| the M I S F I T - Erick Nelson and Michele Pillar | ||
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These are some
excerpts from a very nice selection of reviews and comments from a wide collection of
artists and people who have been involved with CCM from its beginning. The complete
commentary is in the enhanced part of the CD Check out The Misfit review in the December 2002 issue of CCM Magazine! You should find upcoming reviews at ccmmagazine.com and at crosswalk.com. You can view the review at: http://www.the-misfit.com/ccm.htm THE MISFIT was my first important clue to
discovering that songs of faith and doubt, songs of divinity and humanity, songs of overt
worship and subtle inference ... all these songs could (and, as it turns out, absolutely
should) be written, sung and then placed along side each other. This album was, simply
put, real life set to music. It was ahead of its time (a concept album without the cheesy,
predictable premise) and, perhaps, too good for its own good in the marketplace of
Christian music! It was a Gospel with a little dirt under its fingernails. A Gospel where
there might really be place for me. If I had a dime for every sincere Christian song that
sounded "nice" but was utterly useless to me in the day-to-day grind and
complications of my life ... I would spend all those dimes on as many giveaway copies of
THE MISFIT as I could hand out. ... Sometimes, recording is just too much pressure. Other
times, it's just about the most exciting thing I ever did. You haven't lived until you've
just finished some background vocals and are now starting to double them. It just sounds
great! No mix-down can match it. Or until you are in the studio watching and hearing the
string players (violin, viola, cello, bass), playing your song - or singing lead vocal
along with an orchestra. My legs and spine were literally quivering with excitement during
my first experience of this. Believe me, it's a rare privilege to do a real record. To
have it receive a lot of airplay (in Southern California, at any rate) and then to be
named one of the top 10 CCM albums of the year (1979) is certainly more than I ever
deserved. One time Rick Conklin (of Aslan) wrote something about me that was quite an
observation - he said that I had a talent for surrounding myself with great musicians. I
don't know about such talent on my part, but from Good News, with Dave Diggs, Bill
Batstone, and Bob Carlisle, to Michele Pillar and Jonathan Brown and the players on the
Misfit - boy, was I surrounded by talent! ... Contemporary Christian Music didn't even have its title
yet. The "Jesus Movement" was in full swing and we were all swept away, doing
all we could to express His love to anyone who would listen. Erick's song writing was not
careful or calculated for anything or anyone, but written for the human heart, out of the
pit of his own. Every vocal performed was done with one desire...to burn like fire, and
carry the truth. Had The Misfit been recorded a couple of years later, it most likely
would not have been the same, because things changed. Radio charts, sales charts and
ministering in larger venues, became the norm. And as those new thing became important,
the window of innocence closed. Please know that I don't believe that the days ahead were
"less than good", but as always...things change. ... I first heard Michele sing on a Maranantha praise album.
I heard her voice, and thought, "That's a great voice". At the
time, like around 1974, I had one of Kiki Dee's early albums and I thought I liked this
girl's singing - it's really good. And then I heard Michele's voice, and I thought,
beautiful voice, and then there was the Spirit of the Lord that was with it as well, just
a real sweetness. ... The Misfit is a rare Christian music "classic"
that holds up as well today as when it was first released--if not better! Historically,
the album offered the perfect transition from Christian music's first decade to its
second, capping the career of one of the '70s biggest stars (Nelson) and launching that of
a prominent '80s diva (Pillar). The Misfit evinces the mature professionalism of projects
by later stars like Amy Grant, while retaining the spiritual charm and devotion of early
Jesus music artists like Love Song, Keith Green, or Second Chapter of Acts. ... Erick Nelson is an incredible singer, writer, and
apologist, and the Misfit album displayed his many talents in great form. It's
wonderful to see this classic album re-released. Tommy and I were delighted when Michele and Erick chose to
record "He's Asleep" on "The Misfit." It was a thrill for me to write
a string arrangement for one of my own songs which was being performed so beautifully.... ... The album "The Misfit" is a great album! I
think my favorite song is "Martyr Song". . It just moves me to think of
the "great cloud of witnesses" and their testimony. Musically speaking, it's
pretty good to listen back to something you did a few decades ago and not want to change
one note. MORE ON THE CD! ..... |
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| Misfit Reviews |
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