3 favourite Christian albums?

I listen to very little Christian music. Last year I went on a GREAT quest to find more inspirational music to enjoy while on the road. I only found 4 C.D.'s the entire year.
Here's 3 that I'm enjoying Now.

1) Russ Taff - Now More Than Ever

2) Randy Travis - Glory Train

3) Bart Millard's - Hymned No.1


Some cool stuff on all of them. The sound quality of Christian music has gotten much better. But it's still too safe & predictable for me. Anybody else found any great stuff recently? Please give me your 3 fav's...even if they go back a few years.

I listen to very little Christian music. Last year I went on a GREAT quest to find more inspirational music to enjoy while on the road. I only found 4 C.D.'s the entire year.
Here's 3 that I'm enjoying Now.

1) Russ Taff - Now More Than Ever

2) Randy Travis - Glory Train

3) Bart Millard's - Hymned No.1


Some cool stuff on all of them. The sound quality of Christian music has gotten much better. But it's still too safe & predictable for me. Anybody else found any great stuff recently? Please give me your 3 fav's...even if they go back a few years.


My 3 favourites:

Steven Curtis Chapman - The Great Adventure
4 Him - The basics of Life
Mid South - Lessons of Life

All are a few years old.

Tree63 - Worship Vol 1
Tree63 - Sunday
David Crowder Band - Remedy

Not to be a wise guy, but I think they'd all be Charlie Christian.

But half seriously, I did a search for Jesus on my Itunes library and came up with a bunch of great (if not all unquestioningly devout) songs

Steve Earle's Pilgrim
John Prine's "Jesus the Missing Years"
Greg Brown's "Jesus and Elvis"
Nirvana's "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam"
Gillian Welch's "By the Mark"
Springsteen's "Jesus was an Only Son"
RY Cooder "Jesus on the Mainline"
Velvet Underground "Jesus"

and gospel influenced songs (from Al Green to the Carter Family) too numerous to mention.

Check the Itunes store. They've got a "Rock Songs About Jesus" compilation about 50 deep, ranging from Johnny Cash to Skip James to Tom Waits to the Rolling Stones. They can't be blamed for including "Jesus take the Wheel."

As far as music that would be shelved under "Christian" I find that artists who are too fixated on one subject (be it religion or sex) don't hold my interest for long.

best
Allen

As far as music that would be shelved under "Christian" I find that artists who are too fixated on one subject (be it religion or sex) don't hold my interest for long.

best
Allen

My music library consists of music that would be shelved under "Christian", "Country", "Blues", "Jazz", etc. You get the idea. Just because an artist chooses to fixate on one subject doesn't mean my collection has to.
The question from the OP was "Your favourite Christian albums".

These are some I keep coming back to. The first one is overtly "Christian", but don't let it's title throw you.

1. "Jesus Freak", dc Talk -- multi-themed & complex

2. "Dark Was the Night", Blind Willie Johnson -- old-time acoustic blues

3. "Orphans", Tom Waits

4. "It's For You", Michael Roe -- hard to find, but there's some good songs on this one.

1. Angel Band -Emmylou Harris
2. Hymns and Meditations -Fernando Ortega
3. This spot could be filled with any other Fernando Ortega disc

Spontaneous Combustion: Glen Kaiser
Trimmed And Burnin: Kaiser/Mansfield
Souled Out and Sanctified: Danny Brooks

My music library consists of music that would be shelved under "Christian", "Country", "Blues", "Jazz", etc. You get the idea. Just because an artist chooses to fixate on one subject doesn't mean my collection has to.
The question from the OP was "Your favourite Christian albums".

I commend you for your eclectic tastes. My point was just that artists who focus on one subject, whatever it is, tend to have IMHO a view of the world that doesn't interest me. Your mileage may vary, of course.

And again, while I'm not a regular poster in this forum, Goldie Locks did say that he found Christian music "too safe and predictable." While they're not whole albums, these songs are available a la carte on Itunes, and are anything but predictable.

