Religious Music

[mow]

Seems to be an automatic turn off to many people. The fact that the signers/musicians attempt to "package" the music to fit their beliefs and how they attempt (and succedd) in forcing their belief system on people leaves many with a bad taste..

However there are a few gems that are worth listening to.

For example: Sufjan stevens.

Sufjan draws a great deal of inspiration from Christianty. An aspect powerfully exhibited in his lyrics :

Song:-To Be Alone With You

I'd swim across Lake Michigan
I'd sell my shoes.
I'd give my body to be back again
in the rest of room.
To be alone with you.

You gave your body to the lonely.
They took your clothes.
You gave up a wife and a family.
You gave your ghost.
To be alone with me.
To be alone with me.
You went up on a tree.
I've never met a man who loved me

The song is clearly about Jesus and his crucifixtion. that last part of my sentence must've made some to move the mouse to close this page. But you have to hear it..you just have to. Sufjan has this way of keeping it introspective, artistic and personal that doesn't alienate anyone.

His music (his album Seven Swans specifically) was a more than a religious album. Much, much more. It was extremely spiritiual. My respect to Sufjan grew to unparalled heights due to that album. How he managed to express his faith and transform it to such a vivid musical image with such passion and such adoration, yet not pushing the listener away but actually keeping them urning for more; it was magnificent. A talent unlike any other. He was...geniue.

To make a long topic short (and to cut my Sufjan Stevens fanboy rant). I want some good, spiritiual & geniune musician recommnedations. I want people to share musicians that left them wanting more from this genre.

[Orumitzu]

However there are a few gems that are worth listening to.

What?!? A Few?

Vivaldi's Gloria
Handel's Messiah
Te Deum by Mozart
Schubert's Mass in A Major
Ave Maria, Op. 9b/H 49 by Gustov Holst
Jesu bleibet meine Freude by Bach
Kyrie, WoO 17 by Brahms
Mass in D minor, H 22 no 11 "Nelsonmesse" by Hadyn
Requiem in D minor, K 626 by Mozart

It's only that things have really slown down over the past century.
But hey, I didn't even touch on gospel or contemporary choral works.
The problem is the lack of mainstream secular music; I mean, it's not like MTV ::shudders:: is going to do a countdown of great orchestral works. (I am carful to use the word "classical," as that only refers to a fraction of the "classical" genre.)

[Erkekjetter]

It turns me off because it feels like they're trying to sell their ideals.

[mow]

Yeah I know gospel ofcourse and those pieces you have mentioned. What I was trying to focus on artists that wouldnt cause this:

It turns me off because it feels like they're trying to sell their ideals.

Erkek is completely justified in his statment. Most religuious music force their ideals rather than express them. A HUGE difference IMO.

What Im basiclly trying to say is: Im looking for music, that isnt religious perse, but rather, musician that express their religion, simply because it inspires them, and they must be doign it in a manner that doesnt drive people away.

Erek. Do check out sufjan stevens. Trust me on this one mate. You will not be disappointed. Im not sure if you are into folk-rock and a guy with a banjo as his main instrument (because sufjan is multi-instrumential that it).

But give it a shot. It's lovely, oh-so-lovely

[Erkekjetter]

Yeah I know gospel ofcourse and those pieces you have mentioned. What I was trying to focus on artist that wouldnt cause this:



Erkek is completely justified in his statment. Mopst religuious music force their ideals rather than express them. A HUGE difference IMO.

What Im basiclly trying to say is: Im looking for music, that isnt religious, but rather, musician that express their religion, simply because it inspires them, and they must be doign it in a manner that doesnt drive people away.

Erek. Do check out sufjan stevens. Trust me on this one mate. You will not be disappointed. Im not sure if you are into folk-rock and a guy with a banjo as his main instrument (because sufjan is multi-instrumential that it).

But give it a shot. It's lovely, oh-so-lovely



That's exactly what I mean. I don't mind expression of your faith, but I dont want it forced down my throat. That's what majorly puts me off of religion, and them trying to control everything. I might check sufjan stevens music out. I'm not much into folk-rock though.

[mow]

That's exactly what I mean. I don't mind expression of your faith, but I dont want it forced down my throat. That's what majorly puts me off of religion, and them trying to control everything. I might check sufjan stevens music out. I'm not much into folk-rock though.

