Review - Slugs & Bugs Under Where?

We were Kickstarter sponsors for the latest Slugs & Bugs project.

The original Slugs & Bugs arrived as a gift from some close friends.  I'd been an Andrew Peterson fan for a long time but Slugs & Bugs slipped by me.  Essentially, it is a collection of songs that Randall Goodgame and Andrew Peterson (both superb songwriters) had written for their kids; plus a few.  At first listen I laughed.  Not just a giggle but belly laughed at some if these songs.  And then I wept like a wee child.  "Beautiful Girl" made me feel like a pinata.  It hit me, hard & often until I broke.

The latest edition nearly gave me the same treatment.

I laughed greatly (The Wagon Song).  I was more prepared for the pinata treatment.  Plus, I'm a more experienced father (more kids and more mature, I think) so I've developed a tougher shell.

Slugs & Bugs has grown in the songwriting.  The Mexican Rhapsody is a great display of musicianship.  Songs like "I Want To Help" just strike such a common chord for adult and child.  I can simply say "Cause I..." and my 3 y/o comes running and singing I want to help.

Slugs & Bugs Under Where?  is a great album.  These are songs that keep the kids giggling, listening and laughing.  And yet my brain is not melting.  I am giggling also.  I am listening and laughing.

Not all the songs are a laugh fest. 
"I'm Adopted" touches on the wonder of belonging to a family and that everyone of us is adopted into God's family. 
"Tell it to Jesus" - there is no feelings that he can't handle. 
"God Made You Special" - this song is difficult to put words to.  It is beautiful lyrically and musically.  This is the song I want my kids to sing and remember.  "you reveal the master's touch".  I hope and pray that the simple message gets from their ears to their hearts.


These are great songs that keep the kids hanging around the kitchen CD player just to hear more.  Check it out if you haven't already (available here also the song Mexican Rhapsody).

Review: "In This Hour" by Jill Phillips

The street release of "In This Hour" is November 8th. Becky & I were kickstarter supporters and received an advanced download.

The Rabbitroom covered this today, plus you can listen to a great song off of the album.

Jill's music has had a ninja approach into my playlist. I am a big Andy Gullahorn fan and they are a hubby/wife combo. We got their "Christmas" album despite ignoring my suggestion for calling it "Gullahorn of Plenty" and it has great music (I mentioned it here).

I few years ago I managed to get her hymn album "Kingdom Come" out of a clearance rack (score!!). Jill has a wonderful voice. I've heard "haunting" used to describe some sounds and it fits here. Not in a creepy or scary way. Just that her voice stays with you and makes your mind think of other places.

"In This Hour" is full of songs great songs. I've had it on background at work and the deep lyrics are still sinking in. I think Jill has taken a step to be more vulnerable. These songs give the listener some inside glimpse into her life; into her heart.

I won't do a song by song breakdown. There are a few that jump out to me.

"Next Big Thing" (which is on-play at the rabbitroom link above). A catchy tune about tunes not being catchy enough to make it "big".

I've seen the rise and fall of shooting stars a thousand times

I've seen them burning out re-entering the atmosphere

So if it's a choice between that glory and the mundane life

I think that I'd prefer what you and I are sharing here

"If You Were Here" - This one has lingered with me. It has such vulnerability. Written with Randall Goodgame about the loss of her father, Jill reflects on how things would be different if he were around. She sang this at Hutchmoot. It hit me then and it still does. It captures so much of how much our lives are woven together and that's a good thing.

Take me away - A review of Bluebird by Randall Goodgame

So my church (with minor arm twisting from me) hosted a Randall Goodgame (hereafter RG) concert back in February.

See clip here:



A brief history.  I'm not sure I was aware of RG before receiving Slugs, Bugs, & Lullabies as a gift.  I might have been.  I was blown away by the album.  Laughing at "The Boy who was Bored" and weeping at "Beautiful Girl" for about the first 20x listening to it.  I can usually make it thru now.

So, being touched by the album I bought the RG album Hymnal.  I didn't care for it.  I listened a few times and gave it to a friend.  My recollected thoughts on it was that it was okay, but didn't get me hooked & I probably wouldn't buy another RG album.

