Why is African-American gospel music of the forties and fifties, and for that matter, white country gospel music of the same time, usually perceived by critics to be more real, vital, culturally-significant, lasting and better than the Christian Contemporary Music which immediately followed thereon?
Chris Estey – I could write a book. Wait, I am.
John Inka Brink – Cause I’ll listen to Aretha and Mahalia in two seconds over Petra?
Chris Estey – Yeah, but I bust out the best of T-Bone Burnett, early Tonio K., some Daniel Amos and 77s, Sam Phillips, and others almost as much. There has never been an adequate critical assessment of the CCM genre in regards to the regular gospel canon or its “secular” equivalent. But (1.) Some have tried (“Stairway to Heaven” by Mary Neely of Exit/Island Records is great), (2.) It’s a fairly dead genre now and always had major flaws, so not really a huge waste unless you were there. (But you never know … seems to have inspired Sufjan, Danielson, System of a Down, and others pretty impressively).
Mitch Hurst – When the primary purpose of any art is to evangelize, educate, convince, whatever, you tend to drop any artistic standards to make your point.
Rich Horton – I agree with Chris — there’re still a few Christian artists I’ll listen to on occasion, including the same ones he mentioned. To those, I’d also add the first two albums of Larry Norman’s so-called “Trilogy,” a spot or two of Phil Keaggy, Randy Stonehill’s “Welcome to Paradise,” and most anything by Bruce Cockburn.
I think critics label the rootsier stuff as “better” because it was closer to the origin of the genre and reflected the life experiences of the artists who made the music. However, in my opinion, 80-90% of gospel music, white or black, roots or CCM, is pervaded by Bad Theology. And in that respect, one isn’t any better than the other.
Jim Davies – Soul.
Natasha Spence – I’m no music expert. This is just a guess. Maybe, once Christian music got it’s label as pop Chrisitan music, it got pigeon holed. The best gospel music are the songs with the best lyrics(truths) and the most honest and raw feelings. I think maybe pop Christian groups (though probably subconsciously) feel limited to go to the outer depths of their emotional and creative potential. Third Day has pursued this better than some groups. Christian bands have to think about profit now, playing to the audience, not offending the audience, etc..and this makes the music lose some of its honesty and soul. IMO.
Jennifer Dixon – It’s ALL good!! There’s room for everyone!!!!!!
Ezekiel Wheeler – Nostalgia dictates that the past is always better than the present. Thusly, we long for “the good Ol’ days” regardless of how crappy they actually were. I must also “note” that these hymns & negro spirituals are better played on a beatup old guitar than a brand spanking new one.
Barry Vail – i think jim nailed it … soul. pure n’ simple … that and maybe analog recording?
Michael Dean Damron – Christian conteporary music is void of soul…like most,maybe all pop/country/r&b music today…they have crappy sterlie production values.Compressed and over produced for mass consumption.
Steve Stav – Nostalgia plays only a small part. To sum up some of what’s already been astutely pointed out here, musicians of that era, regardless of genre, “kept it real” compared to much of what followed. There weren’t as many agendas, and often none at all. These musicians were just singing and playing, praising Jesus along the way. They worked the blues into inspirational music; a lot of these people had really suffered at some point – the Depression, the War, being black – and Jesus shone a light for them to follow. Mahalia Jackson had the same magic flowing through her body that John Coltrane or Jimi Hendrix had; it was real. The black singers of that era were just modernizing sentiments and material (Negro spirituals, chain gang songs, etc) that had been around their world forever. And like I saw on Steve Martin’s banjo documentary recently (a must see), these white guys in the 40s and 50s, the real good ones, were channeling forces from 50-100 years prior, like a music seance. Mike D and Jimmi D know what I’m talking about.
Steve Stav – ”When I woke up this morning, I heard a disturbing sound… the jingle-jangle of a thousand lost souls.” But to answer your follow-up question, Dave, and rather bluntly, I think Jesus has forsaken these half-assed jokers in the modern age, for not keeping it real. I think he really threw in the towel and wiped his hands of the whole mess with Amy Grant.
