Concerning cheese
I have a confession to make: sometimes I really enjoy listening to cheesy Christian music. Yep, I do. It can be surprisingly uplifting, if I can suspend my scorn and snobbishness towards the music long enough to take in the words, which may also be cheesy but are nonetheless true.
One of my all-time favourite bands is reasonably cheesy. Anyone got parents who used to listen to Lamb in the '70s? I just love those guys. We've only got them on LP records, which is slightly annoying but kinda cool. They consist of a pair of American Messianic Jews, who set lots of beautiful passages of scripture to extremely 70s-sounding music, with the odd Beegees impersonation thrown in. It's kinda cute.
Also the Jewish element in the music is nice; only Jewish music can get away with using an aeolian (sp?) mode, a tempo of about 40 BPM, and the most mournful, wailing instruments they can find, creating the overall impression of a funeral dirge, then setting a passage about joy and laughter to it, and having the audacity to make it work and be somehow uplifting. Also their stuff is just beautiful to play.
One of the guys made an album of his own this year, which I bought and was a little disappointed with, on account of its being incredibly '90s, with, you know, super-clean guitar sounds, not many chords, drum beats that I could play, a backing female chorus along black gospel lines, and songs with titles like 'Love One Another' (those being the only words of the whole first two verses). However, I was listening to it last night whilst studying, and once I made up my mind to enjoy it, I actually did. It's still got a touch of that Jewish wistfulness about it, which is nice. Sometimes simplicity is very refreshing.
***
And now for something completely different: Jared (or anyone else), would you mind telling me the reference for that verse you mentioned the other night, about how we aren't to judge non-Christians by the same measure we use for Christians? Sorry, I don't know how else to contact you.
It was fun talking to everyone the other night. My appetite for theological discussion is only partially satisfied by blogging; there's nothing quite like the real live thing is there? Well, they both serve a purpose.
Right. Must study.
One of my all-time favourite bands is reasonably cheesy. Anyone got parents who used to listen to Lamb in the '70s? I just love those guys. We've only got them on LP records, which is slightly annoying but kinda cool. They consist of a pair of American Messianic Jews, who set lots of beautiful passages of scripture to extremely 70s-sounding music, with the odd Beegees impersonation thrown in. It's kinda cute.
Also the Jewish element in the music is nice; only Jewish music can get away with using an aeolian (sp?) mode, a tempo of about 40 BPM, and the most mournful, wailing instruments they can find, creating the overall impression of a funeral dirge, then setting a passage about joy and laughter to it, and having the audacity to make it work and be somehow uplifting. Also their stuff is just beautiful to play.
One of the guys made an album of his own this year, which I bought and was a little disappointed with, on account of its being incredibly '90s, with, you know, super-clean guitar sounds, not many chords, drum beats that I could play, a backing female chorus along black gospel lines, and songs with titles like 'Love One Another' (those being the only words of the whole first two verses). However, I was listening to it last night whilst studying, and once I made up my mind to enjoy it, I actually did. It's still got a touch of that Jewish wistfulness about it, which is nice. Sometimes simplicity is very refreshing.
***
And now for something completely different: Jared (or anyone else), would you mind telling me the reference for that verse you mentioned the other night, about how we aren't to judge non-Christians by the same measure we use for Christians? Sorry, I don't know how else to contact you.
It was fun talking to everyone the other night. My appetite for theological discussion is only partially satisfied by blogging; there's nothing quite like the real live thing is there? Well, they both serve a purpose.
Right. Must study.
posted by Kat | 10/26/2004 09:26:00 am
4 Comments:
'For what have I to do with judging those who are outside [the church]?' - 1 Corinthians 5:12
Wow, that was quick. Thanks :)
I must admit, I am partial to cheese at times too (I hope I'm not on that video!)
By the way, it could make for interesting discussion as to why we avoid, or perhaps even look down upon, seemingly shallow/childish-type songs/lyrics. Now while I considered this and the various questions that arose from it, this comment began to swell into a “disproportionately large word-beast”, and I started rambling on about myself, which I have an unfortunate tendency to do at times. So I’ve cut it out and stuck it in my blog, which you can check out if you so wish as to view my ramblings on that matter.
And on a completely unrelated topic, yay for your new links Katherine! Now I can save time and energy on pressing the back button to get to a blog with links! (And I feel so very special that my blog is worthy of being featured within yours :P )
Awww! You are special Matt!
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