Churches

Under the Milky Way: The Best of the Church
$7.99
I have not purchased this Cd yet but I just saw The Church last month in a small venue in Ridgefield, CT and the show was incredible. I have been to over 100 concerts from The Spice Girls to Depeche Mode to Van Halen to Elton John and this was easily in the top 10. I have always like Milky Way and Reptile but I never knew this band jammed like they did and the lead singer sound the same after all these years.
I am a Church fan now and I intend to get all their CD's, maybe a gift to myself this Christmas. DanO

American Country Churches: A Pictorial History
$12.95
This is a great "coffee table sitter" for those who are interested in old country churches. Lots of beautiful pictures.

Church Music
$17.98
David Crowder is a musical genius.

1) He and his band have crafted an album which that beautifully transitions from one song to another for 17 songs totaling 73 minutes. The last song also loops back around and is a transition to the first song. Sure other bands have accomplished similar feats, but it is not easy to do, especially to the brilliance that Crowder does it. As a song winds down, you can feel the tempo change and in sets up a certain anticipation for the next song.
2) The album is a history of church music. The album opens up with "Phos Hilaron", which is the oldest hymn in existence that is still being used today that isn't from the Bible. I don't know the specifics of each song, but I know the Eastern Hymn is from the Middle Ages when the Pope banned the tri-tone. In The End is obviously about the end of times when there is no suffering or hurting and we are in God's hands.
3) This entire album is a complete irony. You would not classify any of these songs as traditional worship songs (church music). In fact this whole album is electronically influenced. While the lyrics are obviously worshiping God, the instrumentation says otherwise. From the club vibe of "The Veil", to the 70's disco sound of "Church Music - Dance!", to the bips and bleeps found throughout the record that sounds like something off a NES game. The epic guitar work on "God Almighty". These are elements not found in a hymn, or even contemporary worship for that matter.

Each song is beautifully crafted and it is obvious that a tremendous amount of time and thought went into both writing and recording. The lyrics are deep and inspiring and there are plenty of different types of instrumentations to keep things fun and intersting. Each song stands on its own, but the album can only truly be fully experienced when listened to all the way through. Once you do that, you will find yourself craving to listen to it over and over.

American Country Churches
$19.98
I usually don't buy large coffee table books, but I made an exception for this one and I'm glad I did. I love the beautiful photos of the old, historic churches. I think churches are sacred spaces where you truly feel the presence of God and this book reflects that. I like the story and history that goes along with the photos. This is a lovely book and I enjoy looking/reading through it. The church on the cover is actually in Alabama, which I enjoyed because that is where I am originally from. The Southern churches and New England churches are my very favorite.