BOOK REVIEW - "CLASSICAL MUSIC: THE 50 GREATEST COMPOSERS AND THEIR 1,000 GREATEST WORKS" BY PHIL G. GOULDING

 My favorite genres of music are Classical and Symphonic Rock. Do I consider myself? Not even close. I like what I like and will give what I don't like a couple of times. There are certain eras I prefer to others: Baroque isn't my cup of tea, I love a lot of the romantic era, and sometimes I think the principal instrument in 20th Century music is fingernails on the chalk board.

That being said, I picked up "Classical Music: The 50th Greatest Composers and Their 1,000 Greatest Works" by Phil Goulding, wondering how much disagreement we'll have. While there are disagreements, I find myself agreeing more.

Goulding started this book as a challenge by his wife At that point, I probably knew more than he did. His approach to ranking the artists was sound, using how many pages of music by the composers as a guide. 

He starts off with a few lists about the performers, including his ranking, the composer's century of birth, and their home country. He goes through his list with a short biography of the composer, focused on their compositions. He then provides a starter list (5 items), a top ten (as you'd expect, 10), and a Master's list. There are a couple where Goulding's Master's list is the same as the top ten; others have enough that he recommends a library.

You don't have to open the book to know his top 10: it's on the outside back cover. The top 10 is: 

1. Johann Sebastian Bach
2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
3. Ludwig van Beethoven
4. Richard Wagner
5. Franz Joseph Haydn
6. Johannes Brahms
7. Franz Schubert
8. Robert Schumann
9. George Frideric Handel
10. Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky

Actually, I have few arguments. I wouldn't have Schumann on my list: I've tried listening to him on occassion and remain unimpressed compared to the others. Plus, with two of my three favorite composers ranked 11th and 12th - Mendelssohn and Dvorak respectively; Beethoven is my other favorite - Schumann would find him slipping to the teens on my list. Having read the book, I doubt I'd get much argument at that point: Goulding commented that if someone wanted to rearrange the order of the top 3, he'd see nothing wrong with that.

He ranks a pair of my favorites further down - Bruckner at 25 and Rimski-Korsakov at 42. Three others are missing from his list: Correlli, Franz Berwald, and Carl Phillip Emannuel Bach, but overall, I think his ranking is more objective while I won't at all claim my rankings are subjective. 

The book is concluded with a section on the orchestra and its instruments and arrangement and a 42 page discography.

If you are interested in learning more about classical music and its composers, I very hightly recommend this book. 

KINGDOM COME FESTIVAL 26 REPORT PART 2 (SATURDAY JUNE 20, 2026)

Photo of the late David Pataconi, in the Subculture Stage area.

Saturday, June 20, was my seventh day of going to Kingdom Come Festival (KCF), but the first day I was not planning on volunteering. A friend from church was going to go, but it didn't work out. While I love to volunteer, the schedule was full of people I wanted to hear, so I kept busy without  helping out. 

Starting at 10:00am, the Main Stage has a rotation where the band plays for 30 minutes, tear down and set up lasts 15 minutes, and repeat. For me, it makes it easy to think of the performances as blocks of four in a three hour period. This year, the first four included True Revival, Melanie Waldman, Natural Grace, and Angel Machine. True Revival started off the Saturday line up the last three years, and I look forward to that tradition. Melanie Waldman performed solo, and was one of the few quiet times (not counting the Acoustic Stage). I enjoy a lot of Natural Grace's songs, such as "Paper Tigers." On that song, she tossed out tiger striped beach balls. She was joined on stage with Kevin Young from Disciple. First time I was able to say. As for Angel Machine, they became my #1 bucket list band after hearing Daniel Band the previous night. 2 bucket list bands fulfilled in two days. 

True Revival on KCF Main Stage

Melanie Waldman

Natural State with Kevin Young of Disciple

Wayde and Apryll of Angel Machine, with D.Z. of Fervor My Dear in the shade on the right.

From 1:00 to 2:30, I went to the Acoustic Stage where I had the honor of hearing another band I had yet to hear in person: Chaotic Resemblance. Considering I wrote a term paper on the Nazirite vow, how can I not be a fan of a group that has an album called "The Nazirite?" I thoroughly enjoyed that acoustic set. Then, I went back to the main stage area where I heard a couple of songs by the rapper Saint Rockstar, had lunch, and enjoyed Tricord, whose set included an appearance by B Wayde, joining them on the song "Liar," a tune that spent multiple weeks at number one on Rock 4 Him's countdown. From there, I went to the Subculture stage for an event I had been looking forward to since they announced the line-up. 

There were two sets I couldn't miss at this year's KCF. The previous blog mentined The Daniel Band being on the stage Friday, which was a time of joy. The other was the David Pataconi Tribute at 2:30, a time  to mourn. David Pataconi and a couple of other people involved with KCF and Always 1 Ministries went home to be with the Lord. I had the honor of hearing David Pataconi twice last year.

