Charlie Peacock
In the Light: The Very Best of Charlie Peacock
Reviewed by Scott W. Christopher
There has always been the long-running debate about when Charlie Peacock was and was not "cool." As one of the architects of Christian modern rock, his importance is certainly secure--however, as the new retrospective In the Light attests, at heart Peacock has always been a popster. But, oh, what pop music--from the early tracks (the worldpop-aware "Lie Down in the Grass" and the pained hymn "Down in the Lowlands") to later gems (the show-stopper funk-rock of "Experience" and the mature perspective of tracks like "Big Man's Hat" and "Almost Threw it All Away"), In the Light threads together many highlights. As with other artists in his songwriting category--Sting, Peter Gabriel, Paul Simon--Peacock has often flirted with different musical genres, while presenting mature and thoughtful discussions of his worldview. Peacock discusses his faith in fresh and inventive ways, and In the Light presents that capably. Ultimately, after releasing a record as brilliant as strangelanguage, a retrospective is probably the only record that could follow. Longtime fans will enjoy hearing the old songs, some of which are available on disc for the first time. Newcomers will no doubt be surprised at the variety and depth available.