people to use. In fact one can ride from the town square in Fayetteville, AR to the town square in Bentonville, AR, a distance of over 20 miles without getting on a city street. One thing I have noticed about competitive cycling is that the bikes and the wardrobes are very colorful.

Well that was fun, but I’m pretty sure my bike riding days are limited to the stationary variety for now. For music I will continue a bit of the travel theme and maybe feature a few lesser known artists from the past. The 90’s female country music scene was dominated by Reba McIntire, Trisha Yearwood, Martina McBride, and Shania Twain, but there were other good female vocalists around,  just not A-list performers. One of my favorites was Terri Clark. Terri proved that cowgirls could wear hats too and all you needed to start a new life was “A Little Gasoline”.

Mary Chapin Carpenter was a songwriter turned performer. While she was primarily country you can hear a little folk rock in her music. She would be quite comfortable in the company of a Gordon Lightfoot, James Taylor, or Jim Croce. We all have good days and bad days or as Mary describes it, some days you’re the windshield and some days you’re the bug.

Perhaps one of the most under rated singer songwriters of the day was/and is Sara Evans. For me, her sound is an almost perfect blend of country and rock ‘n roll.

The 90’s saw a resurgence of the classic country sound. After the “Outlaw” sound of the 70’s country music thrived. But the sound was still a long way from it’s roots and a group of new performers sought to change that situation, and change it they did. Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, and Alan Jackson brought back the roots of country to their songs. On the ladies side nobody did it better than Patti Loveless. She took a classic country song and preformed it in a classic style, proving that classic still has it’s place in country music.

I would like to hear a little more of the classic sound in today’s country music. Maybe it’s time for another new round of artists to remind us that a great country song just needs three chords and a story.

High End Ride

Aww Monday

MOM! Mom! mom!…

Monday’s Music Moves Me

The theme this week at 4M is in honor of Columbus Day and the journey to discover America. So, the music is to be about a journey or trip, physical, mental, emotional or spiritual. I suppose my journey will include a bit of each. Life itself is a journey and it is filled with physical, mental, emotional and spiritual trips and certainly a few surprises along the way.

As a teenager and into our early twenties our physical condition is usually at it’s peak but our mental and emotional conditions haven’t matured enough to handle much of the journey that is ahead of us. For me personally, it is the spiritual journey that has given me the most joy, peace and satisfaction. I accepted Christ as my Savior at the age of 9 and like the rest of the journeys mentioned here I have matured over the years. Things that I now understand about God and His word were not even on my radar as a younger man. How my relationship with Christ impacts the other aspects of my life were not a part of my understanding as a youth. At nine years old, I only knew one thing, I was in need of a Savior and Jesus Christ was that Savior. It is impossible to understand everything about Christ prior to salvation and some things about the Son of God will not be revealed to us until we meet Him face to face. One thing that has always helped me in this understanding of God is music. The hymns of the church and gospel music speak to me in ways that often shed light on and give additional understanding to Scripture. This is especially true as we grow older and this physical body begins to break down and we encounter aches, pains and diseases that we once thought were only for old people, not noticing that we have become one of those senior citizens in this world. I may not know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future and I have reached that point in life that I can understand what the apostle Paul meant when he said, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)

Paul found his joy, purpose in life, and complete fulfillment in knowing Christ. Since the believer will spend eternity in heaven, even leaving this world through the process of death is an upgrade because Scripture teaches us that there will be no tears, no suffering, no dying, no pain in that place prepared us (Revelation 21:4). For the believer there is Victory in Jesus and it all begins with repentance.

Salvation is open to whosoever believes in the name of Christ. Scripture tells us that it is not God’s desire that any should perish but that all would be saved. The sad news is that many will reject the call of God and walk away from eternal life.

Christians are not immune to the problems of this world because we live in this world and it is a world that fell from grace when Adam and Eve disobeyed the Creator and decided that Satan in the image of a serpent was right and that God would not punish them for their decision. They were wrong. So we must live in a world of pain and sorrow, sickness, and natural disaster. Again the Bible tells us that God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust, so life happens to all of us and bad things happen to good people. The question is, where do we place our hope? I have placed mine In Christ Alone. My prayer is in the lyrics, “In Christ alone I place my trust, And find my glory in the power of the cross, In every victory let it be said of me, My source of strength, my source of hope, is Christ Alone.”

When life does deal us a difficult situation I have come to realize that things may not always turn out the way we wish. We may pray for the physical healing of a loved one or that a broken marriage will be restored and things just don’t work out to our satisfaction. Again, my prayer is in the lyrics, “I know You’re able, And I know You can, Save through the fire, With Your mighty hand, But even if You don’t, My hope is You alone”

I rest in the assurance that one day I will close my eyes for the last time and step into eternity. My Savior will have finished preparing my place in His kingdom and He will call my name…and when He does, “I will rise”. Have a blessed week.

Aww Mondays

 

Monday’s Music Moves Me

This week is a freebie week at 4M so I am going to spin a few tunes from the Country. Recently PBS television broadcast the Ken Burns series “Country Music” that traced the history of the genre from it’s beginnings to the early part of this century. While country music had its roots in folk and gospel, the genre has incorporated bluegrass, rock, pop, soul, and jazz into it’s sound over the years. The PBS series was a master piece and if you have any interest in the genre it is a must see. Just for the record, the genre didn’t officially get it’s name until 1949 when “Western” was dropped from Country & Western, leaving us with country music. From time to time a new trend in music will bleed into the country sound. Fortunately, when that sound threatens to dominate and change the industry, a group of artists rise up, get back to the roots, and remind all of us just what country is all about. Personally, I think it may be time for that phenomenon to happen again. the sound has become too pop and too predictable. The current sound seems to be dominated by the beat, the sound, and the party anthem. At one time it was said that a great country song began with three chords and a story. Here are a few stories.