Believe it or not, I don't often run across conflicts between two artists I want to hear, so it can be traumatic when it does happen. One band I wanted to hear was Drive Thru Society, who was scheduled for 2:30 at the Main Stage. Some might say, "But wait! Isn't that when the David Pataconi Tribute was scheduled for 2:30 on the Subculture stage? Yep. And the decision was a no-brainer. But then, they announced the schedule for the acoustic stage, and Drive Thru Society had a 6:00pm set. 

However, there are inevitablity changes, and some artists last minute aren't able to make it. One of those artists were the one schedule for 8pm. How did they fill the slot? Well, they moved the 7pm artist to fill that spot. And the 6:15 artist to fill 7pm. And so on, up to... you guessed it. Until the 3:15 slot, so there was no bands performing on other stages when the Memorial Tribute took place.

I needed that time of mourning.The band members and the guest singers (including Asche Relesser, Fyrebrand, Jermaine Nixon of Tricord, Jerrod Cunningham of I Am The Pendragon and XIII Minutes, and Jeremy Brown of the Rock 4 Him Podcast) wore shirts similar to the one David Pataconi has on in the above photo ("I'm Dave Doing Dave Things"), with the first "Dave" replaced by the singer's first name. I had tears when I heard Jeremy sing my favorite David Pataconi song, "My Path To Walk," a song that moved me since I first heard it in '24. I needed to be there.

Chaotic  Resemblance, Acoustic stage.
 

Tricord, including Jermaine Nixon second from left and Charles Martin on right. I was able to hear both their full power set and their acoustic set. Jermaine and Meg Hudson of Drive Thru Society had joined Reclaim the Day. In like manner, rapper B Wayde joined Tricord on "Liar."

Asche Relesser and the members of Autumn's Descent at the David Pataconi tribute.

Drive Thru Society

Matt Moore at acoustic stage.

I mentioned the one conflict that was resolved, but a lesser conflict took it's place. I mentioned I wanted to hear was Drive Thru Society, who had been moved to the 3:15 slot on the Main Stage so they didn't conflict with the tribute. Another artist I wanted to hear was Autumn's Descent, who were scheduled for the Subculture Stage at 3:30, overlapping with Drive Thru Society. So I did what anybody else in their right mind would do: Go to hear Drive Thru Society at 3:15, then after two songs run over to hear Autumn's Descent and then ... you get the picture.

My original plan for Saturday after the Memorial was the above mentioned Autumn's Descent at 3:30, Tricord acoustic set at 4, either a few minutes of XIII Minutes (maybe watching XIII Minutes for 13 minutes?) or wandering around the merchandise tent and talk to artists. At 5, I would have the honor of watching my first Matt Moore set at the acoustic tent, killing more time till 6 to hear Drive Thru Society's acoustic set, and closing out my time with Graverobber. That is a band that I'm curious if it's just a rock band in a horror getup, or if they put on a unique, memorable show. 

Well, I did watch Autumn's Descent, and I did hear Tricord  at the acoustic stage (a real blessing), but that was where plans were changed. After a round trip and a half from home and a lot of standing at concerts and moving from location to location, I realized I was running out of gas. So I did spend some time at the tent and listened to a couple of Matt Moore songs, and then headed to the car to get home while I had my second wind. (Yes, I obviously made it home okay.)  So I'll be hoping to get to hear Drive Thru Society's full set and maybe Graverobber next year. 

So now I'm counting the days until they reveal the KCF 27 lineup.

David Pataconi Memorial with (from left) Asche Relesser of Relesser/Autumn's Descent, 
Jeremy Brown of Rock 4 Him Podcast, Jermaine Nixon of Tricord, Jason Brand (aka Fyrebrand)
Jerrod Cunningham of I Am The Pendragon,  and DZ of Fervor, My Dear.
Jacob Mars is represented by the elbow poking out on the right.

KINGDOM COME FESTIVAL 26 REPORT, PART 1 (FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2026)

 

What was my dream? Seeing The Daniel Band at KCF What was the dream of Concert Foto's photographer Chad Fenner (red hair, lower center)? Photographing The Daniel Band at KCF. 

Last weekend (June 19-20, '26) was my fourth consecutive Kingdom Come Festival (referred to subsequently as KCF, not to be confused with KFC, though both include drumsticks). In '23, Becky suggested I go on Saturday but not use time off. The following three years, she said, "Go to both days. Enjoy yourself." (Note - technically, it gets started on Thursday, but I don't like driving at night, so I only go during the day on Friday and Saturday.

If you've been reading this blog awhile, you'll notice I usually have a follow-up where I cover both days. This year, I'm going to have a separate blog for each days. Several reasons. 

1. It makes each blog shorter for the readers.
2. The more I go, the fuller the days are, so I have more to include.
3. Both days this year have a special activity, and as a result both days and thus I'm separating them.

I started off Friday volunteering at the welcome booth from opening at 10:00am to 2:30. There's an internal conflict - at 10am, there's a prayer and worship time, allotted two hours, While I want to do both, on Fridays I hear a couple of the worship songs led by the , share any requests with The Subculture Pastor Dale Vaughn, and run off to the welcome booth. During that time, I snuck into the Subculture Stage to hear a little of Brightstar, then grabbed lunch from the concession stand, which I ate while listening to rapper B-Wayde, and manage to get back to my post early (that shocked me!),

A year old picture from last year of me at the Welcome station. 

