Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unquestionably Strong Writing, July 11, 2003
A friend of mine leant me this album when I first got back into contemporary Christian music. I have to be honest, when I borrowed it... I didn't like it.
Now it is a staple in my CD library. I listen to it all the time! It is loaded with deep, introspective and thought provoking songs.
I think my problem with the album initially was the first two tracks. They are not really representative of what PFR is all about. Don't get me wrong I like the songs now... but these guys have so many other songs, written in a different style that are so great!
One of my favorites is the song, "Fight". I love this song! It is very inspiring to a prayer warrior. It teaches us to take prayer seriously and to be persistent with prayer. It is beatlesque, and one of vocalist Joel Hanson's personal favorites.
"Line of Love" also is an awesome tune. It has bouncy guitars and tight harmonies (a trademark of PFR).
As much as I love the questioning that Jars of Clay does in their music I equally love the optimism that abounds in the music of PFR!
These 3 gentlemen produced some of the best Christian music around in the early to mid nineties. I believe that PFR is one of the most underrated Christian groups around.
They came out with an equally wonderful album, "Disappear" a couple of years ago. But now are not recording together. I miss them already! :-(
If you don't have the album, "Them" yet... and you love CCM... get it! You won't be disappointed!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Get Them!, July 11, 2003
PfR's last album before their breakup in 1996, Them, is certainly a great `finale' to the great band (even though they had a greatest hits album in 1997, The Late Great PfR, and then a brand new album in 2001, Disappear).
The album's first song is "Pour Me Out", a great rocker to start off the album. Through the heavy rhythm guitar, Joel Hanson passionately expresses his wish to be poured out entirely and to lose himself in finding God. Then we're hit with more aggressive rock with "Daddy Never Cried". This song harshly confronts those who blame others for their sin, using excuses like "Daddy never cried"-Patrick Andrew comes back with the response "What a weak reply/ You live inside a blanket of blame." And then comes the next song, "Anything", a slower rock song, telling God that "It doesn't mean anything without You/ Just a nice melody without you." I think a lot of people need to wake up and realize that music was made to glorify God, and that music is a vain attempt to glorify ourselves unless we use it to praise Jesus.
Next is "Fight", which is supposedly Joel Hanson's favorite PfR song. A soft, acoustic ballad, "Fight" is a song about broken souls finding Jesus, calling on Him. After "Fight" is "Line of Love", a peppy tune with a message of God's love and forgiveness for us. The song demonstrates that Jesus is the "Line of Love" that connects us to God.
"Ordinary Day" is next, with Patrick Andrew once more addressing the non-believers. With lyrics like "Creation's Author waits for you who/ Happened to need Him more than He needs you", and "It was an ordinary day/ When He died once for all/ And He'll still be the same", this song carries the message of Jesus' saving power very well. The next song, "Tried To Tell Her", is another Patrick Andrew song about a girl who just won't give up her life-she keeps trying to get her own way. Patrick tells her that "It's not what you do/ It's what you've done/ With what you did".
Next is a song by Joel Hanson called "Face To Face", a rock-oriented ballad. A beautiful song about how Jesus tries to bring us out of the darkness and shadows into His light and love. With poignant lyrics like "Hope to all who are hopeless/ Who've never known kindness/ He has not forgotten your name/ You are loved by the One who/ with His own hands has made you/ And loves you forever the same" and a superb violin solo where a guitar solo normally would be, "Face To Face" is definitely one of the best songs on this album.
The title track, "Them", another Patrick Andrew song, is a bit darker than the rest of the album, exploring how the world leads people to sin and ruin, leaving them "bleeding, needing help from Christ the Key". After that comes "Kingdom Smile", a song about Christ coming into His Kingdom after winning the battle against evil (and people all across the Kingdom smile). The next song, "Say", is a good old rock song with a slight country twist to it; however, "Say" doesn't seem to have as much musical or lyrical depth as the other songs, and has no obvious spiritual connections at all. The last song on the album, "Garden", is a slow, moving song, talking about faith and hearing Jesus calling to each of us to move closer to Him. The last line of line of the song, "Standing over my garden, I look down" is unusually emotional and touching. An absolutely great finish to a great album.
All in all, Them is a wonderful masterpiece from PfR-musical and lyrical depth mix with PfR's great singing and playing talents, making one of the greatest albums I've ever heard.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Stuff!, December 15, 2002
Just got this CD a couple of days ago and I have not stopped playing it since. This CD blew me away, especially the song "Them". I play it every single day and I'm not tired of it. The lyrics are really inspiring and the musical arrangement are second to none. This is a must-have CD for anyone interested in Chrisitan rock. Buy it.
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