| ||||||
 | ||||||
 | ||||||
ApologetiX ReviewsRadical History Tour | ||||||
| [Christian Resources] [WEBster Home] | ||||||
| Disclaimer: If you don't like Rock music, you won't like ApologetiX. That being the case, why waste your time reading this stuff? It would be much better for you to go praise the Lord in a way that is acceptable to you rather than get all caught up in the emotions associated with this subject. | |||
| Radical History Tour (Original material was recorded and released on cassette tape prior to 1994, re-released on CD in 1999) Tracks: 1. Bethlehemian Rhapsody (parody of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen) 2. Isaac Man (parody of "Ice Cream Man" by Van Halen) 3. Jacob's Name is Israel (parody of "Takin' Care of Business" by Bachman-Turner-Overdrive) 4. Judgement Gets Passed (parody of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones) 5. Check Out the Book (parody of "The Look" by Roxette) 6. Yer Maker (parody of "D'yre Maker" by Led Zeppelin) 7. I Know a Riddle (parody of "I Know a Little" by Lynard Skynard) 8. I've Got Elijah Fightin' Baal (parody of "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail" by Buck Owens) 9. Not Logs Lincoln (parody of "Hot Rod Lincoln" by Command Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen) 10. Read Ephesians (parody of "Sweet Emotion" by Aerosmith) 11. Lazzie Lay (parody of "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart) 12. Catch That Fever! (parody of "Cat Scratch" by Ted Nugent) 13. Triune Godhead (parody of "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones) 14. Ignorant Song (parody of "Immigrant Song" by Led Zeppelin) 15. EZKiel (parody of "Suzi-Q" by Creedence Clearwater Revival) 16. Virgin (parody of "Urgent" by Foreigner) 17. The Sounds of Silas (parody of "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel) 18. Bad Dude Risin' (parody of "Bad Moon Risin'" by Creedence Clearwater Revival) 19. Life in the Last Days (parody of "Life in the Fast Lane" by the Eagles) 20. Midnight Hour Pt. 2 (parody of "In the Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett) | |||
Okay, the CD liner warns us that ApologetiX doesn't consider this material up to their normal quality standards. The material on the CD was stuff they created and performed way back in 1994. Originally they recorded and released this material on cassette tape and reissued it on CD after several people asked for it. The CD liner says that they probably should have re-recorded this material and bring it up to 1999 standards. Alas, they were too busy dealing with other stuff. Too bad. There are some gems among this collection, but the quality is definitely inferior to the other CDs that ApologetiX has produced. If you're an avid ApologetiX fan and have to own all their stuff, get this CD. However, make sure this is the last CD of theirs you buy so that you don't misjudge these guys! Bethlehemian RhapsodyLyrics: good Comment: I'm amazed that they even tried this song. Doing Queen's operatic masterpiece is dangerous. Heck, even Queen couldn't do this song in concert. Oh well, the lyrics tell the story well and are kinda' cute. Worth listening to the song just to hear the lyrics even if you'll cringe all the way through the song because of the weak vocals. Issac ManLyrics: good Comment: One of the better songs on the CD. The lyrics fit the original song really well and the performance is one of the bright spots on this CD. Jacob's Name is IsraelLyrics: good Comment: You need to see ApologetiX live so you can hear this song live. The musical performance on the CD leaves a bit to be desired. One could argue that the vocals are better than the original song, but few people compare their vocals against Randy Bachman if they want to brag about how good they can sing. Still, this is one of the better songs on this CD and isn't bad. Judgement Gets PastLyrics: fair Comment: Considering that "Jumping Jack Flash" was played by nearly every garage band from my high school days, I expected a better rendition. Just couldn't get into this version at all. Check Out the BookLyrics: good Comment: Well, I don't remember the original song so it's hard to comment on the quality. Nevertheless, the production on this song is better than average on this CD and the tune does stand well on its own. Yer MakerLyrics: fair to good Comment: Since I don't like "D'yer Maker" I'm not especially fond of this track. On the other hand, it is one of the more "faithful to the original" songs on this CD, so Zep fans will probably be happy with this track. I Know a RiddleLyrics: good Comment: If you like Lynard Skynard, you'll like this song. The lyrics work well with this tune. I'd probably get a lot more excited about this song if it were remixed; there's just something aurally annoying about the current production that prevents me from enjoying this tune as much as I would otherwise. I've Got Elijah Fightin' BaalLyrics: excellent Comment: Almost every country song that ApologetiX does is a real winner. ApologetiX really should consider doing a CD with country songs on it (including a reissue of the three or four country songs they've got on their various CDs). This would probably please a lot of country fans. This is a great version of "I've Got a Tiger by the Tail" that I really enjoy even though I'm not a Buck Owens fan. I'd probably really get into country music if ApologetiX did a whole CD of the stuff. Not Logs LincolnLyrics: excellent Comment: This is another one of ApologetiX' all time great tunes. I remember seeing the title on the CD prior to listening to the song and thinking "What a stupid title." But after hearing the song I couldn't agree more with the title's choice. The lyrics for this tune are absolutely amazing and the performance is nearly flawless. Here's a good reason to buy this CD. Read EphesiansLyrics: fair Comment: Okay, they simply should have left this track off the CD. This is another tune (like Bethlehemian Rhaposdy) that ApologetiX should consider redoing on a new CD sometime to redeem themselves. Even die-hard Aerosmith fans are going to have a problem with this song. It definitely sounds like one of the earliest ApologetiX tunes. Lazzie LayLyrics: fair Comment: Well, I don't like Rod Stewart and I don't like "Maggie Mae" so this track has two strikes against it right away. If you like Rod Stewart, you'll have to judge this one for yourself. Catch That Fever!Lyrics: fair to good Comment: Aw, Ted Nugent! This is a rocking tune that could use a better production. But otherwise is a fine song on this CD. If you're a fan of "Nugie-baby" then you'll really like this song. If Ted is too strong for your tastes, then you'll probably pass on this one. It is, however, one of the better-done tracks on the CD. Triune GodheadLyrics: poor Comment: The lyrics really hurt this song. Just doesn't work for me. Ignorant SongLyrics: fair Comment: This is another song that suffers from a poor production. Were ApologetiX to replay and remix this song it would probably show some promise. EZKielLyrics: fair Comment: The best part about this song is the way J. Jackson says Ezkiel to the metre of "Suzi-Q". Cute idea for a song, but like so many on this CD the production/mix hurts the end result. VirginLyrics: fair to good Comment: This song almost works. There are several small problems in the performance and production that keep it from being great. The Sounds of SilasLyrics: good Comment: This is actually a good song. It suffers from a less than suitable production. The lyrics are, perhaps, a bit too predictable, but it wouldn't hurt for ApologetiX to redo this tune sometime when they're bored and have nothing else to do. Bad Dude Risin'Lyrics: good to excellent Comment: Another good song that could use a remix. See the review for "Sounds of Silas." Great lyrics for this song, though. Life in the Last DaysLyrics: good to excellent Comment: ApologetiX does a good job on songs taken from Revelations. This is, unquestionably, one of the better songs on the CD despite a highly compressed and muted sound. About as close to the original tune as you're going to get on this CD. Midnight Hour Pt. 2Lyrics: good to excellent Comment: J. Jackson is capable of a wide range of vocal styles, but soul doesn't seem to be one of them (at least, not at this early date in ApologetiX' career). The bass track on this tune is way too overpowering and distorted. At least the vocals are clear. | |||