quote: I agree "Farther Along" was a bad song. It made me feel down-trodden.
Wayfer Not -- you must not be a "picker" then. :)-->
Melodies transcend the words that accompany. I see the melody first, and words second. Were you to look at "Farther Along" as an instrumental, and ignore the words, you might find it pleasing.
"Farther Along" is a hit at fiddle contests where it is required to play a hymn along with the breakdowns, walzes, schottiches, and tunes of choice. With Farther Along, you can move along the fingerboard from 1st to 3rd position very easily.
(For those of you who have no idea what I am speaking of, that is low to high on the neck of the fiddle).
Aw, Ted don't be too hard on George, he's comparing a 19 year old kid playing piano and learning to write songs with Art Tatum. George is in to jazz. Jazz heads have no mercy because they know that when Charlie Parker puked up his last belly of stomach-acid-soaked heroin, there was more soul and talent in the corn chunks than any 20 players you care to name because they all came out in the key of B flat diminished and spelled out "Chet Baker" on the sidewalk. :D-->
This isn't the right thread to have a full scale discussion on the subject so I will merely observe that your statement is a non sequitur as many homosexuals are not idolators (which you imply should be automatic) who try to love and serve God as much as the anyone else and try to serve him and their fellow men. The Roman culture if the first century which Paul observed is different to that of the 21st century. Who today worships Jupiter or Mercury or Diana?
Great to hear from Ted Farrel too! Would love CDs of the Joyful Noise songs also! :D-->
Mea culpa, and my apologies. There really WAS someone involved who knew something about those awful mining days in West Virginia. You, through your family. I think their story stands as a testimony to their confidence and faith. That said, you'll pardon me when I say I still didn't care for the song!
These comments are our opinions. I knew that eventually someone would say something derogatory about some of the songs I did like -- "Farther Along" and "I Love the Lord" immediately come to mind. Heck, I'm sure that for many of us the situations where we heard those songs has as much to do with our feelings for the songs as the quality of the songs themselves does.
A theme that has come up a lot on this thread is the idea of TWI ordering up song topics, or editing songs after the fact. I saw this first-hand with C**** B's children's alphabet song, where I thought some of the changes made by VPW were strictly arbitrary, and some for the worse. As a choreographer, I know it can be hard when someone messes with your heart-felt work, even if he is your employer! I think it speaks volumes for your heart and humility. It speaks little for the other guy's understanding of where art comes from.
The songs were a powerful hook for the teachings of TWI, so it is no wonder that our feelings for the songs are somewhat strong.
Regards,
Shaz
"A" is for Apple, the life's in the seed,
Changed by VPW to,"'A' is for Adam, God's first man to be,"
"B" is for Bible, the best book to read,
"C" is for Christ in you, always to stay,
"D" is Delight in the Lord every day."
Changed by VPW to, "'D' is for Doing God's Will every day."
Hey, Ted, good to see ya. Hope you're enjoying your new digs.
Don't mind George. He prides himself on being the resident curmudgeon. As such, it wouldn't be fitting for him to spare anyone's feelings while pointing out that there was never anything good about twi or anything anyone associated with it ever did. ;)-->
Imbus, thanks for reminding me of that bus stop song. I was trying and trying to think of it. I liked the lyrics and the tune, and I liked most everything else Claudettee sang, but it seemed to me that song wasn't very well suited for her voice, for some reason.
I think many of the "19 year olds" Socks refers to were incredibly talented and turned out some excellent music, especially considering their youth and the constraints they sometimes were under. I didn't/don't like every Way Prod song I ever heard, but I loved many of them and still do, both the music and the lyrics.
I wasn't crazy about the Victors' style of music, for example, but I thought they did it well. Just not my cup of tea. I'm sure others didn't like Takit, but I did. I'm glad I left before "Wash My Feet in the Blood of the Wicked" came along. I can't imagine anyone liking that!!
The "best" or "worst" song is a very subjective thing. I happen to love Bob Dylan, even though some people think he sings like a steer being poked with a cattle prod. And there are other musicians whose work is highly successful that I don't like at all. That's the beauty of music. There are so many types and styles, there's something for everyone.
