Various Artists
Front Row: An Acoustic Concert Experience (Video Series)
Reviewed by Doug Van Pelt
Jumping on the MTV "Unplugged" idea (which is a good one), Sparrow recorded and filmed live acoustic sets by four of its artists: Charlie, Margaret, Steven C. Chapman, and Michael Card. I was fortunate enough to attend the concerts by Chuck and Marge, which turned out to be very warm, personal, and intense performances. Margaret's performance included her acoustic guitar, the acoustic guitar of Rich Hordinski, and Margaret's powerful voice! When I say powerful, I mean it! It was actually spine-tingling at times to hear her voice go booming through the room, holding precise notes. One great example of this was the line "I'll wait for you" at the end of the chorus to "Find Me". Awesome! This bare, stripped-down approach to good music forces the song to stand on its own arrangement and the voice of the performer--both of which worked in Margaret's case. Other highlights were: "Streets Of Innocence", "Never For Nothing", "This Is My Passion", and "Come On In", which she began by explaining how hard it is for us to forgive ourselves--even after God has forgiven us. Charlie Peacock has already proved his strength in the acoustic arena by his stellar performances of the acoustic trio in the past, such as his Cornerstone '89 performance and "West Coast Diaries 2." With Charlie were two pros who always go the extra mile in performing live: Jim Abegg and Vince Ebo. The video offers so much, because being able to see Charlie's expressive face adds much more depth to his songs, which often talk so personally about suffering. One thing I was amazed about was Jim Abegg's acoustic guitar playing. He picked and stretched those strings like an electric lead player--Hot moves on a hot night. Any fan of Charlie would definitely want this video, which includes stuff from his "West Coast Diaries" tapes, like "Psalm 51" and "Unchain My Soul". Those who aren't yet fans of Charlie ought to check it out, so you can see how special this man is.