1956 [EXTRA TRACKS]

Soul-Junk

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 18, 2000)
• Original Release Date: July 18, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Extra tracks
• Label: Sarabellum
• ASIN: B00004U92Z
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #309,859 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

One of the more unusual Christian albums of late, 1956 is born out of the full use of creative license. The three members of Soul Junk are to their contemporaries as a funky secondhand store is to JC Penny. This effort starts with a hip-hop-rap sound, mixes in some alternative rock and folk, adds a dash of retro vibe, and then dumps the whole concoction into a vat of experimentation. Blended with lyrics that are comical, social, and overall spiritual, this disc must be handled with care or it may explode. Complete with an eclectic use of voices, electronics from every imaginable angle, beat-boxes, and raw guitars, the music is happily danceable. As is common with rap groups, Soul Junk has attitude in their vocal and lyrical styling. As well, the melodies and textures often take on the relaxed sway of the partied-out. But these expressions don't come across as aggressive or rebellious. They add an earthiness that somehow causes the comedy to seem deep, the commentary to seem vital, and the spirituality to seem paramount. --Israel Button

CCM Magazine

There's a phrase, which probably started in jazz circles, that is typically used to describe a performance that is slightly beyond the grasp of the audience: "too hip for the room." Glen Galaxy's Soul-Junk is unquestionably too hip for the room that is traditionally Christian music. Since one rarely hears the terms "avant garde" and "Christian music" in the same sentence anyway, this should come as no shock. But Soul-Junk's 1956 goes beyond offbeat, beyond eclectic, beyond 99-and-a-half percent of all Christian music to deliver a record that defies description.

Vocalist/guitarist/chief sound manipulator Galaxy-with at least 14 helpers-offers a diverse collection of synth and drum loops and trip-hop that moves skillfully from stream-of-consciousness free association ("How We Flow") to groove-inflected Bible story recounting ("Dry Bones"), all the while drawing the listener deeper with each revolution of the turntable. Soul-Junk's evident musical influences include-and this is the short list-Beck, Beastie Boys, Frank Zappa and John Coltrane.

Backward-running tape ("Life to False Metal"), low-fi groove combined with polyrhythmic rap ("Eyes, Externally"), a delightful instrumental break ("Monkeyflower & Yarrow"), a classical string line ("Pumpfake") and an indictment of violent rap ("The Peacemaker") are all part of this psycho-phonic journey.

With 1956, the new millennium has its answer to the beat poetry of the '60s. And while it may be beyond the grasp of its market, the brave souls who stretch to reach it will not be disappointed. -- Derek Wesley Selby (c) 2000 CCM Communications, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible...stunning, January 6, 2005

By	DigMe "DigMe" (Waco, TX) - See all my reviews

I've got to agree with everyone here. I've had this album for several years and it still gets played weekly. Honestly this is just one of my favorite albums of all time and I'm a music freak. It's just so original and bursting with creativity and a feeling of "I don't really care what the world or the music industry wants, I'm going to make the album that I want." This is probably Soul Junk's most accessible album though. The music is so smart but so grooving and full of life. It's too bad that this probably got much less underground buzz than it should have because it's labeled as "Christian music." If you are not a Christian please don't let that keep you from checking out this fantastic CD. You won't be sorry if you like things that are original, creative and verging on avant.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sweet to my Soul, September 25, 2001

By	Steve White (Grand Island, NE USA) - See all my reviews

If you were looking for a model of how artistry and faith can be in perfect union, Soul-Junk may have the answer. Because of the group's commitment to their music, it will gain an audience that would otherwise not hear the message of the gospel. Glen Galaxy and his partners in Soul-Junk are pushing the limits of music with their fusion of hip-hop, techno, and indie rock.

Soul-Junk quotes scripture and makes overt remarks about their Christian worldview. But I have a feeling audiences won't turn away. Because of the band's uncompromising musical style, people will listen. Author, musician, and CCM Magazine columnist John Fischer recently wrote that if Christians focus on their art, they can then weave their faith into it. Fischer writes "Sacrifice the art, and you guarantee the message will be heard only by those who, because they already support it, are tolerant of any effort on its behalf." What a novel idea; Create great art that draws us in, and then hit us with the gospel. Neither style nor substance has been sacrificed. Faith and art can go hand in hand.

Unless she's truly hip, your mom won't understand this stuff; The masses probably won't get it either. 1956 is not as consistent, or catchy as Beck's Odelay, another album built on intertwined layers of hip-hop and indie rock. Soul-Junk can't top Beck, but who can? For the daring listener, 1956 is a sonic treat, breathing new life into a stale musical marketplace.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As original as anything can be, August 18, 2000

By	Jon Kortebein (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It is extremely rare when one finds music that sounds fresh and interesting. This album is. I was not a fan of most hip-hop-rap until I heard this record. The lyrics are clever and insightful, and the beats and music add a welcome concoction of pop hooks, electronic percussion and booming bass. It's not all hip hop either, which is one reason why it sounds so fresh. These are adventurous artists who avoid the typical formulas no matter what they're doing. As the Amazon.com review says, this is a vital work of art.