Ted so nice to see you on this thread !Around 1982 I think you and that English guy were doing some PFAL promo entetertainment with a boom box in Rochester, MN You 2 were quite act I was told! You both ended up spending the night at our home. My wife and I loved the fact that you both went out and hit some local tavern that you told me you had performed at pre TWI gigs. You both slept in late and awoke when I did from the night shift for breakfast noon ! See at the time Ted I was working a 8pm to 4am job that paid well and getting all kinds of flack over it ! You were a bright spot on that visit and I never made the PFAL public X the night before but my wife told me about the whole act ! :D--> You also shared with me about all your gigs years ago in the SE Minnesota area. To close Ted your songs always touched me and one song I love to play is "Me and CHRIST JESUS" Got our own thing goin yeah yeah yeah ! "Attic Of Your Mind" was and still is a song I find myself singing too !Actually the song describes my mental state while in TWI ! My attic got more arranged when I left TWI ! I thought you were one strange act when I first saw you in Rye, NY back in 74 but amazing how I got to love your act and the passion with which you would perform! Take care and no more boom boxes for a back up band these days ? :D--> :)-->
quote:It wasn't about anyone getting saved, Wayfer Not-who told you that?
It was about being always right, and having the arrogance to take potshots at
everyone who disagreed with twi.
WW, maybe we are misunderstanding each other. I don't understand where you thought I am talking about being saved. I was just agreeing with Exousia on the fact that songs which tease people about belief systems or life-styles is not a way to make friends or glorify God. I am in to treating people kindly whether I agree with them or not. That's all.
Sorry if I misundertood your comment. I am just confuserated right now on what you wrote to me.
Yes, we have profoundly different tastes in music - no surprise there.
I think what irritated me the most about WayWorld music was that it was so content-loaded, almost more propoganda than music. It seemed to me that whoever was writing or performing the songs was so hemmed-in by doctrinal constraints
that there was little (if any) room for them to really do something. They simply ended up, consciously or otherwise, following the dictates of Herr Doktor, and obeying the overriding tenet SELL "THE CLASS".
There's probably a lot of the music produced by
in TWI that a majority of folks would consider "good". It's just that the association with THE MINISTRY has forever tainted it in my mind. I was always conflicted about my involvement with TWI, and now that I've finally managed to break free from it's mental entanglements, it's rather difficult to look back at any of it's culture without a strong sense of loathing.
Great story about the gal contemplating suicide. I can't say as I've ever produced anything in my life that I could point to and say "this REALLY helped somebody". I once was brought almost to tears, though, listening to Art Tatum playing "Over the Rainbow". That's about as "spiritual" as I get anymore.
Socks, great mind picture, that (I still don't quite understand Charlie Parker though, but Chet Baker is a favorite).
I am sorry if your feelings have been hurt by this thread....twi music brings up tons of emotions both sad and happy. I am glad to see you responded so honestly and with such an even outlook.
I remember the 70s way prod fondly--it was old fashioned, funky and slightly nerdy, for the most part, the 80's way prod with sceptism (CAN YOU SAY ATHLETES OF THE SPIRIT???) and the 90s way prod with distain....(Wash my feet in the blood of the Wicked was TYPICAL NOT singulary!)
Over all.....my all time favorite, was "The Price He Paid for Me." Beautiful lyrics, beautiful music and beautifully sung by Dean Ellenwood.
My skin crawls at "Wash my feet in the Blood of the Wicked." Not only because of the creepy words, but mostly because of the entire mind set of twi, the song writer, the performers and Way Productions at the time.
The songs were a reflection of the leadership of twi and Way Prod at the time. There was NO DELIVERANCE, NO MINISTERING, NO BLESSING.
For people like Ted and Hope and Socks, they were TRYING to reflect the love of God in their hearts, to bless the people that heard their words and songs. By the 90s every thing from Way Prod was an extension of their attempt to subliminally put forth their propaganda.
Can one of you techno-weenies bring up the WAY PRODUCTIONS THREAD?
Radar
George Aar----that was awesome George. You are an honest man that can speak his heart and conscience. xxoo ROR
quote: Wayfer Not -- you must not be a "picker" then.
No, I am not a picker. I think my dislike for "Farther Along" stemmed from the deadness in twi while singing that song.
Since leaving, the church I attend has sang a few hymns which I recognized from my twi days. The songs have a much different feel when sing them now.
