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Post by jrmugz on Mar 29, 2015 12:20:13 GMT
OK, my CD of the week for this time is Randy Stonehill's 1992 masterwork called "Wonderama".
He's had his share of great albums over the years, he's been around since the 70s; but this one seems to have a particular charm to many, in fact the artist has said it is his favorite of all the albums he has made over the years. He's one of the pioneers of Christian rock and is in the gospel music hall of fame.
For the album link from my experience, it plays all the way through when you copy and paste it to youtube and play it there. For some reason when play it in the thread, it stops after the first song.
01. "Wonderama" - Beautiful arrangement to a childlike, yet profound song. 02. "I Will Follow" - Nice Roy Orbision style love ballad to Our Creator. 03. "Barbie Nation" - Decent rocker warning against materialism, etc. 04. "Don't Be Sad" - Very beautiful and encouraging ballad. 05. "Rachel Delevoryas - Classic concert staple and song on the best of collections. Good character study of the person and the attitudes of some classmates, IMHO. 06. "Intermission At The Wonderama" - Nice short intermission music. 07. "Great Big Stupid World" - Very entertaining bubble-gum rocker, that helps us to laugh at ourselves. Anyone remember all the Ed McMahon letters? ROFL. 08. "Sing In Portuguese" - Like "Rachel Delevoryas" a true classic all around, beautiful, I think of my mom and Grandma when I hear it. Another one of his concert staples from my experience, and also on one of his "best of" type of collections. This one, "Rachel", and "Great Big Stupid World" are the ones he does in concert and that have made it to one or more of the "best of" type of collections of Randy's that has been released over the years. 09. "Mice & Men" - Good reflective piece of how we get all caught up that this or that is the best idea that will help everyone, etc. and then it amounts to nothing. Like song 7, helps us chill out and laugh at ourselves, etc. 10. "The Lost Parade" - Really enjoy the break by some Salvation Army band in this song, apparently an image about the waywardness of the world, like it's one big parade that got lost. For my part, I've never been one of those "the world is going to pot" kind of thing; but I guess its useful enough imagery for reflection of the state of the world. 11. "Lantern In The Snow" - Beautiful imagery apparently for the love and prayers for someone who has gone astray and needs to "come home" so to speak. A really unique song and lyric, really like it. It seems like this song and the prior one "The Lost Parade" really fit together well as far as being lost whether individually or as a society and needing to find its way. Pretty unique musically and lyrically for an album, so really like it. 12. "Wonderama Postlude" - Nice short postlude music.
Star Rating: 4.2 of 5 Prime Cuts: "Wonderama", "Rachel Delevoryas", "Sing in Portugese", "Lantern in the Snow" Bottom Line: A unique and cohesive collection of beautifully written and arranged songs.
Hope everyone who plays it enjoys it as well. For me personally, it brings back memories of when I first moved out of my house to an apartment, and lived by myself for three months before I got married. I lived on nothing but Kool-Aid, cold chicken, and Stouffer's french bread pizza, except for Wednesday's when I would go to my house to eat my Mom's spaghetti and meatballs. Musically, this CD was the one I would play all the time to fill in the void hours after work. So maybe the nostalgia makes it special to me, as well as its overall quality, etc.
Jim
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Post by Chippa on Mar 30, 2015 6:48:50 GMT
I kinda remember his name from a few years back. My neighbors were church-going folk, and seemed to play his music a lot, along with Petra, Russ Taft(?) and a few others.
I'll give it a listen.
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Post by queenofthehours on Mar 30, 2015 13:54:52 GMT
I've never heard of Randy Stonehill but I'll give it a whirl.
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Post by jrmugz on Mar 30, 2015 20:58:45 GMT
I kinda remember his name from a few years back. My neighbors were church-going folk, and seemed to play his music a lot, along with Petra, Russ Taft(?) and a few others. I'll give it a listen. Cool, yeah Russ Taff, he had a good 3 or 4 pretty good albums back in his heyday; his self-titled one being probably the best. Petra, mmm, like most bands take the meat and throw out the bones, but has certainly made a good handful of respectable songs over the years when the dust clears. My faves of the Christian rockers are Phil Keaggy and Randy Stonehill, some Rich Mullins, and some of Mark Heard. DeGarmo and Key had some pretty decent songs when they weren't singing the bumper-sticker theology type of songs. Jim
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Post by jrmugz on Mar 30, 2015 21:06:35 GMT
I've never heard of Randy Stonehill but I'll give it a whirl. At the very least, it will give you a peaceful easy feeling. For me, the songs "Rachel Delevoryas" and "Sing in Portugese" rank among some of the best songs I've ever heard, for my part. Instantly liked them and still do after all these years. Jim
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Post by jrmugz on Mar 30, 2015 21:19:32 GMT
Just added a note to my initial thread:
For the album link from my experience, it plays all the way through when you copy and paste it to youtube and play it there. For some reason when play it in the thread, it stops after the first song.
Jim
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Post by Chippa on Apr 2, 2015 15:36:41 GMT
I'll get to this soon, I promise. Been way busier than I thought I'd be, this week.
