Stryper -THE COVERING

We had a good discussion in another thread about bands or band members who had albums before their Christian years or music put out by previously Christian artists who are on the secular labels now......

but here's an altogether more interesting topic...

An openly Christian band doing an album of questionable secular covers... even using a "Christian" term (tongue in cheek) "The Covering" for the name.

What's your take on this:

Like Glenn Kaiser said years ago in HM, "As long as even pagans (writers and musicians, in the article) aren't contradicting the Word, their works aren't necessarily bad." That's my take on covering secular songs that aren't anti-God.

I agree DemoMan, however, I'm wondering if they changed some of the lyrics on some songs or if they're true to the originals... if so, it'd be interesting to read some of those lyrics.

ie. a song that glorifies "Breaking the Law".....

I will stand by my original thought that this is just an album to fulfill thier contract with Big3. Nothing more Nothing Less. They figured it would be easier to just do an album of covers to fulfill it. As far as the songs, the band isn't going to do any songs that are anti-God or that diminish thier faith so in that regard I don't have a problem with it. I will probably still get it because I am Stryper fan but HONESTLY I am more interested in hearing GOD then any of the other songs. As long as they stay SOLDIERS UNDER COMMAND then more power to them

I think of it more as a "heart issue". Where is the band's heart in covering a secular song?
I'm looking forward to the album, but did also wonder why they chose some of those songs with a potentialy "questionable" lyrics.
Also I don't get my theology from rock music (or really any music for that matter). When I listen to music I expect to be entertained, and I want my music to be free from lyrics that might grieve my Lord.

BTW, if I'm not mistaken haven't most "popular" Christian rock artist done secular covers?

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but HONESTLY I am more interested in hearing GOD then any of the other songs. As long as they stay SOLDIERS UNDER COMMAND then more power to them

I like the slick way you slipped their song names in there... however, "More Power To them" was Petra. Who knows, maybe they'll cover that song someday.

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BTW, if I'm not mistaken haven't most "popular" Christian rock artist done secular covers?

Most definitely, and a few have changed lyrics a little bit. Couple of examples would be 77s Nobody's Fault but mine - love their change in lyrics. Same with Electric Avenue redone by Tait - Out of respect to God, he left out the exclamation "Good God !, we gonna rock on down...." *

But here again, I'm very curious to hear if the boys put a different spin on some of these monumental songs.... cuz some have a bit to question.




* then there's my fav of all time, ApologetiX. You either hate 'em or love 'em, but they've re-written some very racy raunchy songs and made them clean and God-glorifying.

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* then there's my fav of all time, ApologetiX. You either hate 'em or love 'em, but they've re-written some very racy raunchy songs and made them clean and God-glorifying.

Yes, and some of them end up quite cheesy as well. Some are really funny, and they are supposed to be. Some of them are just complete lyrical rewrites that fall well short of humorous and end up just bad copycat versions of the originals. I say all this as a fan--not someone who hates them. That's just my opinion of some of their stuff. I would like to see Angelic Warlord review some of their stuff.



As for the Stryper disc, I would not care if it were a cover of bands like Guardian, Whitecross, Bride, etc or what they are doing. I am just not excited over an album full of cover tunes when this band has the talent to do so much more. I'll get this, but it will not be as high of a priority for me as say...the new Third Day disc.

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I would like to see Angelic Warlord review some of their stuff.

I would not.
A.W. is an excellent source for reviews, but ApologetiX aren't for everyone. Their brand of "parody" is unique (when u think parody, u think funny -however, there are more lyrics meant to teach God's Word than to make people laugh). My experience over the years (as I said) is, you either hate them or you love them. I've introduced them to many people - some go nuts and buy all their albums.... then there's some who don't get it at all.
My personal opinion is, J's lyrical re-writing has some incredible inspiration almost as if they should have been the original lyrics (with few exceptions). And the band has done an incredible job mimicking the sounds of the originals.

They obviously appeal to me, but they're not for everyone.