Christian Rock n Roll Concert Was A Racer

Grand Rapids Press May 26, 1985

by Don VanderVeen

The three-band Christian rock 'n' roll concert at Godwin High School Saturday night was like an Indy 500 race car picking up speed. It started out at an easygoing pace with the ballads of Scott Roley, began moving faster with the hard-driving sounds of Daniel Amos, and finally was wide-open with the thunderous sounds of Jerusalem. But instead of racing to win, the three bands use their music to get the message of Christianity across to listeners. Roley led off the show with a series of emotional ballads about the trials of growing up and the wrongs to be found in the world. Using an acoustic guitar, he relied on the strong messages and words of his songs.

Included in Roley's repertoire were songs of being scared of attending school, having a complexion problem, and losing girlfriend (in "Crash The Prom" and "Within My Reach"). With the use of a harmonica and his vocal tones, Roley at times faintly resembled the sounds of Bob Dylan.

Daniel Amos, a five-piece band featuring two guitars, a bass guitar, keyboards and drums, hit the stage and had trouble getting started because some of the band's instruments had to be tuned. But once the band got going, it cooked. Opening with the song "Travelog," Daniel Amos got the message out that they were there to rock 'n' roll.

The lead guitarist played his licks to near perfection. Daniel Amos, which has been together since 1975, was tight and rarely missed a lick. The hard driving band had the sparse crowd of around 350 on their feet! throughout its set.

Originally from Los Angeles, the group energized the auditorium with the songs "Endless Summer," "As The World Turns" and "Memory Lane." "New Car" featured a '50's sound as all the musicians jammed in unison. The vocals of lead singer Terry Taylor resembled that of the Tubes' Fee Waybill on the song "Real Girls," and sounded like the Kingbees on the song "Dance Stop," a jumping tune that had everyone dancing and shaking. "People even Christians sometimes close themselves off to the real world," Taylor said to the audience between songs. "It's important that we live the kind of life to show and glorify Christ." Daniel Amos also performed "Incredible Shrinking Man," "I Didn't Build It for Me" and "Sanctuary." While not all the lyrics of Daniel Amos songs are like hymns, all of them are clean and non-offensive.

The electrified beat makes the band a real treat to listen to. Jerusalem is hard rock at its hardest. But like Daniel Amos and Scott Roley, the message behind Jerusalem's rock 'n' roll glorifies the Christian faith. The four-piece band from Sweden played their set clean and tight, but the auditorium was too small for the loud and hard sounds they play.

Ulf Christiansson, the lead singer and guitarist, had a strong stage presence. His presence was even more felt when he strolled through the rows of the auditorium shaking hands with those in attendance while singing the lyrics "Love Is My Weapon." It was a beautiful-sounding song, and after Christiansson made his rounds, he joined his counterparts on stage and began whaling away on his guitar. While the hard-rock scene has often been criticized by members Terry Taylor, lead singer of the Daniel Amos group. of the Christian faith, the three bands performing at Godwin Saturday night are trying to change that image - at least give young listeners a rock 'n' roll alternative. "We're giving kids an alternative instead of drugs and sex and the things that turn us into puppets of society," said Roley.

"But look around, and you don't see pot or booze or anything like that here. "It's allowing kids to spend time and explore God in their own individual way."