Indie Artist Rundown
Over the years, many of our favorite artists have left their major labels and chosen to release their music independently. Some were dropped by their labels due to low sales, artistic disagreements, or age. Still others leave their major labels for artistic freedom, financial independence or ministry purposes. Some fade away and cease to release new music but others thrive in the indie scene. Now more than ever before, many former heavy hitters of major labels are taking the indie route and finding great success and wider ministry opportunities. Below I have listed 20 of my favorite artists that used to be signed to a major label who have chosen the independent route and are the better for it.
1. Audrey Assad
There was never a chance that Audrey Assad was going to stay at Sparrow Records. Despite her massive critical acclaim and solid, steady record sales, Sparrow could not figure out how to get Audrey's songs on the radio; therefore, limiting her appeal and exposure. I thought she'd at least make it through a three-album record deal but alas, her disdain for radio songs prevailed and she left the label after the second single of her critically-lauded (and my album of the year) Heart failed to chart. She began a Kickstarter campaign and raised enough funds to produce Fortunate Fall, an exceptional yet totally hipster worship record that has more in common with Imogen Heap or Sarah Brightman than Chris Tomlin or her fellow Catholic worship leader Matt Maher. While I'm pretty sure I don't agree with the theology behind the title track, there are many jewels to be found on Fortunate Fall and it is worth a listen, for no other reason, than to stimulate thought (even if you disagree with her, she always makes you think) and to enjoy Audrey's beautiful voice and incredibly tasteful musical arrangements.
2. Jars of Clay
Jars has always been one of the most indie-minded major label artists. When they chose to create their own label to produce their music, no one was surprised and they have continued to release consistently great albums including their latest release, Inland.
3. Anthem Lights
I have no clue why Reunion Records let Anthem Lights go. These guys are easily CCM's response to One Direction and they hold the mantle well. They also write the bulk of their material. They too hosted a successful Kickstarter campaign and are hard at work on their sophomore album. However, so as not to keep their Lightbulbs (that's what their fans call themselves) waiting too long for new music, AL has released two albums of mainstream cover songs in the last year along with a Christmas EP this fall. Their YouTube videos rack up millions of views and they've maintained a pretty consistent touring regiment despite all the time in the recording studio. In short, these guys have GREAT management and business savvy! Look for these guys to be picked up by a major label real soon!
4. Avalon
I love Avalon. Sparrow records really gave them the shaft after the death of group creator Grant Cunningham and the departure of founding member Michael Passons. I really don't think that A&R director Brad O'Donnell knew what to do with them! The Creed was a sales and creative disappointment and they never recovered from it. (For the record, I really liked The Creed- one of my favorite Avalon songs of all time, "You Were There", is on that album but it was missing some key ingredients that made Avalon so successful in the past- namely singles that fit the current pop landscape, enough upbeat material and lead vocal diversity) After they fulfilled their Sparrow contract, Avalon signed with indie giant EOne and created an album that was much more relevant to the pop landscape- even if it did lack lead vocal diversity. Ultimately, Reborn did not bring Avalon back to the top of the AC or Pop charts but it did give them a massive #1 single on INSPO radio ("Arise"). However, a follow up hit did not materialize and Avalon went into hibernation. They have recently begun to tour and frequent social media so here's to hoping another excellent indie album is on its way!
5. Abandon
Another casualty of Sparrow Records (gee these guys have let go of a lot of my favorite artists!) Abandon also funded their album through Kickstarter. However, they've been fairly quiet about their new material and one is now beginning to wonder what's going on. This small snippet of a preview sounds great but we really need a full single preview to come out soon before we lose interest. I count myself as a fan.
6. Crystal Lewis
Crystal is no stranger to the indie music scene as she spent decades manning her own indie record label with her husband Brian Ray before Myrrh and Word Records snatched her and her label Metro-One up in the mid-90's which led to classic CCM hits like "People Get Ready-Jesus is Coming" and "Beauty for Ashes". However, it became clear around the turn of the century that Crystal had become bored with pleasing Christian AC radio and she quietly exited Word Records and began to release music independently again- beginning with her now classic Christmas record Holiday! During the mid-2000's Crystal's musical output significantly declined and her last offering Plain & Simple wasn't really a comeback album as much as it was a holdover release (in my opinion) but news coming from her camp following her hugely successful Kickstarter campaign hints that this upcoming album is one to mark your calendar for!
