Salutations: A Tribute To The Prayer Chain
(Various Artists)
Project Info:Salutations website Album length: 13 Tracks: 59 Minutes, 11 Seconds Street Date: 2002
Let me first be honest with you, I was one of the unlucky many, born or at least born again too
late to know the pure wonder of The Prayer Chain. What I do know, is that they were
pioneers of the now budding independent Christian scene, pushing the envelope and being the saving grace for
any respectable music fan. But even in my lagging stupor, a good song is still a good song and Audio Lab
Records is toasting these great song makers with Salutations: A Tribute To The Prayer Chain.
Viva Voce begins in their normal rare form with "Manta Rae" which was rare in the
first place as Carrie Crash’s version of "Loverboy" is fair rock. Glisten’s
"Mercury" makes a great track greater while "Bendy Line" from Brian McSweeney is good but
seems too close to the original whereas Novice’s edition of "Waterdog" is a decent dirtier
change. Luxury’s version of "Sun Stoned" apparently isn’t much different either while
Michael Pritzl of The Violet Burning’s "Sky High" is, as you would guess, amazing. This is
more along the lines of his new Gravity Show project though. Norika brings a swinging version of
"The Hollow" while The Evoka Project modernizes the formerly almost hair metal "Crawl."
Canary’s "Antarctica" is a worthy slow-moving track as The Northern Lights'
"Chatterbox" is noble rock. For Lack Of Heroes' "Fifty-Eight" is another updated version while
Ed Lamoso of Dear Ephesus ends things with a folk rock-flavored Jesus-filled "I Believe."
Tribute albums will always and forever be a double-edged sword. Half the crowd will hate you for
changing a classic while the other half will hate you for making it sound too much alike. But whatever your
case may be, Audio Lab has put out good music, and that’s all that it comes down to. For the gang that wants
the old PC back, sorry; they’re going strong and moving on. Lead vocalist Tim Taber now runs the amazing
Floodgate Records while heading up California’s own El Matador, while Eric Campuzano, Andrew Pricket, and
Wayne Everett produce beautiful things, own the best indie label in the biz, Northern Records and have
played in The Lassie Foundation, Charity Empressa, Starflyer 59, and much more respectively. But for those
who want to go back to their roots, or at least get a feel for what a rock hero is all about, pick up
Salutations and help the world salute The Prayer Chain, a band that has given so much but
taken way less.
- Review date: 8/25/02, written by Blake Garris
Record Label: Audio Lab Records
Album length: 13 Tracks, 59 Minutes and 11 Seconds
Street Date: 2002
Buy It:Amazon.com
Record Label: Audio Lab Records