If anyone thinks this is a hijack, then I apologize. It started out as a wiseguy impulse, but I edited the post three times to add more info.

best
Allen

Spontaneous Combustion: Glenn Kaiser
Trimmed And Burnin: Kaiser/Mansfield
Souled Out and Sanctified: Danny Brooks

My list is of Christian albums,,, although I prefer to call it Gospel. I offer no aplogies for loving Gospel Blues music or that they are in my top three. The "Christian" music that Goldielocks is calling safe and predictable is probably the stuff called "Adult Contemperary" christian music. I agree with him on that point.
I believe the question is what are your favorite top three christian albums,,, that leaves room to have a top three Raggae, Jazz, Americana, Polka, Himalayan nose whistling or whatever.
Concerning artists that focus on one subject and their world veiws,,,, There are those artists that write and sing about all kinds of things that they have no real knowledge of,,, the result is usually pathetic. Gospel Music is best served up by someone who knows and understands what they're singing about.
Allen, perhaps you could enlighten us as to Glenn Kaiser's world view??

my favorites are

Steven Curtis Chapman- Speechless
Mark Mallett- Let the Lord know (markmallett.com)
Jars of clay- redemption songs

Thanks Trimmed. I'm gonna have to go find that:

Himalayan Nose Whistling album you recommended:mrgreen:

Thanks Trimmed. I'm gonna have to go find that:

Himalayan Nose Whistling album you recommended:mrgreen:

Hey Rod,
I had never heard or heard of Nose Whistling untill I saw a Bella Fleck concert. He had this guy from either Nepal or possibly Mongolia performing the technique as part of the concert. It was really cool,,, I dont know if I could take a whole album of it but it was cool!! :lol:

How about:

Larry Norman's "Only visiting this planet" and "In another land". Also, Randy Stonehill's "Welcome to paradise". These are GREAT Christian albums for sure! In fact I just saw Randy Stonehill around a week ago, and man, he still does great!

I'll give you three that I consider to be very well done musically and aren't typical vanilla mainstream fare.

1. All Together Separate - Ardent Worship. This one is a very good worship album IMHO. It also has a lot of good guitar playing. ATS was a very good band period - very talented and very musically creative (unlike a lot of other Christian bands). Unfortunately, they broke up a few years ago (on good terms), but you can get their stuff on iTunes. They have two other albums that aren't worship albums and, out of those two, the self-titled debut album is better IMO.

2. Jars of Clay - Furthermore. They're a unique band in that they exhibit an unhindered creativity. They not only make their own unique non-mainstream sound, but they change around the style, tone, and instrumentation to give each album its own unique sound. This album is kindof like a greatest hits album, but instead of slapping a bunch of old recordings and a couple new songs together, they re-recorded a bunch of their songs in a more laid back acoustic style on one disc and then put a live set on the second disc.

3. Warren Barfield (self-titled). This one has a more mainstream pop sound than the other two albums, but still isn't boring musically. The reason I put this one on was because you said you were looking for "more inspirational" music. This album is positive and uplifting overall, with lyrical themes that are surprisingly fresh and inspiring. I also saw Warren Barfield live and he did the best one-man acoustic show I've ever seen (this album's got full instrumentation, but I do think it would be cool if he made a live acoustic album someday).

"Palanquin"
Kevin Prosch

"Drowning With Land In Sight"
77's

"The Boat Ashore"
Michael Roe

David Crowder Band "A Collision"

U2 "The Joshua Tree"

Right now my third is Needtobreathe "The Heat"

1. Waterdeep - Sink or Swim
2. Waterdeep with 100 Portraits - Enter the Worship Circle
3. Alan Jackson - Precious Memories

1. Waterdeep - Sink or Swim
2. Waterdeep with 100 Portraits - Enter the Worship Circle
3. Alan Jackson - Precious Memories

Yepper,,, I really like Waterdeep... good stuff!

I like this one :razz:

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t99/ANGERMANAGER/e83859oehi4.jpg

How 'bout some classics?

Sunday's Child(1987) - Phil Keaggy - Not sure if it gets better than this.

