Magdalen
Revolution Mind
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
Some Christian albums sound like they were recorded for the small Christian market. This one wasn't. This sounds like a big league rock and roll record to be taken seriously. Someone could A/B this record (producer's jargon for playing one album and then playing another right after to compare the two) with a Foreigner, Asia or Mr. Big album and not notice a let down in production. Besides the excellent sonics, there's some killer musicianship to hear on this disc. With hot studio guys like Chuck Wright on bass; and Ken Mary on drums (not to mention the long list of guest appearances); Lanny couldn't go wrong. In the song writing category, Lanny and co. have written some good songs that emphasize and compliment the vocals of Philip Bardowell, especially the tunes "Mad at the World" and "Waiting for the Son." This record has much more depth than can be felt in only a few casual listens. I don't want to go overboard and say, "this is as good as a Led Zeppelin album," but there are plenty of musical comparisons/parallels--from the layer of varied guitar sounds, to the dynamic of sounds and the songwriting in general. We get a few ballad-like moments and some real Blind Willie Johnson styled blues excursions. The diversity of tunes like "Waiting for the Son" (a slow song played with all the precision and passion of a faster rocker like "White Rice,") or the Extreme-like ballad "Soul Child" show the class and depth of Magdalen. Talk about a sweet sound, the guitar tone in "Waiting..." is beautiful. Other interesting tunes are: "Sad Sister Alchemy," which sounds almost exactly like Rod Stewart's "Stay with Me," the title track, with Gospel singers handling the chorus, and "American Lament," which I don't like, because it sounds like Mylon Lefevre singing an uninspired, average blues rocker. It gets a little better when vocalist Philip Bardowell starts belting out a meaningful line like, "Miss those days of peace in Bombay/ Too many children playing in harm's way/ Hearts grow cold, swapping love for gold/ CNN feeds it to you again." Lyrically, there's some very interesting things here, especially in the tune "White Rice," a seemingly sociopolitical statement about poverty, plenty and a lack of compassion. "Sad Sister Alchemy" tells another tale: "Mary lives in ozone park/ looking for a little salvation/ Cosmic child, she swings with the sharks/ Drowning in her own desperation." For those who like it loud 'n' clear, "Make it Through" proclaims that "...in time/Justice will flow on like a river/ and we'll make it through." "Waiting for the Son" puts words on our patience for the return of Christ: "Our world is dying/ Oh Lord, send Your Son down." "Samson & Delilah" tells the Biblical story of that burly ole long-hair. Overall, this is a solid record. Tune for tune, it can match up to anything currently out there--and win!