THEN AND NOW by Ron Salsbury (2014)

THEN AND NOW by Ron Salsbury (2014)

I’ve been taking a late summer break from the Top 100 countdown, but I recently acquired a new CD that I just had to tell you about.

It isn’t often that we are treated to a new recording by a Jesus Music pioneer. There are a handful of classic Jesus Music artists who continue to sporadically record and release new material – Phil Keaggy, Randy Stonehill, Terry Clark, and Bob Bennett come to mind. With the release of a new project titled Then and Now, we can happily add Ron Salsbury to that list.

As the Sixties ended and the Seventies began, Ron Salsbury was the lead singer of a somewhat successful rock and roll band in Hollywood, California. But Ron had also surrendered his life to Jesus Christ and was looking for a way to share his newfound Christian faith with his generation. So he started a band called JC Power Outlet with his friend John Pantano in the fall of 1970. JC Power Outlet released 2 albums on Myrrh Records – a self-titled album in 1972 and the classic Forgiven in 1974 – and traveled all over the United States and Canada for a period of about seven years. They played just about anywhere they could plug in their amps: prisons, churches, colleges, coffeehouses, city parks, and music festivals. In 1977, Ron and John joined Larry Norman’s Solid Rock Records as a duo and recorded Hit the Switch, an album that is remembered quite fondly.




Ron Salsbury (seated) and JC Power Outlet

John Pantano & Ron Salsbury

Once the touring days came to an end, Ron Salsbury became an Associate Pastor and Worship Leader. Then he went back to school, graduating from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1986. These days, Ron Salsbury is a cancer survivor and serves as Lead Pastor of New Life Community Church in Pismo Beach, CA (a Church of the Nazarene congregation). According to his website, Ron communicates the Gospel with humor and passion, demonstrating to his congregation that “God is really in love with each one of us and that there is a hope in every one of God’s promises.” Ron says, “I continue to live, preach, and sometimes sing and play guitar, with as much passion for Jesus as ever.” 



Ron Salsbury today

Which brings us to Then and Now. The concept is unique: a collection of some brand new recordings along with some previously recorded songs that have been digitally “cleaned up,” and some rare concert performances from days gone by that have also been digitally enhanced with new instruments added. 

I did the math and figured out that it had been 37 years since I had heard any new music from Ron Salsbury. So when Then and Now arrived in the mail, I couldn’t wait to give it a listen. 

One of the first things I noticed is that the album contains a whopping 16 tracks (almost 67 minutes of music!), and some really cool vintage photos of Ron and JC Power Outlet from back in the day.  

The project begins with a song of gratitude titled Father, I Do. It’s from a solo concert recorded in 1979. New instrumentation was added for this recording. 

Next up is a fun, country-flavored song called Denominations. This is a brand new recording to a song that originally appeared on the first JC Power Outlet album. Power Outlet fans will smile as they hear Ron sing "The Joneses are Presbyterian / Smiths are Pentecostal / And I am Nazarene." The song’s chorus reminds the listener that "We are members of the Body of Jesus Christ / We are one in the Spirit of the Lord." 

The third track is a real treat for those who are big fans of Hit the Switch. The original version of Lover of My Soul is here in all of its digital glory. This is basically a radio-friendly pop song that offers praise to the “God of love who makes our lives complete.” If there had been such a thing as Christian pop radio airplay in 1977, this song would’ve been a really big hit. It’s really nice to hear it again. 

The True Song of Praise is another tune from a 1979 concert performance (with new instruments added). This one uses humor to make the point that God receives authentic praise even from those who aren’t particularly musically gifted:

Have you ever heard a little church choir that massacred every note?
Or one of them Gospel quartets with the gold sequined coats?
Have you ever heard a soprano that vibrato’ed every pound of fat?

Or the tenors in a youth choir when they’re a half-step flat? 
                 

Have you ever heard a trumpet solo that sounded like a wounded bird?
Or a Christian rock and roll band where you couldn’t hear a single word?
Have you ever heard a Sunday morning choir where a smile just couldn’t be seen?
Or the Salvation Army Band play, and you don’t like tambourines?

Have you ever heard the screechy voices of the kids from summer camp?
Or the volunteer Christmas carolers when the night is cold and damp?
Have you ever heard a song so bad you just couldn’t wait to applaud?
Or a long-haired boy with a guitar that’s singin’ of the love of God? 

