Comments for Ojo Taylor

Comment on Be Still My Child by ojotaylor

ojotaylor — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:34:05 +0000

Thanks for listening and for the encouragement, Sterling. <3

Comment on Be Still My Child by ojotaylor

ojotaylor — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:31:07 +0000

Missing you Jim, my dear friend, and I hope we get a chance to work together on something soon. ~J

Comment on Be Still My Child by jim chevalier

jim chevalier — Sat, 18 May 2013 19:11:07 +0000

beautiful….like you my friend <3

Comment on A Reading From The Gospel According To Robert Ingersoll by ojotaylor

ojotaylor — Fri, 03 May 2013 01:08:13 +0000

Thank you very much! I’ve been in more of a music-writing phase lately, but I will be putting some more stuff up. Thanks for reading.

Comment on A Reading From The Gospel According To Robert Ingersoll by búho

búho — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:49:25 +0000

Solid goods here on wordpress.com, dude. I actually like what you have obtained
here, definitely like what you’re thinking and the way through which you assert it. You’ve
taken the effort to make it simultaneously entertaining and intelligent.
I cannot wait to know much more from you. A useful blog indeed.

Comment on Ric Alba – Homosexuality, The Church and Christian Music by Jonathan Blake Robinson

Jonathan Blake Robinson — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 03:17:54 +0000

Research shows that those who are most misinformed also have the strongest opinions, as the above comment demonstrates.

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire/

Comment on Ric Alba – Homosexuality, The Church and Christian Music by Bill Watt

Bill Watt — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:02:25 +0000

Homosexuality is a choice. Period.

Comment on Branded – 25th Anniversary Notes by Jon

Jon — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 01:58:46 +0000

Late to the party again, am I. Very interesting to hear these recollections since they add welcome perspective on the circumstance of the recording of “Branded.” One of the useful aspects of religion generally and Christianity specifically is that it gives people motifs onto which to project their personal issues and problems. At the same time I find that dynamic problematic to the extent that people feel imprisoned in the guilt-laden motifs and unable to confront the these situations on their own terms . That said, can I ever hear your personal turmoil in “Branded.” I couldn’t possibly have sensed the details when I first heard “Branded,” but then the power of art is that it can communicate the generality even when the particular doesn’t match at all.

I haven’t listened to “Branded” in quite some time. I’m listening to it now as a reminder. You mention “Prelude” as indicative of how MIDI changed Undercover’s sound. It seems to me that whatever role MIDI played, the emotional experiences you had at the time played a much larger role. I, at least, can hear the tension and frustration coming out in the tone of the arrangements and ferocity of the performances. Maybe MIDI helped you express it all in more detail, but it all sure sounds like similar expressions we’ve seen from young bands over the years. That’s not meant as a diminishment. I’m no CCM historian, but I suspect this is one of the first such expressions at least in our generation of frustration from “the saved.”

And the music is good! However hard a time I have now with the motifs used to express all of this, the music itself really stands the test of time. (I especially like the way the bass line finally pays off the guitar line in the final chorus of “Pilate.” Very astute use of tension and release. Though like many/most Undercover fans, I wish the guitars were more prominent .) To a song, the arrangements match the subject matter of the songs completely. And then you have the inspired singing of Sim and playing of Gary and Gym. One thing that’s obvious now that I know the facts is that this all is the product of you guys playing these tunes live for so long. Maybe you lucked out in that you didn’t play them so much that they became stale. Instead, it almost sounds like you couldn’t wait to commit them to tape. I don’t know if you were excited to record them, but that’s the way it sounds.

I think this comment is long enough, so I’ll close. Just want to say that I’ve appreciated your music over the years, and I hope you find some satisfaction in this (not especially) brief comment.

Best to you and yours,

Jon

Comment on Huffington Post Interview – Extended and Unedited by Jon

Jon — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:34:31 +0000

Joe, a followup question. It seems to me that some of your questioning of doctrine/dogma percolated to/near the surface at the time “Forum” and “I Rose Falling” were conceived. Is that an accurate assessment? “Did you see him/Did you know him” hint at the beginnings of doubt. Similarly, “Behold” and “Line of Thinking” have even more ambiguous lyrics, though I know the product of which was the collaboration with the poet (I don’t recall her name). I admire “Behold” for the inspired, haunting muted bell keyboard part that truly brings chills. Similarly, I appreciate the lyrical direction of “Line of Thinking”. Could be wrong about all of the above, but I thought I’d mention it. Thanks again for the illuminating and open interview.

Comment on Ric Alba – Homosexuality, The Church and Christian Music by Jon

Jon — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:21:57 +0000

Ric – Thanks for being so open and eloquent in this interview. You sound like a far cry from the person I hear on “Holes” (yup, I still have my copy!), which to my ear is one of the most emotionally honest records ever. So happy to learn that you’ve emerged from all you’ve experienced so much grace and dignity but (seemingly) without bitterness. While I no longer believe, there is much at the core of Christianity worth emulating, and it’s clear to me at least that you’ve retained that core. Best wishes to you and yours now and in the future.