The Way Home(1989) - Russ Taff - Solid Bluesy Gospel Rock

Thirst (1998) - Randy Stonehill - Hard to pick one album; I love all his stuff. Stonehill is my favorite living artist and doesn't make bad albums. or bad songs. ever. So many of his songs feel as if they are written just for me and thats why I like it so much.

1. Danny Brooks- Souled Out and Sanctified
2. Randy Stonehill- Welcome to Paradise
3. 2nd Chapter of Acts, Phil Keaggy and a Band Called David- How The West Was One

I would also add
Michael Omartian- White Horse awesome album!

I'll bet I would add the Johnny Mannion Bands album,,,,if'n they had one!! I heard rumors of some time in the studio,,, how but it there BellyBoy???

David Mullen: Revival
Russ Taff: The Way Home
Michael Card: The Beginning

Russ Taff - Medals, an oldie but a goodie, he was more rock then than blues as he is now.

Casting Crowns - they have 2 CDs out, both great...

Phil Keagey - Crimson and Blue - if you like guitar you will love this...

Jeremy Camp - Restored... all great singles, and he can pick too!

Steven Curtis Chapman - The Great Adventure

Degarmo and Key - early rock, get the greatest hits album...

and if you like Pop/Rap/Hip Hop
Toby Mac - Diverse City, although "Momentum" is good too.

DecembeRadio- DecembeRadio

Lincoln Brewster- All To You: Live
(also Let The Praises Ring: The Best Of)

Salvador- Into Motion

Danny Flowers - Tools For The Soul
From the guy who wrote "Tulsa Time", an album that obviously covers a time of transition and coming to the Lord, produced by former Big and Rich and Delbert McClinton sideman James Pennebaker, a heck of a picker and brother in his own right. It'll bless you and make you want to play at the same time.

Buddy Miller - United Universal House of Prayer
Do they get any funkier than Buddy Miller? I don't think so.

Mike Farris - Salvation in Lights
From the former lead singer of the Screaming Cheetah Wheelies, it's less of a guitar record and more of a celebration. Like the end of a New Orleans Jazz Funeral. I've never heard "Precious Lord" done in a manner other than a slow dirge until this. Gotta love it.


Gosh, how I wish you could hear some of this stuff on Christian radio - or any radio for that matter!!

Yeah,,,, Mike Ferris is great!!

I'll bet I would add the Johnny Mannion Bands album,,,,if'n they had one!! I heard rumors of some time in the studio,,, how but it there BellyBoy???

Shannon,
I didn't rush you when you built my guitar............ patience grasshopper! lol

Shannon,
I didn't rush you when you built my guitar............ patience grasshopper! lol

There's a fine line between encouragment and admonition :razz:

I like these:

1. Hillsong United: Look to You
2. Ron Block: Faraway Land
3. Louis Armstrong: Louis and the Good Book

Anything Todd Agnew.
Building 429
or Skillet
These groups are not mainline, and have great players.
Mostly they ROCK

We all have been through the not so good players, and I am one of them. We must however hope that the Lord looks at the heart, help those of us that are not that great to find a place to make a Joyful Noise. If this was, after all, about me, the pews would soon be empty.
We don't play much of those groups I mentioned, but that is what I listen to outside the building.

Sorry for the double-dip!

1. Dallas Holm - His Last Days - my very first Christian (non Southern Gospel) album...
2. Steven Curtis Chapman- The Great Adventure
3. Michael James -Shoulder to the Wind

I'm an old geezer from Florida, and was raised on Southern Gospel music, mostly quartets..so...

1. Any CD by the Gaither Vocal Band is tops with me. (Enjoy the ones when Mark Lowrey was with them the most.)
2. David Phelps -This self titled CD has some great music, with No More Night, and End of the Beginning my two favorites from that CD. Check him out on youtube. I can't seem to get it to embed.
3. I'll have to get back with you on #3, I'm having an "old timers moment and can't remember the group. :)

Dep

Phil Keaggy- Love Broke Through
Randy Stonehill- Welcome to Paradise
Larry Norman- In Another Land

Those albums got me through a really tough year of my life. I still have the vinyl and break them out occasionally.

