David Crowder* Band (what’s with the star anyway?) wrote an entire album contemplating the one thing nobody really wants to think about: death. I’m as guilty as anyone in having reservations and fears about dying, but really, why should we? It’s the continuation of eternal life with Christ, and this album reflects that in various movements.
At about 73 minutes long, this album is epic. It’s filled with worship songs, a few covers, and some filler material that’s all summed up in one amazing statement: “when our depravity meets His divinity it is a beautiful collision.” With A Collision (“A” as in “before B,” not “a single collision”), Crowder seeks to confront our fears about death, dying and the afterlife with a spiritual mindset and rejoice in the eternal life found in Jesus. Plus, they continue their streak of being a “nerd’s Christian band” by having references to physics and chemistry, bizarre chord shapes and music structure, and even a music video done in an Anime style about hating squirrels. You heard read me.
The album is divided into four parts. “A Part” begins with “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven (A Walk Down Stairs),” which is just that: David Crowder singing a few bars of the Loretta Lynn song and then walking down the stairs. “Come and Listen” is an invitation for the listener, for anybody who hears, for anybody who knows God to come and listen to what is being said. “Here is Our King” is a celebration of Christ and His glory evident in creation, even in troubling and distressing times. “Wholly Yours” continues with that theme in a way, this time celebrating Christ loving us even though we’re imperfect. “Foreverandever Etc.” is an incredibly upbeat song with a twofold meaning: we will rejoice with Christ forever, and His love for us is everlasting. In essence, “A Part” is about worshiping our Savior and King here on Earth, awaiting the eternal life to come.
“B Part” is about the redemption offered in Christ and the transformation the believer goes through after being redeemed. It opens with “A Quiet Interlude,” with some light strings leading directly into “A Beautiful Collision,” the song that describes the seemingly paradoxical beauty of the thesis: our depravity meeting His divinity. “Soon I Will Be Done With the Troubles of the World” is a sampled recording of a choir singing an old spiritual. “Be Lifted or Hope Rising” captures the anxious anticipation of Jesus returning in glory, in the meantime being held up by His strength. “I Saw the Light,” that old familiar hymn, sounds as if it were recorded in a barn (I think it actually was) and, with a new eschatological stanza, reinforces the transformation found in redemption. “O God Where Are You Now? (In Pickerel Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)” is a Sufjan Stevens song describing the longing and almost frustration felt waiting for God to return and take the Church to be with Him in glory.
“C Part” begins with “B Quiet Interlude,” this time a short song calling for silence so that we can hear what God has to say. “Do Not Move” describes the feeling of awe and wonder one gets when the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice is realized: the fact that anyone, especially God Himself, would die for you leaves you stunned and unable to move. “Come Awake” has a duel meaning as well: the sinner being called to be made alive in Jesus, formerly being dead in sin, and also being called forth from the grave to live forever. “You Are my Joy” puts words to the feeling of complete awe and thankfulness that left one speechless in “Do Not Move,” and “Our Happy Home,” an anonymous hymn, tells of the eagerness and joy that the Church has to be made one with Christ in eternity.
“D Part” opens with “(Repeat/Return) or When the Seventh Angel Sounded His Trumpet, and There Were Loud Voices in Heaven, Which Said: ‘The Kingdom of the World Has Become the Kingdom of Our Lord and of His Christ, and He Will Reign Foreverandever, Etc…,” containing nothing but eleven seconds of guitar feedback. The title of it actually takes longer to say than the track itself, which might be the intended irony. “We Win!” is a joyous acclamation of victory over death and sin, with “Rescue is Coming” extolling the hope of a returning Savior. The album concludes with two curious tracks: “A Conversation” between a journalist (who doesn’t quite get the point of the album) and David Crowder, which continues into “The Lark Ascending or (Perhaps More Accurately, I’m Trying to Make You Sing)” which also has the violin solo of that name being played under the conversation.
While the album isn’t a consistent set of songs like Church Music from last year (another worthy contender of a “Great Albums” installment), it’s an incredibly ambitious concept album that pays off. So very few Christian musicians, let alone Christians period, speak of death in a joyous, optimistic manner, but the band takes and attitude that we should have and, instead of being depressing or macabre, rejoices in the fact that in Christ, there is no real death.
The album is accompanied by B Collision or (B is for Banjo), or (B sides), or (Bill), or perhaps more accurately (…the eschatology of Bluegrass), an EP of a few live tracks and a few new tracks including a full version of “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven,” and a book entitled Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven But Nobody Wants to Die or (the eschatology of bluegrass), written after the tragic death of their friend pastor Kyle Lake. I recommend both, for what it’s worth.
Choice lyrics:
“Come and Listen”- Come and listen, come to the water’s edge, all you who know and fear the Lord.
“Here is Our King”- And what was said to the rose to make it unfold was said to me here in my chest, so be quiet now and rest.
“Wholly Yours”- And the truest sign of grace was this: from wounded hands redemption fell down, liberating man.
“Foreverandever Etc.”- Love too unthinkable and true for anyone but You, for anyone but You.
“A Beautiful Collision”- So afraid You’ll find me out, alone here with my doubt. Here it comes, a beautiful collision is happening now. There seems no end to where You begin and where I am now You and I collide.
“Be Lifted or Hope Rising”- How long till You mend us? Till You come back, we ain’t giving up.
“I Saw the Light”- When death takes me down and I breathe here no more, my anthem will sound on that eternal shore. When I join with the angels in heaven on high singing, “Praise the Lord, I saw the light.”
“Do Not Move”- The costliest of costs. The deadliest of loss. The wonder of the cross.