Well, you miss the greatest blessing that you could ever behold

If you don’t look beyond the music, and you don’t listen to their souls
You gotta look into their faces and I know you’ll be amazed
For when you look into their faces you’ll hear the true song of praise

 

The fifth track is a very special song to a lot of people: I Choose to Follow. It was the standout track from the band’s 1974 Forgiven album, and it’s a powerful statement of faith.

Though some friends may choose to criticize
I'll be a fool in some man's eyes
But still, I choose to follow You

Though people may say that I've lost my mind
But I want so much to find
A joy to last my whole life through
So I choose to follow You

Another classic tune from Forgiven is included next – the highly evangelistic Don’t Let Jesus Pass You By. As I listen to this song again, I’m struck by how easy it was for the early Jesus Music artists to simply share their faith with no reservations and no apologies. There’s a lesson there. 

It’s Only Your Love is a brand new song from Ron Salsbury. The song’s lyrics are particularly poignant in light of Ron’s recent health challenges. It recounts some of the many clichés that well-meaning people pass along, then acknowledges God’s love as the only source of true peace and strength: 

They say “every cloud has a silver lining”

And “after every storm, the sun will shine”
These are things I’ve heard my whole life through
But they don’t mean much in this time

They say “things get bad before they get better”
“It’s always darkest before the dawn”
These are things I was told were true
But they’re not much when you’re trying to hold on 

It’s only Your love, only Your love

It’s only Your love that gets me through the troubles that come my way
It’s only Your love, only Your love
Without Your love, I’d never last a day

Up next is the worshipful Oh My Jesus, another classic track from the Forgiven album (1974). It’s really cool to have up-to-date digital copies of these songs that bring back wonderful memories for so many of us. Even if you never owned the early JC Power Outlet albums, this is a great way to get caught up on what you missed during the Jesus Movement!

Another case in point is the CD’s next song, Don’t Shine It On. This one – complete with a groovy psychedelic guitar solo – is from the group’s debut album in 1972.

Another brand new song is up next: I’m Gonna Trust in You. This one uses Peter’s walk on the water for inspiration and expresses total and complete reliance upon the Lord, “no matter what comes my way.”

Next, we travel back to that 1979 concert for a story song called Counting Me, That Makes Two. The song recounts a witnessing opportunity that was probably typical of the seventies. Rather than give it away, I’ll just say that this one is a real joy to listen to.

Back Home from the 1972 record is the next song on the CD. It’s an invitation to those who have strayed from their faith to come back home. “You know where you belong…”

Also from the self-titled debut is Real Peace. It’s a testimony song that is full of the simplicity, purity, and authenticity that was in abundant supply in the early 70s!  

We circle back to Hit the Switch for the next song, except that it’s not the original version from the LP. Instead, it’s a rare live recording of People Tend to Forget. This is a song that made a big impact, as it centered around two objects – an old cannon and an old wooden cross. The song makes the point that our freedom as Americans was purchased with blood; it didn’t come cheap. Likewise, the salvation of our souls was also bought with blood – the blood of Jesus. This rendition is simply Ron and an acoustic guitar. 

Another new song is up next: a worship song called I’m Proud of You. Speaking directly to the Lord, Ron sings, “The more I see the work You do, the more I’m glad I follow You / And I wanna live to make You proud of me.”  

Then and Now closes with a new recording of a song that appeared on Hit the Switch. I Need You acknowledges our utter dependence on the Lord. This song makes it clear that money, fame, and position will never be able to successfully take the place of the Lord in our lives. 

The CD includes extensive liner notes from Ron Salsbury himself, recounting his musical and spiritual history.  

Get in touch with Ron (he’s on Facebook). Tell him that you’re praying for complete healing and physical restoration for him…and then do it! While you’re at it, go ahead and order your own copy of Then and Now. It’s easy enough to obtain. Just go to ronsalsbury.com. You can even get Ron to personalize an autograph if you so choose. The project is also available at iTunes, amazon and cdbaby. But the only way to get that autograph is to order directly from Ron's website! 

All in all, listening to Then and Now is like renewing acquaintance with an old friend. It’s just so good to hear these wonderful songs again, digitally enhanced and ready to inspire a new generation of believers to follow Jesus.