Years and a few kids later the family ends up at a SB&L show and we bought War & Peace.  Good album; very good.

Then our church put on the SB&L Christmas program with some help from RG, and part of the whole arrangement was a concert in February as he was in the area.  The concert pushed me from "his music is okay" to "he's one of the best" in my view of RG music.  We bought one of the last copies of Bluebird that will have a proper case.  Although I'm sure if 1000 orders were to be placed he would find a way to produce more.  And honestly it is that good of an album it should be out there more.

And now my quick review of his album/ep "Bluebird".  Yeah, it came out in 2008 and I'm a few years behind.

I can't get enough of this album.  Many listens have passed my ears and I still seek it out.  It does for me everything music is meant to do - it draws out emotion.  When listening to a song I tend to focus first on vocal/lyrics.  It is what I want to pay attention to and generally if I hear the support (the wall of sound other than the primary vocals)  early it is because it is too strong, or doesn't match.  If they blend well I don't notice the support for quite some time.  I am blown away at every listening for the full songs that are present.

The songs:
Bluebird
All the Years
Heaven Waits
Reverie
California
Jubilee

The song that currently rattles my bones the most is "All the Years" (lyric portion is my current best guess from listening):
I've grown tired of all the years. I can feel my bones grinding down.  I used to cave to all my fears; but I've grown tired of all the years.  I have sung a thousand single songs, for all the world to sit and hear.  Candle wax has frozen up the keys that go right here.  And I have grown tired of all the years.

Take me away, take me away my love; can you find me a road I've never known. Take me away, take me away my love; I'm tired can you just take me home.

Something about that hits me like "Calgon, take me away".  The song elicits a feeling of being tired and ready for rest.  A call out for the day when we will hear "well done, good and faithful servant."  It builds to such a great apex of the calling out and ends with a content sigh.

It is such a wall of sound that is powerful and adds the to the power and feeling of RG's voice.  Great song.  Other songs are great as well, but this one is just the best to me.

Yinz had a Goodgame

Friday night our church hosted Randall Goodgame for a concert.  To say it was an excellent show would be true but still come up short for me.  It was also some great conversation and leaves me with much to think about.

Randall is a premier musician, singer & songwriter and flies slightly under the radar.  I was hoping for ~100ppl and the nature of how things go it could be anywhere from 50 to 200ppl.  We had about 30.   We were smacked by a HS basketball game, another church's winter carnival, a HS play; plus the usual ambivalent attitude for friday night events.

There's almost too much to get words to, without going 5 pages.  So here is a list of slightly organized thoughts:

• I was generally a mild RG fan 4 days ago.  Great music, but I like to sing along sometimes and his jazz-ish style makes that tough.  Great kid's music.  I didn't always "get" the songs.  I am now a BIG fan.
• Soundcheck went miserably.  The church system wouldn't pickup his guitar.  Many tries, & some frustration.  We ended up putting a mic in front of the guitar and it came thru well.  We discussed this over late-night eggs & basically when things get frustrating you may not be trusting God.
• I lost my voice the night before the concert.  It's almost back, 2 days after the whole thing.  Conversation was tough.  Jason did an excellent introduction (thanks).
• It was very much a house concert (talking back & forth).  Ups & downs to that.
• It must be tough being on the road for a musician.  Randall stayed at our house & we were intentional on he can talk with us, watch TV, play games or hide in his room as he pleased.  He's slightly lactose intolerant, so lasagna roll-ups and a cheesy egg casserole for breakfast might have been tough.  Some lactaid saved the day.
• Also being on the road and shuttled is draining in aspects other than being away from family.  It isn't a case of "always under the microscope", but certainly aware that the "camera is on" for a majority of your time.
• Randall & I talked much about music, Christian music, his music, kids music.  Family.  Writing songs for other people. C.S. Lewis.  Theology & life.  It's hard to say we talked when I didn't say too much. 

I still have much to dwell on & since I can't easily talk about it I thought I'd write some randomness.
Right now just a feeling of "I can't believe I was able to be a part of all this."
Thanks, Randall.  Thanks, Becky.  Thanks, Center Presby Church.  Thanks, Hebron Church (for the intro end to the tour and the warm-up adult concert) and Mike & Heather.