Singing in twi was just part of the ritual, and twi taught that singing to bring in the holy spirit was wrong. I have a different take on it now. Singing in church now gets me in the mood....not meant to be a sexual term, OK? It now is just a means for me to ask God to come near. I know He's always there for me, but it means more to me when I invite Him. I guess I'm saying it means more to me when I exercise my freedom of will to ask Him to come in to my life.
quote: No, I am not a picker. I think my dislike for "Farther Along" stemmed from the deadness in twi while singing that song.
Since leaving, the church I attend has sang a few hymns which I recognized from my twi days. The songs have a much different feel when sing them now.
Wayfer Not! -- That says it all! :)--> :)-->
Sorry if I offended you, as that was not my intention. Reading your post, I don't think I did, because you're offering excellent "arguements" for disliking the song. I was/am looking at it from a melodic viewpoint vs. the words and the heart of those doing the singing.
I agree -- singing in twi was more "ritual" than anything else. We were at the meeting, 'cuz we had to. We sang, 'cuz we had to. Everything done was 'cuz we had to. Little room for us to actually do the "inviting of God to come near" (as you said), since all was planned.
Unless it was done while one speaker was exiting the podium, and another was making their way to it! :P-->
George, music preferences are personal preferences. It doesn't bother me that someone doesn't or didn't like music from my particular era (or any for that matter).
There were people that I worked with prior to Joyful Noise who heard our first albums and scratched their heads. "What's that all about?" They just didn't get it....what's with all this cabaret stuff, the tinky tink tunes? Where's the bass on these songs? What's the drummer doing for gawds sake? What're you plugged in to, a transistor radio?
We were really trying to put together a range of very disparate backgrounds, skill levels and interests. Most people assume that VPW was sitting there everyday waving the wand over the whole thing and saying "Now write me a song about PFAL, session 5, and make it a real goo-ud one keeds". That isn't what happened. We had to find the songs or write them, learn and arrange them and make them work with what we had.
One of the things our good brother Ted is exceptionally gifted at is writing lyrics in standard modern song form, with catchy little hook lines that tag the song. That's illustrated 30 years later, people still remember them, like "Attic of Your Mind" or "Ready to Go". They very neatly captured the language we were using and the main ideas that were percolating at that time, and they flowed out of Ted like water. Not everyone can do that. The music didn't always do them justice, but it was what we could do at the time. And one of the problems you run into with a song that gets established is going back to it later and doing more with it, you can't really move too far out of the range of it's original arrangement. So I think what we did with a lot of them over the years improved, but slowly, as songs went and came back in our repertoire. But I'd be the first one to recognize that what I contributed to some of them was basic and could have been done much better.
But as far as liking anything, that's a personal preference. No one has to like something, and most of us all don't like a lot of things simply because we don't. I love Kenny Burrell and saw him last year and he had people stomping the floor after a quite solo rendition of "Greensleeves", arranged like a f-king orchestra with a bridge section that sounded like something they listen to on Mars. We were seated 10 feet from him and the table next to us had a guy in freaking tears. I swear, he's an old guy now but there was a woman a few tables back from us practically ready to throw her bra on the stage. I also like Barry Manilow and can't get past "Week in New England" as one of the most underrated ballads of pop music. How many people can sing "When will this strong yearning end?" and make it sound right? So I'm conflicted. I'm just a troubled soul I guess. :)--> No wonder some of that old stuff sounded strange? :D-->
Charlie Parker - I guess while I recognize his genius I have a hard time thinking about the other side of his life and the fact that so many people revere him as if he could do no wrong. Like others who died young, we never saw what he would have done over the long haul. Chet Baker - I do like his music, his tone, his stuff. It was better when he had teeth.
So many of these guys made great music while their personal lives were horrors, families strewn everywhere, abuse of all kinds. Yet they were heroes when they hit the bandstand. Separating their personal lives and values from their music is an exercise in intellectual restraint for me in some cases.
I remember our bc telling us hfcs to tell some of the people in our fellowship to lip synch or sing very quietly because they were always off key.
We never did. They were making a joyful noise and we were happy to have people in our fellowship who sang with heart and volume. Screw the bc. Who the he## does he think he is?
