Mark’s comments in *[...]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AN UNAUTHORIZED POSTSCRIPT

to

Brian McLaren’s Open Letter to Worship Songwriters

John Mortensen …

First of all, can we agree to a ten-year ban on rhyming “adore you” with “before you”? Thanks.

*[Amen!]

…

If we wish to rise above the greeting-card level of poetry, we may need to thumb through the dictionary and make long lists of words that rhyme.

*[Why? Song lyrics don't have to rhyme. Think outside the box.]

….

Most worship songs are written as imitation, not composition. That is, few writers are making the effort to think thr through all the ingredients that make music. (More about ingredients later.) Instead we are hearing an endless round of the same half-dozen shrink-wrapped clichés. Most non-musicians are surprised to learn that the vast majority of popular tunes consist of three chords. That’s why most songs sound the same.

*[Jesus Jingles all sound the same because they are all copied from the mass produced God Ad Agencies like "Hillthong" with Brian & Booby Houthon - awethome! Secondly, Jesus Jingle Hacks think their work is "inspired by God" and therefore beyond criticism. Crap! Rock and roll is totally based around a few chords. So what? That's the style! Some music can be a vamp on ONE chord. Get used to it. John Mortensen has his own agenda on where "Trew Kristyunised Muzak" should go. Art is art is art. Let the Christian artist be free to create as he / she wishes. ]

….

The single greatest obstacle to writing a good song is creating a good melody.

*[Crap! Think outside the box - Rap. Think also about the Christian musician Bob Dylan ... and his dreadful voice - better than any pretty little Jesus Jingle. Songs and composed of multiple items wedded together. Some will emphasise different aspects of the combination. Rap is more about rythm than melody. So? Big deal! Get used to it.]

….

Many are noticing that contemporary praise music seems increasingly lifeless and artificial. It may be possible to work toward a more authentic expression of worship but it will co come at the cost of mu me much creative effort. The noisy products of masspopcult need to be shushed so that writers from within the community might have a voice.

*[But that may be the very style most suited to that artist!!! There are NO rules in art ... except those imposed upon Christian artists from the church hierarchy ... and they should be ignored. Free the Christian artist to create GOOD art. That is the aim. Stop the Fundamentalist Dark Age Trooth that there is some mythical beast that is "Trew Kristyun" and unaffected by the rest of the real world. ]

from http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/AnUnauthorizedPostscript.pdf

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