Jay, worship leader of The Subculture in Illinois.

Rapper B Wayde on the main stage.

Brightstar on the Subculture Stage at Kingdom Come Festival with photographer Chad Fenner

When I finished my shift, I did something not typical. From 2:30 to 4:00 I bounced back and forth between the main stage to The Subculture Stage to the Acoustic Stage and Coffee House (also sponsored by The Subculture), catching one song at one, two at the other, and having a visit or two to the Merch tent. It wasn't as frantic for the following couple of hours. During that time, I found a couple of new favorite band (Oak & Linden, and Jason Wayne from Drown The Planet). Of course, there were other already favorite bands I heard such as Reclaim the Day, Becca Sugg (singer of Reclaim the Day, who also did an acoustic set), I Am The Pendragon, and Chris Bousum. 

Oh, I'm talking about the music. But is the Gospel preached? Yes. Trevor Heyd of xstaytruex Ministries had a set where he shared the gospel. Others did so as well. I mentied Dale Vaughn above? He's pastor of The Subculture in Illinois, which has several ministries in the area as well as church. He brought along a group that he hear called the Castros, and asked them to share. In the above photo, you'll notice photographer (Flash Mob) has red hair. There's a reason, ministry related, which I'll share in Part 2.

Dale Vaughn, of the band As We Are and pastor of The Subculture, at The Subculture Stage at KCF 

Reclaim The Day on the Main Stage.

Me with Jason Wayne from Drown The Planet, in the Merchandise Tent. 
 

Oak & Linden at the Subculture Coffee House & Acoustic Stage

Trevor Heyd of xstaytruex Ministries. He did an excellent job sharing the Gospel (as did other artists).

The Castros at the Subculture Stage.

  

 

Me with Matt Moore. Besides being a great artist, Moore is the emcee for the Main Stage every year.

Becca Sugg, lead singer of Reclaim The Day (l) and her sister Miranda Brown at  the Acoustic Stage.

Kevin (Moose) Bush (white hat, pink jacket) and Jerrod Cunningham (mask) of
I Am The Pendragon on the Subculture Stage at Kingdom Come Festival..

Chris Bousum at the Coffee House and Acoustic Stage.

And then came the highlight of the day.

On the top of my bucket list was to hear The Daniel Band in person. I discovered them when they were in concert twice at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in the early '80's, but never had a chance to see catch a concert. That bucket list item was fulfilled Friday at 6pm, when Daniel Band took the main stage. It was the blessing I expected it to be. That set had several favorites such as "He's The Creator," "Run From The Darkness," "I'm Sorry," "Never Again," "Two Roads," and "Somebody Loves You." I had the honor of hearing the riffs and solos and melodies and the lyrics I've heard on pre-recorded material for over four decades.

The highlight: I was able to take a few seconds to thank Bassist/Vocalist Dan McCabe for blessing me for years with the songs "Spiritual Game" and "Here I Am." 

Tony Rossi of The Daniel Band, on the Main Stage.

There was a voice in my head talking about feeling entitled. But another voice told me that the real reason I'm a Daniel Band fan is not because of Tony Rossi's great guitar (though it is great) or Dan McCabe's vocals (though they also were great), but because the band had a heart for evangelism and also edified fellow believers as well.

Daniel McCabe of the Daniel Band.

ALBUM REVIEW - "RUNNING OUT OF TIME" BY THE DANIEL BAND

 

"Running Out of Time" is the last of the Daniel Band's five studio albums, and it's as strong as the others. The opening song, "Black and White," is one of the hardest songs in their roster: I first heard it as part of the compiliation "Heavy Righteous Metal." 

Once again, there are several strong songs on the album, such as "Hold On," "Long Time," "Party In Heaven," before getting to a double whammy to end things up, with the title track and the bonus track "One."

It's a Daniel Band album, so of course I'm recommending it. 

By the way, this is scheduled to post at 7:00 pm on June 20th, 2026. 24.5 hours ago, the Daniel Band finished up their set for their first appearance at the Kingdom Come Festilval, with me finally getting to hear my all time favorite band live, almost 45 years since I heard them on the radio.

BOOK REVIEW - "THE GOD ASK: A FRESH, BIBLICAL APPROACH TO PERSONAL SUPPORT RAISING" BY STEVE SHADRACH

 A lot of the Christian ministries I'm familiar with fall in the category of faith-supported missions, where the missionaries are responsible for raising (or, as the Conservative Baptist movement puts it, discovering) their support. This can become a joyful training for the missionaries to trust in God even when they are stuck at a percentage of their support. But then, it can be discouraging and the missionaries may give up. 

One resource for those who need to raise support is "The God Ask: A Fresh, Biblical, Approach to Personal Support Raising" by Steve Shadrach. This book has a lot of great ideas. One is seeing support-raising as a triangle, with God at the top, the ministry-worker looking to God for support on one corner, and the supporter seeking God's supply and blessing in the other. 

