What can you say about a band that tours in a twenty-year-old Winnebago called "Mother Bubba Ship" that's about to break down at any minute? It takes guts and creativity. Something "Rojo" Johnston, the leader of Emmaus seems to have a lot of. He's a writer for MTV in Europe, which seems to have taught him how to keep people entertained.
Anyone who saw the "All Over the World" tour will love this live album which features most of the songs we heard. It has captured a lot of the energy of a live show without a lot of studio fixes. Five of the tracks were previously released, but six of them are previously unreleased tracks. This included my personal favorite, "Peter," which is a great monolog by Rojo about faith.
The music would be considered by most to be a blend of pop rock and alternative music. Those familiar with their previous album, Across the River, will find several of the songs much rockier. The vocals and instrumentation are very well done, and the lyrics all have a Christian theme without the usual cliches.
The only thing it fails to capture from the live performance is Greg on percussion (in Chicago, he was playing a trash can). If you saw them live, you'll want this CD. If you haven't, you need to see them on the next tour. In the meanwhile, buy this CD and meet Emmaus. You will be hearing more from this group.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1997Reviewed by James StewartThe first I heard about Emmaus was when Phantom Tollbooth publishers Linda and Shari e-mailed me to tell me about having seen them in Chicago. Organizing their own world tour was a good way for the band to gain my attention and, having managed to catch a live show at Greenbelt, I managed to track down a copy of this live recording to review. This album presents the listener with a distinctive…