7. Twila Paris
Twila is a living legend in CCM who never gets the credit she deserves. Her last indie album was pretty much a Patriotic greatest hits collection but her prior release Small Sacrifice reminded everyone that Twila is still the modern-day Fanny Crosby of the church. I hope she puts out some new material again soon.
8. 33 Miles
33 Miles never quite reached their potential. They should have been CCM's answer to Rascal Flatts- complete with multiple #1 hits but some sort of mismanagement following their breakthrough hit "One Life to Love" ruined those chances and now the group has taken positions as worship leader of a church and have released a fine album of worship music that, while pleasant, does not hold a candle to their major label output. Here's to hoping they get another shot at a major label because I love their sound and their vocals. That being said, if you're looking for a worship album to listen to on the way to church on Sunday mornings, check out Let It Be Glory.
9. Kathy Troccoli
KT has thrived on the indie scene for years. She's kept incredibly busy between her regular KT & Friends Cruises, women's conference speaking engagements, and regular CD releases. Kathy's music is not limited to her popular Inspo-leaning pop records but also includes full albums of oldies covers, jazz standards, worship/contemplative songs (perfect for morning devotions), Christmas music, Broadway classics, greatest hits remakes and original material. She is one of the few indie veteran CCM artists that is still a solid album seller (her albums Draw Me Close, Comfort, and The Story of Love continue to move copies) and her former label Reunion Records regularly distributes many of her albums because they know KT is a house hold name (especially among women).
10. Jimmy Needham
This is a great guy who loves the Lord and regularly puts out theologically significant music- including the song below (also funded by Kickstarter!) which is one of my life anthems!
11. Starfield
My brother's favorite group went the indie route after 4 great albums with... you guessed it... Sparrow Records. Their indie release The Kingdom has a much stronger focus on Americana than they ever showed in their major label releases but everything we loved about Starfield is still intact!
12. Ronnie Freeman
He's now a missionary in Germany but, for about a decade, Ronnie Freeman released a handful of albums that rival the best that CCM has to offer. He has one of the best voices in Christian Music and one of the smartest business plans I've ever heard of for a Christian indie artist. Here's to hoping his mission service in Germany prompts more music!
13. Nicole C. Mullen
The woman behind "Redeemer", Call On Jesus" and the theme from Larry Boy! NCM is a worshipper and women's teacher at heart so it only makes sense that she put out albums the are niche driven towards those audiences. She's always been a do-it-yourself- type of artist (not dissimilar to Crystal Lewis). Her latest release is also a hymns record called Crown Him sold exclusively through Family Christian Stores.
14. Kerrie Roberts
Poor Kerrie Roberts never even got to release her completed sophomore album through her former record label Reunion, despite the fact that it was finished a year before they let her go. Reunion has this horrible track record of one-and-done artists. (Kerrie joins a long line including Anthem Lights, Josh Bates, Lindsey McCall, Ana Laura, Phil Stacy, and probably soon- Rebecca St. James) However, Reunion was nice enough to release the completed record and allow her to do her own promotion of it independently. This is Kerrie's first indie radio single and its already getting some adds at CHR radio. Hopefully this does well enough to secure her another record deal. This girl has loads of potential!
15. Heather Williams
Heather has yet to release any music independently but I have received news that she has parted ways with her former record label FairTrade Services. Heather is such a unique voice in CCM and I am looking forward to what she puts out next.
16. Cindy Morgan
I would say that Cindy Morgan is Audrey Assad's fore-runner. Cindy liked to ask the hard questions and release the music she wanted to release- regardless of commercial appeal. While her latest releases have not necessarily been my cup of tea, I can't get enough of her hymns project and this cover of "I'll Fly Away"!
