Posted by cav on April 02, 2005 at 20:12:53:
In Reply to: another cow cashes in... posted by giveawayboy on April 02, 2005 at 13:53:11:
I read this link. You know, it reminded me of that time in my life. In those years, I was beginning to really develop my personal beliefs. It was a powerful time for me where I saw institutions crumble in my estimation and experienced many new things. I remember how this sort of "radical" Christian music (radical as in it wasn't popular with most established churches and challenged the church itself) played a vital role in opening me to the possibility that there were Christians who weren't so steeped and jaded in their own traditions. That there was this perpetual renewal of faith in the midst of the ever-corrupting politics of the church. I've been out of that scene for a long time as life changed: kids, homes, work, etc. And the old venues for it in Tampa faded away. But I miss it greatly. Is it still around? I mean I know Christian music is bigger and more diverse than ever, but are there still any radical limit-pushing bands whose messages are true even if the church and their own fans don't like it? Whose style isn't just knocking off the popular secular music? I haven't heard any in years. It's got to still be out there. Whose connected? Where are the outlets...websites, magazines, venues, etc?
It's not as if I want to go back to the past, but being isolated culturally and relationally for so long has allowed me to examine things and coming back to the US will be an opportunity to live in a different way. I definitely don't want the lifestyle I had before I left. A lack of vigilence and conviction had slowly allowed me to erode into the very thing I swore I never wanted, even as I recognized it happening. (It's not as if I had this awful life, but from my intended course it had diverged greatly and the path was leading further away, thus making me more and more unhappy. I had to jump across the world to get back on the right way.)Anyone else have this same experience?
So I guess there are two completely different threads in this post. The one about the music, and the one about experience.
: I also liked Michael Knott's GRAPE PROPHET which came out around 1992. This was a sort of musical comment on the odd influence of the movement of the 'Kansas City Prophets' which was going on back then. It was a great album at the time which I feel only a narrow cross-section of listeners could really appreciate. They had to be people who had been involved with or aware of the 'movement' and also those who could appreciate the kind of music guys like Knott were doing in the late '80s and early '90s.