Not to be a wise guy, but I think they'd all be Charlie Christian.that was my first thought, as well.

I really go for the old gospel-ish bluegrass stuff. man, they'd probably welcome that stuff in my church, too, if there was somebody here to do it.

All those guys made recordings peppered with spiritual numbers but there are collections where the tunes are collected like concentrate:

Stanley Brothers - 16 Greatest Gospel Hits
Louvin Brothers - 20 Greatest Gospel Hits
Bill Monroe - The Gospel Spirit
Flatt & Scruggs - Foggy Mountain Gospel: The Complete Columbia Gospel Recordings
etc ...

Phil Keaggy- Love Broke Through
Randy Stonehill- Welcome to Paradise
Larry Norman- In Another Land

Those albums got me through a really tough year of my life. I still have the vinyl and break them out occasionally.

Some classics there. Is "Love Broke Through" the old Keith Green tune?

When I go for "Christian" music, it tends to be music by Christians more than P/W. That said, Vigilantes of Love, Kaiser/Mansfield, and Robert Randolph are favorites artists. You can't really go wrong there.

Checkout http://www.GlennKaiser.com
(http://www.GlennKaiser.com),,, Glenn has been at it for 35 years and covered a number of different genres in the Gospel theme,, I like his Blues and Blues/Rock the best. This is some good stuff.

Marty Stuart & the Fabulous Superlatives "Soul's Chapel"
Bob Dylan "Slow Train Coming"
Larry Norman "Something New Under the Sun" (the gospel equivalent of 'Exile on Main St.)
And, yes, any of the many Stanley Brothers gospel albums (I read they recorded more gospel albums than non-gospel) or pre-Stax Staple Singers.

Most "CCM" makes we want to gouge my ears out,the plastic pop and the Pro-Tooled alterna-rock sounds alike. In the words of Hank Hill,"You know, you're not making Christianity better, you're just making rock & roll worse. I like the above 3 albums because they have some grit.

1. Russ Taff - either "Medals" (as mentioned earlier) or the one before, "Walls of Glass." WoG got me through a tough summer in 1982. Yes, there was CCM back then! But I guess if I had to choose, I'd say "Medals." Great songs, great performances.

2. Steven Curtis Chapman - Speechless

3. Michael W. Smith II. I guess you can tell when I initially got in touch with CCM. (grin ) But this album has 2 instrumental tracks that are cool, especially with Dann Huff blazing all over it. "Wings of the Wind" has Dann doing an uber-cool harmonized solo. Check it out.

-I can't believe nobody mentioned Third Day! One of the best there is in my opinion. So my list would be:

1. Third Day- Time
2. Third Day- Conspiracy #5
3. Third Day- Offerings, A Worship Album

-When the band I was in was still together, we played a good bit of material from these three albums. But I also like pretty much all of the others except Southern Gospel. I just can't handle that stuff! One little tidbit. About 7-8 years ago, I got to help set the stage for Rebecca St. James. That was a pretty cool experience. Helped with everything from lighting scaffolds to the drum risers to running the snakes.

L8R,
Matt D.

Does anyone remeber this band? Great picking and really good song writing

DecembeRadio- DecembeRadio

Lincoln Brewster- All To You: Live
(also Let The Praises Ring: The Best Of)

Salvador- Into Motion

have both played our church... great choices/albums

I'll add the third being the "city on the hill" collection

Don't listen to a lot of Christian music but here are a couple that do get played in the house.

"Soldier of the Cross" - Ricky Skaggs

"Take 6" by Take 6

How come every Tele search leads me here. So I'm a fan of Toby Mac and his newest cd is fantastic. His first solo was my first Christian cd...as a christian that is and J Train is still awesome.

Israel Houghton's new one is just fantastic as well. He's a live guy where toby's magic is a studio guy. Toby Mac's Portable sounds and A Deeper level from Israel...Deffinitely check it out and see Him if you can...you'll never forget that night.