17. Cheri Keaggy
I really liked Cheri's first three records on Sparrow Records- My Faith Will Stay has a particular sweet spot in my heart. I always thought Cheri had a similar vocal style to pre-Unguarded Amy Grant. But I'm not sure she was given the best A&R direction or promotion. At any rate, Cheri's style has changed over the years and I would say she is now CCM's closest answer to Carol King. Cheri has been through a lot lately in her personal life and I suppose that tragedy does force great art and while I wish Cheri was able to come back to CCM without the painful experiences, I am glad to hear her voice on the radio again.
18. Kierra Sheard
Gospel darling Kiki is all grown up! I knew she and her label EMI Gospel couldn't remain friends for too long. She seemed to want to push too many boundaries for those guys and its probably best that she does it independently. Her latest record Free is a great genre-bending conglomeration of worship music that has found success at Gospel radio despite not having a massive label push behind it.
19. Steve Green
Before Josh Groban, there was Steve Green. He's never changed his style for radio airplay or commercial success and the man knows how to pick a classic song. His style isn't necessarily my favorite but this man's Hide 'Em In Your Heart kids records laid an amazing biblical foundation for my future Christian walk and he is still a voice that deserves to be heard. God bless you Steve Green and thank you for staying grounded in the Word of God!
20. Clay Crosse
Clay was considered part of the cool club in CCM in the 90's but, for a number of reasons, the least of which not being his outspoken stance on moral purity among men, his popularity has waned within the mainstream spectrum of CCM through the 2000's. Clay has occasionally put out new music throughout the last decade including an excellent jazz Christmas album and a country-tinged worship album but now he's going for the David Phelps/Steve Green crowd with his latest release. I have always appreciated Clay's voice and his mission to encourage strong and biblical, healthy families.
Indie Artists Who've Never Been Signed to a Major Label
There are some amazingly talented artists who have never been picked up by a major label. These guys deserve a listen as well!
David Dunn
Yeah... this guy is just good- Sparrow, Reunion or Word Records, please sign this guy and let him go on tour with Steven Curtis Chapman or Matthew West NOW! Thanks :)
Truth Songs (Zander & Janine Jones)
These guys put the words of Scripture verbatum to music! SO COOL!
Charmaine
Rebecca St James' former back up singer has blossomed into an amazing independent artist. Hopefully her #1 duet with Jonathan Thulin will help raise the profile of her solo music.
Ascend the Hill
The best modern rock versions of hymns around. Ascend the Hill is a group of Godly men who desire to live simply in this world of consumerism and glorify God with their music.
Beckah Shae
This girl is a boss! Is it just me or does she look like Angelina Jolie?! Like Crystal Lewis, Beckah releases the kind of music she wants when she wants to release it. She will put out an urban/hip hop album and follow it up with a reflective slow worship album that will then be followed by a dupstep infused party record. She covers all the bases and does it all with class, style, professionalism and #loveglasses.
1. Audrey Assad
There was never a chance that Audrey Assad was going to stay at Sparrow Records. Despite her massive critical acclaim and solid, steady record sales, Sparrow could not figure out how to get Audrey's songs on the radio; therefore, limiting her appeal and exposure. I thought she'd at least make it through a three-album record deal but alas, her disdain for radio songs prevailed and she left the label after the second single of her critically-lauded (and my album of the year) Heart failed to chart. She began a Kickstarter campaign and raised enough funds to produce Fortunate Fall, an exceptional yet totally hipster worship record that has more in common with Imogen Heap or Sarah Brightman than Chris Tomlin or her fellow Catholic worship leader Matt Maher. While I'm pretty sure I don't agree with the theology behind the title track, there are many jewels to be found on Fortunate Fall and it is worth a listen, for no other reason, than to stimulate thought (even if you disagree with her, she always makes you think) and to enjoy Audrey's beautiful voice and incredibly tasteful musical arrangements.
