tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378213382666051101.post4040723155810947884..comments2024-03-13T20:35:37.062-07:00Comments on 100 Greatest CCM Albums of the '70s: #63 LIGHTEN UP by Barry McGuire (1974)Scott Bachmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03723436857124094429noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378213382666051101.post-17564673084983338162022-08-08T06:55:59.817-07:002022-08-08T06:55:59.817-07:00"A Winnie won but Jesus"...that's gr..."A Winnie won but Jesus"...that's great...Scott Bachmannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03723436857124094429noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378213382666051101.post-42436915618558346522022-07-31T16:54:25.414-07:002022-07-31T16:54:25.414-07:00For such a famous song, I must admit, I wasn’t bow...For such a famous song, I must admit, I wasn’t bowled over when I heard “Eve of Destruction.” It was, at best, OK, though to be fair, the version presented here is a pretty truncated version.<br />“Lighten Up” could have seemingly gotten off to a poor start. After all, I’d just heard “Seeds” and been more than impressed. Because it was on one of those “Twofer” cassettes, I was actually expecting it to be good, especially given that it was released only the year after “Seeds.” <br />Then came the sonic blast that is “Don’t blame God” and my eyebrows raised and I thought, “I <i>like</i> this !" Being a heavy rocker at heart, I could really get off on that descending guitar and Barry’s wailing vocals. The next 2 however, seemed to pull the album back to a certain averageness, although I liked them, especially “Calling me home.” The thing about both was that although both were soft, their melodies were indistinct in parts. And neither were heavyweights.<br />But from therein, this album launches into the stratosphere !<br />Up and upwards is the word. The next 7 are major highlights of the early Jesus music era, regardless of their musical style, of which there is interesting variety. “Pay the piper”, “Hey World” and the immense “You’ve heard his voice” are outrageously magnificent, while “How many times” and the lovely “Happy Road” present two sides of the coin in the Jesus experience, that indicate that there’s more than one side to this life. It’s actually a pretty lyrically well rounded album, despite the album title which could give a somewhat different impression.<br />I’ve often smiled wryly during “Anyone but Jesus” because it has, right from the start, sounded to me like Barry sings “A Winnie won but Jesus” ! 😄<br />But laughs aside, this has always come across as a well balanced album, both in terms of its musical styles and lyrical content. It’s a definite hit in my book, with one of the best album covers anywhere, at any time.<br />grimtravellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00025774296829848608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378213382666051101.post-62036544432225220292022-07-31T16:50:29.871-07:002022-07-31T16:50:29.871-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.grimtravellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00025774296829848608noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3378213382666051101.post-65268169798939953842022-03-11T17:52:44.739-08:002022-03-11T17:52:44.739-08:00I hope Barry gets back close to Jesus & Gospel...I hope Barry gets back close to Jesus & Gospel #1. That's where HE belongs.Lenbenhearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11749156084863876481noreply@blogger.com