Music 2000 and rewind

The year of the comeback!

After trying hard not to write this article I guess it has come to this. I’m not sure if it’s because I wasn’t sure how brutally honest I could be in this mag but I’ll try be honest without getting too many law-suit threats. 2009 was quite a... brave year in music. All the “used to be’s” were brave enough to make their great “allegedly anticipated” come-backs. I mean everyone; EVERYONE took their shot at making a comeback. I was walking through Musica (just walking, not about to buy anything might I add) and what I saw was worse than running into Robert Mugabe in Tony Blair’s back yard. I just thought there was a law against it. I saw COOLIO! Yes Mr Gangster’s Paradise, I thought his music career had gone into paradise but I guess not- he was making his allegedly anticipated come back!

I mean apart from Thembi Seete, Jay Z, TKZee (It would have gotten tricky on the name if one of them refused to get on the comeback train, I mean imagine TZee, or just Zee or KZee- the last one sounds like an Etv kids show), Whitney Houston (I’m so tempted to say something but we’ve gotten enough cracks out of her life-ITS ENOUGH!), Felicia Mabuza-Suttle (no she doesn’t have a music album. And no her show hasn’t replaced 3talk , but I saw her on the cover of some mag. That means something in the entertainment industry- I’m just not sure what ), Brandy(the boy was mine),the late Michael Jackson(I’m said to say his comeback was not to the music charts but heaven. Just be honest though, we somehow thought that he was gonna live something close to forever and some of us still wish he did), Deborah Cox, Maxwell (the guy who used to have big hair and a small voice), Eugene Mthethwa (his was a bit different though, yes I know a bit of politics) and last but not least Eminem (I ain’t gonna say nothing about Marshall. Too many words rhyme with HiP. He’ll make a whole album about us).

I hope I didn’t leave your favourite come back of the year but really my point is that if music stars can brush up their red carpet shoes and hope against hope to be invited onto Oprah or Live on SABC1 (for our local stars), surely no fall is too great to get up from. I’ve learnt that there are a lot of people who will have all the reasons why you shouldn’t do something but we must give these guys the props they deserve for getting up and fighting for what they believe. I know it got a bit preachy in the end but what else can one take from seeing a CD with Coolio on the cover! In a twisted kinda way it’s... Encouraging.

CD reviews

Free Chapel-Moving Forward
There is a second album after this but I thought we should start at the beginning. Besides –personally I think it’s the better one of the two. Now they got bit of help from Israel Houghton but there’s something fresh about their sound. There’s an honesty about their music. This is Jentzen Franklin’s worship team. I don’t know if you know him but you’ll hear him on it if you buy it-no he doesn’t sing, no he doesn’t play an instrument...he-wait for it...prays! Who would have thought that someone could make a single out of a prayer, yes my people he prays! No actually he doesn’t just pray h prays AND CRIES. And somehow that is one of my favourite tracks. I still think it’s a good project though, my favourite tracks on it are “moving forward”, “we wait upon you” and their own version of Israel’s “Let the redeemed of the lord say so”
Give it a try plus it’s on sale (great for the student budget) at CUM!
HiP gives it 8 out of 10.

Maxwell-Black summer’s night

After an eight year delay the great R and B/ Neo Soul crooner drops something. I’m not too sure who did the production for him but I have a suspicion it’s a producer from the era when he last dropped an album. It’s true, music is timeless but moving with the times wouldn’t have hurt our long lost brother Max. It’s good but I’m not sure he’ll make any new fans with this one. It’s apparently part of a trilogy (please don’t ask me why). As we hope the complete picture will make it worth the wait we admit that it is a good album. And it’s clean (language). Yes that does count-hawu!
Buy at own risk! Especially because it’s not on sale at CUM books! Test drive it first.
HiP gives it 6.5 out of 10

Classic of the Month

Switchfoot- oh, gravity

This here is an investment you want to make. If you are a Rebecca Malope fan or a Mighty clouds of joy devoted follower you might wanna try it out first as it will be a slightly different sound to the above mentioned artists. Ok maybe not slightly, its rock. Let me educate you-it’s what they call indie rock (don’t ask me why). Wikipedia says they are alternative rock though (maybe it’s the same thing...mmm) they are a Christian group that sings about life, it’s not a praise and worship album (don’t ask if we sing any of their songs at church cause the answer is no). They are really cool especially when reaching out to non-Christians. Great content and a great sound. Be adventurous and try them out.
Go get it now (it’s a classic so you’re already late) I’m not sure if it’s on sale at CUM books though
HiP gives them 10 out of 10

CD of the Month

His people Joburg - One thing

It wasn’t released this month and no it’s not because I appear on the DVD (check out the first row in the first half of the DVD and later on I think I’m somewhere at the back. Look out for a white shirt with blue writing at the back). It’s a brilliant concept for a worship album. A lot of worship albums fail to reflect the culture in which they are made. It’s either they sound like an Australian band in the middle of Diepkloof Extension or it’s some Lion king sound that no one can really say which part of the mother-land it’s supposed to be. But “One thing” is different. The writers gave God a Hip Hop feel, a Kwaito touch, a reggae vibe, a rocky feel and that good old South African church groove. The kind of sound that you would find on the radio-TODAY. It’s an intimate project excellently done. These are all original songs except for one. Great sing alongs and good for devotions. Hits to look out for are “Jesus blood”,”You are my Joy (Lalala)”, “Jesu Phakeme” and “At your feet”. Just look out for the whole CD-I’ve basically named all the tracks!
It’s on sale at all His People Johannesburg churches (get the DVD special!)
HiP gives it 10 out of 10

Song Reviews

Hillsong - I will exalt You
eish, you know what? Brooke Fraser has always been one to come up with all those deep songs that just take you there :-) and in this new Hillsong album: "Faith Hope and Love", she doesn't disappoint. "I will exalt You" is declarative worship song that just reminds you where God stands as far as you should be concerned, and what your response should be to that thought. it's mellow, making it choice for most people's quite time. I just think with this song, she took worship music to another level.
rate: 8/10

Cold Play - Lost
Crowd pleaser :-) as you'd expect from Chris Martin, deep lyrics, quite philosophical, with amazing instruments that'll keep you from zoning out :-) you don't need to be much of a rock fan to love this song. I personally think the whole album is quite good. with work like this, these boys don't look like they're stopping any time soon; some may even dare to argue that Cold Play has been the band of the decade.
Rate: 8/10