Liaison

Liaison

This "group" popped up in 1989 and released 3 albums of AOR type rock. A similar sound to Idle Cure, but maybe a bit more Pop/Rock than Idle Cure. The singer had a pretty good "edgy" voice and some of the songs had real hooks to them, ready for radio play.

Unfortunately, for every good song on their albums, there was a filler track of lite-AOR.
With that in mind though, there are some enjoyable '80's rock songs you can cherry-pick from their albums. I have done this for you (just click on the link below for a 12 song sample).

One of the enjoyable things about Liason were the vocal harmonies of the two brothers who I guess were Liaison basically. The first two albums, "Liason (1989)" and "Urgency (1991)" alternated between rockers and ballads, usually the rockers were good and the ballads were filler, with the odd exception, like the ballad "Lay Our Weapons Down" which is a song hard to get out of your head.

In 1992 Liaison released "Hard Hitter" which I thought was their last release until recently. This album was "heavy-ish" as suggested by the title. A good listen, missing some of the hooks but also a little less '80's sounding so has dated less than the first two albums.

However, "Hard Hitter" was not the last release. Liaison popped up out of nowhere in 1998 with the release "Cool Water". I found this a bit of a disappointment as it was far softer than any of the other releases. I guess the brothers grew up...

Essential Release: Hard Hitter (1992)

Anyway, just click on the link below to get a 12 song sample of Liaison's work, all out of print and all very hard to find:
http://rapidshare.com/files/380264927/Liaison.rar.html

Idle Cure

Idle Cure

Idle Cure were a well-produced hard-rock Christian band that started in the mid-1980's and finished up in 1994. They had a sound often compared to the arena-rock of Def Leppard, and to be fair, they did have the same kind of hooks. I liked them for the fun of their music, the melody, the shout-out choruses, and their message.
The lyrics are unashamed evangelism, often with messages for the unsaved. They clearly targeted youth who liked the music of Def Leppard or Bon Jovi at their most pop.
However, they were also completely within the Christian market, so their ability to reach non-Christians may have been more limited. It's a pity really as the music was real quality. I must admit the ballads make me cringe, but don't worry I haven't included any ballads in the 12 track sampler I have for you to download below.

Idle Cure music goes for ludicrous amounts on ebay as it is rare and long out-of-print. Pity Frontline Records folded as it is unlikely any of it will be re-released again. Now would be the time to re-release this type of music as nostalgia for the '80's is strong right now.

Essential Release: 2nd Avenue (1990)

Click to download the sampler here:
http://rapidshare.com/files/380189580/Idle_Cure.rar.html

Holy Soldier & Steven Patrick

Holy Soldier and Steven Patrick
Holy Soldier were a great glam metal band who played a style similar to Stryper in a way, but probably a little more gritty and bluesy. They had the hair, the looks and the message! I loved them from day one.

Their self-titled debut would be one of the best debuts ever released by a Christian rock artist. It was heavy and polished. The drum sound was huge, the guitars shredded and the lead singer could wail with the best of them.

Holy Soldier weren't afraid of tough issues, as their power ballad "See No Evil" demonstrated with the lyrics reflecting an unborn babies plea to his mother not to abort him.



The follow up Last Train saw a change in direction, the songs were less heavy and a little more polished. Also included was a pretty good cover of the Rolling Stones song "Gimme Shelter". I also liked this album, but not quite as much as the debut.

Following this release, Steven Patrick left Holy Soldier to pursue a short-lived solo career. He released Red Reign which is one of the hardest records to find for the collector. It is an okay release that progresses the Last Train sound further towards pop.

Meanwhile, Holy Soldier continued and brought in a new lead singer called Eric Wayne. his voice was very different (more gruff and deeper). Subsequently, and moving with the times, Holy Soldier's sound also changed and they had a grungy feel to their next album Promise Man. It sounded like Alice In Chains' Jar of Flies EP, grungy and darker, though the lyrics were as uplifting as ever.

Holy Soldier were a great band. Unfortunately the Christian marketplace wasn't able to support them as they deserved. In the secular world their first album would have been a huge hit, right up there with their contemporaries Poison or Bon Jovi.

Again, all these albums are a long time out of print and fetch ridiculous prices on ebay for used copies. However, let me know if there have been re-releases that support the artists.

Essential Release: Holy Soldier - Holy Soldier (1990)


Please enjoy the sampler below for download (click on link) that has 12 songs from the releases discussed above.

http://rapidshare.com/files/379975738/Holy_Soldier_and_Steven_Patrick.rar.html

MD5: 6BD37077E11FB1E46863FC74D727BE78

Altar Boys, Mike Stand and Clash of Symbols

Altar Boys, Mike Stand, & Clash of Symbols

For many Christian Rock music fans, the Altar Boys were our first taste of really good stuff in the 80's. They paved the way for things to come.
I really liked their Ramones style of early releases, but they just kept getting better, becoming more alternative rock than punk later on. Their lyrics were inspiring and in-your-face evangelism.

Later when the Altar Boys split, Mike Stand released a couple of solo albums that were a bit more mellow than the Altar Boys stuff. Mike Stand then joined an alternative rock group called Clash of Symbols and they had a few releases in the '90's. They had a post-grunge alternative style, but there wasn't the same passion that was evident in Altar Boys releases.

I hope you enjoy this selection (link below) of 12 tracks from the Altar Boys, Mike Stand and Clash of Symbols to get a taste of the brilliance.
Good luck trying to find the releases and support the artists if at all possible.
I am pretty sure all these are out of print and hard to find, but let me know if I am wrong. I really wish the Altar Boys stuff would be re-released for one.

Essential Recording:
GLM (Gut Level Music) - Altar Boys (1986)



To download the selected 12 tracks click:
http://rapidshare.com/files/379940362/Altar_Boys_Mike_Stand_Clash_Of_Symbols.rar.html

Well here goes nothing...

Hi all and sundry...

Man, it can be hard to find good old-school Christian music. I mean nearly all of it is out of print, and the good stuff goes for small fortunes on ebay.

Well, I have been looking, hunting and finding for a while now and there are a few other good sites out there, but not many where you can get samples of artists work, or best from genres.

I look towards providing links to some good tunes, mixes etc. I will try to keep regularly posting.

Cheers

auslander