2. Jars of Clay
Jars has always been one of the most indie-minded major label artists. When they chose to create their own label to produce their music, no one was surprised and they have continued to release consistently great albums including their latest release, Inland.
3. Anthem Lights
I have no clue why Reunion Records let Anthem Lights go. These guys are easily CCM's response to One Direction and they hold the mantle well. They also write the bulk of their material. They too hosted a successful Kickstarter campaign and are hard at work on their sophomore album. However, so as not to keep their Lightbulbs (that's what their fans call themselves) waiting too long for new music, AL has released two albums of mainstream cover songs in the last year along with a Christmas EP this fall. Their YouTube videos rack up millions of views and they've maintained a pretty consistent touring regiment despite all the time in the recording studio. In short, these guys have GREAT management and business savvy! Look for these guys to be picked up by a major label real soon!
4. Avalon
I love Avalon. Sparrow records really gave them the shaft after the death of group creator Grant Cunningham and the departure of founding member Michael Passons. I really don't think that A&R director Brad O'Donnell knew what to do with them! The Creed was a sales and creative disappointment and they never recovered from it. (For the record, I really liked The Creed- one of my favorite Avalon songs of all time, "You Were There", is on that album but it was missing some key ingredients that made Avalon so successful in the past- namely singles that fit the current pop landscape, enough upbeat material and lead vocal diversity) After they fulfilled their Sparrow contract, Avalon signed with indie giant EOne and created an album that was much more relevant to the pop landscape- even if it did lack lead vocal diversity. Ultimately, Reborn did not bring Avalon back to the top of the AC or Pop charts but it did give them a massive #1 single on INSPO radio ("Arise"). However, a follow up hit did not materialize and Avalon went into hibernation. They have recently begun to tour and frequent social media so here's to hoping another excellent indie album is on its way!
5. Abandon
Another casualty of Sparrow Records (gee these guys have let go of a lot of my favorite artists!) Abandon also funded their album through Kickstarter. However, they've been fairly quiet about their new material and one is now beginning to wonder what's going on. This small snippet of a preview sounds great but we really need a full single preview to come out soon before we lose interest. I count myself as a fan.
6. Crystal Lewis
Crystal is no stranger to the indie music scene as she spent decades manning her own indie record label with her husband Brian Ray before Myrrh and Word Records snatched her and her label Metro-One up in the mid-90's which led to classic CCM hits like "People Get Ready-Jesus is Coming" and "Beauty for Ashes". However, it became clear around the turn of the century that Crystal had become bored with pleasing Christian AC radio and she quietly exited Word Records and began to release music independently again- beginning with her now classic Christmas record Holiday! During the mid-2000's Crystal's musical output significantly declined and her last offering Plain & Simple wasn't really a comeback album as much as it was a holdover release (in my opinion) but news coming from her camp following her hugely successful Kickstarter campaign hints that this upcoming album is one to mark your calendar for!
7. Twila Paris
Twila is a living legend in CCM who never gets the credit she deserves. Her last indie album was pretty much a Patriotic greatest hits collection but her prior release Small Sacrifice reminded everyone that Twila is still the modern-day Fanny Crosby of the church. I hope she puts out some new material again soon.
8. 33 Miles
33 Miles never quite reached their potential. They should have been CCM's answer to Rascal Flatts- complete with multiple #1 hits but some sort of mismanagement following their breakthrough hit "One Life to Love" ruined those chances and now the group has taken positions as worship leader of a church and have released a fine album of worship music that, while pleasant, does not hold a candle to their major label output. Here's to hoping they get another shot at a major label because I love their sound and their vocals. That being said, if you're looking for a worship album to listen to on the way to church on Sunday mornings, check out Let It Be Glory.
9. Kathy Troccoli
KT has thrived on the indie scene for years. She's kept incredibly busy between her regular KT & Friends Cruises, women's conference speaking engagements, and regular CD releases. Kathy's music is not limited to her popular Inspo-leaning pop records but also includes full albums of oldies covers, jazz standards, worship/contemplative songs (perfect for morning devotions), Christmas music, Broadway classics, greatest hits remakes and original material. She is one of the few indie veteran CCM artists that is still a solid album seller (her albums Draw Me Close, Comfort, and The Story of Love continue to move copies) and her former label Reunion Records regularly distributes many of her albums because they know KT is a house hold name (especially among women).
