Sanctified Oldies Reviews:
Volume I

(Released in 1997)

Tracks:

1. How Sweet It Is
2. Thank You, Girl (Thank You, Lord)
3. Chains
4. Unchain My Heart
5. Twist and Shout (Sing and Shout)
6. My Girl (My God)
7. Oh, Pretty Woman (Holy Spirit)
8. I Wanna Hold Your Hand (I Wanna Raise My Hands)
9. You're No Good (You're So Good)
10. Lion Sleeps Tonight (A Child Is Born)
11. Baby, I'm Yours (Jesus, I'm Yours)

For other parodists I've reviewed on Webster, I've generally judged them by how well they parody or perform their songs (comparing them with the original. That criterion simply doesn't work when attempting to review Ron Perry's work. First of all, Ron doesn't really write parodies. As his CD titles suggest, he sanctifies oldies. He does this, not by rewriting the lyrics to a tune, but by simply adjusting the lyrics to an existing tune so that they praise God. J. Jackson comments on ApologetiX' video that ApologetiX rewrites the entire song, they don't simply change a few words (like "She Loves You" to "He Loves You"). Ron takes the road that ApologetiX avoids - he generally keeps, lyrically, as close to the original song as possible, changing just enough works to turn the song into a praise tune. Now from a "pure musician" point of view, some may claim that Ron's approach is somehow inferior to the approach other parodists take. I disagree. After all, if you're willing to head down that road, then we can criticize all the parodists for not writing their own music as well (of course, people do that too).

If you look at Ron Perry's ministry, you'll see that his lyrics are perfect for the job he's doing. Ron runs "sock hops" for youth and others; combining his brand of "oldies music" with the gospel. Sticking closely to the original songs is a very good way to invoke old memories in the minds of parents (okay, grandparents).

Perhaps the best example of Ron's focus appears on his CDs. Rather than listing a title like "A Child is Born (parody of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight"), Ron actually lists the original song titles and provides his own title parenthetically (e.g., "Lion Sleeps Tonight (A Child is Born).") Some may argue that this isn't giving the Lord the prominence He deserves; I find such arguments stupid. There is no questioning Ron's commitment to the Lord or the effectiveness of his ministry.

In any case, I can't review these tunes the same way I'd review ApologetiX, Nick Alexander's, or Mark Bradford's simply because the emphasis is so different. So please keep in mind, as you read these reviews, that they're not actually comparable to the other reviews of parody music on Webster.

One thing I will say about all the "Sanctified Oldies" CDs. The production is top-notch. The recording, mixing, and performances are almost perfect. There is no hint of "garage band-itis" on any of the tracks. Probably the best production of all the parody music I've reviewed.

How Sweet It Is

Well, Ron's vocals are quite as "soulful" as you'd probably like on this tune, but he carries it off very well. This is a song about being loved by Jesus (rather than one's spouse or girlfriend). Great sax work on the tune.

Thank You Girl (Thank You Lord)

Not exactly the Beatles, but a very good "lounge/cover" edition of this song. As is true for most Ron Perry songs, his vocal style is in the "approximate range" of the original, but definitely distinct (that is, there is no confusing Ron for the Beatles). Nevertheless, Ron's vocals are quite good on this track.

Chains

I can dimly remember the original tune. So I can't really appreciate (or complain about) this tune. Very bluesy-R&B mixed with a little country.

Unchain My Heart

This is one of those rare Ron Perry songs where I feel the backing vocals could be a little stronger. I don't have the original tune, so I can't compare; but even if the backing vocals were exact to the original, I'd want to hear something stronger. As usually, I can't complain about the lead vocals or the music.

Twist and Shout

Okay, I complained about ApologetiX' version, I can't let Ron get away with this one. This one really is a parody (in the ApologetiX tradition) as most of the lyrics are rewritten. I really do like the lyrics; they work real well when compared with the original tune (indeed, I suspect I prefer these lyrics over ApologetiX' "Twins Came Out" even though "Twins" has better moments). However, this song is just a touch to slow. Also, a scream in the song falls real flat. Speed it up and few beats per minute and it will work much better.

My Girl (My God)

Next to "I'm a Believer" this song has got to be one of the most parodied songs around. Guess "Sister Act" made this one real popular. Sometime I'd like to compare Bradford's, Perry's, and "Sister Act's" lyrics to see how close they are. Griping aside, the performance on this one is excellent. I haven't heard the original in a while, but this one sounds close.

Oh, Pretty Woman (Holy Spirit)

This one's "half a parody." Ron changed a fair number of the lyrics, but kept a substantial percentage of the original as well. Excellent performance; sounds just like the original Orbison song. This is one of Ron's best performances. Almost worth the price of the CD just to get this one.

I Wanna Hold Your Hand (I Wanna Raise My Hands)

See the review for "Thank You Girl." Seriously though, this one's even closer to the original. Any die-hard Beatles fan will love this one.

You're No Good (You're So Good)

This song rocks! When the music started playing my first thought was "This is Ron Perry?" Forget the original (and the remakes). This is a great song in Ron's own style.

Lion Sleeps Tonight (A Child is Born)

Okay, buy the CD just for this one track. I've seen lots of attempts to create a parodeity from the Venture's "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." They've all fallen flat, except this one. If anyone gripes about Ron's ability to write parodeity lyrics, I would point them to this song. Ron has succeeded where others have failed. This one is a true parody and is very close to the original tune, in fact. The lyrics sound like something J. Jackson produces when he's on a roll. I Love This Song! Kids Love It!

Baby, I'm Yours (Jesus, I'm Yours)

Sometimes when a man sings a song originally sung by a female artist (or vice versa), it really bothers me; sometimes it works great (e.g., J. Jackson singing "I Love Apostle Paul" to the tune of "I Love Rock 'n Roll" by Joan Jett or Britney Spears). This is one of those songs that bothers me. Oh well....