Guess I really AM the nerd around here...lol cause I LOVED almost all way prod stuff....I always got so much more out of the music ...inspired ...(course this was in the 80s) it seems than I ever got out of the loooooong dry teachings.
It seemed like any of the music the believers played were spoke volumes to me.......espescially loved Bob Stanly ...Sammy Preyn....theopholous (still treasure my worn copy to play on special occasions) lisa lockridge...Stevie Kay...pressed down....I have some corpes tape productions that I love ...I liked branded...I think the only stone cold turn off personally was *high country caravan* .... not that I didn`t like country...it was just that it was obviously some folks trying to put on a country show that weren`t country....it wasn`t their faults...I know
Still have most of my way prod albums....(all of my tapes have been played till they wore out)....sigh it`s THE only thing I am willing to keep from twi........
Ted...loved your music...when you and David came through fargo .... you were such a gentleman...one of the really *good* guys, as I remember....really kind....when we took a tour of the area...It was such a suprise that you were so down to earth and friendly for a visiting *dignitary* ...lol made a huge impression on a youngster to whom had been given the charge of *hostess* one who was starkly terrified of making a mistake and bringing shame to the whole branch for eternity ... Thanks:-)
Don`t let it get any of you down if your music made someones *worst* song ...cause for some of the rest of us ...they were our favorites ... and spoke volumes .... part of what was *good* about twi.
Shoot I signed up for pfal at a *take a stand caravan* but I wont hold THAT against any of you musicians;-)...lol
Right off the bat I will say I am not offended by any of you who don't care for some of the tunes that I or others did years ago. Most of which is personal preference and understandably so.
However there is more to this story than meets the eye.
When Joyful Noise recorded 1, 2 and 3 we did so with a two-track tape deck and a mixing board. There was no "we can fix it in the mix" routine. We laid down the music tracks with vocals at the same time. It was a hard sell even to get this done because The Way had been burnt by Way Prods first two studio albums in the excess of over ten thousand dollars each and that investment was never recovered by sales from those two albums. It was not until America Awakes that we ventured back into a professional studio, and God love him Ken Mc got that one going. Later on The Cultural Center came to be and little by little a decent studio was put together.
When I reflect on those times I think "well that was yesterday" and "although I do have a lot of wonderful memories I must keep moving on". More recently two of my dear friends and I put together a monthly CD called Word and Music that contains two or three songs and a short sharing (not teaching) from the bible. We do this in my home studio and mail out free of charge copies to family, friends and perhaps enemies ha ha.
Something that happened a few months ago you might get a kick out of. During the month of February we recorded our monthly CD with a theme of God and Country and the lady who sings and writes with me did a recitation she wrote called Tommy's Coming Home about a Mom who has a son in the military and it was very touching. We added some nice strings to it and away it went. A few days later and in light of all that is gong on in the world I got to thinking let's send a copy of her song and White House Across The Street (one I did back in 1976) to President Bush. Well lo and behold a few weeks later he responded thanking us for sending and his reply was on an official document from The White House personally signed by George W. Bush. It was sent to us unfolded made for framing and now hangs in my studio.
In closing let me say I have never thought I was or am a great songwriter, singer or musician but to the best of my ability give it my best shot and am thankful to God that mine and others humble contributions has touched the hearts and lives of others.
Thanks to all of you that posted your kind and endearing words.
Ted, you have been a beloved brother in Christ for so many of us since we first saw and heard you no matter what ROA or fellowship we saw/heard you. You never professed to be anything but a man who loves God. You never flaunted yourself, and have always been an inspiration to me (I cannot speak for anyone else but I am SURE it is true for countless others). I thank God I had the pleasure of seeing you so many times at TWI events, and I thank God that by the miracle of technology that I can voice my love as a brother in Christ to you.
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WordWolf
It wasn't about anyone getting saved, Wayfer Not-who told you that?
It was about being always right, and having the arrogance to take potshots at
everyone who disagreed with twi.
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dmiller
Wayfer Not -- you must not be a "picker" then.
:)-->
Melodies transcend the words that accompany. I see the melody first, and words second. Were you to look at "Farther Along" as an instrumental, and ignore the words, you might find it pleasing.
"Farther Along" is a hit at fiddle contests where it is required to play a hymn along with the breakdowns, walzes, schottiches, and tunes of choice. With Farther Along, you can move along the fingerboard from 1st to 3rd position very easily.