Riz Rollins – well first… contemporary christian gospel didn’t immediately follow the gospel of the 40’s and 50’s.. any critic who can’t document the gospel of the civil right’s 60’s or the vibrant chicago, detroit scenes.. or can’t appreciate james cleveland, shirley ceasar ( who’s still going strong ) the blind boys, gospel clefs all who figure prominently in that time. who can’t recount the transitions that aretha, patti, al green, marvin gaye ..hell even dionne warwick , from gospel to secular.. who don’t understand gospel choirs.. or appreciate the hawkins families, or andrae crouch. i could come up with volumes off the top of my head.. isn’t worth paying any attention to..absolutely NONE
Riz Rollins – i’d argue / discuss that THE golden age of african american gosple sits squarely in the 60’s
Holly Equality Homan – I think it’s the other way around. Jesus hasn’t forsaken anyone. It’s the so-called modern day Christians who have forsaken what he stands for.
Steve Stav – Well, Riz, I’d say that Sam Cooke’s “A Change Gonna Come” is one of the most spiritual songs I’ve ever heard. Blows my mind every time I hear it. And speaking of Cooke, I should qualify my earlier generalizations by pointing out that there were some agendas in the 40s and 50s, chiefly making money and staying alive by playing music. The gospel circuit was especially lucrative for stars like Cooke – and in the South, a protected way of making money in a white-controlled greater environment. But Cooke and the rest still kept it real. Most of the modern Christian music stars are channeling nothing but a paycheck. I’m gonna put on some Sam Cooke now.
Riz Rollins – dag.. reading these comments kind of depress me.. it seems that most here are postulating from some point of bias view rather than knowing or appreciating the music.. THE MUSIC people.. the music.. do you know the music ? talk about what you know..and about agendas.. the lion’s share of gospel has ALWAYS been evangelical. that’s what makes it gospel. it has never ever been merely expressive.but why one has resonance and the other doesn’t depends on where you stand in the continuum .. sentiment, nostalalgia do play a part in it. as does the need to pay bills. but don’t think that evangelical intent was less in those days.. and then there’s the thornier issues of gender and sexuality. it’s no secret that sam cooke. al green, and marvin gaye were very very motivated about what was happening in their pants. ..you could get laid doing gospel, but you weren’t supposed to.. and one day before i go on to be with lord, i’ll write a book about the back chruch, gospel and how african american gays were empowered by gospel way before stonewall and the bars.. it was well know which chruches in the curcuit were populated, by gays, which artists were gay.. and then came AIDS.. and EVERYthing changed..for black gospel AIDS was probably the biggest single factor of destroying the fabric of the music.. even more so than say heroin did to jazz or rock
Riz Rollins – one other caveat.. i was raised in the church, sang inchoirs all throughout high school..very active in the civil rights movement, attended 5 years of christian colege, performed with randy stonehill, larry norman, andrae crouch, saw lots of phil keaggy and the 2nd chapter of acts and worked with billy graham ministries..and then bitterly left right when amy grant hit the shit ..i din’t get back to contemporay gospel until kirk franklin and ‘nem.. can’t abide christian jazz or hip hop. i. just. can’t.
Holly Equality Homan – there is good music out there that’s currently being produced. It’s just that you can’t hear it on commercial radio. All commercial radio is owned by huge corporations who are shoving banal crap down our throats in order to lull us into a false sense of security, making us more susceptible to the commercials so we’ll go out and consume, consume, consume, making the corporations more rich and more powerful. I doubt we’ll ever again get what we had in the sixties with the political outcries, etc. If you go underground (listen to college radio, if you can) or search on the internet, you can find good music. I recommend a band called The King Blues. They’re out of London, very political, and very intelligent.
Michael Dean Damron – Steve play some Staple Singers after Sam Cooke.
Steve Stav – Isn’t there a South Park episode on this subject?
Holly Equality Homan – I think there is. I’m starting to remember it now. SP covers a lot of topics. It’s one of the best shows on TV.
Steve Stav – Cartman forms a Christian rock band to make money… I think that’s how it went.
Jim Lightfoot – That’s easy. It’s usually perceived to be better because it actually is better.
John Carey – Because it was.