I like to throw some old Christian music in the bunch but I wasn't into that at the time so I gotta go with The Listening...foremerly Rock and Roll Worship Circus. It's fantastic.

Honerable mention to RRWC, Crowder, Jars, Mars Ill(Great sounds), Family Force 5(Awesome live!), and Mutemath fo sho

I really enjoy Paul Baloche's A Greater Song. I believe a Tele is used on that album :P (at least the guitarist uses one live). Chris Tomlin's Indescribable is also one of my favorites. It's funny that a lot of people here mention Phil Keaggy as he is my girlfriend's uncle. Though we live in Southern California and he doesn't he stops by every once in a while and jams at her aunt's house. Maybe when I get good enough I'll jam with him. ;P

i like kingdom business by Canton Jones...

Phil Keaggy's Sunday's Child
D.C.Talk's Jesus Freak
Kaiser & Mansfield's Trimmed & Burnin'

there are so many more that have a song or two...

Right now:

#1 Expect the Impossible - Stellar Kart
#2 Lifegiver - Hyperstatic Union
#3 HMMMMM Can't think of my 3rd

reverend charlie jackson - god's got it ( john lee hooker style praise... FANTASTIC! )
sister rosetta tharpe - the original soul sister ( dare i say seminal... )
aretha franklin - amazing grace ( the unedited version... HEAVY! )

tj

Come on now, no one has mentioned Whitecross? In the Kindgom has some great Rex Carroll leads and solos in it. Also don't forget Stryper... Sorry, I can't say they're my complete favorite ones ever, but these band rock if you like 80s metal. truthfully, I love David Crowder's heavier stuff and I'm a Hawk Nelson fan too.

Here's a nice little video to leave you on. I think it hits on every 80s rock video cliche out there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysCx-rjMIXk

Thomas Dorsey: Take my Hand - One of the most prolific early Gospel writers. He wrote Peace in the valley, Take my hand and lots more.

Glenn Kaiser: Blues Heaven - Great tunes from The Res Band, Solo and Band stuff.

The Holmes Brothers: Speaking in Tongues - Blues, Country, R&B, Gospel and Soul all Wrapped up

+1 on the Reverend Charlie Jackson

amy grant...greatest hits...i wore out the grooves on that record

el shaddai is a masterpiece

there was a rumor that amy was going to play at spirit west coast but the monterey politicians denied it, having had huge issues with really huge acts hitting monterey

we had monterey pop and that, as a traffic thing, was a nightmare

spirit west coast can only be reached through a small undivided highway, highway 68, and it's always congested

if amy came here, she would have to come in unannounced

one church we have here grew 50 times in size in months when two christian american idol finalists joined the choir...some parishioners drive over 100 miles to come to the church and some may not even be christians, but rabid american idol fans, but good stuff can rub off on them, ya know :)

Not a Gospel fan. The attitudes of Gospel fans (and Gospel groups) here in the South turned me off long ago. Racist, sexist and just plain redneck. I used to work with a Gospel trio (they waited tables too!) and some of the stories they told were pretty shocking - and I used to play Metal semi-pro.

I know this doesn't hold true for all Gospel artists but I can only go by what I've experienced.

As far as Christian music, man I love a lot of it. My top 3 would be:

dc talk: Supernatural - The "Sgt. Pepper" of CCM in my book.
dc talk: Jesus Freak - The first to turn my head in CCM.
Third Day: Time - A great collection of songs. I love this band and their heart.

I'm listening to so much more CCM these days. My old music just doesn't fill me like it used to. I'm happy my kids can grab anything from our CCM collection and toss it in the CD player no worries.

-Good list Danno. I have Supernatural in the stereo right now. If only they'd get back together again. But from what I've read, it might be as long as it took the Eagles to reunite.

L8R,
Matt D.