I can upload his album Seven Swans for you if you wish :amuse. I dont have it with me atm. But I'll can upload it for you tomorrow

[Orumitzu]

One thing music should never, ever be used for is to impose beleifs, messages, or anything else for that matter. Music is an art, and art is an expression of one's self, not a tool for a maniac's agenda. Music that imposes faith is a perversion of that religion. All of the music that I listen to simply celebrates one's particular theological view, glorifies (their) God, and is ment to uplift or move the listener's spirit.

[mow]

I agree with you 100% :amuse.

[Erkekjetter]

I can upload his album Seven Swans for you if you wish :amuse. I dont have it with me atm. But I'll can upload it for you tomorrow


That'd be great.

[mow]

His song John Wayne Gacy, Jr. (off his new album , Illionis)


His father was a drinker and his mother cried in bed
Folding John Wayne's t-shirts when the swingset hit his head
The neighbors they adored him
For his humor and his conversation
Look underneath the house there
Find the few living things, rotting fast, in their sleep
Oh the dead
27 people
Even more, they were boys, with their cars, summer jobs
Oh my God
Are you one of them?
He dressed up like a clown for them
With his face paint white and red
And on his best behavior
In a dark room on the bed he kissed them all
He'd kill ten thousand people
With a slight of his hand, running far, running fast to the dead
He took off all their clothes for them
He put a cloth on their lips, quiet hands, quiet kiss on the mouth
And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floor boards
For the secrets I have hid


...it fills me with such powerful, haunting strange feelings. When he sings oh my god. It sends chills down my spine, I never heard something so petrifying yet beautiful all in one.

Hon Wayne was a serial killer, and when sufjab sings:
And in my best behavior
I am really just like him
Look beneath the floor boards
For the secrets I have hid

It's terrifying, how we all have this little dark secret that we hide..comparing himself to a murderer. Again, here we see the religious aspect of Sufjan shining through. He is refering to the christian aspect that "all men are sinners" and that even though he never murdered, his soul is lost just as Wayne's. This is remarkable. I love this album so damn much.

[Xenophobia]

Switchfoot - this is your life

that is a beautiful song, listen to it

[Kagalli]

I'm a pretty good fan of Christian rock. Some bands like Pillar and Thousand Foot Krutch are awesome! 12 stones too. They dont sing about God (noticeably) in every single song but they're uplifting. Rawkfist and Phenonmenon by Thousand Foot Krutch are recommended by me :thumbs

[pnoypridz]

One thing music should never, ever be used for is to impose beleifs, messages, or anything else for that matter. Music is an art, and art is an expression of one's self, not a tool for a maniac's agenda. Music that imposes faith is a perversion of that religion. All of the music that I listen to simply celebrates one's particular theological view, glorifies (their) God, and is ment to uplift or move the listener's spirit.

rep for you. smartest thing i heard in this forum :amuse

[NinjaJedi007]

some religious music isnt that bad. ive grown to apprecitate the song God Is The Glory but thats just about it actually. ive heard a bunch of songs from CCD (religious school during elementary) and church n whatnot and this song stood out. last year i heard it a bunch of times and it just stuck in my head. so yeah, theres my religious music story.

[Orumitzu]

Check out any piece arranged by the late Mosas Hogan. He was the greatest negro spiritual choral arranger of all time; especially check out "Elijah Rock."

[blahsunghoon]

I like some Christian music and would be labeled a Christian myself(since I don't believe that anyone is a "real" Christian). However, I don't like most of it since most of it isn't the type of genre that I listen to such as Progressive rock/metal, "shredder" music, and classic rock.

But if anyone knows any Christian bands that belong to these genres, I would greatly appreciate it if you would list/recommend some for me

[mow]

Would you like some Sufjan Stevens?

[blahsunghoon]

Would you like some Sufjan Stevens?

haha, yeah I'll look into him

[mow]

I can upload his album if you wish. Just say the word :amuse

[Violence Fight]

In Typical Thrice fanboy fashion, I will list the two VERY Notably Christian influenced songs. Ones pretty obvious, but the other one I'm not sure people realize has anything to do with god. Now, I'm agnostic, but I appreciate people singing about their faith in a decent way. I don't like forced religious bands, but if you can bring it to me in a good way, then Im all for it. these two are cleverly hidden in a speed-metal-ish track, and another heavy sounding track..
so anyway, here we go.

