For the Love of Music--2

  The sensors here at Hines Terrace Herald felt like my idea for the title of these posts was a little audacious for this place, so I have decided to keep the title the same because I do love music. I understand their concern, I think. We don't want to scare anyone off. Alread kind of doing that sometimes. Sorry.

  The above picture is the album cover for the Jars of Clay's debut album titled as most debut albums these days: Jars of Clay--Jars of Clay. It contained 10 regular songs and one secret track that was only on the cd. I didn't know about it for a long time because yours truly was a tape guy. Still am. Have a box of cassettes I keep in my car and still listen to. Not trying to bring it back or under the delusion that they are better. Just not ready to get rid of them. (Pray harder for sweet Melissa.)

  The first Jars of Clay album came out, or as they say in the music biz, dropped, in 1995. I am 100% biased, but the album contains not a single weak song. Each song is good and the album became an almost overnight sensation due to the songs, Flood, Love Song for a Savior, and Worlds Apart. The song, Flood, is still a hit for them and has been since 1995, both on Christian and Secular music charts. And this is where I want to park.

  This song provided me with one of my most vivid memories concerning music. I was a fifteen year old guy and my family was traveling back home after a very awkward (meaning awkward like it was meant to represent) weekend spent in Myrtle Beach, SC with my Uncle Bobby. We were driving through Atlanta and listening to the radio on scan; something I still do and this drives my poor wife insane. Then out of nowhere we get to a song that sounded like nothing else and for three minutes and thirty seconds I was captured. I had that feeling of wanting to hear a song a hundred times in a row. The song ended far before I wanted it to and then the station made a brief statement about the new band and a little about the new album coming out. I quickly memorized it. (This is one of the few things I am good at. I can memorize things very well an quickly. This was a young Melissa's greatest downfall. She told me her number and just knew I would forget it. Big mistake!)

 When we got back to Florida, I had my mom drive me to the local, Christian bookstore and I bought the tape. I listened to it until it broke and bought another and then when that one broke, I broke down and bought the cd. This album made be start listening to what would become CCM, Contemporary Christian Music. It shaped the way I wanted to learn about how to play my guitar. I learned how to play almost all ten songs. My friend and I started a band while in high school and tried with every bone in our bodies to BE the Jars of Clay. I was obessed. Still kind of am.

  The Jars of Clay are still making music. I am still buying it. I still love to play the songs I learned so long ago and am learning the newer songs. Their newest release, The Shelter, is a great album that I listen to often. It is the album I listened to while warming up and stretching for my only marathon. I am so glad we caught that radio station playing, Flood, sixteen short years ago.  I believe my life would have been different.

If you haven't heard this album, go and do so,

  David