The strongest point is to see this as a partnership. Shadrach encourages those who receive support to pray for the donors, have regular communication with them, learn their birthdays and anniversaries, and develop your relationship with them. This is what I despise about multi-level direct sales: That approach makes it seem like that getting you to buy into their business is more important than cultivating a friendship.

However, there were many things in this book that made me cringe. It took me three months to get through "The God Ask," because Shadrach's aggressive "The Wrong Way or My Way" approach consistently made me uncomfortable. Early on, he gives the impression that it's possible to raise 100% of your support in 100 days, but by the time I ended, he made it sound like the reality is it's a never-ending process. 

Two impressions he gave is his approach is 1) Biblical and 2) not high pressure sales. Unfortunately, he didn't convince me on either point.

1. I will admit - I do not consider his views unbiblical (condemned by Scripture), but I don't see a strong in-context and consistent mandate. There are two points where his theory is at odds with Scripture. First, 3 John 7 applauds workers who take nothing from the Gentiles (unbelievers), while Shadrach says there's times to ask non-Christians to support a Christian ministry. Second, Shadrach discourages working to help provide for your support (like the tent-maker model, following the example of Paul) but to put all your time in fundraising.
2. As far as resembling the high pressure direct sales impression, he suggests asking for specific amounts. With a professional double income family, he strongly suggests the monthly amount asked for should be at least $100, and Shadrach stated he felt insulted when a person seeking support  asked for only $35 a month. It sounds like he's promoting asking everybody you know to be a supporter, and if you have a person who has been giving a large amount regularly, ask him to give more.

I'm giving this book a 3 star review. I would without hesitation recommend this book for anyone who needs to raise financial support for their ministry, but I also would emphasize it's one person's theory, and encourage them to modify their application to their personal convictions. 

ALBUM REVIEW - "RISE UP" BY THE DANIEL BAND

 "Rise Up" is the fourth of Daniel Band's five studio albums. As you'd expect if you listened to their other projects, there is a lot of good hard rock songs with straight forward Christian lyrics.

Any song that calls us back to our relationship with Christ - our Bethel - gets my approval, and that's how this album starts. It works its way through several good songs before getting to the equally powerful "Right Heart." Normally, I'd identify all the good songs, but they're all good songs.

One note if you're looking at the Spotify list instead of having the product in front of you: you'll see "Rise Up" listed as both the second and fourth songs on the project. Nope, they goofed - the fourth song is actually "Paradise."

This version of the product has a bonus track - "That's Alright," originally written and recorded by Darrell Mansfield. The Daniel Band has a few minor tweaks to the song instrumentally, and includes the third verse which deals with evolution: Darrell performs that verse live wearing a monkey mask, but it's not on the original recording.

As you'd expect, I highly recommend this project.

BOOK REVIEW - "IS THE CHURCH STILL RELEVANT?" BY JODY BURKEEN

 

Can a person live a strong Christian life without the Church? Or does the failures of the Church justify an isolated Christian life without other believers helping?

Pardon for me spoiling the end of the book - In "Is the Church Still Relevant?" author Jody Burkeen says yes. This book traces the church's history from Pentecost, and point out that while the Church has hurt a lot of people and give its parishoners ample reason to withdraw, the Church also has an important place in other people's lives.

In "Already Gone: Why Your Kids Will Quit Church and What You Can Do To Stop It" by Answers in Genesis' Ken Ham, pollist Ken Beemer with  Todd Hillard, the authors make the case that the youth who abandon the church do so for two reasons: Either the Bible is believed irrelevant or the Church is believed irrelevant. Burkeen's book focuses heavily on the latter.

One nice thing about this book is it's a quick, easy read. The text is written in mostly one or two sentence paragraphs, with a very poetic style, and enough repition to drive its points home.

I do have a couple of problems with this book. In the first chapter, Burkeen states that Pentecost included literal fire on each head. Technically, no. Acts 2:3 reads, "Then there appeared to them divided tongues, AS OF FIRE..." This is a minor point, but to me, that weakens his point, and it's weakened early. Another is that it doesn't really deal with repentance: it's more like people leave church because one or more people in the church failed them, with nary a message that the person might have left church because they are engaged in an activity either the Bible or the Church (or both) calls sin.

That being said, this book is an encouraging book. As said, it's a simple read, with short paragraphs. I would recommend it for a person who has been hurt by either an individual believer or by a church. It is written with admonitions both for the person who left church and for the church that wants to bring them back. 

ALBUM REVIEW - "RUN FROM THE DARKNESS" BY THE DANIEL BAND

 

A friend of mine, Concert Fotos photographer Chad Fenner, told me this was his third favorite album. Ever.

As a fan of the Daniel Band, and hearing some of the songs in isolation, I wasn't surprised. But a couple of weeks ago, I finally listened to the complete project, and concur that this is a great album.

I can talk about all the great songs on this project. It's easier to say they all fit that category. One song, however, stands out, which is the title track. That song has joined "He's The Creator" (from On Rock), "Spiritual Game" (also On Rock), and "Here I Am" (from Straight Ahead) as my favorite Daniel Band songs.