“Come Awake”- You are not the only one who feels like the only one. Night soon will be lifted, friend. Just be quiet and wait for a voice that will say… Rise, rise, to life, to life.
“You Are my Joy”- And I cannot hold it in and remain composed. Love’s taken over me and so I propose the letting myself go.
“Our Happy Home”- We soon shall join the throng. Their pleasures we shall share. And sing the everlasting song, with all the ransomed there.
“We Win!”- This is for glory, His glory. We have already won!
“Rescue is Coming”- I’d love to start again, go back to innocent, and never leave. Don’t give up now. A break in the clouds. We could be found.
Great Christian Albums, part 4
A Collision or (3+4=7) by David Crowder* Band
This one… yeah, it’s a doozy.
David Crowder* Band (what’s with the star anyway?) wrote an entire album contemplating the one thing nobody really wants to think about: death. I’m as guilty as anyone in having reservations and fears about dying, but really, why should we? It’s the continuation of eternal life with Christ, and this album reflects that in various movements.
At about 73 minutes long, this album is epic. It’s filled with worship songs, a few covers, and some filler material that’s all summed up in one amazing statement: “when our depravity meets His divinity it is a beautiful collision.” With A Collision (“A” as in “before B,” not “a single collision”), Crowder seeks to confront our fears about death, dying and the afterlife with a spiritual mindset and rejoice in the eternal life found in Jesus. Plus, they continue their streak of being a “nerd’s Christian band” by having references to physics and chemistry, bizarre chord shapes and music structure, and even a music video done in an Anime style about hating squirrels. You heard read me.
The album is divided into four parts. “A Part” begins with “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven (A Walk Down Stairs),” which is just that: David Crowder singing a few bars of the Loretta Lynn song and then walking down the stairs. “Come and Listen” is an invitation for the listener, for anybody who hears, for anybody who knows God to come and listen to what is being said. “Here is Our King” is a celebration of Christ and His glory evident in creation, even in troubling and distressing times. “Wholly Yours” continues with that theme in a way, this time celebrating Christ loving us even though we’re imperfect. “Foreverandever Etc.” is an incredibly upbeat song with a twofold meaning: we will rejoice with Christ forever, and His love for us is everlasting. In essence, “A Part” is about worshiping our Savior and King here on Earth, awaiting the eternal life to come.
“B Part” is about the redemption offered in Christ and the transformation the believer goes through after being redeemed. It opens with “A Quiet Interlude,” with some light strings leading directly into “A Beautiful Collision,” the song that describes the seemingly paradoxical beauty of the thesis: our depravity meeting His divinity. “Soon I Will Be Done With the Troubles of the World” is a sampled recording of a choir singing an old spiritual. “Be Lifted or Hope Rising” captures the anxious anticipation of Jesus returning in glory, in the meantime being held up by His strength. “I Saw the Light,” that old familiar hymn, sounds as if it were recorded in a barn (I think it actually was) and, with a new eschatological stanza, reinforces the transformation found in redemption. “O God Where Are You Now? (In Pickerel Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)” is a Sufjan Stevens song describing the longing and almost frustration felt waiting for God to return and take the Church to be with Him in glory.
“C Part” begins with “B Quiet Interlude,” this time a short song calling for silence so that we can hear what God has to say. “Do Not Move” describes the feeling of awe and wonder one gets when the magnitude of Jesus’ sacrifice is realized: the fact that anyone, especially God Himself, would die for you leaves you stunned and unable to move. “Come Awake” has a duel meaning as well: the sinner being called to be made alive in Jesus, formerly being dead in sin, and also being called forth from the grave to live forever. “You Are my Joy” puts words to the feeling of complete awe and thankfulness that left one speechless in “Do Not Move,” and “Our Happy Home,” an anonymous hymn, tells of the eagerness and joy that the Church has to be made one with Christ in eternity.
“D Part” opens with “(Repeat/Return) or When the Seventh Angel Sounded His Trumpet, and There Were Loud Voices in Heaven, Which Said: ‘The Kingdom of the World Has Become the Kingdom of Our Lord and of His Christ, and He Will Reign Foreverandever, Etc…,” containing nothing but eleven seconds of guitar feedback. The title of it actually takes longer to say than the track itself, which might be the intended irony. “We Win!” is a joyous acclamation of victory over death and sin, with “Rescue is Coming” extolling the hope of a returning Savior. The album concludes with two curious tracks: “A Conversation” between a journalist (who doesn’t quite get the point of the album) and David Crowder, which continues into “The Lark Ascending or (Perhaps More Accurately, I’m Trying to Make You Sing)” which also has the violin solo of that name being played under the conversation.
While the album isn’t a consistent set of songs like Church Music from last year (another worthy contender of a “Great Albums” installment), it’s an incredibly ambitious concept album that pays off. So very few Christian musicians, let alone Christians period, speak of death in a joyous, optimistic manner, but the band takes and attitude that we should have and, instead of being depressing or macabre, rejoices in the fact that in Christ, there is no real death.
The album is accompanied by B Collision or (B is for Banjo), or (B sides), or (Bill), or perhaps more accurately (…the eschatology of Bluegrass), an EP of a few live tracks and a few new tracks including a full version of “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven,” and a book entitled Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven But Nobody Wants to Die or (the eschatology of bluegrass), written after the tragic death of their friend pastor Kyle Lake. I recommend both, for what it’s worth.
Choice lyrics:
Like this:
~ by jayaws on September 12, 2010.
Posted in Analysis, Commentary, Eulogy, Music