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Post by jrmugz on Apr 2, 2015 16:52:10 GMT
I'll get to this soon, I promise. Been way busier than I thought I'd be, this week. No problem, yeah I know how it gets, I've had to do my share of Friday or Saturday reviews lately myself. Thanks for the update! Jim
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Post by Chippa on Apr 4, 2015 6:51:29 GMT
Ok, listening now. Gonna give my immediate impressions...
Wonderama - Sounds like a mix of Cat Stevens and solo Macca. Good melody. Nice and catchy.
I Will Follow - I get the Orbison vibe, for sure. He sorta sounds like Roger McGuinn, on this one. Not bad. Very evocative.
Barbie Nation - Love the title. Good power-pop tinged tune, in the Michael Penn wheelhouse.
Don't Be Sad - Sort of lite-country. Don't like it. Sounds like bad 80's sitcom theme song.
Rachel Delevoryas - Dan Fogelberg-esque. Good lyrics, for sure. I dig the minimal strings, as well.
Intermission at the Wonderama - Innocuous. Nice string section.
Great Big Stupid World - Interesting lyrics, if a bit dated. I always wanted Ed McMahon to come to my door, too....
Sing In Portuguese - 'eh. A tad too light.
Mice and Men - Bouncy enough. Sort of Britpop meets folk.
Lost Parade - Too maudlin, for me. Could have used a better melody or hooks..or something.
Lantern in the Snow - I like the minor chords. A bit sluggish, but not terrible.
Wonderama Postlude - I wanna go to the fair....
Overall, I'd give this a 5/10. Some bright moments, but too much of it was meandering. First three songs are the best.
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Post by jrmugz on Apr 4, 2015 17:54:12 GMT
Ok, listening now. Gonna give my immediate impressions... Wonderama - Sounds like a mix of Cat Stevens and solo Macca. Good melody. Nice and catchy. I Will Follow - I get the Orbison vibe, for sure. He sorta sounds like Roger McGuinn, on this one. Not bad. Very evocative. Barbie Nation - Love the title. Good power-pop tinged tune, in the Michael Penn wheelhouse. Don't Be Sad - Sort of lite-country. Don't like it. Sounds like bad 80's sitcom theme song. Rachel Delevoryas - Dan Fogelberg-esque. Good lyrics, for sure. I dig the minimal strings, as well. Intermission at the Wonderama - Innocuous. Nice string section. Great Big Stupid World - Interesting lyrics, if a bit dated. I always wanted Ed McMahon to come to my door, too.... Sing In Portuguese - 'eh. A tad too light. Mice and Men - Bouncy enough. Sort of Britpop meets folk. Lost Parade - Too maudlin, for me. Could have used a better melody or hooks..or something. Lantern in the Snow - I like the minor chords. A bit sluggish, but not terrible. Wonderama Postlude - I wanna go to the fair.... Overall, I'd give this a 5/10. Some bright moments, but too much of it was meandering. First three songs are the best. Ha ha, cool review, Chippa, enjoyed reading it. Well at least we got a laugh out of the Ed McMahon line. Yeah, it is dated, because it was 1992 or so. Any other reviews out there, or just Chippa on this busy week before Easter? Jim
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Post by unomusette on Apr 5, 2015 21:50:40 GMT
Sorry I'm late, been trying to find a quiet half hour to concentrate on this and it's been surprisingly hard to do. But here I am at last with my thoughts on this CD. Firstly I love the cover artwork, it suits the title very well and hints at what's inside. Wonderama - Reminds me of the band America, and the kind of song that would be on childrens' TV in the 1970's. It's a very pretty tune, puts you in a mellow mood. Maybe goes on a bit too long. I Will Follow - I noticed Jim seeing a Roy Orbison influence here, and it's very much a song I can imagine the Big O covering. Wonder if he ever did? Barbie Nation - Clips along nicely, I hear ElO/Beatles influences here. Don't Be Sad - Not a stand out track for me, quite a standard ballad. Rachel Delevoryas - N'aww, this is a lovely song. And I'm a sucker for this kind of Ugly Duckling story, best so far. Intermission At The Wonderama - Nice bit of violin, and it's atmospheric with the crowd-at-the-bar voices. Mine's a large one! Great Big Stupid World - Heh! Great lyrics Move over, Rachel, this one is my new favourite. The Tom Petty parody is a hoot, but there are others being poked at here too. Right up my street, love it. Sing In Portuguese - Good latin sound to this one, another pretty tune with a serious lyric. Mice & Men - Liking the jangly sound and ELO-esque backing vocals. Good one, the light sound belies the more serious lyrics. The Lost Parade - Sounds immediately Christmassy to me with the brass band intro, and I like the way it stays on in the background. Interesting melody all round. Lantern In The Snow - It's still Christmas, with the choir and the jingle bells. Is it a companion song to The Lost Parade? Good showcase for his voice and the strings are fab. The whole sound of it is lush and atmospheric, like a film soundtrack. Good one. Wonderama Postlude - It's all over, get your coats. Nice little closing flourish. I enjoyed listening to this, probably more than I was expecting. It's mostly gentle sounding and would be a good CD to put on as a comfortable background, as Jim did. It has some interesting lyrics and Mr Stonehill has a properly good voice. I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10, thanks for sharing, Jim
