Released early in 1983 I picked it up shortly after it came out. It was a weird looking album with a nerdy sweater wearing guy who was grinning like he'd taken the last Oreo off the plate of cookies in Sunday school. Whoever designed the cover was going for "current" because the cover had a computer generated looking background that seemed to be inspired by Tron, and that was current.
The album opens with a cheesy synthesizer arrangement of "Sonata in D Major" before launching into "You Need a Savior" a song that pretty much stopped me in my tracks. "What was this strange music coming from the stereo? This is good - not just "Christian music good" but, good - good. I was buying a lot of really questionable Christian music in the early '80s that got a pass because it was Christian, and therefore inspired by God and therefore good for you. After all, like Larry said, "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music" but in reality it sure seemed like the other side knew what they were doing while Christian artists wallowed around in a rather pitiful sandbox of cliches and schlocky inoffensive "rock" - it was a wasteland full of poorly produced, and often badly executed music that was trying hard to copy what was successful in popular music, albeit a few years off the current trends, and did it badly at that.
Now, I've spoken of my genuine love for a lot of really great Christian music, but on balance it was slim pickings, and most of what was out there was to put it, uncharitably was shit. So then this Michael W. Smith kid broke onto the scene clad in his while nerdy sweater and a trimmed Jesus beard with his mewly rasp inflected voice and a limited vocal range, the dude quite simply - killed it. Even the pure cheese found in the jazz infused instrumental "Looking Up" was strangely compelling (although I still don't like it). Here was an album that blended the message and the music and it wasn't like he was trying to sound like his secular equivalent - he sounded like, well - himself. It was refreshing, and even a little proggy at times. What pushed this album over the top for me back then was the incredibly tasty guitar work of Jon Goin who was all over the record, and often from and centre. I guess he was a session ace brought in foe the album, but my goodness what a player. Michael W. Smith knew how to pick 'em that's for sure, as later albums would have Dann Huff, who would be part of the early White Heart albums, and the first two Giant albums.
The album also unleashed the song that would close out a million youth dances and makes the little girls cry and the sensitive boys wipe away a tear. Yeah, I'm talking about "Friends" the ultimate squishy power ballad that was a love song to friendship. It's 100% pure schlock and by gum it still makes my eyes water as it conjures up images of my friends from all those youth conferences from years gone by. That's the power of music. At the time I didn't know much about Amy Grant, but she was the backing vocalist on the track, which made sense now that I know more, as Michael was in her backing band at one point before going solo. While never a big Amy fan, props where props are due.
It's interesting that a year later when Michael released his follow up, he dropped the project part and just stuck his name out front. He still had his beard, and he didn't look quite so nerdy, even clad in the mandatory argyle sweater and socks that we the rage. The follow up was cut from the same cloth as the debut and it was good, really good. However, Michael went dark for a couple years and when he re-emerged in '86 Michael had transformed himself into what passed as the poster child for a non-sex sex symbol. When Project was re-issued on CD it was with a different cover with a decidedly poster boy (looking for other words than sexy, having a hard time) Michael giving his version of what Ben Stiller would borrow and call "Blue Steel" it was a weird time for Christian Music.
It was a pleasant surprise to find this in the dollar section as the cover and vinyl were in fantastic shape. Taking out the album, it was the liner that put this in the bin. Way back this was a gift, likely from a youth group and it was signed in multiple places, and had lyrics underlined and there were several references to the song "Friends" and it reminder me of my youth when I would attend youth conferences, and we would use our songbooks as substitute year books and have people sign them. It felt kind of weird reading all of the personal messages and also strangely nostalgic as you can see the wonderful naivety of youth. In a way it only accentuates the album's appeal.
The album hasn't aged particularly well, but it's an old friend (and friends are friends forever) that I
played pretty much to death in my youth, so it has a pretty special
place in my heart, even after all this time - after all, a friend's a
friend forever (you knew that was coming). The album's closing tracks
are still songs I really enjoy. "Great is the Lord" really shouldn't
work, but dang it his early foray into what would eventually devolve
into the insipid genre known as "Praise Music" (wait a sec while I try
and swallow down the little lump that tried to get out) this was still
new enough and so over the top that it felt like a rocked up hymn with a
big organ and guitar feedback. It's followed by another instrumental
"Alpha Overture" that would have been right at home on those
Mind's Eye videos from the '90s.
Still, for many years I followed and picked up his albums as they came out until he went into his Praise Phase - he was likely genuine in his conviction to move there, but he lost me.
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