Andy 
Someone New
Registration Date: 06-27-2009
Posts: 12
Favorite 77s album: drowning with land in sight
Location: Melbourne Australia
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| Stick and Stones (Ultra Deluxe Remaster) Review |
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It is rare that you can vividly recall the first time you listened to an album some twenty three years on from the event, however this is the case for me with the 77s album ‘Stick and Stones’. The year was 1990 and I had recently discovered ‘Christian’ music. I hadn’t heard of the 77s but after a glowing review in CCM magazine I picked up the CD of Sticks and Stones. I went over to a mate’s place who was blessed with a very impressive stereo system to give it its first spin. The ‘false start’ of the first two bars of MT had my friend crank up the volume so when the first guitar riff kicked in it created a truly memorable audio experience that has stayed with me ever since.
Sticks and Stones was my first encounter with the 77s and while a number of albums from others artists from that era have long since been discarded from my CD collection this release marked the beginnings of my following of a band that is still going strong nearly twenty five years later. While MT hooked you in right from that very first listen there was so much else to discover on an album that just grew on you the more you listened to it. The variety of musical styles was held together by some consistently fantastic playing and a depth of lyrical exploration that moved well beyond the ‘Jesus is my boyfriend’ lyrics that had typified most of ‘Christian’ music for me up to that point. I had discovered ‘alternative’ Christian music, music that you could happily play to unchurched friends without getting embarrassed.
There is an energy and passion that lies at the heart of Sticks and Stones that has ensured, like any great album, that it doesn’t feel dated but still has a freshness about it every time you put it on. It really does take you on a wonderful seventy minute musical journey. Speaking of the length of the album 1990 was the early days of CDs and I recall putting a new album into the CD player and waiting to see how many minutes that it clocked up. If the count was below forty mins then I remember you felt a bit ripped off but I recall putting Sticks and Stones in and feeling that I had got great value for money and this feeling continues some twenty three years later with the albums reissuing.
77s fans are now blessed with having this classic album reissued and remastered with the added bonus, for those who purchase the Ultra Deluxe Remaster edition, of two discs chock full of demos and live recordings from that era. It all makes for a great package that is a must for fans. For me the highlights from the two bonus discs are the extended live versions of classic 77s tracks ‘Pearls Before Swine’, ‘Bottom Line’, ‘You Don’t Scare Me’ and ‘This is the Way Love Is’ where the band really jams out.
As a devoted 77s fan a sincere thank you to those who produced this wonderful reissue and especially for the bonus material! You have made this Aussie fan very happy indeed. Let’s hope this is the first of many such offerings so that the other landmark releases from the band can receive similar expanded treatment. I would love to see reissues of ‘Pray Naked’ and especially my favourite 77s album ‘Drowning With Land in Sight.’
2012 is turning into a great year for 77s fans with Echoes of Faith also being reissued with a bonus disc and a live double disc Cornerstone compilation. All I can say is please keep up the great work clearing out the vaults and letting all this great music see the light of day.
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