Clay House

Item: Take Me
Author: Rob Szarka / Roger Appelinski

Take Me

(1995)

Reviewed by Rob Szarka / Roger Appelinski

Discogs YouTube

Label N*Soul RecordsThe LighthouseFebruary 1996

adult contemporary ccm pop

Rob: Take Me is the plea of Clay House's debut album, but Take Me where? Dancing, I suppose, because while it's competently executed-even pleasant-it's good for little else. Not that it's even much good for dancing. From the "spiritually correct," yet strangely empty, lyrics to the formulaic white bread music, Take Me is a CCM cliché lying in wait for the unsuspecting listener. Thankfully, the trendy clothes and coiffures on the cover will serve as ample warning to the attentive.

Roger: Well, with the project releasing under N-Soul, you would expect that this would be a dance album. However, what you might not know is that N-Soul has restructured its roster significantly. Their dance music is being relocated to Velocity Music Group, and N-Soul will handle the pop acts. And that is where we should classify Take Me.

This isn't really a dance project, per se. It isn't filled with heavy bass and drum beats, synthesizers and loops like you would expect from a dance release. This has a lighter, pop sounding setting. There is a lot of piano and acoustic guitar with almost an airy feel to it. It is not a sound-packed thing like you would expect when you hear the word "dance."

If someone plans to get this for their next dance party, they will be sorely disappointed. To be honest, I would say this is more a project to put on to have some light, fairly-peppy music in the background. It is not an in-your-face sort of thing.

Rob: I didn't say it was whatever the kids are calling "dance" music this week, just that dancing is all it's good for. [There are plenty of funky little bass lines and disco guitar riffs on the album]. In fact, despite the razor-sharp and up-to-date production, many of the musical clichés plastered all over this album come from the '70s rather than the '90s. You say that people will be disappointed in it as a dance album, and I agree completely.

Roger: I wouldn't say that dancing is all this is good for; I'm trying to say it isn't a dance album. I think it is pretty decent as a pop album. And there isn't anything wrong with some '70s riffs-I like that.

Rob: There's nothing wrong with the '70s; it's just that they picked the bad '70s music to emulate! I would prescribe an intensive regime of Parliament for what ails these guys...

Roger: Going back to the low-key aspect of the project, I found it really hard to focus on the lyrics. They sing almost like some of the shoegazer stuff-Joy Electric, Starflyer 59 and such-with a soft, almost panting delivery. At times it seems like they are the background vocals and someone forgot to add the lead track. The vocals take low-key to the extreme. And that is a shame.

They have some decent things to say. The songs are mainly about devotion and praise to God, without too many "Christian-ese" catch phrases. Some are rather poetic and original. They list the verse and a short story about the inspiration for each song.

Rob: Poetic? Original? Quite the contrary! As if the pastoral clichés of "Master Painter" aren't bad enough, awkward phrases like "music from the treetops the air it fills" abound; and while there's plenty of truth in the line "I feel Your touch of grace/cleansing like the falling rain," it's hardly original!

You have a point when you say it might work as a peppy sort of muzak, but then I've never liked muzak. The bottom line is that Dexter and Snow are talented musicians and poor songwriters. Maybe they should have someone else write their songs; maybe they should forget recording and use their talent and devotion another way. In any case, Take Me is a waste of good plastic.

Roger: Ouch. I think that's a little harsh. Maybe it's no better than a coaster in your house, but I think that this will be a welcome release for fans of light pop and AC music-but that's the key-for the right audience. That's our goal here-to find who would like this project. Of course you aren't going to like this-you are more into Vigilantes of Love and Bruce Cockburn. Take Me isn't that kind of release. It's more in line with fans of light rock and ballads.

You quote "Master Painter," and I think that's one of the lyrical highlights:

The sun falls slowly to a dark and distant blue Night winds set the waves against the shore Mirror up above reflects the future day Clouds they shimmer brightly while in the sky they soar.

I think that's far more original than much of the pop/AC genre. I think the lyrics were pretty good, and the music could have used a lift from the low-key. But I guess we can disagree.

Overall, I think that many will go "ho-hum" over this album as you do, but many others will probably enjoy it-especially as background music.

Rob: I guess that pretty much sums it up. Since the quote above is a "lyrical highlight," and the best praise you can muster is that it's better than "much of the pop/AC genre," people who want to avoid this album now know who they are!

Roger: That's not the best I could say about it. I could say more, I just didn't want to start a bigger argument, since I know you hated this so much...