Most recognize Glenn Kaiser's name as the primary artistic force behind the classic Resurrection Band, and as the pastor and founder of Jesus People USA and the popular Cornerstone festivals. Joined by bassist Roy Montroy (the other primary songwriter from the Rez Band) and drummer Ed Bialach, the Glenn Kaiser Band is an impressive power trio that blends Glenn and Roy's love of the blues and classic rock.
Produced by Tom Cameron,
In short,
Some of the songs on
Glenn gets autobiographical with "Voice in the Wind" and "Used to Be." The former is reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix or Bob Seger, with Glenn testifying, "Far too many evenin's, when I was alone/I told myself a story, what I thought I'd known/It was little consolation when the truth was shown/Everybody's got a mirror right before their nose." In "Used to Be," Glenn shares his broken past, scarred by the divorce of his parents and the self- destructive rock 'n' roll lifestyle he once lived, only to be saved by the grace of God: "There's a new man singin'/God is sanctifyin' me/There's a new man breathin'/He done broke the chains on me."
The album's most insightful track, "Price of Peace," notes that losing control can cause pain when we surrender to anger, and healing when we surrender to others around us: "Open up, face the truth/We're all sinners, there ain't no excuse/Sow His mercy, an' the pain will cease/Give it up, that's the price of peace." Finally, there's "Facin' the Music," which reminds us that God wants to be our ever present friend, but he will either treat us with judgment or love depending on our relationship with him (or lack thereof).
Those familiar with Glenn Kaiser and his new band already know these three are masters of their instruments and quite versatile in their blues-rock stylings. This is a group that ignores all the trends and fads of the music industry and simply does what
they do best. It shows in the sound, with top-notch musicianship
and a quality production that will satisfy fans of classic rock
and the blues. That said,
On the other hand, Glenn Kaiser Band is one of the best at meshing lyrics and music, matching words with style, yet never
sounding clichéd in the process. You would expect a Christian
blues band to be as lyrically simplistic as a typical worship
band, but Glenn and Roy manage to approach their craft with
intelligence and passion. Considering that Glenn and Roy have
been writing for nearly 30 thirty years, I'm not sure whether to
attribute their consistent talent to experience or to be
impressed that they've kept their songwriting this fresh for this
long. So while the Glenn Kaiser Band doesn't really tread any new
ground with