Liner Notes for Cross Tomb Resurrection
PopSentry presents George Scholes Robson 4 God'Square Mile.
That's a mouthful.
And an earful.
PopSentry presents music of all kinds.
Where George Scholes Robson 4 is concerned however, that music is going to honor the Master Composer in some sense.
When flavored by the additional measurement of God'SquareMile, that music will reflect the depth that only a perfect blend of herbs and spices can bring to any dish when local ingredients are used to produce a sustainable and life-sustaining dish.
G4's early bands included secular fare like Cold Gin, the Existential Moped, Railroad, Neshanic Station, the Conspiracy, Pouch, Slap Debussy, Art Servilla & the Riverside Band, and then gradually spiritual offerings with Steve & Leigh Ross, and the Library.
He had a already penned about 300 secular songs, when a youth minister in Ocean Grove, New Jersey let him borrow some vinyl which included Keith Green, the Resurrection Band (before they became the Rez Band) and Larry Norman. Many of the "godfathers" of today's CCM world. Larry Norman made an impact in his uncompromising "real world" application.
It was Steve & Leigh Ross who introduced him to Michael Card, at a time when George was re-immersing himself in Scripture, (he wanted to prove that the monks messed up in their translations somewhere). Card's scholarly and reverent handling of scripture within popular song form was exactly what this budding songwriter was looking for.
A very similar approach was taken in the songs you will hear on "Cross Tomb Resurrection".
By God's grace, George had been a radio announcer and producer for Alternative Rock, Big Band, Adult Contemporary, Contemporary and Traditional Christian Radio Stations in the New York City market. His "Share & Prayer" program was heard mid-day by half a million listeners daily for 6 years. He has most recently been Director of Contemporary Worship for St.Paul's @9 and Pavilion Praise in Ocean Grove for 9 years. Devoting his time to supply worship only, and not get sidetracked by self-indulgent creative venues, even songwriting and recording was put on the "back-burner" until recently he felt he got a "green light" to return to some of his former passions. Enter: God'SquareMile.
God'SquareMile: the Band: reflects the well-spring of wondrous talent that the Lord sent his way during those years.
From the stunning vocals of Tasha Asay & Bethany Benfer to the natural "fits like a glove" gifts of Alan Brown & Kevin Foley, whether it's the groove masters in Tua and D-Rob, the folk flavor of Mike Boniello, classical melodies from Holly Horn-Lamis or Jordan Whilden and the ever-flowering multi-instrumentalist offerings of Chris McEwan, this latest "stew" that George Scholes 4 (ala PopSentry) has all the tasty ingredients to make you keep coming back for more.
Recorded and Engineered by Joe DeMaioat ShoreFire Studios (where I believe Springsteen's "the River" was recorded),
most of the songs started with a core live track featuring ...
George Scholes Robson 5 on drums
David Scholes Robson on bass (Fender)
Kevin Christopher Foley on lead electric guitar (Telecaster)
Alan Herman Brown on rhythm electric guitar (Epiphone Dot)
Michael Paul Boniello on acoustic guitar (Martin)
and George Scholes Robson 4 on keys. (Kurzweil & Korg)
Then Christopher David McEwan on mandolin, Jordan Dale Whilden on acoustic piano, and Holly Horn-Lamis on violin would play their melodically sensitive instrumental overdubs.
After which Tasha Anne Asay, Bethany Dawn Benfer, Al, Mike, George4 (and at one point George5) all sang together for the rounds of vocals which bathed the tracks in signature sound which had gradually fermented over their time playing at 80 Embury, the Pavilion or the Great Auditorium.
There are many other musicians and vocalists who have contributed to this process, it just so happened that this lineup was ready, willing and able to lend their aid to the sessions when the time came about.
"Sunrise Service" was written for a sunrise service at the Pavilion on the Ocean Grove boardwalk. The weather forecast spelled "doom" for any chance of sun. Cold rain, gusty easterly winds off the Atlantic, and even sleet were all part of the forecast. So this song speaks of darkness first and a "Son" rise later. With overlapping themes pointing to the second coming, the forecast that Easter was right. This song was right too. The sun will rise again; and the Son will come again too. Chimes, jangly guitars, some tambourine add to the core sound of gsr4gsm. Here's a sample from the bridge...
"You Lord can make me whole again
You Lord can give me peace
You Lord can be my faithful friend
to whom my burdens I release
Immanuel my Saviour
Yeshua my King, my Lord!
the Word from which I take my strength His Word my only sword ."
"Abba, Abba" was composed for a Father's Day Pavilion Praise Worship Service.
It highlights our adoption into the family of Jesus by His heavenly Father.
The funky pre-chorus hearkens to Clyde Butterfield and the JB's.
Oh pass the peas like we used to do. Or for the faithful congregant.... pass the peace like we used to do.
"Led by the Spirit of GodWe become the children of God…"
"Bend Down Your Ear": taken from Psalm 71, it toys with the polyphonic spree of interweaving vocals which G4 loves about middle eastern chants. Smash that modal thang with a surf-punk 60's beat and you want to praise with the music.
"Be to me a great protecting rockwhereI am always welcome .... Rescue me, bend down Your ear and listen to my plea"
"Ghoti Out of Water: Ghoti is a constructed word used to illustrate irregularities in English spelling. It is a respelling of the word fish: i.e., it is supposed to be pronounced /ˈfɪʃ/. It comprises these phonemes:
gh, pronounced /f/ as in tough /tʌf/;
o, pronounced /ɪ/ as in women /ˈwɪmɪn/; and
ti, pronounced /ʃ/ as in nation /ˈneɪʃən/.