10. Jimmy Needham
This is a great guy who loves the Lord and regularly puts out theologically significant music- including the song below (also funded by Kickstarter!) which is one of my life anthems!
11. Starfield
My brother's favorite group went the indie route after 4 great albums with... you guessed it... Sparrow Records. Their indie release The Kingdom has a much stronger focus on Americana than they ever showed in their major label releases but everything we loved about Starfield is still intact!
12. Ronnie Freeman
He's now a missionary in Germany but, for about a decade, Ronnie Freeman released a handful of albums that rival the best that CCM has to offer. He has one of the best voices in Christian Music and one of the smartest business plans I've ever heard of for a Christian indie artist. Here's to hoping his mission service in Germany prompts more music!
13. Nicole C. Mullen
The woman behind "Redeemer", Call On Jesus" and the theme from Larry Boy! NCM is a worshipper and women's teacher at heart so it only makes sense that she put out albums the are niche driven towards those audiences. She's always been a do-it-yourself- type of artist (not dissimilar to Crystal Lewis). Her latest release is also a hymns record called Crown Him sold exclusively through Family Christian Stores.
14. Kerrie Roberts
Poor Kerrie Roberts never even got to release her completed sophomore album through her former record label Reunion, despite the fact that it was finished a year before they let her go. Reunion has this horrible track record of one-and-done artists. (Kerrie joins a long line including Anthem Lights, Josh Bates, Lindsey McCall, Ana Laura, Phil Stacy, and probably soon- Rebecca St. James) However, Reunion was nice enough to release the completed record and allow her to do her own promotion of it independently. This is Kerrie's first indie radio single and its already getting some adds at CHR radio. Hopefully this does well enough to secure her another record deal. This girl has loads of potential!
15. Heather Williams
Heather has yet to release any music independently but I have received news that she has parted ways with her former record label FairTrade Services. Heather is such a unique voice in CCM and I am looking forward to what she puts out next.
16. Cindy Morgan
I would say that Cindy Morgan is Audrey Assad's fore-runner. Cindy liked to ask the hard questions and release the music she wanted to release- regardless of commercial appeal. While her latest releases have not necessarily been my cup of tea, I can't get enough of her hymns project and this cover of "I'll Fly Away"!
17. Cheri Keaggy
I really liked Cheri's first three records on Sparrow Records- My Faith Will Stay has a particular sweet spot in my heart. I always thought Cheri had a similar vocal style to pre-Unguarded Amy Grant. But I'm not sure she was given the best A&R direction or promotion. At any rate, Cheri's style has changed over the years and I would say she is now CCM's closest answer to Carol King. Cheri has been through a lot lately in her personal life and I suppose that tragedy does force great art and while I wish Cheri was able to come back to CCM without the painful experiences, I am glad to hear her voice on the radio again.
18. Kierra Sheard
Gospel darling Kiki is all grown up! I knew she and her label EMI Gospel couldn't remain friends for too long. She seemed to want to push too many boundaries for those guys and its probably best that she does it independently. Her latest record Free is a great genre-bending conglomeration of worship music that has found success at Gospel radio despite not having a massive label push behind it.
19. Steve Green
Before Josh Groban, there was Steve Green. He's never changed his style for radio airplay or commercial success and the man knows how to pick a classic song. His style isn't necessarily my favorite but this man's Hide 'Em In Your Heart kids records laid an amazing biblical foundation for my future Christian walk and he is still a voice that deserves to be heard. God bless you Steve Green and thank you for staying grounded in the Word of God!
20. Clay Crosse
Clay was considered part of the cool club in CCM in the 90's but, for a number of reasons, the least of which not being his outspoken stance on moral purity among men, his popularity has waned within the mainstream spectrum of CCM through the 2000's. Clay has occasionally put out new music throughout the last decade including an excellent jazz Christmas album and a country-tinged worship album but now he's going for the David Phelps/Steve Green crowd with his latest release. I have always appreciated Clay's voice and his mission to encourage strong and biblical, healthy families.
