Aaron Shust- My Savior, My God; Avalon-The Glory; Toby Mac- No Ordinary Love, I Was Made to Love You; David Crowder Band-Wholly Yours, Come Awake; Eogan Heaslip-Lord Have Mercy; Planet Shakers-Open Up the Gates; Sarah Kelley-All I See; Joy Williams-Say Goodbye, Here With Us; Matt Redman-Breathing the Breath; Switchfoot-24, Dare You to Move, Third Day, and modern worship and stuff. And some original music would be awesome!

I think it’s fairly obvious that “Oh, Happy Day!” must make an appearance. Duh.

Awesome.

So, here’s my nomination:

[listen here]

It’s Mute Math doing a cover of “40″ by U2. On the chorus, picture those melodies being stretched out over 6 parts, all moving in tension and suspension to each other. I can almost taste it.

I figure the purpose of the small groups is either to lead people to a saving knowledge of Christ, or to lead them to a saving knowledge of U2. Either way is cool.

Six tight vocalists? How about “Suit Fugue” from “Shaming of the True” by the late Kevin Gilbert? More hooks than a tackle box. Oh wait, this is for churches.. never mind.

By the way, that Ernst and Young video gave me bad dreams. Shame on you.

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=5441146&s=143441&i=5441128

It’s an oldie, but it still thumps, and most importantly, I have custom rhythm and vocal charts… :)

Sexyback.

How about “Higher Love”? I’ve heard it covered badly by some random CCM radio artist, as is the ‘hip’ thing to do. But, if the singers are rippin’ a great Manhattan Transfer-style arrangement would be killer.

And this George Rowe guy did some cool stuff that it would take at least 6 singers to cover… check out “Say the Word” and “We Exalt You”.

Chad- any idea who did the guitar stuff on that live disc (which was tracked a few minutes away from my hometown of Spring, TX- and right across the street from the hospital where Nolie was born)? Is that Shawn Tubbs? It sounds like the guitars are mixed pretty hot, and if it’s Tubbs (or any name startng with “Seamus…”), then I’d like to get it and dive in.

Nope, Dave Cleveland played guitars on that record. I think he played guitars on every single record released that year, by anybody in CCM.

The drummer is a guy named Tony Morra. He and I played for Jody McBrayer a few years ago, and over dinner I launched into this monologue about how amazing I thought that Crystal Lewis recording was, and that “Poeple Get Ready” was one of my favorites of all time. I had no idea he had played that concert, and was on that record, and he was just sitting quietly and smiling the whole time.

Anything Bill & Gloria Gaither wrote-FOR SURE.

AHHHHHH!!! NOOOOOOO!!!!

I am always a fan of Taste and See, and that one we played sunday that I can’t remember right now. All those kinda funky ones. I think they would be good.

yeah, doesn’t that Houghton guy do a bunch of large-scale arrangements?

“O Taste the Lord”, by Marty McCall, is a song that makes baby Jesus smile. Do it with a mean loop and all will be right with the world.

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=95846558&s=143441&i=95845712

Some of the Hillsong United stuff could be cool for that, such as “Salvation is Here” but I do have to give my plug for Mute Math…

Please don’t kill me, but I’ve got a big “Ew” for that MuteMath cover. If your band covers 40 make SURE they listen to the U2 version, OK? For me? But if Ash isn’t pitching a fit then I guess I won’t either.

[I am going to pitch a 'bleah' though, because this is America.]

Cerise

Oh, my bad, I was thinking music that your normal kid in an APU small group could actually sing. And songs that your normal mid-western (key: not from LA) church congregation might relate to…
:)

Rach, I thought your list was impressive.

Keith Green’s There is a Redeemer. I have no idea how you’d do that for six parts. Don’t you music people just have a “6 parts” button on yer computers or something?

Yikes, I’m not cool enough to suggest anything in front of this crowd. But if you want a step away from the norm and need a Take 6 transcription, gimme a call.

[quote comment="75422"]Don’t you music people just have a “6 parts” button on yer computers or something?[/quote]

Almost. We have a “6 parts” button on our cell phone, and it calls Jud Shelton.

[quote comment="75287"]Please don’t kill me, but I’ve got a big “Ew” for that Mute Math cover. If your band covers 40 make SURE they listen to the U2 version, OK? For me?
[/quote]

I know this probably rock and roll heresy, and I will certainly loose any emergent points I had previously accrued, but I actually like the cover version better. The U2 version has always seemed a bit … meandering. To me, at least.

Flame on.

No, no. I dissed MuteMath - it’s only fair that you get to shake a finger at some early U2. This is America, like I said.

I mean, you’re clearly wrong even in expressing this as a personal opinion, but you’re certainly free to do so.

Cerise

Cerise, I love you, even when you’re wrong. It’s what Jesus would do.

Then, he would laugh at you behind your back when he goes out drinking with the boys.

What Would Jesus Drink.

that felt dirty.

That really doesn’t sound remotely like MuteMath. Are we sure on our intel?

It’s Michael, Chad. Of COURSE we’re sure. And Michael, I can say to you in love that I’m certain that Jesus would prefer U2 to MuteMath in all things. Even if they STILL haven’t found what they’re looking for.

Cerise

P.S. Corey, you rotter. You naughty, naughty boy.

I dunno Cerise… have you heard Typical?

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=191851028&s=143441&i=191851222

That’s a hot guitar riff…

Any band that sues a CCM label and that has a drummer whose pre-concert ritual includes duct taping his headphones to his head is ok by me.

[quote comment="75573"]That really doesn’t sound remotely like MuteMath. Are we sure on our intel?[/quote]

It’s not Mute Math, but it’s Paul Meany leading worship at his home church. The drumming sounds very, VERY familiar though. Maybe Dave Hutchison or Darren King (not THAT Darren King, the drummer).

Oh, THIS keeps getting better and BETTER. Not only is a member of Mute Math covering U2 - badly - (almost on a par with Third Day’s slaughter of “Still Haven’t Found”; I heard it live) but he’s doing it for a WORSHIP SESSION.

[head explodes]

Is this true or is Pernicious Michael trying to goad me into suicide?

(Again, friends, I really am sorry for the dissing but this goes beyond the pale.)

We aren’t forgetting that the U2 song was originally pulled from the Psalms, right? It was a worship song first, then a rock tune, now a worship song again.

No, WE’RE not.

OK, we did. [hangs head] You got me. Even I (nay - even Ash) can’t claim that U2’s oeuvre predates King David.

[dammit...]

How come Michael gets the cool black background while the rest of just schlep through with the boring old white screen? I’m just saying…

He who writes the code makes the rules.

Ok, get your tomatoes and what not ready to throw at me: I pretty much stopped being a U2 fan when I was 21ish and went to an Atchung Baby tour concert. When Bono helped a very young female fan onto the stage and then groped her while he sang (and everyone cheered wildly) and ended a song by burying his face in her stomach I was……well, I was not impressed.

Some images just stay with you. Haven’t been a fan since.

June, I have to agree that there’s definitely something fishy about his “bringing girl on stage and _______, to the sounds of music and screaming fans” routine. He’s almost being worshipped.

That’s not to say that the music is bad… if you put your tomatoes away, get them back out, because I don’t really know much U2 music, but I’ve seen a DVD where he does his “lucky audience member” thing, and it really amazed me just how hypnotic and cultish the whole thing was. But what do I know?