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MUSIC NEWS

Song of the Week: Victory in Jesus (Christ Won the Victory)” by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Matt Boswell

This week’s song of the week is “Victory in Jesus (Christ Won the Victory)” by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Matt Boswell, recorded live at the 2024 Sing! Getty Music Worship Conference in Nashville. The song was written by E. M. Bartlett, Matt Boswell, Keith Getty, and Kristyn Getty.

“Victory in Jesus” is one of the greatest gospel songs ever written, full of vitality and celebration of the good news of Christ.  This new version – written in cooperation with the family that has stewarded the song for decades – builds on the original lyric to further proclaim the decisive work of Christ to set the sinner free.

Watch the performance of the song here.

Chorus
O victory in Jesus
My Savior forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood
Verse 1
I heard an old, old story
How a Savior came from glory
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me
I heard about His groaning
Of His precious blood’s atoning
Then I repented of my sin,
“Christ won the victory!”
Verse 2
I heard about His healing
All his miracles revealing
That He alone can save a soul
And set the captive free
I’m happy in His promise
How soon He’s coming for us
And home with Him I’ll sing again
“Christ won the victory!”
Verse 3
I’ll tell the old, old story
Till my Savior comes from glory
I’ll tell of all the Lord has done
To set this sinner free
That all who will believe him
By Faith can still receive him
And share in that redemption song
“Christ won the victory!”


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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS


The Beautiful Letdown: Live from Los Angeles – Switchfoot
*** ½

Switchfoot has been celebrating the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough album The Beautiful Letdown, which was recorded in Los Angeles, and has now sold more than three million copies and had more than 550 million streams. In May 2023, the band released The Beautiful Letdown (Our Version). This new surprise live album preceded the band resuming their The Beautiful Letdown 20th anniversary tour.
Switchfoot has always been an excellent live band, and they prove it again on this album, in which they play all of the songs from The Beautiful Letdown.

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • A review of Live at Orangefield: Be Just and Fear Not by Van Morrison
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ Run and Run (Christ is All My Righteousness) by Matt Boswell and Matt Papa

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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS


Vintage Vol. 2 – Shane and Shane
****

Shane and Shane (comprised of Shane Barnard and Shane Everett), follow up their 2020 album Vintage with Vintage Vol. 2, an inspirational collection of eleven classic worship songs reimagined with fresh arrangements. The album was produced by Shane Barnard. I was familiar with some of these songs, but not all of them. I thoroughly enjoyed this new collection. Here are a few comments about each song:
Creed – This song was written by Rich Mullins and David Strasser. In addition to Mullins’ version, Third Day did an excellent version of this song. This upbeat version features dulcimer, strings, piano, drums, bass, and guitar.
Key lyric:
vAnd I believe what I believe
Is what makes me what I am
I did not make it, no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man

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  • More of this review
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ “a lil Church” by TobyMac

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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS


Coming Back to the Heart: Live Collection – Matt Redman
****

Coming Back to the Heart is Matt Redman’s twentieth album. It was recorded live at the Beverly Theater in Las Vegas, with stripped-back instrumentation in order to make room for the voices of local worship leaders and singers present.
On this album, Redman reimagines ten of the songs he has written or co-written over the past twenty-five years, with “Better is One Day” being the oldest. In addition to that song, other favorites included are “10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)”, “Heart of Worship” and “Blessed Be Your Name”.
One of the things you will notice is how he creatively combines similarly themed songs as medleys. For example, he combines “Better is One Day” with “Facedown,” songs with the theme of God’s presence, and “Never Once” with “You Never Let God,” songs about the faithfulness of God.
vThe album also includes “Let Me See Jesus,” a new and previously unreleased song.
I have enjoyed Redman’s music for many years. I really appreciated the freshness he brought to these songs. The album will be enjoyed by those familiar with these songs and Redman and those just being introduced to his music.

