Charlie Peacock seems to be edging ever closer to Steve Taylor territory -- both have seen the highs and lows of the music industry, both are trying to get different types of projects done, both are better known these days for producing than their songs...and yet all us 30-somethings want is for them to release a new album.
Full Circle gives us two new songs by Mr. Ashworth, but the rest are redone versions of old songs with Charlie trading vocals with various artists he has worked with at some point in his illustrious career. Not quite a tribute album, not quite a "Duets" project, it is an opportunity for Peacock to pick and choose his "greatest hits" package and perform them with some friends.
A song by song breakdown:
"In The Light" -- performed with Sara Groves. The DC Talk version works much better. Sara Groves is a great talent, but her voice is not employed well here -- she sings in too low of a key. It is fun to hear Bela Fleck here though.
"God in the World" -- one of the two new songs. Makes me long for a new full length Charlie Peacock album.
"Down in the Lowlands" -- with Avalon. Of the three versions of this song that I own, my least favorite. Russ Taff's version was superior, but nothing will ever compare to the acoustic version performed by Peacock, Vince Ebo, and Jimmy Abegg on West Coast Diaries.
"One Man Gets Around" -- with Sam Ashworth (Charlie's son) and tobyMac. This fares slightly better than most -- Sam can sing, but tobyMac should have done "In the Light."
"Lie Down in the Grass" - with Steve Taylor and Margaret Becker. Kind of an odd choice, in that it has always had a decided 80's feel to it. However, this song may work better than any other on this disc -- Taylor, Becker, and Peacock trade verses seamlessly.
Outstanding. "Every Heartbeat" -- made famous by Amy Grant, this version features Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer. Nash does Peacock proud here -- her vocals parallel Grant's, but with a richer tone.
"Big Man's Hat" -- with Kevin Max, the man who appears on every tribute album done in Christian music. Recorded at way too slow a speed, this song drags in comparison to the original.
"The Way of Love" -- with Christine Dente and Sarah Masen. Ironically, the vocals on this are too low, proving Peacock's unique ability to infuse himself into his songs. Again, the West Coast Diaries version blows this away.
"Almost Threw it All Away" -- reunites Peacock with former bandmates who went on to form Bourgeois Tagg. Not bad.
"Insult Like the Truth" is another song that suffers by the stripped down, slower rhythm. Performed with Jon Foreman.
"Through It All" is the second new tune. It feels like an outtake, although I can't place the timing.
"Monkeys at the Zoo" features 77's veterans Mike Roe, Aaron Smith, and Jimmy Abegg. More leisurely pace than the original, yet this works. Roe and Peacock harmonize quite nicely on this one.
"No Place Closer to Heaven" closes the disc. MercyMe's Bart Millard combines with Charlie to create the best mixture of voices on the project. Nicely done throughout.
Hopefully, Full Circle will spur Peacock toward more writing and singing. In the meantime, I'm going to pull out my copy of Love Life and West Coast Diaries, waiting for the real thing...
3 tocks
More from Charlie Peacock
In the Light: The Very Best of Charlie Peacock
1994Everything That's on My Mind
1999Kingdom Come
1996strangelanguage
1990The Secret of Time