In other words, I really enjoyed it.

One other note - the final two tracks on this version were originally on other projects. "My Children" was the finale on the fourth album, "Rise Up," while "In The Sky" was originally on  their dubut project, "On Rock." Listening to the latter on Spotify, it gives the time as being 6 minutes, about twice as long as the "On Rock" version, but on Spotify, the extra time is silent.

BOOK REVIEW - "A HERMENEUTIC OF IMAGINATION: UNLOCKING SCRIPTURE'S FULL POTENTIAL" BY KNUT M. HEIM WITH JEFFREY S. OETTER

 Being an artist, this title caught my attention. I have written a novel (unpublished) that's a mystery set at an apologetics conference, a lot of songs (likewise, unpublished), and studied creative writing, ceramics, drawing, and art theory and design at a community college. One thing that I thought would be powerful is reading certain books of the Bible as a dramatic reading, such as the debate between God and Israel in Malachi or Paul's farewell letter to his beloved student Timothy. Additionally, I am a Bible college graduate including a class on Biblical Interpretation, a.k.a. hermeneutics.

"A Hermeneutic of Imagination: Unlocking Scripture's Full Potentiel" by Knut M. Heim with Jeffrey R. Oetter deals with the subject on a strong, scholarly level. Chapter themes include figurative language (e.g. ambiguous language and the use of metaphors), expression of emotion, and humor in the Sacred writings. The authors then turn to topics like translations and their impact on imagination and how academic theology fits in.

One example of how thinking imaginatlitively used in the conclusion is Psalms 23:2. We often picture our Good Shepherd comfortably keeping an eye in a peaceful pasture, with a calm brook flowing nearby. However, a nice open pasture might have predators looking for an opportunity, and a sheep may not be able to swim to shore with his fleece wet in quiet but deep water.

I recommend most book's I've read. This one is in a middle category, not commending it, not dondemning it. The authors are more theologically liberal than I am. For example, the translations mentioned are the New Revised Standard Version, the Good News Bible, and the Contemporary English Version, while I'm most familiar both with personal reading and the translation of choice by the authors I read are the KJV, the NKJV, the New International Version, the New Americaln Standard, the English Standard Bible, and the Christian Standard Bible.

Another indication of a worldview/churchview of Scripture is an encouragement to be familiar with feminist and womanist criticism. "Womanist" is a new term for me. The authors state that feminism is white, Western, hetrosexual, Christian, and middle-class, while Womanism deals with the views of women of more varied background.

My last criticism is revealed in the title. To me, the way to "unlock Scripture's full potential" is not based on human thinking (or imagination) but in avoiding any theology that asks "Yea, hath God said" as the serpent did to deceive Eve.

Again, I'm neither recommending or condemning this book. There are some useful thoughts here, and I'm glad I read this book. But I have concerns. If you want a challenge, go for this book.

ALBUM REVIEW - "STRAIGHT AHEAD" BY THE DANIEL BAND

In the early '80's, Christian music saw not one, not two, but three albums called "Straight Ahead": Jamie Owens-Collins in '81, Amy Grant in '84, and in between, The Daniel Band ('83). Which do I like best? Technically, it's a two way tie, but one of those two is The Daniel Band. Their debut project, "On Rock," has always been one of my favorite albums, and "Straight Ahead" is a worthy follow-up.

Let me divide the songs in two categories. I'll start with the majority - those with bassist Dan McCabe doing lead vocals. All of them were good, but five of the seven stand out: "You're All I Need," "Here I Am," "Reality," "Come Into My Life," and "Comin' Home." "Here I Am" is a song that has always had a special place in my life. By the way, two of the songs are demos from "On Rock": an extended version of "Free From Sin" and "I'm Sorry." (I didn't note anything different standing out on the latter.)

Guitarist Tony Rossi did the singing on the remaining three songs. The title track was a typical hard rock song; the others were not. "T'ank You" is a pop/island style song, while "In My Mind" (the last track before the two demos) was more of an acoustic ballad.

I absolutely love this album, and highly recommend it.

BOOK REVIEW - "A DEEPER WALK: A PROVEN PATH FOR DEVELOPING A MORE VIBRANT FAITH" BY MARCUS WARNER

Recently, my wife Becky was looking at books and thought this sounded like a good book for me to read. So I started reading "A Deeper Walk: A Proven Path for Develping a More Vibrant Faith," written by Marcus Warner with a foreward by Neil T. Anderson, author and founder/President Emeritus Freedom in Christ Ministries. 

Warner's premise - one I agree with - is that the church is not making disciples that are transforming the world. He is encouraging the body of Christ to grow more mature through our freedom, our identity in Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and heart focused community. I also agree with the excellent cover, though isn't there a proverb about judging a book by its cover?

While I agree with the premise, I don't agree with his views on what that looks like. Warner encourages us to exercise our freedom in Christ through Spiritual Warfare, including commnding demons to leave, with addiction to pornography, eating disorders, and unforgiveness being possible demonic oppression, as well as generational sin. The impression Ezekiel 18 gives me is that those who live righteous will be rewarded for their righteousness, regardless of how their ancestors lived. 

