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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful debut CD!, July 12, 2006
First of all, in the interests of full disclosure, I am not a musician. My interest in music is first and foremost from a wordsmith's perspective, and an apprentice one at that, which means that even though I appreciate the instrumental artistry involved, I can't critique that end of things from a knowledgeable perspective. So this is not going to be one of those reviews that goes on and on about "driving rhythms" or "aggressive guitar licks" or "tight harmonies," and those other phrases that have little meaning for me beyond, "Oh, that's why I find that chorus so aesthetically interesting!" (Though don't get me wrong--the instrumental and vocal expression must be well-crafted enough to evoke the range of emotion conveyed by the lyrics in order for a song to capture my complete interest and appreciation. Otherwise, why bother listening to the CD, when I could just get the full essence by reading the lyrics sheet instead?)
However, despite my utter layman's understanding of music, let me hasten to add that music is as vital to the refreshment of my soul as breathing is to the sustenance of my body. Never mind that I can't give you an exact chemical breakdown of the composition of air either. I'd love to learn more about music from the craftsman's perspective. Then again, I'd love to be the one with a new CD out! (Would Jacob McGinnis review me in turn? That might be daunting....)
Secondly, let me add that this review will be looking at lyrics from my own deeply personal perspective. Therefore, what you get from The Turning's lyrics after a close listen might be something different from what I came away with. We all bring different life experiences to the table, and therefore view (and hear) things from those different perspectives. That's part of what makes communication via artistic endeavor so complex.
OK, so let's turn to The Turning's debut CD, "Learning to Lose."
This is a CD that has haunted me since before it even came out. I heard the third track, "Out Of My Hands," on the radio a couple of weeks before the CD was available in stores, and it immediately hooked me with its opening line, "All my restless heart could do is cry." Oh yes, I've been there! But what captured my full attention was the chorus.
Everything I held is out of my hands
Everything you bless is not what I planned
Not what I'd seen, not what I dreamed....
That has been my soul's plaintive cry through so much of my life! And yet, what God has planned for me has always turned out to be better than what I imagined, when I'm willing to put my trust in Him. So on June 6th, the day "Learning to Lose" first came out in stores, I coughed up some of my hard-earned, wanting to hear more.
"Never Again"--This is the first track on the CD, and gets the program off to a good start. I can certainly relate to the opening lines, "Watch out for the stones / the walls are coming down." The last few years of my walk with Christ have been a continuing journey of seeing strongholds in my life torn down. My one quibble with this song is with the line, "Never again will my heart / Turn away from you," but that's at least partly due to my looking-back-though-43-years-of-my-own-backstory take on things. Certainly, I would hope that "never again" will I waste 20 years wandering in self-imposed exile through the barren wasteland of a life spent running away from God. However, in smaller ways, my own walk with Christ more closely resembles that old hymn verse that says "Prone to wander / Lord, I feel it / Prone to leave the God I love." So in that sense, I relate to the lyrics of "Never Again" as more of a goal, a sneak preview of coming attractions, as I grow in my walk with God.
"Home to You"--This second track comes closer to describing my personal journey:
I wake up and let the world in
To tear me right in two
And drag my spirits down
There's always something subtle
That leads me back to you
To take the time to see the one I love....
No matter how often I start to wander away from God, or for how long, He has a way of calling me back to Him. He even uses my idols to get my attention, and then returns my focus back to Himself. This used to scare me, when I thought of him as the Hound of Heaven. It's only in recent years that I've come to recognize this pursuit as the ardent love of a passionate Bridegroom, patiently coaxing his runaway bride back home time after time.
Skipping over track 3, since I've already discussed it....
"Through All The Earth"--This is a solid praise anthem that I'd love to hear sung by 1000 voices at my church, though for now I'll gladly settle for the exuberant joy of The Turning's version. "We come to you with praise / We long to bring / The glory to your name...." That pretty much describes this entire CD, come to think of it.