(For those of you who have no idea what I am speaking of, that is low to high on the neck of the fiddle).
If you want to trash the words, so be it.
The tune is a classic.
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socks
Aw, Ted don't be too hard on George, he's comparing a 19 year old kid playing piano and learning to write songs with Art Tatum. George is in to jazz. Jazz heads have no mercy because they know that when Charlie Parker puked up his last belly of stomach-acid-soaked heroin, there was more soul and talent in the corn chunks than any 20 players you care to name because they all came out in the key of B flat diminished and spelled out "Chet Baker" on the sidewalk.
:D-->
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Trefor Heywood
I have read Romans 1 also George.
This isn't the right thread to have a full scale discussion on the subject so I will merely observe that your statement is a non sequitur as many homosexuals are not idolators (which you imply should be automatic) who try to love and serve God as much as the anyone else and try to serve him and their fellow men. The Roman culture if the first century which Paul observed is different to that of the 21st century. Who today worships Jupiter or Mercury or Diana?
Great to hear from Ted Farrel too! Would love CDs of the Joyful Noise songs also!
:D-->
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shazdancer
Dear socks,
Ewww, and ROFL!
Dear Ted,
Mea culpa, and my apologies. There really WAS someone involved who knew something about those awful mining days in West Virginia. You, through your family. I think their story stands as a testimony to their confidence and faith. That said, you'll pardon me when I say I still didn't care for the song!
These comments are our opinions. I knew that eventually someone would say something derogatory about some of the songs I did like -- "Farther Along" and "I Love the Lord" immediately come to mind. Heck, I'm sure that for many of us the situations where we heard those songs has as much to do with our feelings for the songs as the quality of the songs themselves does.
A theme that has come up a lot on this thread is the idea of TWI ordering up song topics, or editing songs after the fact. I saw this first-hand with C**** B's children's alphabet song, where I thought some of the changes made by VPW were strictly arbitrary, and some for the worse. As a choreographer, I know it can be hard when someone messes with your heart-felt work, even if he is your employer! I think it speaks volumes for your heart and humility. It speaks little for the other guy's understanding of where art comes from.
The songs were a powerful hook for the teachings of TWI, so it is no wonder that our feelings for the songs are somewhat strong.
Regards,
Shaz
"A" is for Apple, the life's in the seed,
Changed by VPW to,"'A' is for Adam, God's first man to be,"
"B" is for Bible, the best book to read,
"C" is for Christ in you, always to stay,
"D" is Delight in the Lord every day."
Changed by VPW to, "'D' is for Doing God's Will every day."
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Linda Z
Hey, Ted, good to see ya. Hope you're enjoying your new digs.
Don't mind George. He prides himself on being the resident curmudgeon. As such, it wouldn't be fitting for him to spare anyone's feelings while pointing out that there was never anything good about twi or anything anyone associated with it ever did.
;)-->
Imbus, thanks for reminding me of that bus stop song. I was trying and trying to think of it. I liked the lyrics and the tune, and I liked most everything else Claudettee sang, but it seemed to me that song wasn't very well suited for her voice, for some reason.
I think many of the "19 year olds" Socks refers to were incredibly talented and turned out some excellent music, especially considering their youth and the constraints they sometimes were under. I didn't/don't like every Way Prod song I ever heard, but I loved many of them and still do, both the music and the lyrics.
I wasn't crazy about the Victors' style of music, for example, but I thought they did it well. Just not my cup of tea. I'm sure others didn't like Takit, but I did. I'm glad I left before "Wash My Feet in the Blood of the Wicked" came along. I can't imagine anyone liking that!!
The "best" or "worst" song is a very subjective thing. I happen to love Bob Dylan, even though some people think he sings like a steer being poked with a cattle prod. And there are other musicians whose work is highly successful that I don't like at all. That's the beauty of music. There are so many types and styles, there's something for everyone.
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fortunateone
The songs introduced without real heart
were the worst.