I know true Christians may disagree on the issues I mentioned. But one thing that bothers me is when a Christian gives the impression that there are those who agree with them and those who are wrong. This book sounds like the author believes his proposed approach will have a 100% success rate and not using it will result in failure 100% of the time.

Most books I read I can recommend and give a 5 star result. I have enough questions that I'm giving this only three stars.

 

ALBUM REVIEW - "ON ROCK" BY THE DANIEL BAND

 Back in the early '80's, Orange County CA station KYMS would broadcast Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa's live Saturday concerts. In '81, The Daniel Band, not to be confused with Daniel Amos, was one of the artists. At first, I thought they were a little too hard rock for my tastes. But a year later, they came back, and a friend heard them practice and raved about them. So I listened to them over the radio, and was hooked. For the next month I looked every week to find out if their new album was out, and when I saw "On Rock" on the shelves, one of those albums came home with me.

There are certain artists that have such a strong first song on their debut album that it sounds like they're making sure everybody knows they've arrived. Songs like "More Than A Feeling" by Boston or "Feels Like The First Time" by Foreigner or "Loud and Clear" by Stryper. Add "He's the Creator" from The Daniel Band to that list. Guitarist Tony Rossi's opening riffs capture my attention, combined with lead vocalist Dan McCabe reminding us that, yes, God is the Creator of the universe. Somebody, please talk your group into covering it, because we need to hear that song again. That's not the only song on the project that needs to be heard by today's audience: "Undercover Christian" and "Spiritual Game" both are strong messages to the church to return to their first love.

There is not one mediocre song on the project, but some stand out. "I'm  Sorry" features unforgettable guitar picking by Rossi, and if you need a pick-up, "You Don't Need The Blues," one of the few times Rossi takes the lead vocals, will deliver. "Never Again" was entered into a contest in Toronto and came in 3rd place in a tough competition. If you hear it, you'll not be surprised. 

I can talk about the other songs, too, but I first want to mention a difference between the album that came out in '82 and the collecter's edition. The latter adds two songs to the 11 original tunes: "It All Turns To Rain" (a song that immediately made my list of Daniel Band favorites) and "I Give You All."

BOOK REVIEW - "THE ROUGH GUIDE TO CLASSICAL MUSIC: AN A-Z OF COMPOSERS, KEY WORKS, AND TOP RECORDINGS," EDITED BY JOE STAINES

I've heard of series like "Complete Idiot's" and "...for Dummies," but this is my first encounter with "Rough Guides." Joe Staines is listed as the editor of this book, and as co-authors with Jonathan Buckley, Phillip Clark, Andrew Dickson, Kate Hopkins, Stephen Johnson, Nick Kimberley, and Gavin Thomas.

This book gives you an introduction to many classical composers, identifies what is considered as their key works, and providing you with a list of recordings, making this a good guide if you want to enlarge your collection of classical music. 

Note I said this is "a good guide." Considering that three of my ten favorite symponies are not considered "key works" (i.e. the Lobesang and Reformation symphonies by Felix Mendelssohn, and the Singulaire Symphone of Franz Berwald), or that one composer I like is not mentioned (again, Berwald), I'm being fair when I call it "a good guide." After all, this is not meant to be exhaustive, and I've recently looked at another book where Berwald is again omitted from the list. 

I've read some reviews that are critical of this, but I do not agree with the criticisms. In spite of my disappointments, I think this book achieves its goals, and I would recommend it to someone who wants to learn more about classical music.

 

BOOK REVIEW - "WITH THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN: THE BOOK OF DANIEL IN BIBLICAL THEOLOGY" (NEW STUDIES IN BIBLICAL THEOLOGY) BY JAMES M. HAMILTON, JR.

 

Daniel is one of the most interesting and most controversial books of the Bible. Reason for the controversy: If this book was written when it was set, then it is very accurate prophesy. That's no problem for those who believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing God. For those who reject that premise, that's a different story.  So they claim it was a forgery written late enough that it's history pretending to be prophesy.

"With the Clouds of Heaven: The book of Daniel in biblical theology," authored by James M. Hamilton, Jr., is the 32nd of 67 books of the New Studies in Biblical Theology series. For those unfamiliar of the concept of Biblical Theology, it is developing a theology through individual books and then analyzing how it fits in the whole of Scripture (as compared to Systematic Theology, which looks at all the verses on a particular subject to develop one's theology.

Hamilton starts off with the question of authorship, and points out the problems with the view of Daniel being a forgery. He then looks at how Daniel fits in the Scripture, the literary make-up of the book, and how the New Testament authors interpret it. Finally, he compares Joseph and Daniel, and notes how this comparison has parallels with Abraham, Jehoichin, Esther/Mordecai, and Nehemiah. 

I've read 18 of the books in this series. Some are basically intellectual, while others are inspirational. This one is somewhere in the beginning; the simplest way to put it is that it confirms and strengthens my faith in the truth of Scripture.

