I have an admission to make. Rick Cua's '
Times Ten' (1995) is one of my all time greats. I still play it often.
The legendary Cua was bassist with US rock band, The Outlaws. In the eighties he found God and from there on he followed his faith and a solo career.
'Won't Fade Away' is his 12
th studio album, his first in 11 years, and is much a comment on his own durability as it is an affirmation of his beliefs.
There is always a light burning somewhere.
That light is faith.
This is the message we get from
'Won't Fade Away'.
The overtly Christian lyrics will not be to everyone's taste. But they don't preach and they don't breathe fire and brimstone. Neither are they particularly insightful. They are celebration of belief, a paean to Christianity.
The tracks are vaguely reminiscent of Petra in places, especially their
'No Doubt' album, and perhaps of Geoff Moore's latter day material. In either case there can be no greater praise.
Tony Morra's spare, fluid, contemporary production shows a sure, confident hand on the studio tiller. Equally, Tony (Guardian) Palacios's mix shows a lightness of touch in creating a satisfying sonic clarity.
As well as the regulation guitar, bass and drums, we get flutes, pianos, violins and farfifa organ adding emphatic orchestral accompaniment or simply underlining an intimate moment.
Cua's voice has audibly coarsened over the years. This gives his vocals a seen-it-all, been-round-the-block-a-few times authority, making for a much more compelling listen.
The title track is unquestionably the album's standout. There's an impatience there. An urgency to tell us good news. It's beautifully arranged, with a Coldplay-esque piano leading us into and taking us through the introductory verses. Cranked up electric guitars and a sudden gearshift into a driving chorus, encouraged by celestial choirs and a pounding beat quickly turn this song into something very special.
Likewise, the hard edged country rock of
'Sweet Communion'. A cracking song with a chorus that blows in from nowhere and sweeps you away. Mix in a punchy drum sound and a pulsating bass and you have a track that runs
'Won't Fade Away' close for pole position.
Of the rest, a disappointing few veer into the middle of the road. But tracks like the immense, rhythmic '
King Of My World', the rocking, rousing
'I Love My Life', the gently undulating, but entirely focused
'I Do Love You' more than make up for that.
No question, it's great to have Cua back.
Written by
Brian Thursday, June 12, 2008
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