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dougie73
Ted so nice to see you on this thread !Around 1982 I think you and that English guy were doing some PFAL promo entetertainment with a boom box in Rochester, MN You 2 were quite act I was told! You both ended up spending the night at our home. My wife and I loved the fact that you both went out and hit some local tavern that you told me you had performed at pre TWI gigs. You both slept in late and awoke when I did from the night shift for breakfast noon ! See at the time Ted I was working a 8pm to 4am job that paid well and getting all kinds of flack over it ! You were a bright spot on that visit and I never made the PFAL public X the night before but my wife told me about the whole act !
:D--> You also shared with me about all your gigs years ago in the SE Minnesota area. To close Ted your songs always touched me and one song I love to play is "Me and CHRIST JESUS" Got our own thing goin yeah yeah yeah ! "Attic Of Your Mind" was and still is a song I find myself singing too !Actually the song describes my mental state while in TWI ! My attic got more arranged when I left TWI ! I thought you were one strange act when I first saw you in Rye, NY back in 74 but amazing how I got to love your act and the passion with which you would perform! Take care and no more boom boxes for a back up band these days ? 
:D--> 
:)--> 
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Nottawayfer
Quoted by WordWolf:
WW, maybe we are misunderstanding each other. I don't understand where you thought I am talking about being saved. I was just agreeing with Exousia on the fact that songs which tease people about belief systems or life-styles is not a way to make friends or glorify God. I am in to treating people kindly whether I agree with them or not. That's all.
Sorry if I misundertood your comment. I am just confuserated right now on what you wrote to me.
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George Aar
Oh Ted,
it appears I owe you an apology AGAIN.
Yes, we have profoundly different tastes in music - no surprise there.
I think what irritated me the most about WayWorld music was that it was so content-loaded, almost more propoganda than music. It seemed to me that whoever was writing or performing the songs was so hemmed-in by doctrinal constraints
that there was little (if any) room for them to really do something. They simply ended up, consciously or otherwise, following the dictates of Herr Doktor, and obeying the overriding tenet SELL "THE CLASS".
There's probably a lot of the music produced by
in TWI that a majority of folks would consider "good". It's just that the association with THE MINISTRY has forever tainted it in my mind. I was always conflicted about my involvement with TWI, and now that I've finally managed to break free from it's mental entanglements, it's rather difficult to look back at any of it's culture without a strong sense of loathing.
Great story about the gal contemplating suicide. I can't say as I've ever produced anything in my life that I could point to and say "this REALLY helped somebody". I once was brought almost to tears, though, listening to Art Tatum playing "Over the Rainbow". That's about as "spiritual" as I get anymore.
Socks, great mind picture, that (I still don't quite understand Charlie Parker though, but Chet Baker is a favorite).
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WhiteDove
Quote: I happen to love Bob Dylan, even though some people think he sings like a steer being poked with a cattle prod.
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Radar OReilly
HI Ted!!
I am sorry if your feelings have been hurt by this thread....twi music brings up tons of emotions both sad and happy. I am glad to see you responded so honestly and with such an even outlook.
I remember the 70s way prod fondly--it was old fashioned, funky and slightly nerdy, for the most part, the 80's way prod with sceptism (CAN YOU SAY ATHLETES OF THE SPIRIT???) and the 90s way prod with distain....(Wash my feet in the blood of the Wicked was TYPICAL NOT singulary!)
Over all.....my all time favorite, was "The Price He Paid for Me." Beautiful lyrics, beautiful music and beautifully sung by Dean Ellenwood.
My skin crawls at "Wash my feet in the Blood of the Wicked." Not only because of the creepy words, but mostly because of the entire mind set of twi, the song writer, the performers and Way Productions at the time.
The songs were a reflection of the leadership of twi and Way Prod at the time. There was NO DELIVERANCE, NO MINISTERING, NO BLESSING.
For people like Ted and Hope and Socks, they were TRYING to reflect the love of God in their hearts, to bless the people that heard their words and songs. By the 90s every thing from Way Prod was an extension of their attempt to subliminally put forth their propaganda.
Can one of you techno-weenies bring up the WAY PRODUCTIONS THREAD?
Radar
George Aar----that was awesome George. You are an honest man that can speak his heart and conscience. xxoo ROR
GeorgeStGeorge------START YOUR OWN DAMN THREAD
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Nottawayfer
No, I am not a picker. I think my dislike for "Farther Along" stemmed from the deadness in twi while singing that song.
Since leaving, the church I attend has sang a few hymns which I recognized from my twi days. The songs have a much different feel when sing them now.