Many experts in country music will tell you that the greatest male vocalist in the history of the genre is George Jones. Others might argue that George Strait holds that position and a few will tell you that sold out stadiums validate Garth Brooks as the best ever. George Jones’ biggest hit was He Stopped Loving Her Today. It is not a break-up song, but a fond farewell from a husband’s passing. When you know the story, it brings a whole new appreciation for the song.

The 90’s saw a resurgence of the classic sound of country and one of the leaders was Alan Jackson. There were no rhinestone suits, no chorus of back up singers, just Alan, three chords and a story.

My favorite female vocalist from the 90’s is Trisha Yearwood. There were several great ladies of country in the 90’s, Martina McBride, and Shania Twain to name a couple, but I thought Trisha could sing the phone book into a top ten tune. Yes, there is a heavy blues influence in this song, but it showcases what I consider the best female vocalist since Linda Ronstadt.

A country set from me wouldn’t be complete without a Dwight Yoakam song. Dwight and Buck Owens brought the “Bakersfield Sound” to country music. There was a little rock n roll, a little hillbilly and a lot of country in the sound. Dwight is one of my favorite artists. What does a break-up bring to your life…Heartaches by the Number. Have a blessed week.

Okmulgee, Oklahoma 2012

Aww Mondays

Momma’s Favorite

Monday’s Music Moves Me

For her finale of September, our hostess, Mary at Jingle, Jangle, Jungle, has instructed us of select tunes from the year we were in first grade. Hmm…I wasn’t listening to music in the first grade. I was playing baseball, football, cowboys & indians, and all the stuff an eight or nine year old boy finds entertaining, so I was unaware of the revolution in music that was taking place. Yes, I was in the first grade at the dawn of rock ‘n roll.

The 1953-54 school year saw a new musical genre take hold and take over the hearts and minds of teenagers across the country. The crooners and big band vocalists of the 30’s and 40’s were being replaced on the Billboard charts with a younger set of entertainers that appealed to what history would call “The Baby Boomers”. Born in 1946, I am a first wave Boomer. Since I wasn’t into music as a first grader, I had to do a little research to see what were some of the top songs and artists of the day. Ready or not, here we go.

In 1953 only two or three rock ‘n roll songs made the top thirty chart and one could hear a heavy blues influence that would eventually become the basis of the MoTown sound. One group to crack the top 30 in 1953 was The Drifters and the song, “Money Honey”.

Generally credited with the first rock ‘n roll hit single, “Rock Around The Clock” Bill Haley & The Coments as well as others actually covered songs from the blues genre recorded by black artists that could not get air play on many radio stations. While this song did not make the top 30 in 1953, it did make the top 100.

When you think of Rock ‘n Roll you think of The King, Elvis Presley and one tune pops into your head…Hound Dog. Elvis released Hound Dog in 1955 but it was written in 1952 and released as a blues number by Big Mama Thornton in 1953 and was her biggest hit. Honestly, I think I prefer Big Mama.

In 1954 Elvis released another “cover tune” from the country/blues/hillbilly songbook and it became one of his early hits…”That’s All Right”.

It’s time to wrap this set up and like many bands in the late fifties and early sixties, the closing number of their final set of the night it’s time to say, “Good Night Sweetheart”. Have a blessed week.

Fall 2017

(Hoping this is a good year)

 

Aww…some Monday

Momma’s Got a Six-Pack

Monday’s Music Moves Me

It’s another freedom of choice week at 4M and I believe I will, once again, dip into the genre of Gospel music. I grew up with the hymns of the church. By the late 70’s contemporary Christian music had separated itself from the rest of gospel music and become its own genre. It is still alive and well today. Early artists included The Imperials, Sandi Patty and Dallas Holm. Today the genre features such gifted souls as Mercy Me, Selah, Crowder, Zach Williams, and Lauren Daigle and there is a song for every occasion.

There was an occasion many years ago when I lost my job. In the construction industry that is not an unusual thing. In fact, I had been laid off work from five positions in a ten year span and this was the last one. Those first few days of unemployment I was depressed to say the least. I came home one day and found that my wife had put an (vinyl) album on the turntable. It was the Imperials and the album was Priority. One song on that album spoke directly to me in a very special way. It reminded me of who I was and that I had reason to rejoice, even in a difficult situation. I was a child of the King of kings and a member of His family. The song…”Trumpet of Jesus”.

One of the most powerful songs to come from the early contemporary Christian music scene was recorded by Dallas Holm and Praise. It speaks of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ…”Rise again.”

The premier female artist of the early days was none other than Sandi Patty. She was the original “Glory note diva”. Sandi had a vocal range that most artists could only dream of and one of her most popular recordings speaks to the moment described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 that describes the rapture of the church., “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. and the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” In that moment, “We Shall Behold Him”.

Another group from the early days of contemporary Christian music was Phillips,Craig & Dean. They had a softer sound and their message often came in the form of praise & worship songs. Every time I look at my life and see just how I was disappointing the One who died for me, I can only bow my head and tell Him, “Your Grace Still Amazes Me”.

Finally, a group that is anchored in Southern Gospel has released a new song and for those of us who claim the name of Jesus as our Savior we are ever grateful to be able to say, “I’m a Child of the King”! Have a blessed week.