1. Any cd by the Happy Goodmans
2. Any cd by the Hinsons
3. Any Cd Charles Johnson & The Revivers.

I am addicted to the Gaither Homecoming videos. I just wish modern church was.
Marvelous
2000 Fender Nashville Telecaster
1966 Gretsch Jet Fireird
2007 Martin D-41 with pre-amp

Barbed Wire Halo-Aaron Watson
Everybodys Brother- Billy Jo Shaver
Dirt and Spirit-Various Artist (Lonestarmusic.com)

...everything by The Prayer Chain

the most underrated "alternative" rock band from the 90s!!!

Pat.

Jesus Christ Superstar (the movie sound track, not the Ian Gillan version)

Most any one by Third Day, favorite being "Wherever You Are". Tunnel ROCKS!

The band Seven Places is the Christian equivelant to Third Eye Blind. Good stuff. The band Something Like Silas is similar to U2, Sigur Ros, and Radiohead. They are a good band out of North County San Diego.

Well, these would be the last three that I listened to:

Ollabelle by Ollabelle
Eye of the Storm by Mark Heard
Welcome to Paradise by Randy Stonehill


I've been wanting to review Larry Norman's In Another Land lately, and I also listen to the WOW orange album.

Eye of the Storm by Mark Heard
Welcome to Paradise by Randy Stonehill
[/LIST]

I've been wanting to review Larry Norman's In Another Land lately, and I also listen to the WOW orange album.


You and I have similar taste. Mark Heard was great, and Randy is highly underrated (and always a lot of fun in concert). I was listening to some Larry Norman this morning and really enjoyed it, too.

^ RavinDave, I saw Sir Stonehill in concert some years back, and was intrigued that he played his Martin without using a pick.

I really like Mark Heard's Eye of the Storm, which was a special mostly acoustic homemade album, although I was not a real big fan of his rock stuff.

I think all of us contemporary Christian musicians owe a debt to Larry Norman.

It was sad to see Larry's passing, but he sure left us some good stuff to work with, didn't he?

I can't believe Worship service guitar players haven't mentioned:

1) Jonny Lang: Turn Around
2) Adam Again: any (Dig, 10 Songs, Homeboys)
3) Bruce Cockburn: Dancing in the Dragon's Jaw
Honorable mention: Bob Dylan: Slow Train Coming (Mark Knopfler)

Threads like this make me grit my teeth, and makes my head hurt. Why you ask?

Because I can only pick three!

Three off the top of my head:

Darryl Mansfield: Revelation
Lincoln Brewster: Lincoln Brewster (solo debut)
Skillet: Comatose

Notice I said, "three off the top of my head", not top three, because there are so many others, and its hard for me to say, "these are the top 3".

Seventh Day Slumber, POD, Chris Tomlin, Stryper, The Rez Band, Since October, Life House, Jeremy Camp, Worship Generation, Third Day, Falling Down, Hillsong United, .........

And the list just goes on.

1. Switchfoot: The Beautiful Letdown or Nothing is Sound
2. Mutemath: Self Titled
3. Phil Wickham : (his latest one)

These are off the top of my head, but are great albums!

I'm also going to be "that guy" and mention my band's new disc "The Story of People". You might like it (www.myspace.com/theridemusic).

1. Delirious? - Audiolessonover
2. Delirious? - World Service
3. Telecast (great band name, huh?) - Beauty of Simplicity

Have fun!

1 - Worlds Apart (live) - Jars Of Clay
2 - Into Jesus - DC Talk
3 - The entire album Worship Again - Michael W Smith

Though I'm not the biggest fan, I will say that the most touched I've ever been by the Holy Spirit was at Soulfest 2007 during Chris Tomlin's set. Man! did the Holy Spirit kick my butt!

oops I guess it's supposed to be albums. Lets try that again

1. Worship Again - Michael W. Smith
2. Futhermore from the Stage - Jars of Clay
3. Supernatural - DC Talk

So I'd like to throw out a new band that I've been listening to. The Glorious Unseen. If anyone has heard of them...let me know your opinon...they are definitely different.

Howard Hewett-The Journey
Switchfoot-The Beautiful Letdown
DC Talk-Supernatural