Indie Artists Who've Never Been Signed to a Major Label
There are some amazingly talented artists who have never been picked up by a major label. These guys deserve a listen as well!
David Dunn
Yeah... this guy is just good- Sparrow, Reunion or Word Records, please sign this guy and let him go on tour with Steven Curtis Chapman or Matthew West NOW! Thanks :)
Truth Songs (Zander & Janine Jones)
These guys put the words of Scripture verbatum to music! SO COOL!
Charmaine
Rebecca St James' former back up singer has blossomed into an amazing independent artist. Hopefully her #1 duet with Jonathan Thulin will help raise the profile of her solo music.
Ascend the Hill
The best modern rock versions of hymns around. Ascend the Hill is a group of Godly men who desire to live simply in this world of consumerism and glorify God with their music.
Beckah Shae
This girl is a boss! Is it just me or does she look like Angelina Jolie?! Like Crystal Lewis, Beckah releases the kind of music she wants when she wants to release it. She will put out an urban/hip hop album and follow it up with a reflective slow worship album that will then be followed by a dupstep infused party record. She covers all the bases and does it all with class, style, professionalism and #loveglasses.
Okay, now I totally understand why Avalon's sound sounded super different starting with "The Creed". I'm definitely a " newcomer" to their music, because I only got into them a few months ago. But if I can even tell that they sound different, even though I'm pretty new to them, that's not really a good thing...
ReplyDeleteI really do enjoy The Creed, but my favorite album by them is Oxygen, hands down.Their voices are just amazing in that one.
And Avalon really was never the same after Michael left. His voice literally gives me chills-it's that good. :) And I may or may not think he's good-looking....;) .
*Sunny
I need somebody else's opinion on this as no one I know in real life really likes\has heard of Avalon: is it just me, or did every song on Reborn sound kind of the same to you? I listened to it recently and that was the impression I got. ;) And it bugged me, kind of, that every song had a one-word title...like they were being lazy with naming the song titles or something.
ReplyDeleteOn a positive note, I did love their song "Alive" on that album. :)
*Sunny
P.S. Sorry for the rant-like I said, no one I know is into Avalon...how unfortunate. ;)
Hello my fellow Avalon fan! There used to me a ton of us with our very own fan club called Avalon Fan Clan but alas we are no more :(
ReplyDeleteI agree that after Michael left, Avalon sounded completely different- starting with The Creed but even more so on Reborn when all the mainstay members except Janna were replaced. IMO Michael brought a smoothness to the group. He didnt' have a "powerhouse" voice but one that blended well and harmonized well with others. he kept the vocal group from turning into a shoutfest (see Avalon's CCM covers album Another Time & Another Place) for examples of this!) Greg Long (Michael's replacement) has such a distinct sound to his voice that it really is hard for him to blend in with the others. He was a successful solo artist for about a decade so he did have trouble blending with the group.
I liked The Creed but felt its parts were better than its sum as a whole album. It was mission some signature upbeat tracks and songs that were relevant to the current pop and CCM scene. They sounded completely different from everything else on radio at the time... Avalon always thrived because they provided a CCM alternative to mainstream pop sounds. They didn't do that on The Creed. I actually wish they included the three songs from their Greatest Hits album on The Creed as well because the tempos and vocalist diversity of those three tracks would have balanced the album better. It had too much Janna imo
Reborn did sound like on econtinueous track (I liked the sound but the record wasn't diverse enough) It was basically the Greg Long show. I think they did the one word title thing on purpose and I kind of liked that touch.
Oxygen was a GREAT album (2 of my fav songs ever fromAvalon are The Glory and Undeniably You) but my fav Avalon album hands down is A Maze of Grace- I still think it sounds radio ready today!