BOOK REVIEW - "BASIL OF BAKER STREET" (THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE BOOK 1) BY EVE TITUS

 

When I saw the release of Disney's movie "The Great Mouse Detective" in '85, I saw a story that interested me. I didn't realize that this book was of the series "The Great Mouse Detective", and that the first story was written by Eve Titus the year before I was born. 

So, I finally watched the movie 40 years after it came out, and read "Basil of Baker Street," which had been around for 68 years. I enjoyed both. Several of the plot points of this story appeared in the movie, such as the main characters masquerading as a boat captain and his mate.

I would recommend this to children, regardless of whether the childhood is the first one or not. By the way, the first five books were written by Eve Titus between 1958 and 1982, and Cathy Hapka revived it with three new stories from 2018-2020.

BOOK REVIEW - "LETTERS OF PAUL IN 30 DAYS" BY TREVIN WAX

 This is part of a collection by Trevin Wax, Vice President of resources and marketing at the North American Mission Board, and a regular columnist for the Gospel Coalition. Others include "The Life of Jesus in 30 Days" and "Psalms in 30 Days."

This book is divided into Morning, Midday, and Evening readings for 30 days. Each includes a reading from Paul's epistles, but they also include other things. The Gloria Patra and the Lord's Prayer are included in each reading, meaning you're reading those portions 3 times a day, 90 times in the reading. Some of the other readings are from Scripture, but you also have the Apostle's and Nicene Creeds, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Reforming Catholic Confession, in addition to quotes from church fathers and other Christians from the past.  

When reviewing "The Life of Jesus in 30 Days," I started out by saying, "Definitely the best liturgical book written by a Southern Baptist I've read." Well, this is tied with it. I highly recommend it. This is a good way to have an organized devotional time. 

MEDIA REVIEW - CLASSICAL DESTINATIONS: AN ARMCHAIR GUIDE TO CLASSICAL MUSIC BY SIMON CALLOW

 

Classical Destinations: An Armchair Guide to Classical Music is available in three forms of media: Video (I believe it started as a PBS TV show), book, and music CD. I believe there are three seasons, and what I'm reviewing is season 1.

The format of the video and book is looking at various European cities and the classical composers that came from that area. The scenery is beautiful in both formats, and the CD is also enjoyable.

For those who want a nice overview like this, you'll enjoy it. It's pleasing to the eyes and informational. However, I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would. Reasons?

• This series focused more on the history and being a travelog than on the artists. I, on the other hand, wanted more focus on the composers.
• Related to above, the book lacks an index. Thus, I had to dig through the book to find out about the artists I was most interested in.
• Also, when I looked at the menu, I found the episode I most wanted to see on the first of two DVDs was the 7th of 7, dealing with Praugue and one of my favorite composers, Dvorak. But starting with the 2nd episode, the numbers are off, and instead of being on Prague, the 7th episode dealt with Venice, which was program #6 accordig to the guide.

None of those diminished from the quality of the product. If you saw the series on PBS, you'll enjoy having at least one of the formats. And the book would make a great coffee table book.

ARTIFICIAL INTELIGENCE IN ART - GOOD, BAD, NEUTRAL?

Post by author and videogame enthusiast Joanne Maciejeski, posted by Readrise.

I've heard about AI for a few years. I've heard the debate if there is demonic activity involved with it. Then, I went to a denominational convention and meet a couple of gentlemen promoting AI. My favorite is the quote in the photo above.

In the past year, though, I've seen more entries into my corner of the world. On one side, I see the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board promote their AI programs on Facebook (for those who don't know, both groups are Southern Baptist). On the other end is the task of figuring what is real and what isn't. There are pictures that you know are not real. In music, I've seen artists who have a new recording out every week, making me suspicious if it is AI (I've learned some is). 

At this point, I'll put the issues of whether Christians should use it or if there's negative spiritual activity there on the shelf for someone else to deal with. This blog is primarily on whether Christians should support AI art (including music and writing) or not.

One of my favorite Pod Casts, Rock 4 Him, have stated they will have no part with Artificial Intelligence, promoting only real artists. I applaud that concewrn. On another PodCast, Lithoscry with Glenn Remsen, he interviewed the grou KillDevil Theory, who used AI to help on the video. They commented that the AI leaned toward using nudity, so they had to keep an eye on what they were doing.

You probably know that I have lists each year of my favorite songs and books. I haven't seen any evidence of AI in books I read, but I have noticed a few groups that have so much stuff coming out, I'm suspicious. I looked up a couple of the bands I questioned, and AI notivied me those projects were AI. I'm already going through songs for this year's list, and caught two AI bands and took them off. Unfortunately, the first song I heard by one of the groups made it onto my top songs last year. I'm debatint on editing the group, four months late removing the AI band, and adding one group whose spot on the list was stolen by AI.

About a week ago, there was a discussion in Christian Rock and Metal, about whether we should listen to AI music. I asked three of the responders for permission to share their comments, which is below. 

Davon Edelinski - "Depends. Do you view worship as a consumable product, or a meaningful expression of your soul before God?

If Christians themselves don't understand the importance of an actual human soul in creating and performing worship music, then we might as well call it a day and stop even trying with this Gospel thing. I find it truly disheartening to see people calling AI-generated thing the same as an artist being formed by influences." 

