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| Disclaimer: If you don't like Christian Parodies of Rock music, you won't like Mark Bradford. 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. | |||
If you buy only one CD reviewed on this site, get "Keep the Change" by ApologetiX. If you buy two, make this one your second purchase.If like T.V. shows from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, you're gonna love this CD! RPM Volume Two (Released 1996) Tracks: 1. He'll Be There For You (parody of "Friends" Theme) | |||
| Mark Bradford takes a completely different approach to parodies than ApologetiX and Nick Alexander. ApologetiX tends to choose the songs for their albums by their ability to perform the songs (okay, sometimes they're a little weak in this department, but by and large they stay away from stuff that they can't or aren't willing to play and/or sing). Unfortunately, this limits them somewhat. There are many fine songs that ApologetiX won't do (e.g., songs that definitely require a female vocalist). Nick Alexander, on the other hand, writes parodies as he's inspired, even if his vocal style isn't the most appropriate for that song. So Nick is less limited than ApologetiX, but the resulting performance may be lacking in quality somewhat. Mark Bradford, like Nick Alexander, doesn't limit his work by his ability or inclination to perform the songs. Instead, he chooses songs that make good parodies and then supplies the lyrics. However, rather than attempt an inappropriate performance, Mark gets someone else to sing the songs that are not within his vocal range and style or are otherwise inappropriate for him to perform (again, the example being a song that requires a child or a female vocalist). This allows the RPM project to work amazingly well despite the very wide range of vocal talent required for the songs that appear on these CDs. One thing you should note is that the RPM series does not attempt to mimic the original tunes as closely as, say, ApologetiX does on their later CDs. Although many of the tunes are very close to the originals, the RPM series concentrates on providing good coverage of the original tunes while adding a personal signature to the tunes. Some of them are dead on, while others are different but still quite good and professionally done. Yes, there are a few songs that just aren't up to the quality of the original tune, but overall these are very good. All of the CDs in the RPM series are very professionally produced. Mostly comparable to the work ApologetiX put in on their "Keep the Change" CD (or better). About the only complain I have about this series is the value. The RPM series seems to shoot for about 30 minutes of music per CD (less than half the capacity of the CD). Given the number of "novelty" CDs that Mark has produced, it would have been a bit kinder to double the music on the CDs to make this a better deal. Oh well, I guess he's got to make a living (and I don't believe that he's selling these CDs independently, so the label probably needs to make some money too). He'll Be There For YouLyrics: good Comments: Other than this is the shortened version, this is a great version of "I'll Be There For You." The Adam FamilyLyrics: good to excellent Comments: Snap your fingers and get ready to smile. Great parody. The music isn't exactly true as it could be, but this is a great one nonetheless. Noah's ThemeLyrics: excellent Comments: Real winner. One of Bradford's best. Get ready for a for a three-hour tour that winds up lasting over a year! Abram's Green PasturesLyrics: good Comments: Okay, I understand the purpose of the two vocalists with heavy Jewish accents, but it's still annoying. I really loved the line about "goodbye salty wife" (referring to Lot's wife); that made the whole song. Jacob and Esau's ThemeLyrics: excellent Comments: Another great one from Mark Bradford. The vocals, lyrics, and music really work well together on this tune. You gotta hear it to believe it. Moses' ThemeLyrics: fair to good Comments: The lyrics for this song just don't match the tune ("Laverne and Shirley") well for me. Some of the lines are quire awkward. Oh well, can't win them all. Samson's ThemeLyrics: good to excellent Comments: Well, as much as "Moses' Theme" doesn't work, Samson's Theme does. Great lyrics and great choice of song to use. David's ThemeLyrics: good to excellent Comments: Here's another great one that will have you smiling, if not laughing, the whole time this song plays. The Ballad of JobLyrics: good Comments: Well, this one almost works really well. Something about the lyrics bothers me (perhaps the story doesn't fit as well as they could). Still, it's a pretty good song. Elijah's Movin On UpLyrics: good to excellent Comments: Well, here's one where the story works really well with the original song. Great vocals too! Another Bradford tune that will have you rolling on the floor. Jonah's ThemeLyrics: excellent Comments: This song takes the prize for "cutest parody by Mark Bradford" (and probably everyone else, too). Absolutely great lyrics (though there was one rushed line at the beginning of the song). This one makes the purchase of the CD worthwhile all by itself. Mary and Joseph's ThemeLyrics: fair to good Comments: Of course, it has to be sung by kids to be faithful to the Brady Bunch Theme. Should've used a boys choir instead of all girls, though. I really don't like the Brady Bunch theme, so I'll pass on reviewing this one. The Prodigal's ThemeLyrics: excellent Comments: Another great Mark Bradford tune. If you ever watched "Welcome Back Kotter" you're going to be laughing out loud at this parody of the Prodigal son. Peters ThemeLyrics: good Comments: The theme to the "Greatest American Hero" ("Believe it or Not") turns out to be the very first "Parodeity" I created for Webster. I've used this song quite a bit in my Children's church program quite a bit and the kids really love it. I say this because I've got to state that I like my version a whole lot better (see "Believe It Or Not"). Now, I'm probably at least 80% sure that I like my version better because I wrote it and I've actually sung it (with the kids) so often. Having admitted all that, I would say that this is just another one of those songs Mark has done that just doesn't work as well for me as I'd prefer. Good story, excellent vocals, etc. Given how well "Believe It or Not" has done with the Kids in the Children's church program, I suspect this version will also do well with first through sixth graders. Pentecost JunctionLyrics: fair to good Comments: Well, here's a set of lyrics that works very well with the original tune. For some reason, this song doesn't excite me. Maybe I just didn't like "Petticoat Junction" on T.V. when I was a kid and that prejudice is showing through. Paul: Sacred Agent ManLyrics: good to excellent Comments: It would be hard to mess this one up. Maybe not as good as ApologetiX' "Revelation Man" but still a GREAT song. Another one of Mark Bradford's better tunes on this CD. Hey Hey We're the ChristiansLyrics: fair to good Comments: This is another pop tune that seems to get parodized a lot. I'll hand Mark this, he was one of the first to do this that I'm aware of. Still don't like the original tune that much. Guess I shouldn't complain too much, at least Mark didn't make this an evolution story like most other versions I've heard or read (including ApologetiX'). Still, the lyrics didn't excite me much on this one. Heavenly StreetLyrics: fair to good Comments: I was too old for Sesame Street, but my younger brothers and sisters got into this show, so I was subjected to this theme nearly every morning. I must admit that Mark's coverage is very good, even if the parody lyrics are somewhat weak. Are You Ready for the Rapture?Lyrics: good to excellent Comments: Some might question the theology behind this tune (depending upon your views of the "millennium"). Still, with the "Left Behind" series, "The Omega Code" movies, and other related Christian fiction (not to mention all the bumper stickers), no one's going to misunderstand what this song is about. Great parody of MNF theme. Where Everybody Knows Your NameLyrics: good Comments: If you like the Cheers, you'll find this tune quite familiar. Some minor production problems (vocals could use more compression). But otherwise a really good song. | |||