Torch To End All Torches-Thrice.
Misguided Satelite, I Circle By Habit,
Can't find my orbit to save my life,
I want to fall, I want to burn,
like an ignorant, craterless
meteorite!

Long Ago I Was Derailed,
Long Ago the Mission Failed,
But in the distance,
there is a Light.


Disgruntled Architect Building a Palace,
I can't make it perfect to save my life,
victimless crime ride the wrecking ball in,
evacuate now while I breath dynamite,

efforts all for no avail,
I'm perfections counterveil,(Its counterveil)
torn to peices, I am contrite.


..And in my darkest hour,
the brightest light draws near to me,
the torch to end all torches,
this is the light that sets me free,
all shadows burn away now,
but by his grace I am sustained,
though all is lost,
all is now found and more is gained.


Lift me up and make me whole..
instill in me a new hope..
breathe new life into my soul.


"(That) Hideous Strength"
Oh that I, Could Scream,
And the world would stop and listen,
and, these scars,
these scars could speak in volumes,
but who has?
Ears to Hear?
Eyes to See?
Again I Scream!

But my voice is buried,
with an unearthly silence,
like in nightmares,
when ghosts,
steal your breath

But I pray that power be not in my words,
but in truth that supercedes the mind of man,
and our blind hope and our blind faith in means,
looks to justify the end, They look to justify the end.

I Feel A Presence in the Room
I feel Cold fingers close around my neck
Without You I Am Lost,

Let My Eyes Not Fail In Looking Upwards

[n8dogg]

Being a Christian myself, I've always found inspiration in the religious genre. I admit that I'm not a very good Christian. I try, Lord knows I do, but I do have a whole lot of room for improvement. Listening to contemporary Christian music relates to that side of me often times, and it gives me encouragement to do a little better every day.

I think it's ok if a song pushes a religion... as long as it's directed towards those of the same faith, of course. The worst way to expose anyone to a religion is pushing it towards them. Many of my peers who turned away from their Christian roots did so because they felt like they were obligated to practice the religion... and as you all know, teenagers hate obligations.

That there Sufjan Stevens sounds interesting! I'll look into it.

Another thing I wanted to say... There's a line between religious Christian music, and praise music. Praise music are songs that people wrote "to" God. It's directed towards him, and basically express our love or awe of him. This would also include a lot of classical religious pieces. Another word for this type of music is a hymn. So please, don't get hymns and religious music confused. I believe very few religious bands actually push their religion per se. They are just expressing their love for their diety.

[mow]

To all those who wish to hear of the marvel that is Sufjan, a pm to me is all you need :amuse

[LIL_M0]

necro-bump

Yolonda Adams if my favorite gospel artist.

[Cell]

Old school gospel is where it's at.

Also, August Burns Red and As I Lay Dying are decent examples of good Christian metal.

Also, Shelter are awesome. Hare Krishna pop-punk.

[Dr. Boskov Krevorkian]

It's rather sad that it's generally a no-no for most people when any sort of belief or religion is interjected into music; I understand the blatant preaching, the soapbox proclomations and such, but for many people it's a large aspect of their lives, and I respect that.

Neal Morse is an example from both ends of the spectrum - some of the lyrics are so obvious it's kinda offputting, but some are rather heartfelt, and if you didn't know he was a Christian, you wouldn't know the exact premise.

Oh, and Johnny Cash. :LOS

[master bruce]

i listen to religious music in church and sometimes when I need a break/inspiration.

other than that I blast pop,rock(no heavy metal), and hip hop.

[saruichi]

I love Jewish music. Blame it all on Matisyahu and Pharaoh's Daughter. I also adore Matisyahu's positive vibe in alot of his songs, and the fact he sings about pretty decent stuff too. I wish I could get into more Jewish music.

I'm not so much into Christian music, so I can't really say much there.

[Catatonik]

Do Jedi Mind Tricks count?

Heh.

[azuken]

Kanye west and Lupe Fiasco often use their religion in raps. Using metaphores and such to express their feelings. I mean, Jesus walks is obviously about his religion and other stuff. And i know Lupe refers to Muslim religion in a few songs, but has stated he dosent want to be a poster boy for muslims.

Alot of music throws religion in there without people knowing.