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Post by jrmugz on Apr 6, 2015 1:18:01 GMT
Sorry I'm late, been trying to find a quiet half hour to concentrate on this and it's been surprisingly hard to do. But here I am at last with my thoughts on this CD. Firstly I love the cover artwork, it suits the title very well and hints at what's inside. Wonderama - Reminds me of the band America, and the kind of song that would be on childrens' TV in the 1970's. It's a very pretty tune, puts you in a mellow mood. Maybe goes on a bit too long. I Will Follow - I noticed Jim seeing a Roy Orbison influence here, and it's very much a song I can imagine the Big O covering. Wonder if he ever did? Barbie Nation - Clips along nicely, I hear ElO/Beatles influences here. Don't Be Sad - Not a stand out track for me, quite a standard ballad. Rachel Delevoryas - N'aww, this is a lovely song. And I'm a sucker for this kind of Ugly Duckling story, best so far. Intermission At The Wonderama - Nice bit of violin, and it's atmospheric with the crowd-at-the-bar voices. Mine's a large one! Great Big Stupid World - Heh! Great lyrics Move over, Rachel, this one is my new favourite. The Tom Petty parody is a hoot, but there are others being poked at here too. Right up my street, love it. Sing In Portuguese - Good latin sound to this one, another pretty tune with a serious lyric. Mice & Men - Liking the jangly sound and ELO-esque backing vocals. Good one, the light sound belies the more serious lyrics. The Lost Parade - Sounds immediately Christmassy to me with the brass band intro, and I like the way it stays on in the background. Interesting melody all round. Lantern In The Snow - It's still Christmas, with the choir and the jingle bells. Is it a companion song to The Lost Parade? Good showcase for his voice and the strings are fab. The whole sound of it is lush and atmospheric, like a film soundtrack. Good one. Wonderama Postlude - It's all over, get your coats. Nice little closing flourish. I enjoyed listening to this, probably more than I was expecting. It's mostly gentle sounding and would be a good CD to put on as a comfortable background, as Jim did. It has some interesting lyrics and Mr Stonehill has a properly good voice. I'd give it a solid 7 out of 10, thanks for sharing, Jim Great review uno, glad you liked it! A Tom Petty parody with GBSW? Really? I never caught that, like how so? Loved your take on all the songs, and glad you got to experience its magical shimmering world. Jim
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Post by unomusette on Apr 6, 2015 20:01:18 GMT
I definitely got a Tom Petty vibe, mostly towards the end of GBSW but the whole song strikes me as something Tom might come up with and the vocal is a lot like his. After about 4 mins, the "Great (GREAT) Big (BIG) Stupid World" with the shouted responses reminds me a lot of his style too.
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Post by queenofthehours on Apr 7, 2015 15:18:10 GMT
1. Wonderama – I like the opening guitar and drums. Reminds me a little of the 60s. Very nice song, very summery. The best bit is the xylophone. 2. I Will Follow - More nice guitar. Reminds me again of summer and of the Beatles. Very strongly of the Beatles – like something from A Hard Day’s Night.
3. Barbie Nation – Light summery pop.
4. Don't Be Sad – Not as upbeat as the first few tracks but lovely all the same because of the acoustic guitar and backing vocals.
5. Rachel Delevoryas – A little bit folky but the strings turn it into something else. A bit like if the Beatles had invited a special American guest to sing a song on Sgt Pepper.
6. Intermission At The Wonderama – Lovely strings – not many rock albums have this much violin, not even the Beatles.
7. Great Big Stupid World – Nice jaunty song.
8. Sing In Portuguese – Another good song with the Beatles sense of pop. Reminds me strongly of 'Sandy' the Springsteen track covered by the Hollies.
9. Mice & Men – A very strange but wonderful track – incorporating elements of both Beatles and McCartney along with some ELO in the backing vocals!
10. The Lost Parade – Not as upbeat as other tracks but still another lovely one.
11. Lantern In The Snow – I like the cello here. It turns a normal pop song into something important. The orchestral interlude is very expressive.
12. Wonderama Postlude – Some jaunty accordion, very nice.
I like this album a lot - it's got nothing whatsoever going against it. It's very enjoyable to listen to, not too taxing and doesn't let you down. I think it's a perfect summery album, nice and light and sunny. It reminds me strongly of the Beatles but an exotic version of the Beatles. A lot of the tracks here could easily take the place of the pop tracks on Sgt Pepper. A lot of the songs here reminded me of 'And I Love Her' which is good because I adore that song!
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Post by jrmugz on Apr 8, 2015 10:58:36 GMT
I definitely got a Tom Petty vibe, mostly towards the end of GBSW but the whole song strikes me as something Tom might come up with and the vocal is a lot like his. After about 4 mins, the "Great (GREAT) Big (BIG) Stupid World" with the shouted responses reminds me a lot of his style too. OK I guess I can hear it now that you describe it that way. At a concert I went to he did describe himself as "Robin Williams meets Tom Petty", so I guess he wouldn't disagree with you. Jim
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