"Numb"--Oh, I could probably write a blog on this one track alone! This is my son's favorite song on this CD, and one of mine as well.
I sold my soul
I threw away my innocence
And it feels so wrong
All my senses died and I am numb
My son is teetering on the verge of puberty, and I love it when I can find music that we can both relate to and use as a springboard to discuss such weighty matters as the importance of purity (not just sexual purity, but innocence and integrity in all aspects of life), and how turning a deaf ear to the Spirit's still, small voice can lead to a hardening of conscience.
"Change"--This song speaks to my own constant struggle to live life under my own power, and the transformative, healing power of God's grace whenever I finally give up and allow Him to take over.
The things that are hollow
They don't fill me anymore
Take all that I have
Because it's already yours....
"Lift You Down"--We try to fill the empty, hungry spaces within ourselves with so much worthless crap....
...are you trying to feed that
Hunger deep inside you
You'll never fill that space
Time cannot erase
The emptiness that makes you numb.
No, time can't. I learned that the hard way. Nothing ever truly fills that God-shaped hole but God.
"Escape"--We can't run away from God, or from the consequences of our actions and inactions.
"I can't escape this place I've made / The world cannot afford / the things that I adore...."
A quiet, contemplative song. Makes me wish I knew how to play a guitar. Who really needs fingernails?
"Everything Matters"--Another favorite track of mine, which I can only describe as what you get when you cross Matthew 22:36-40 with that old saying "Don't sweat the small stuff!" (There aren't really any tracks that I don't like on this CD, just a few that especially stand out as favorites, that have stuck in my head to the point that I wake up with them already playing in my mind. This is one of those tracks.) I love the background vocal harmonies in this one!
How do you sleep with the light on
How do you love with your soul gone
Do you smile
When your world is in your hands
Can't you see that when
Everything matters
Then nothing's what it seems....
"For You"--This is a love ballad, and the source of the CD's title. Many couples take decades to learn the simple truths expressed in this song. There's little point in "winning" every marital skirmish, if the price one pays for victory is the loss of intimacy.
I raised my voice to fight a war
But lost the will to speak
I'm learning to lose....
"In My Mind"--I wondered about all the airplane and hangar imagery on the CD insert, until I heard this song.
Suddenly I've been unchained
And my soul is like an aeroplane
All the things that I have gained
Because you gave me
Love I can't explain....
Not that this is the only song on the CD with flight imagery, given that the overall theme (if you haven't caught on by now) is freedom. Which brings me to the final track....
"Heart is Free"--
When the bitterness you hide slips into
Your blood and controls your life
When you've fought and fought
And tried but everything's a ruse
Rest in truth
When the world is on your shoulders
Let Him in....
Oh, the blessed freedom and intimacy that is ours to claim, when we stop fighting God and finally learn to lose!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Debut Album, June 28, 2006
To start off, I am not usually one for Christian music (spare Tree63). I love Jesus with all my heart, but the music hasn't ever really caught my ear. I purchased this album at a Christian bookstore, since it was on sale. I took a listen to it, and knew it would be a perfect album for me. The music carried the classic rock sound I look for in a band. The lyrics on all of the songs were very deep, almost reminiscent of "Pink Floyd" at times, and the music style reminded me a bit of "The Who." This would definitely be a good Christian band for a Floyd or Who fan, or for anyone else who likes a classic rock sound to their Christian music. If there are faults to this album, I've not found them yet. This album is definitely worth listening to.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a breath so needed, December 16, 2006
I absolutely love this cd. I bought it on the premise of hearing Out of My Hands and what I got was a cd filled with heartfelt songs that truly transcend anything I've heard all year. The songs have a weight to them of honesty coupled with great guitar riffs that just takes you away. I love all twelve tracks and that says alot about this cd. Personal favourites include, "Escape,Through All The Earth, Heart is Free, Out Of My Hands".
If you're a christian or just a lover of great music that touches the mind and soul, this is a cd you cannot pass over. I'm sure glad I didn't.
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