Singing in twi was just part of the ritual, and twi taught that singing to bring in the holy spirit was wrong. I have a different take on it now. Singing in church now gets me in the mood....not meant to be a sexual term, OK? It now is just a means for me to ask God to come near. I know He's always there for me, but it means more to me when I invite Him. I guess I'm saying it means more to me when I exercise my freedom of will to ask Him to come in to my life.
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dmiller
Wayfer Not! -- That says it all!
:)--> 
:)-->
Sorry if I offended you, as that was not my intention. Reading your post, I don't think I did, because you're offering excellent "arguements" for disliking the song. I was/am looking at it from a melodic viewpoint vs. the words and the heart of those doing the singing.
I agree -- singing in twi was more "ritual" than anything else. We were at the meeting, 'cuz we had to. We sang, 'cuz we had to. Everything done was 'cuz we had to. Little room for us to actually do the "inviting of God to come near" (as you said), since all was planned.
Unless it was done while one speaker was exiting the podium, and another was making their way to it!
:P-->
Twi left little room for personal devotion.
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WordWolf
Wayfer Not,
I was contrasting your normal, Christian expectations with the ones twi had-
where people either can join twi or be WRONG!
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socks
George, music preferences are personal preferences. It doesn't bother me that someone doesn't or didn't like music from my particular era (or any for that matter).
There were people that I worked with prior to Joyful Noise who heard our first albums and scratched their heads. "What's that all about?" They just didn't get it....what's with all this cabaret stuff, the tinky tink tunes? Where's the bass on these songs? What's the drummer doing for gawds sake? What're you plugged in to, a transistor radio?
We were really trying to put together a range of very disparate backgrounds, skill levels and interests. Most people assume that VPW was sitting there everyday waving the wand over the whole thing and saying "Now write me a song about PFAL, session 5, and make it a real goo-ud one keeds". That isn't what happened. We had to find the songs or write them, learn and arrange them and make them work with what we had.
One of the things our good brother Ted is exceptionally gifted at is writing lyrics in standard modern song form, with catchy little hook lines that tag the song. That's illustrated 30 years later, people still remember them, like "Attic of Your Mind" or "Ready to Go". They very neatly captured the language we were using and the main ideas that were percolating at that time, and they flowed out of Ted like water. Not everyone can do that. The music didn't always do them justice, but it was what we could do at the time. And one of the problems you run into with a song that gets established is going back to it later and doing more with it, you can't really move too far out of the range of it's original arrangement. So I think what we did with a lot of them over the years improved, but slowly, as songs went and came back in our repertoire. But I'd be the first one to recognize that what I contributed to some of them was basic and could have been done much better.
But as far as liking anything, that's a personal preference. No one has to like something, and most of us all don't like a lot of things simply because we don't. I love Kenny Burrell and saw him last year and he had people stomping the floor after a quite solo rendition of "Greensleeves", arranged like a f-king orchestra with a bridge section that sounded like something they listen to on Mars. We were seated 10 feet from him and the table next to us had a guy in freaking tears. I swear, he's an old guy now but there was a woman a few tables back from us practically ready to throw her bra on the stage. I also like Barry Manilow and can't get past "Week in New England" as one of the most underrated ballads of pop music. How many people can sing "When will this strong yearning end?" and make it sound right? So I'm conflicted. I'm just a troubled soul I guess.
:)--> No wonder some of that old stuff sounded strange? 
:D-->
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socks
Charlie Parker - I guess while I recognize his genius I have a hard time thinking about the other side of his life and the fact that so many people revere him as if he could do no wrong. Like others who died young, we never saw what he would have done over the long haul. Chet Baker - I do like his music, his tone, his stuff. It was better when he had teeth.
So many of these guys made great music while their personal lives were horrors, families strewn everywhere, abuse of all kinds. Yet they were heroes when they hit the bandstand. Separating their personal lives and values from their music is an exercise in intellectual restraint for me in some cases.
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exousia
HI Ted,
God bless you.
I am still "Ready to Go" whenever He decides to come get me and all of us!
exousia
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Watered Garden
Ted,
I loved your music and you! Still do BTW.
God bless you big times!
WG
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Nottawayfer
DMiller:
It's all good. I wasn't offended at all.
