same ol', same ol'

I was listening to a 'new' album today- it's the worship band of the church that my senior pastor's daughter goes to. It was... well, not impressive! I mean, i'm not sure that our band could put something better out, so i'm not trying to say anythign like that.. (although vicki told me that she likes the sound of our band better) I'm just saying it was unimpressive.

They've got a mix of songs on there- some songs that they wrote (or i've never heard) and a number that I have heard before. Here lies the reason for this blog. I'm tired of bands and worship groups putting out songs again that have already been done. especially if that song has already been done really well! I was listening to a song on the way home from work today and i got frustrated- because it's a butchering of a GREAT song! the way the band did the song did NO justice to the song.

This album was along those same lines. They did "Did You Fell the Mountains Tremble" and although i know some people who've never liked that song, if it was originally done the way this band did, NO ONE would ever have liked the song!!! They also did a version of "I Am Free", a song done originally by desperation. And it was almost no different- they just did a replica of the original. This was the only song that was a duplicate on there that i could stand, really.

They did a version of "Amazing Grace" that sounded more like the singer was drunk while singing. And that is the way Vicki described it to me. I wouldn't have put it that harshly. But it was not so good. And if i hadn't seen the title of it, I would never have known what song "God of Wonders" was.

These are not all the songs, but i do not want to dwell too much on this particular album. See, this is an epidemic in Christian music now. There are bands who are doing everyone else's music. And it really boils down to seemingly every band trying to get their hand in the "worship rock" pot. Bands who have no business doing worship are doing it now- because it's popular, or because... i don't know why. But why are Newsboys doing worship albums? I had a friend tell me after doing a concert at camp, trying to explain to me how it qualified as worship, that there's nothing like listening to the kids worship to the song "Breakfast". But, wait, that song is not even WORSHIP! it talks about there's no breakfast in hell?

Worship is not supposed to be a brand of music, or a fad in music, or... anything like that. Worship is our heart connecting with God's! Worship is our heart giving honor and glory to God, in all we do! Worship is living our life serving God! it's not music, or a style. it's... not at all. So when it comes to using music in worship, it's not about the sound. So i'm not trying to be picky here. But this is not just us worshipping God, when we do an album, we're trying to help others, too. and redoing a song is saying we can do it better! sometimes we can, sometimes we can't.

The big thing? using our creativity to worship God is HUGE! And these bands and groups that just redo someone else's song? just not creative... just like the bands that do the same album over and over again, and just like the movie producers who are doing remakes and unplanned sequels to movies... just like the person who copies... just like.. the uncreative one... God is creative- and He put that in us. Don't squander it, waste it, or forget it!