Friday, September 14, 2007

Songs from Yesterday

Back in the day this would be a Thank God For … article, but I can’t be bothered tonight. Tonight is the Sabbath evening and I’ve got back from a prayer meeting that was excellent, exhilarating and ultimately exhausting. I have to confess sometimes in my tiredness I can be somewhat irritable, so it took everything in me to listen to Kevaughn go on about some peace initiative. I endeavoured to hear as patiently as possible to yet another noble commendable effort by some bloke to bring peace into the world. Don’t want to be too cynical because as a peacemaker I genuinely hope to see the world experience peace wherever it can. It’s just that when that peace is sought with no reference to God through Jesus Christ then I always know how it ends up – but don’t take my word for it, go check what God says peace is and compare it to life – wherever – and you’ll get where I’m coming from.

Anyhow, so I’m there listening to my son and responding as honestly, succinctly but sensitively as I can not to make out that what he’s saying was a complete waste of my listening time. It was then that I remembered a song by the dude who’s the inspiration of this blog. In the track called ‘The End’ Brother Gibson – for he indeed claims Jesus as his Lord and Saviour – highlights the futility of man’s plans when the script is more or less set and culminates in the real Prince of Peace returning to usher in the end and eternal peace.

I first came across
Jon Gibson in 2000 – hence the reference to songs of yesterday. I had moved to Stoke-on-Trent in the hope of getting some work in Christian Broadcast Media and my dear friend and mentor Hughie (who turns 45 tomorrow – too many birthdays in September and August were my opinion required) worked for UCB/Cross Rhythms. So I stayed on the grounds helping a brilliant man of God – Dr. Victor Pearce – with his ministry in a voluntary administrative capacity. One of the perks meant I could browse through the not inconsiderable record collection of Cross Rhythms. As I heard a particular track my ears perked up to the tune – melody structure, chord structure and vocals. Sure there were some hints of Stevie Wonder but still distinct enough for me to enjoy for himself. Jon Gibson is the only person I know to actually get me feeling favourable to the sentiments of Christmas with his song ‘Christmas Song’. Other than that my doctrinal position on the pagan festival remains as it is. This song, though, really brought out the family feel of the time in a style that I found infectious and every now and then – almost always nowhere near the season in question – I sing the song with lungs bursting forth about the joys of everybody singing a Christmas Song. Since then I’ve come across several other songs from this guy that is just awesome. I wish I had all of his albums – not because everything he does is music gold, far from it, some of the stuff is absolute pop contemporary Christian dross – but when he strikes gold it more than dispels any of the less noble efforts.

The one track that will always remain in my mind was one that I was used for the one and only video I’ve put together on Windows Movie Maker and posted onto me DailyMotion account. You can
check the track with the video. Obviously the quality is not to the highest standards, but hopefully you’ll stick with it and taste some of this guy’s quality. The track itself ‘You’ve Gotta Love Somebody’ helps me root everything I do in the fact that sooner or later for all the doctrine I imbibe and worship songs I enjoy singing there’s got to come a time when I actually express God’s love for someone who needs it – maybe in a word, perhaps in a gift, sometimes with a meal, often in a laugh, occasionally by listening, now and then by sharing my life. Whichever way it is this song reminds me of that sentiment and it’s got to be among my favourite pieces that Mr. Gibson has produced thus far in his career.

For whatever reason he never made it as a big artist for long – although he did have his time in the sun for a brief season. Credit to him, though, he’s evidently gone to do things his way, which is fair enough and he’s still about doing this and that. It’s definitely worth
checking his web-site out and his MySpace page has some decent full tracks of the kind of work he does.

So if you’re feeling generous and you want to know what will really make my day, beyond a shadow of doubt it would be purchasing a Best Of … compilation of Jon’s best tracks as a tribute to those great songs of yesterday. Now that’s what I call a great way to enjoy the day (or night) of rest.

For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
da man cd

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