I mourn the death of the Avalon Fan Clan (lol). I so would have joined if I'd been older and knew about Avalon when it was still in business.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thanks so much for replying to my comments, what a pleasant surprise. :) I agree with all your points and especially agree about the "shoutfest" thing. I've only heard a couple tracks off of "Another Time" but the songs I have heard aren't great. (God Is In Control REALLY turned into a shouting match, and we don't need a rock version of Testify to Love. The original was fine and people really liked it, so why mess with it?) There was also a little too much screaming for my liking on The Creed, especially "All".
Melissa is actually my least favorite member of all time, because IMO she was the main voice behind all that shouting that Avalon did throughout the years....don't know if you agree, but I personally think when Melissa entered, the shouting began.
And yes!! "Undeniably You" and "The Glory" are two of my absolute favorite Avalon songs of all time too!! (Cherie's voice is amazing!) A Maze of Grace would probably have to be my second favorite album, and I'm glad you think it sounds modern-ish today, because I've thought the same thing. :)
*Sunny
P.S. "The Greg Long show"...hahaha, that cracked me up. I can't tell the difference between Greg and Jeremi yet so I can't really say anything about that but I did get a laugh out of that line. ;)
I actually really really like Melissa's voice and enjoyed her "shouting" if you will :P Her solo album was pretty good too and I thought she brought a little Kelly Clarkson to the mix.... I didn't think it was too much on "All" or most of The Creed actually (but I see the beginings of what we are talking about on it).... Michael recorded half of The Creed with them and then left the group and they removed most of his vocals and copy-pasted Greg's in ... HOWEVER, the vocal acrobatics got a bit out of hand because all four members got in on the vocal competition. In the past, the big vocals were the icing on the cake of a great song, starting at The Creed, they became the meat and potatoes and that changed the group.... Jody and Janna have always been belters and Melissa could hit amazing high notes and Michael held it all together on those 2 greatest hits songs but once he left it because too much. That's my take on it. Also, Avalon wasn't given enough modern songs to balance the vocal ability they had with radio friendliness... so while I love Greg Long's solo stuff... I haven't liked his work with Avalon yet... I agree with your takes on the Another Time album (although their version of Friend of a Wounded Heart is still a cool arrangement of that classic!) Oddly enough, my favorite song from that record was the bonus track "Praise the Lord" which had Melissa and Greg on lead- it was the first track where I felt they blended well together.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes wonder how Avalon would have sounded or been received if Michael hadn't left. I thought Janna/Jody/Michael/Melissa was a really strong quartet and it would have been nice to have had a full album of that configuration of Avalon... Vocally I felt they blended well and it could have worked well as CCM transitioned into a more pop/rock sound.... just my 2 cents...
Fun talking about Avalon with you!
Wow....Michael actually recorded part of the album with them?!? I never knew that....but you know, now that I'm thinking about it, Greg sounded kind of like Michael in some of "Ib Wanna Be With You".... wonder if that song was originally meant for Michael and they never got rid of part of his stuff\pasted Greg over Michael?
ReplyDeleteJust curious: can you hear any of Michael's vocals anywhere on The Creed?
I agree with your take on everything being " too much" after Michael left. I liked the new songs on the greatest hits CD (especially Pray) and this was really the only time I actually liked Melissa. :) But yeah, after that they got a little crazy. :P
Will have to check out Praise the Lord now....I may end up liking it too. ;)
I think about that sometimes too, and honestly I wish a full CD of the Jody\Janna\Michael\Melissa lineup had happened--if so I probably would have liked Melissa a LOT more. :) If I had to guess I'd say they would still be doing well and playing on the radio today.
I also thought the Jody\Janna\Michael\Cherie lineup was strong too, and one of the best (but I might be a little biased because that's the lineup of Avalon I've listened to the most so far. ;) ). I liked how Cherie's voice was just a tad softer\sweeter than Janna's and how nicely she harmonized with the guys.
Yes, this has been REALLY fun! Thanks for putting up with my long comments, lol. I try to keep them short but there's just so much comparing\contrasting that can be done about Avalon! :D
*Sunny