Music Review:
Every Kind of Uh-Oh by Charlie Peacock
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I’ve long been a fan of multi-talented (singer/songwriter, producer, author) six-time Grammy award winner Charlie Peacock’s music, back to his West Coast Diaries cassettes in the late 1980’s. Every Kind of Uh-Oh is his latest vocal album of ten new songs all written in a two-week period, which he co-produced with his son Sam Ashworth.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

• More of this review and a review of The Still Point by Sandra McCracken and Ben Shive
• Music News
• Song of the Week Lyrics ~ “The First Hymn” by Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding

Peacock is supported on the album by Sam Ashworth and Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar), Aaron Sterling (drums), Brent Milligan, Scott Mulvahill, and Tommy Sims (electric bass, with Scott on upright bass as well),  Jerry McPherson (electric guitar), Andy Leftwich (fiddle), Eric Darken (percussion), Charlie McCoy (harmonica) and Dan Dugmore (pedal and lap steel). Joining him on vocals are his daughter-in-law, the singer-songwriter Ruby Amanfu, granddaughter Bridget Ashworth, Sara Groves, Sam Ashworth, Vicki Hampton, and Darwin Hobbs.

Many of the songs are acoustic in nature, but there is also some gospel singing included on “Get Yourself Some”, and “Less About When”.

Here are a few brief comments about each song:

Turtle in a Chinese Food Box – This song was the first single released from the album and was written by Charlie Peacock. The song captures the story of his first date with his wife Andi. The upbeat song features acoustic guitar, fiddle, backing vocals, steel guitar, and Charlie McCoy on harmonica. The song picks up pace during the final verse.
Key lyric:
There’s no reason to think that anything but true love will bloom
‘Cause we don’t know what we don’t know

Stand in One Place Too Long – This song was written by Charlie Peacock. This song features acoustic guitar, steel guitar, drums, bass, and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
Then gets the punchline wrong
Like a sermon all talk no walk

Get Yourself Some – This song, which references Psalm 23, was written by Charlie Peacock. The song features gospel background vocals and harmonies, piano, upright bass, acoustic guitar, and steel guitar. Peacock has said that the lyrics are the most explicit in terms of Christian profession that he has created in decades.
Key lyric:
One more time I pray turn loss into gain

Grace Wrapped in Thorns – This song, which has a slower pace, was written by Charlie Peacock. The song features piano, steel guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, bass, drums, and upright bass.
Key lyric:
Thy words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart.
And the delight of my heart.

The Only Remedy – This song was written by Charlie Peacock and Sam Ashworth. The song features acoustic guitar, backing vocals, steel guitar, upright bass, electric guitar, and drums.
Key lyric:
Lost inside my confidence, lost outside the city wall
I was saved by a saxophone
You never know what God will use to place a call—to save us all

Someone About to Get Sent – This song was written by Charlie Peacock, and features Sara Groves. The song features steel guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals, drums, and bass. I really like the way Peacock ends this song.
Key lyric:
Wherever the Spirit would go, they would go
Without turning as they went

One Small Pebble – This song was written by Charlie Peacock and Sam Ashworth. The song features acoustic guitar, steel guitar, backing vocals, bass, electric guitar, and drums.
Key lyric:
I am a man now at peace, grateful for life’s journey
Though the struggle it has not ceased

Less About When – This song about looking toward his dying day, was written by Charlie Peacock. The song features some beautiful piano, steel guitar, and gospel backing vocals. The song builds toward the ending.
Key lyric:
To be received without receipts is when all will be well

Damnation – This song has an electric sound completely different from the rest of the album. It was written by Charlie Peacock and Sam Ashworth. This song, delivered like a prophet, features electric guitar, bass, drums, and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
Or you could hate what is evil, and love what is good
Be the minstrel who sings, knows right from wrong

Forgive Me – This short song was written by Charlie Peacock. The song features piano, backing vocals, and steel guitar.
Key lyric:
You are so much more than I ever let you be
I hope you will forgive me

Favorite songs
Turtle in a Chinese Food Box
Get Yourself Some
Someone About to Get Sent
Damnation

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Music Review:
The Still Point – Sandra McCracken and Ben Shive
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These three songs, by two multi-talented musicians, are a refreshing change of pace. The slow, prayerful songs are beautiful. Both Sandra McCracken (“We Will Feast in the House of Zion”) and Ben Shive (“Is He Worthy”) are part of the Getty writing team. But as they collaborated together, the songs they were writing were completely different from the congregational singing that that Getty team writes. They weren’t writing for a three-minute pop song, but just for the creative process. McCracken has said “Using classical elements and poetry over lush instrumental sections, this project sounds at times like a soundtrack and other times like prayerful reflection.”  She calls the The Still Point a “songwriter-neo-classical project.”

Here are a few comments about each song:

What Is – This beautiful song was written by Sandra McCracken and Ben Shive. The song features McCracken singing over strings, piano, bass, drums, acoustic guitar and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
We could miss all of this,
If we wish it all away
I wanna wake up
In the moment,
Receiving what is
What is, what is

He is Moving – This beautiful song about our sovereign God was written by Sandra McCracken and Ben Shive. The song features acoustic guitar, bass, piano, strings, and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
He is moving right under our feet
He is moving open your eyes and see
He is moving trust the mystery
He is moving open your eyes   

Do You Dream – This song was written by Sandra McCracken and Ben Shive. The song features piano, cello, backing vocals, and percussion.
Key lyric:
Will you dream with me
Of what will be

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• Praise the Giver. Enjoy the lyric video for “Praise the Giver from Matt Maher.
• God of Saving Song. Matt Boswell writes “The next time you lift your voice in song — whether alone on the drive to work, huddled with your family in the living room, or gathered with your church on the Lord’s Day — remember this: as you sing, your God sings over you. His song is the song of a Father delighting in his children, the song of a Bridegroom rejoicing over his bride.”
• What an Awesome God. Here is the music video for Phil Wickham’s latest song “What an Awesome God” where he incorporates the chorus of Rich Mullins’ much-loved song “Awesome God”.

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“The First Hymn” by Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding

This week’s song of the week is “The First Hymn” written and performed by Chris Tomlin and Ben Fielding. Read Trevin Wax’s article about the story of the song, and watch the live performance of the song here.

Let all be silent
The shining stars not sound
Rushing rivers still
Let the mountains bow down
In awe and wonder
In reverence we come
Who is worthy of all worship?
Who is seated on the throne?
All powers cry out in answer
All glory and praise forever
To our God
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Amen, we sing, amen
Let all be silent
The shining stars not sound
Rushing rivers still
Let the mountains bow down
In awe and wonder
In reverence we come
Who is worthy of all worship?
Who is seated on the throne?
Who is worthy of all worship?
Who is seated on the throne?
All powers cry out in answer
All glory and praise forever
To our God
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Amen, we sing, amen
To the only Giver of all good gifts
Amen
To the only One who forgives our sins
Amen
To the only God to the Risen King
To the One who died and rose again
Amen
We sing amen
To the only Giver of all good gifts
Amen
To the only One who forgives our sins
Amen
To the only God to the Risen King
To the One who died and rose again
Amen
We sing amen
All powers cry out in answer
All glory and praise forever
To our God
The Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Amen, we sing, amen, amen
Amen, we sing, amen, amen
We sing, amen, amen