Katie E Slater - "If you understood what AI did, it should be automatically known to be wrong to do. AI “trains” by stealing real bands/artists work. Any vocals or musical instruments are not “creations of AI”…..they are stolen from others. Stealing is a sin. Therefore it’s wrong. People who say it’s a “tool” for “artists” are 95% of the time lying. A tool is different from what is almost always happening. A tool is something one uses to help tweak things, not become the whole process.On top of that, no computer should be topping charts over real artists. And AI is also going to play a part within the next 5 to 10 years of government overreach/control/survaliance.

David Schmidt - "I’m not into AI for creative endeavours for a few reasons. One is that AI just uses what’s already in existence. So all you can ever get is something that sounds like what has come before. Plus the reason outlined by others here - taking others work. I’d rather encourage those who are creating. Keep looking - you’ll find bands you like that are real people."

Interesting topic. I'd love to see what you all think. No

 

BOOK REVIEW - FACE TO FACE VOLUMES ONE AND TWO BY KENNETH BOA

 I was at a prayer-for-missions training back in '13 (called "School of Prayer for All Nations), and we were given a copy of Face to Face Volume 1. While I haven't come up with an island list of books, definitely Volume 1 and possibly Volume 2 would be on the list.

"Face to Face Volume One: Praying the Scriptures for Intimate Worship" is my favorite devotional book. It is desired for a 90 day reading. Each of the three months have 31 readings. The goal of that is that you have something to read each day.

Each of those days are divided into 8 parts of prayer: 

1. Adoration (praise to God).
2. Confession of sin
3. Renewal
4. Petition (includes a paragraph for deeper prayer, with seven variations).
5. Intercession (includes a paragraph for deeper prayer, with seven variations).
6. Affirmation.
7. Thanksgiving. 
8. Closing Prayer.

 Each of these sections include usually two passages (sometimes three). I love it because it is focused on praying Scripture, which Boa uses his own translation for, worded for it to be a prayer from us to God.

Of course, this gave me interest in "Face to Face Volume Two: Praying The Scriptures for Spiritual Growth." It has several similarities - being designed for 3 months, and being solely Scripture. However, this volume is more focused on Spiritual character. The readings are divided into 5 areas:

1. The Attributes of God.
2. The Works of God.
3. My Relationship to God.
4. The Character I Want to Cultivate.
5. My Relationship to Others.

The readings for Volume 1 are longer than Volume 2: 3-4 pages and 2-3 pages respectively (probably because of the number of sections). There are a lot of verses (probably the majority) that are in both Volumes. 

These can be read separately (Volume 1 for the first three months, Volume two for the next quarter). Recently I read Volume 1 in the morning and Volume 2 in the evening. 

I usually end a review on whether I recommend the book or not. If it isn't obvious, I highly recommend both Volumes, and especially the first.

ARE THE NO KINGS RALLIES JUST A WARM-UP? PLUS, AN UPCOMING SERIES THAT IS NOT COMPLETELY UNRELATED.

King David Playing the Harp by Gerard van Honthorst

You may have heard of the "No Kings" protests. They seem to think that President Trump is acting like King Trump. I personally believe its because he's doing what he said he'd do (politicians aren't supposed to do that, are they?) 

The biggest issues that are driving that are the views on illegal immigration and transsexuallism. Sorry, but mind translates these respectively as condoning law-breaking and as telling God He goofed in creating us. 

Before I go further, I don't consider myself a MAGA fan; I might even identify more with the label "Deplorable." I have questions on how Iran is being handled or some of his other policies. Like every other President between Washington and whoever we elect in 2228 (no, not a typo) he has both good and bad points. 

In reality, both major parties act like they're monarchs. We currently have a country divided, with both sides wanting their rights protected to the point it removes protection of the rights of their opponents. My opinion, but are any No-Kings crowd ready to stand up for me not using the right pronouns or not wanting my taxes to pay for Planned Parenthood or make sure that we keep the bad guys from crossing our border?

It hit me, though. The reality is President Trump is just a President, not a King, and answerable to the true King of all the earth, Jesus of Nazareth. Former VP candidate Sen. Tim Kaine argued that he felt better with rights coming from the Government preferable to being given by a creator. Could it be that a lot of our leaders as well as a good portion of U.S. citizens want to be accountable only to themselves and not the King of Kings and Lord of Lords?

Yes, I ended on a question. I'm not sure I've got the answer. Do you have it? Please let me know.

But now, I'll look at my plans for the blog. Yes, it's mostly reviews and a few opinion pieces like this one, and I'm not finding time to do interviews. But I do have in my mind a series. It's inspired by a comment the Southern Baptist University's Presiden Al Mohler said on The Briefing, that many believe creating art requires transgression, both in their work and in their lifestyle. It crosses over into my interest in the arts, which is a major reason for me starting this blog, and thoughts on heroes (super and otherwise). So I'm going to hopefully have that possibly in May, or maybe in June or July (no later than that). 

Let me know what you think. I'm looking forward to writing the series, and hope you are to reading it as well.