;)-->
**************************
WordWolf,
OK! Now I get what you were trying to say (light bulb going off in head FINALLY!)!
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insurgent
I remember our bc telling us hfcs to tell some of the people in our fellowship to lip synch or sing very quietly because they were always off key.
We never did. They were making a joyful noise and we were happy to have people in our fellowship who sang with heart and volume. Screw the bc. Who the he## does he think he is?
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rascal
Guess I really AM the nerd around here...lol cause I LOVED almost all way prod stuff....I always got so much more out of the music ...inspired ...(course this was in the 80s) it seems than I ever got out of the loooooong dry teachings.
It seemed like any of the music the believers played were spoke volumes to me.......espescially loved Bob Stanly ...Sammy Preyn....theopholous (still treasure my worn copy to play on special occasions) lisa lockridge...Stevie Kay...pressed down....I have some corpes tape productions that I love ...I liked branded...I think the only stone cold turn off personally was *high country caravan* .... not that I didn`t like country...it was just that it was obviously some folks trying to put on a country show that weren`t country....it wasn`t their faults...I know
Still have most of my way prod albums....(all of my tapes have been played till they wore out)....sigh it`s THE only thing I am willing to keep from twi........
Ted...loved your music...when you and David came through fargo .... you were such a gentleman...one of the really *good* guys, as I remember....really kind....when we took a tour of the area...It was such a suprise that you were so down to earth and friendly for a visiting *dignitary* ...lol made a huge impression on a youngster to whom had been given the charge of *hostess* one who was starkly terrified of making a mistake and bringing shame to the whole branch for eternity ... Thanks:-)
Don`t let it get any of you down if your music made someones *worst* song ...cause for some of the rest of us ...they were our favorites ... and spoke volumes .... part of what was *good* about twi.
Shoot I signed up for pfal at a *take a stand caravan* but I wont hold THAT against any of you musicians;-)...lol
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TED Ferrell
Right off the bat I will say I am not offended by any of you who don't care for some of the tunes that I or others did years ago. Most of which is personal preference and understandably so.
However there is more to this story than meets the eye.
When Joyful Noise recorded 1, 2 and 3 we did so with a two-track tape deck and a mixing board. There was no "we can fix it in the mix" routine. We laid down the music tracks with vocals at the same time. It was a hard sell even to get this done because The Way had been burnt by Way Prods first two studio albums in the excess of over ten thousand dollars each and that investment was never recovered by sales from those two albums. It was not until America Awakes that we ventured back into a professional studio, and God love him Ken Mc got that one going. Later on The Cultural Center came to be and little by little a decent studio was put together.
When I reflect on those times I think "well that was yesterday" and "although I do have a lot of wonderful memories I must keep moving on". More recently two of my dear friends and I put together a monthly CD called Word and Music that contains two or three songs and a short sharing (not teaching) from the bible. We do this in my home studio and mail out free of charge copies to family, friends and perhaps enemies ha ha.
Something that happened a few months ago you might get a kick out of. During the month of February we recorded our monthly CD with a theme of God and Country and the lady who sings and writes with me did a recitation she wrote called Tommy's Coming Home about a Mom who has a son in the military and it was very touching. We added some nice strings to it and away it went. A few days later and in light of all that is gong on in the world I got to thinking let's send a copy of her song and White House Across The Street (one I did back in 1976) to President Bush. Well lo and behold a few weeks later he responded thanking us for sending and his reply was on an official document from The White House personally signed by George W. Bush. It was sent to us unfolded made for framing and now hangs in my studio.
In closing let me say I have never thought I was or am a great songwriter, singer or musician but to the best of my ability give it my best shot and am thankful to God that mine and others humble contributions has touched the hearts and lives of others.
Thanks to all of you that posted your kind and endearing words.
God Bless Each And Every One of You,
Ted F.
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exousia
Ted, you have been a beloved brother in Christ for so many of us since we first saw and heard you no matter what ROA or fellowship we saw/heard you. You never professed to be anything but a man who loves God. You never flaunted yourself, and have always been an inspiration to me (I cannot speak for anyone else but I am SURE it is true for countless others). I thank God I had the pleasure of seeing you so many times at TWI events, and I thank God that by the miracle of technology that I can voice my love as a brother in Christ to you.
exousia
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