Thursday, October 4, 2007

Crowders new cd...

If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you are well aware of my David Crowder Band tendencies. I read his blog, i followed the recording of "Remedy" via webcam, i have tickets to Cincy show in November, i run to his music, i cover his music in worship and i am generally intrigued by him as a person. I could easily go into my usual rant about my inability to write songs. About how my songs are typically simple and stupid to be quite honest. But I won't go there, but i do appreciate how Crowder can mix great riffs and wonderfully pleasing lyrical rhymes.

Of course i was patiently awaiting Crowders new cd "remedy" since April of this year. Well it was finally released on September 25th, 2007. I downloaded and listened to all of the songs. If i can be honest, I was not that impressed. I know it was just a quick listen then off to bed, but very few of the songs really grabbed me. I wanted to be so excited about it. I even told my friends that it was great! I really struggled to find a connection to it. So I put my Shane and Shane cd back in the cd player. I felt the fact that the cd had only had 10 tracks on it and 3 of the songs had already previously been released was a short coming and evidence that Six Steps and Crowders Management group had taken quite a bit of control. I can almost hear the conversation in my head...

Crowder: "So the guys and I have put our brains together metophorically and are pretty stoked about the 15 songs we have commenced preparation of for the new cd."

Management: " David that sounds great, but we see a problem with the number of tracks."

Crowder: "I think 15 tracks is a perfect number, I mean, we put 21 tracks on "A Collision"

Management: " Yeah, about that. iTunes killed us on that one, 21 tracks for $9.99" " We are still trying to recover from that one, we know that your cd was in the top ten of albums on the front page, but we would have taken a loss if it weren't for DCB beating out INXS for Artist of the Year on MSN" " Who would have thought the robots would have purchased so many cd's?"

Crowder: " well...ummmm... we do have some great names for the Cd and some sweet cover art..

Management: "Since we are on the subject...we feel that staying with a letter of the alphabet and a one word theme might not work this time and well... printing costs are starting to rise due to the cost of oil in the middle east, so staying with a 2 color CD cover, one word title will keep costs down."

Crowder: "but we still need to do a continuation of the war on squirrels video, PETA is still all worked up about that one and we were able to spin that into some great marketing!"


Let me state that, In my life I have yet to finish ten songs of my own, so who am i to really complain... maybe he just did not have anymore songs for the cd. Who am I to really say to much, after all.. it is what it is. Christian Music is still an industry. It will always operate that way, and selfishly if I were approached about recording a cd (and I had songs worth recording) I would be tempted.

So the cd has been out just short of two weeks and hitting around 15 play count on the iPod for "Remedy". My opinion is changing. I knew it would. I just had to give Crowders intriguing lyrics, technical loops and heart for God to find its way into my soul. At this point, I don't think there is a song that i skip past while running on the treadmill or driving down the street. I can hear some of these worship songs being sung at the top of our lungs at the National Youth Workers in November. I am already practicing a few of them to lead at RVCC. I appreciate the simplicity and focus in Crowders lyrics on a few of the tracks. The passion from which he finds these songs are amazing. You can feel it. At this point, my favorite track is "remedy". It is simple, passionate, and healing. I can't wait to lead this song next Sunday. I will never be able to do it justice, but the cool thing is RVCC has taken many of the songs we have introduced and made them anthems for our church. I step back from the mic and let them cry out to God. WOW, it is amazing to witness. True worship. They sing them like I remember my old church singing their favorite hymns. We are transforming worship, we are moving in new directions, we are pushing the comfort zone, we are responding to God in ways that make Him the focus. Bands like the David Crowder Band are changing worship, changing rhythm and rhymes, and creating songs for a new generation to cling to and lift to Him.

Thanks for a new line drawn in the sand.... I have more room to work with tomorrow.

He is the one
Who has saved us
He is the one
Who embraced us
He is the one who has come
And is coming again
He’s the remedy...

He's the remedy...

He's the remedy...

He's the remedy...