blog.worship.com
An extremely fair review of my book from Josh Riley over at blog.worship.com. He rightly takes me to task for not talking to more fans but is mostly positive. Here’s an interesting bit:
You probably won’t find this volume in your local Christian bookstore, and our online sales affiliate does not carry it; nonetheless, the perspectives presented in this book are not without merit, and it is helpful to see the industry through the eyes of one who is outside the faith, whose view of Jesus is largely influenced by those involved one way or another in the modern (or post-modern?) CCM industry.
I haven’t talked about this on the site yet, but while I’m not surprised that my book isn’t carried by most Christian retailers (there is profanity in it, all quoted for what it’s worth), I continue to be baffled that the majority of Christian-media attention to this book has come from blogs and smaller zines. I can’t help but wonder why Christianity Today is the only major Christian publication to do anything on a mass-market book about Christian music. I’d be happy to entertain theories in the comments section.
August 5th, 2006 at 2:10 pm
I just completed a pretty extensive study of the christian magazine industry for my senior thesis, and so i can probably provide some theories, but I can’t do it in public, yet. I’ll send you an email, along with some notes on your book.
August 17th, 2006 at 5:18 pm
Hi Andrew, I’ve almost finished the book and must say I really appreciate it.
I have ventured an answer to your wonderings on my own blog. Here’s where you can check out what I think the answer may be:
http://fritchie.blogspot.com/2006/08/body-piercing-saved-my-life-answering.html
August 17th, 2006 at 8:22 pm
Didn’t it get reviewed in Relevant? That’s a major Christian magazine. Surely CCM will cover it, since you interviewed Jay.
August 18th, 2006 at 8:02 am
I haven’t seen the Relevant piece. I’m not holding my breath for CCM–surely they’d have covered it by now if they were going to do something.
August 21st, 2006 at 4:26 pm
I suspect the presence of non- G-rated language will keep all the major Christian magazines away, at least on the record. They are just as attuned to the “safe” aspect of their product as the CCM industry is.
August 21st, 2006 at 8:03 pm
I think I was mistaken about Relevant…
August 24th, 2006 at 9:13 pm
Andrew: Loved the book. I’ve carried it in my indie bookstore since it came out; we are a Christian bookstore, I suppose, but much more diverse than, well, perhaps any other such CBA member shop. Don’t get me started about the lack of awareness and vision among so many who ought to know better…
I’ve done a mini-review at our blog, and want to continue to promote the book.
If we could work it out, would you consider coming up to PA (not far north of Baltimore) to do a reading or siging or something? Could be fun. Some folks from Messiah College might be able to come over, too, since we are not that far from them.
Thanks again. Check out our (almost) rave review at www.heartsandmindsbooknotes.blogspot.com. Peace.
September 6th, 2006 at 10:48 am
It makes sense to me. You’ve provided a somewhat critical look at the Christian music world (though nowhere near as scathing as they probably expected) and you’re not a practicing Christian yourself. If CCM is anything like the “shiny shoe” Jewish music scene, these two facts alone are enough to dampen interest. Perhaps smaller zines and blogs are more open to a fresh point of view.
September 11th, 2006 at 12:46 pm
http://leaveittoavery.wordpress.com/2006/09/11/not-really-a-review-but/
You like the blog reviews… Honestly I didn’t know you had this blog until I was looking for a place to link to about the book.
No I didn’t really review the book, but I did love it. Honestly I loved the book.
I picked it up in the library to just check out the interviews with the bands, i was expecting the book to be the same crap that gets put out all the time on the pros on cons of “christian rock” and how it affects my salvation…….
anyways, mad props. loved the book, rock on.
October 1st, 2006 at 10:11 pm
Excellent book Andrew. I would think that the main reason “Mainstream Christianity” hasn’t touched the book is because they are pretty ignorant about the world, just as people in NY couldn’t believe there is this Christian Subculture. Christianity Today picked it up because they actually have a clue in their music department. I’d agree that you should’ve talked to a few more fans, but Doug from HM is one of the biggest fans I know. If you ever do a follow up with fans (I’ve been to Cornerstone 11 times), let me know. Again, awesome job and God bless.
October 9th, 2006 at 3:26 pm
Hey, man…
You’d be interested to know that Jay @ CCM dedicated the October ‘06 editorial page to your book.
You may want to check it out… He raises some interesting concerns.
There’s also a small blurb about the book in the Insider section of the magazine, I believe.
(Thanks for quoting me, by the way…)
November 7th, 2006 at 4:52 pm
Hi Andrew,
I’d like to hear what you think about the way CCM (Jay Swartzendruber)reviewed your book. It was rather depressing to see the remarks about your “don’t put this in the book” (which is also a pitiful thing to say for a true Christian I think). “Depressing” because I really side for some of these young guys in the CCM industry but then, again, they have this “authority complex”…
In other words, I am tempted to say that this is not about the “gentleman approach” of Christian market journalists as Swartzendruber put it; unfortunately, it is about having issues with a journalist’s freedom instead of looking at what he has to say about the subject. In other words, of all the things he might have talked about (maybe opening up a forum initiated for once by a “secular” writer!), he preferred to focus on his vanity and the Christian interpretation of good manners in journalism. C’mon!
By the way, I would also like to know what you Andrew and the others think about Lauren Sandler’s Righteous if you read it.
November 7th, 2006 at 5:38 pm
I haven’t seen Jay’s piece, so I’ll reserve judgment till I have. If he does in fact, object to my using Ebel’s quotes after he said, “Don’t put that in your book”…well, that’s disappointing.
Here’s how “off-the-record” conversations work: A source and a journalist agree that, to get certain information, the journalist will attribute the source’s comments on background. It’s not a one-way decision. Brandon Ebel doesn’t get to throw a switch during interviews and move all action offstage–he’s either being interviewed or he isn’t. If there’s something he wants me to know but doesn’t want attributed to him, well, that’s something we can discuss, but it’s not a process he gets to dictate.