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  • More of this review and a review of Zoo TV: Live in Dublin 1993 – U2
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ Approach, My Soul by Jordan Kauflin and Laura Story

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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS

Modern Hymns – Shane and Shane and The Worship Initiative
****

Modern Hymns is a collaborative effort of Shane and Shane and The Worship Initiative, along with Bryan Fowler and Semsen Music. This album includes covers of mostly Getty Music hymns with some wonderful choral arrangements.
I really enjoyed this new project of ten excellent songs performed and produced well. Here are a few comments about each song:

Come Unto Jesus – This song was written by Jordan Kauflin, Laura Story and Matt Merker, produced by Bryan Fowler, and features Shane and Shane. The song, which builds powerfully, features, guitar, bass, drums, keys, backing vocals, and choir.
Key lyric:
Come unto Jesus, come unto Jesus
Lay down your burdens, He is enough
Come unto Jesus, rest in His love

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  • More of this review
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ Keep the Feast by Skye Peterson and Ben Shive

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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS


For All The Saints (EP) – Fernando Ortega
****

For All The Saints, a beautiful five song EP, is Fernando Ortega’s first new release in four years, following his 2020 Christmas EP Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming. The release is co-produced by Ortega and Matthew Tobias, and engineered and mixed by Russ Long.
About the new project, Ortega said “There are so many hymns that are not really sung anymore; they’re, by and large, just not known. So, I like bringing those hymns back. These hymns also bind us together in a transcendent way with generations of Christians who have gone before us.”
Below are a few brief comments about each song:

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  • More of this review
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ Christus Victor (Amen) by Keith & Kristyn Getty and Cochren & Co.

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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS

Music Reviews

Bob Dylan and The Band: The 1974 Live Recordings

The 1974 Live Recordings – Bob Dylan and the Band
****

On January 3, 1974, Bob Dylan and the Band kicked off a 40-concert, 30-date, 21-city tour in Chicago. Dylan’s first ever arena tour had an average attendance of 18, 500. They would often play two shows a day.
The new studio album Planet Waves, on which Dylan was backed by the Band, would be released two weeks after the start of the tour. Dylan had not toured for eight years, following his July 1966 motorcycle accident. A double live album from the tour, Before the Flood, featuring both Dylan’s and the Band’s performances, was released on June 20, 1974.

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  • More of this review and a review of Mat Kearney
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ How Great is the Greatness of God by Matt Boswell, Bryan Fowler, and Matt Papa

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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS


Everything: Hymns for Little Hearts – Keith & Kristyn Getty, The Getty Girls and the Getty Hymn Writing Team
****

This EP features three songs for children performed by Keith & Kristyn Getty, the Getty Girls, Sandra McCracken, Skye Peterson, Jordan Kauflin and Joni Eareckson Tada. The songs were written by the Getty hymn writing team.

Here are a few comments about each song:

Everything – This song, based on Psalm 150, was written by Kristyn Getty, Skye Peterson, and Sandra McCracken. The joyful song was performed by the Getty Girls, Kristyn Getty, Sandra McCracken and Skye Peterson. The song features acoustic guitar, bass, drums, piano, backing vocals, and guitar.
Key lyric:
Let everything, everything
Let everything that breathes
Let everything that breathes
Come praise the Lord

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More of this review and a review of Christmas by Mac Powell
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ Welcome Home by CityAlight

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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS

Rise My Soul (EP) – CityAlight
****

CityAlight is a ministry of St. Paul’s Castle Hill in Sydney, Australia. Their vision is to write songs with biblically rich lyrics and simple melodies for the Christian church to sing. Rise My Soul, their latest release, offers the church a collection of songs that lift our eyes right up onto God in a world that is calling us to look down in a million different inferior directions.

The EP includes four new songs. Here are a few comments about each of the songs:

Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:

  • More of this review and a review of To Save a Child: An Intimate Live Concert by Eric Clapton
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ “Rise My Soul, The Lord is Risen” by CityAlight

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MUSIC REVIEWS and NEWS

Transmissions – Amos Lee
****

Transmissions is Amos Lee’s eleventh studio album overall and his fourth in the past two years, following 2022’s Dreamland and My Ideal: A Tribute to Chet Baker Sings, and 2023’s Honeysuckle Switches: The Songs of Lucinda Williams. Lee produced the album which draws inspiration from jazz, folk, pop and soul, and has themes that address such serious topics as death, aging, love and finding your place in the world. Lee has said that one theme of the album is trying to lament, celebrate and honor people we’ve lost, but also trying to connect with the presence of the people we have.

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  • More of this review and a review of Best of Bruce Springsteen
  • Music News
  • Song of the Week Lyrics ~ As For Me and My House – Cochren and Co. and Keith & Kristyn Getty

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