Well Sunday night I got to see one of my favorite groups.  Hillsong United was at Phoenix First Assembly.  First the annoyances… There was probably 2000-3000 more people there than would fit in the facilities, fire marshall would have freaked.  So I had to stand the whole concert which I actually would have stood most of the time anyway.  They also sold reserved seats but advertised it as a free concert on their website.  I was not very happy about that.

I just have to comment that one of the worship leaders for Phoenix First looks like Lester from Chuck, down to the long hair, tie and vest.  My blackberry wasn’t working or else I would have taken pictures.

Now to the main event.

Hillsong has yet to disappoint me, both in their live shows as well as albums.  They sing with a passion that can only come from a heart completely sold out for Jesus.  Joel Houston led most of the songs and was just fantastic.  I finally got to see Brooke Fraser in person, and I think that she is a phenomenal songwriter.  I was very excited to have her lead Hosanna because it is one of my favorite songs and I love the way she leads it.  She also shared a new song called Age to Age (i think) although I don’t find it very congregationally friendly it was awesome none the less.  Sounded a little Sarah McLachlanish.  Jad Giles led a few tunes including a new one called You Hold Me Now (its single is available on iTunes) here are the lyrics, just fabulous:

You Hold Me Now

Verse 1

On the day when I see, All that you have for me

When I see you face to face, There surrounded by your grace

All my fears swept away, In the light of your embrace

Where your love is all I need, and forever I am free

Where the streets are made of gold, in your presence healed and whole

Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone

Chorus

No weeping, No hurt or pain, No suffering

You hold me now, You hold me now

No darkness, No sick or lame, No hiding

You hold me now, You hold me now

Verse 2

In this life I will stand, through my joy and my pain

Knowing there’s a greater day, There’s a hope that never fails

Where your name is lifted high, and forever praises rise

For the glory of your name, I’m believing for the day

Where the wars and violence cease, All creation lives in peace

Let the songs of heaven rise to you alone

Bridge

For eternity all my heart will give, All the glory to your name

Tim Hughes new album was released in the UK on Monday and…on iTunes.  So yeah I bought it!  Loving it so far but I’ll do a more official review after I’ve listened to it for a few weeks.  YEAH Tim Hughes!!

Counting on God is the newest worship project from New Life Church in Colorado Springs.  I was hesitant but pleasantly surprised.  

They released one album before that when I listened to it I felt like I was listening to a Hillsong knockoff.  They had songs with catchy riffs and neat vocal hooks but it just felt like they were trying to be Hillsong.  NOT ANY MORE!!!!

This album is fantastic from start to finish. (Thanks to Stoney for making me listen to it)  It starts off with the title track Counting on God.  The rhythm is pretty syncopated but the melody is easy to grasp.  When you get to the chorus it breaks into “bubble gum pop” kind of harmonies.  It really works well and helps the melody to be picked up easier.  All in all I think that most of the songs are very singalongable (yeah I know it’s not a word but I use it all of the time).  Ultimately there is one reason this album is so much better than their last one.  They wrote this one from the heart.  They wrote this album coming out of one of the toughest times and church could endure.  They weren’t trying to write the next great worship song.  They just wrote worship… 

Here is their story.

So as I have been listening to Chris Tomlin’s new CD titled Hello Love, there was something that was bugging me about it.  Not in a horrible way but I didn’t feel like there was any song that was just screaming “you must introduce me.”  While talking to my sister and brother-in-law about the CD, on the way to Yuma, I realized what’s been bugging me.  The lyrics are great, they are scripturally based and written quite poetically.  The music is good, interesting chord changes and very moving, melodically.  The problem comes when combining the two.  It doesn’t really feel like the words that are being sung really fit the music.  There is a moment where he sings about Christ being the bread and the wine yet the music behind it has a peppy feeling.  Stuff like that. 

Now don’t get me wrong I love Chris Tomlin’s work, he has written many songs that inspire the church to worship.  I just feel like the CD is trying to be a great “product.”  A consumer friendly CD, not necessarily a congregational/worship friendly CD.  I’ll keep listening and I’ll write more about it later.  I do like God of This City.

God of This City

You’re God of this city, you’re the King of these people, you’re the Lord of this nation, you are…
You’re the Light in this darkness, you’re the Hope to the hopeless, you’re the Peace to the restless, you are…
For there is no one like our God, there is no one like You, God!
Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city!
Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done here.
You’re the Lord of creation, The creator of all things you’re the King above all kings, you are…
You’re the Strength in the weakness, You are Love to the broken, You’re the Joy in the sadness, you are…

For there is no one like our God, there is no one like you, God!
Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done in this city!
Where glory shines from hearts alive with praise for You and love for You in this city.

Okay I must confess, I started writing this post at 11pm it is now 12am and I just found out that Chris Tomlin did not write God of this City…it is a band from the UK called Bluetree.  Check out their myspace to hear their recording of God of This City.  I’ll have to do some more research on this band, the second song on their myspace just started playing, I like it a lot.  Here is a line from the chorus.

“You will always receive the praise you’re do, cause even the rock cry out to you”

 

Just got back from the Lincoln Brewster concert.  And Yes I got a picture with him.  He was positively fantastic.

One of my favorite parts of the day was getting to go to his guitar clinic.  I was one of maybe 20 people so it was very intimate and just plain cool.  I learned a ton and so did my dad.  I was almost as excited for Brian as I was for myself.  He plays bass for the worship team at Faith and he got to go to a clinic taught by Norm Stockton, Lincoln’s bass player.  Brian was one of only two or three in the class so he got some real personal attention.  Brian left saying that he now knows what he needs to do and be learning to become a better bass player.

The concert was great too.  He is a phenomenal musician.  I can’t wait to sit down and watch his instructional DVD I got.  He signed both the CD and DVD SWEET!!!

Hillsongs newest album, This is Our God, is probably one of their best in terms of music the church can use.  As I have listened to it over the last month I struggle with which songs I should introduce to the church.  There are so many that lyrically are amazing then add to it the great music…well I just can’t say enough.  I have already introduced the title track, This is Our God and Healer.  I am going to do Your Name High and With Everything at the next Freedom (Nov. 2nd).  This is one of my favorites…

He is Lord

Oh blessed lamb once slain will reign forevermore
His hands once bound now save our God will never fail

He is Lord, He is Lord, Sings my soul He is the Lord
And He lives, Yes He lives, I’m alive ’cause Jesus lives

‘Tis at the cross of Christ, where earth and heaven meet
Where sin is overcome To God the victory

And now let the earth resound with praise
For our Saviour God He reigns, he is high and lifted up
Arise, For the King of glory waits, He is coming back again

I’ll probably introduce that one soon.  I’ve been following Hillsong for eight or nine years and they have come a long way.  On their first CD’s Darlene Zschech wrote most of the songs now she has empowered new generations to write.  This most recent CD has different writers on almost every song.  The other progression has come in their music and the way that the live recording is produced.  By Your Side circa 1999 led by Marty Sampson to Sing to the Lord circa 2008 led by Marty Sampson.

I’m gonna purchase the new Chris Tomlin CD, Hello Love, later this week.  I won’t review it for a month or so because I feel it takes time to decide if a worship song has staying power.