Linguists have pointed out that the location of the letters in the constructed word is inconsistent with how those letters would be pronounced in those placements, and that the expected pronunciation in English would be "goaty" No matter.
The song is mainly about the life and death struggle between flesh and spirit as put forth by Paul in Romans chapter 7.
"Used to have language cuts and barbs Cursings and fixtures and cynical carps
Now I have nothing from which to defend No double entendres no signals to send"
"Roll Away the Stone": Another song constructed for another sunrise service up on the boardwalk pavilion. This time there was plenty of sunlight. In fact, it pierced through the clouds that morning at the most effective dramatic moment of the song's lyric and musical structure, as the listener is led from the silent tomb into the radiant, blinding, Shekinah glory of the risen Messiah.
"Into the dark tomb of despair the sunlight streams down in mercyand makes day what was night
Lifting up our sin sick soulsfrom private hells...public sheols"
The later repeated mantra from Zechariah 2 lifts the mood even higher foreshadowing that day when Christ will be the glory in our midst!
"Healing Word": Jeremiah 17:14 speaks truth into any sickened soul, spirit or body. Sing this to the Great Physician. Sing this to the Creator of your mortal frame. Sing this to your own hurting self. Sing it to your doubts. Be released. Be healed.
"My Burden is Light": Though it wasn't planned I see an ebb & flow in the journey these tracks take the listener through, if you listen from song 1 through 10. The album starts with a somewhat biographical, scholarly and objective tone but even before that song ends, any doubting Thomas left within the protagonist cries out "my Lord and my God". Back and forth the songs dip into flesh vs. spirit and spirit vs. flesh though with the Holy Spirit clarifying the picture everytime. Here on "Burden" the calming Savior lays any remaining turbulence to rest by offering not just hope, faith, or charity.... but Himself.
"No, I will never leave youYou can cast all your cares upon me
Lo, I will never deceive youtry me prove me follow me
You’ll find you cancount on me"
"Living Stones": Similar to the "Easter" songs, this selection was written for Palm Sunday to supply some historical narrative surrounding a week that began with loud "Hosannas" and ended just a few days later with cries of "Crucify Him!"
"For the stones would cry outif all others went silent
that Jesus is Lord God sent from the Highest
if only we confess, though somewhat hidden from our eyes
proclaiming praisesof this Master of paradise
who calls us out of darkness and to the world be lights"
"Raised to be Razed to be Raised": Written for yet another sunrise at Ocean Pathway & Ocean Avenue.
"Raised in this Methodist town an electric cross...beacon to the sea
canvassing religion one square mile o’ ground spoke only a little to me of an eternity"
No offense intended toward the geographic "God's Square Mile of Heath and Happiness"; but just because all the accoutrements of religion and orthodoxy are present, it doesn't always guarantee that the Spirit of the Lord is present.
Only God can do that. Though it's only with 20/20 hindsight, this is one of those lyrics that remind me that only our Creator is "stronger than the storm". But because of that, when the next gale and tempest comes around, we can be comforted by the words of the Savior and Sustainer who calmed the disciples in a Galilean boat with... "Be not afraid".
"Lord Reign in Me/Reign": We would never presume to speak to the original intent or content of these two great songs. THe first one from Brenton Brown (who recently visited God's Square Mile [the town, not the band] and the second from Joe Sabolick from the Calvary Chapel side of things. [Calvary ministered to many from a base in Ocean Grove, after Hurricane Sandy last year]. In any case, these were simply two of our favorite songs, which I think represent our live-worship service sound to a fair degree. All apologies to Joe and Brenton, regarding our "treatment" and changes in arrangement.
At the risk of sounding like a faux-oscar winning speech maker... there really are so many people and organizations we'd like to thank, that I'm afraid to begin, for fear of forgetting someone.
Certainly the ministry and support which has been offered through the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association and St.Paul's United Methodist Church in Ocean Grove need to be mentioned.
As time goes by, we will be adding more thank you's and people-of-honorable mention on our website: gsr4gsm.com
For now, let it be pronounced loud and clear: All glory in the end belongs to God alone. Soli Deo gloria!
An amateur musicologist, geography and international cuisine "freak", PopSentry can be caught listening to Latvian Bagpipes or Venezuelan Harps, just as easily as Fountains of Wayne or Tomaso Albinoni.
In popular music, he gravitates toward the "sound" of a room, studio or production of an album.
Some recurring favorites include: ELO's "New World Record", the Cars' "Candy-O", Led Zeppelin's "Presence", Roddy MacDonald's "Good Dryin'", Michael W. Smith's "Big Picture", Frank Sinatra's "Songs For Swingin' Lovers", "Relaxin' With the Miles Davis Quintet", KC & the Sunshine Band's "Who Do Ya (Love)", Mike Doughty's "Haughty Melodic", Hevia's Tiera De Nadie", Fountain of Wayne's "Utopia Parkway", the New Pornographer's "Twin Cinema", Tom Petty's "Full Moon Fever", the Jayhawks' "Rainy Day Music", the Beatles' "Abbey Road", Ivy's "In the Clear", Anonymous 4, Thelonious Monk, Old Blind Dogs, Lindsay Buckingham, songs like Stevie Wonder's "Superstition", Foo Fighter's "Monkey Wrench", U2's "Beautiful Day" and Blondie's "Maria", composers like Albinoni, Vivaldi, Bach, and Arvo Part... and well... it depends on what country he's "visiting" that day.
When all is said and done however, Jesus Christ is in who he lives and moves and has his being.
Though his flesh wants to fight that reality at times,
his spirit is made new every morning by the faithfulness reflected on,
within these 10 tracks and 11 songs called "Cross Tomb Resurrection"
May they feed your spirit as well.
Enjoy!
