WEBVTT

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Are you listening? This ain't no quiet thing

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We're screaming out our lungs Well, hey, hey,

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are you listening? This is a podcast exploring

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the past, present and future of Christian music.

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My name is Joel. I'm here with my good friend

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Brandon, and we connected over a mutual love

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of some particular bands, but we also have kind

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of different tastes when it comes to things.

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And so we get to experience some new stuff from

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each other. while sometimes inviting some friends

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along for the ride. Brandon, how are you doing

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today, man? I'm doing fantastic. A little chilly.

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It is cold here in the month of December in South

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Carolina. Yeah, the low is like 20 today. How

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did that feel for you when you walked out this

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morning? Honestly, I thought it was going to

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be colder. Like 10? I guess it was going to feel

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colder. I don't know. Like I think I think you'll

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understand this is that sometimes there's like

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like 50 degrees. There's a 50 degrees that's

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like manageable and there's a 50 degrees that

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it's not. Yeah. So it's like if it's raining

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or if it's windy. And so I guess or maybe it's

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just what I wasn't outside. Maybe it was I was

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bundled up. So pretty quick little trips between

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car and yeah, like I thought I was going to be

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in pain today, but I didn't feel any pain. So

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it's a good day. There wasn't any frost on the

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ground, but there was wind that was keeping it

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cool. So yeah, it's cold, which is great because

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it's Christmas time. And so we have another Christmas

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edition today of Hey, are you listening? Brandon,

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what's your favorite Christmas activity? Like

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at Christmas time, what's the one thing that

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you gotta do every year? You gotta open presents.

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That's the reason. The reason for the season.

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Yeah. I think for us, we do like a little book

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and you get to sit down and just talk about,

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it'll be like, what's the gift you're looking

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for? And it's like a five year book. So you're

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able to write down what you want like this year,

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but then go back and be stuff like who are you

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bringing for Christmas this year? So I think

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just just having conversations with people. And

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I know it sounds cheesy, but I guess just like

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like growing up, I got to a point where just

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Christmas is a very cynical time of year. So

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I feel like it's nice getting to talk to people

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who maybe they're having a rough Christmas. Yeah.

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um and then like just talking and i think i think

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just like out of just regular things like christmas

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lights is something that like i think i've come

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to enjoy because we go to places that don't have

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long lines and i think as a kid it was this idea

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of long lines was just like was there's too much

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for me and now it's like we'll go at 10 o 'clock

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at night no one's in line So you're not one of

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the people that sees a line somewhere and you're

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like, there's something good happening, I need

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to be there. Oh, it's not worth it. Jordan gets

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so upset at Disney. We'll go for a ride and I'll

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go, 20 minutes. I don't think it's gonna be worth

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it. Jordan will be like, Brandon, it is Disney

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World. There's no line that's under 20. I feel

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like every time we go to New York, it's like

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we have to find the place where the line is happening

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because that's like the cool thing that you've

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got to have. So you're like, there's something

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good happening on the other side of this. Yes.

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Yes. And so you go stand in it as long as it

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takes for whatever's on the other side. I'll

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keep that in mind if you ever invite me to go

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to New York with you. Yeah, I think for me like

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I We've been we we Walk through like an advent

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kind of activity every year to you But I think

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just trying to create some intentional time with

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my family has been good we're still kind of in

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the throes of like midterms for the kids and

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working through all that kind of stuff right

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now. But I'm really looking forward to getting

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to the other side of that and just being able

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to slow down a little bit and kind of enjoy some

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moments this season, which we've been able to

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kind of pull some of those out. But watch a Christmas

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movie, drink some cocoa, play some games, put

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a puzzle together. Um, just some some gifts like

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a christmas puzzle or what kind of puzzle? I

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mean sure We have some christmas puzzles. I don't

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have any thousand piece christmas puzzles though.

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I got a couple of like 300s i'm imagining like

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it's like a scene where it's like a Barn and

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there's some like greenery and like a dog carrying

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like a present or something We have like, um,

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somebody got us these I think in the last couple

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of years they're like, um That's I'm blanking

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on the guy's name the painter the painter of

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light or whatever Uh -huh Kincaid or something.

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Oh, yeah, but like they're like scenes from like

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Christmas movies And so it's like his style but

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but like a scene from like home alone or whatever

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that he's like painted and so as you describe

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that I'm starting to thinking that I feel like

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puzzles are just for people who like wish they

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could have a line at home. I love, love having

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like a Christmas movie on and working on a puzzle.

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It's like one of one of the great joys of my

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life. So hopefully I can make that happen at

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some point this year before we get to two end

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of things. Well, we're covering another Christmas

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album today, and we always talk about how this

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is a podcast on the past, the present, and the

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future of Christian music. And I feel like today

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is a moment where the past and the present come

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together a little bit. Because today, we're going

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to be covering the brand new first ever Christmas

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album from Striper called The Greatest Gift of

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All. this is kind of a huge deal. Striper's never

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put out a Christmas album before. But yeah, I

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think they're kind of made for it in some ways.

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And so it'll be interesting for us to kind of

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dig into that in just a little bit. But first,

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let's spend a little time talking about what's

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in the news. So Brandon, I don't know if you

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saw this or not, but there is a surprise Christmas

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album drop that happened over the last week.

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Do you know what I'm talking about? Forrest Frank

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dropped a Christmas album. Oh, yeah. Yeah, with,

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I don't know how to say the other person that's

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part of it, but with JVKE together, they put

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together. this is what Christmas feels like.

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And it's a Christmas album. I don't suppose that

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you've checked it out yet, have you? I know you

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mentioned it. I remember seeing it was released,

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but I haven't gotten around to checking it out

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yet. Sadly, I have not checked it out yet either.

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And I don't know that my kids know that it exists.

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Otherwise, it's probably the only thing that

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would get played in my house right now. And so

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which is maybe why I haven't mentioned it. But

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yeah, I'm gonna have to check it out and see

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what it's all about. But that happened and that's

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a big deal. And I also think Forrest Frank's

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going on like a stadium tour. That some dates

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just got released and tickets went on sale. And

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apparently like he's like selling out arenas

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in like a second. Like tickets are gone already

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and sold out for some of these places, which

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is wild. And so good for him, good for him. All

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right. I've got a little game that goes along

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with our striper theme today and it's called

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metal or myth. Okay. And so I'm going to give

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you titles of potential striper songs and I want

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you to tell me if it's metal, meaning that it

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is a real striper song or myth that it's made

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up. You ready? Yeah. All right. Let me just find

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my notes here. Okay, we'll start off kind of

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easy. So first one. Chains of the Crimson Knight.

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Myth. Correct. To hell with the devil. Oh, metal.

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You know that one. Battle Hymn of the Broken.

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Myth? You're right. It's a myth soldiers under

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command Myth that one's metal. Mm -hmm. Yeah,

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that's a real one. That's actually a I think

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the title track of an album soldiers or maybe

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their first album that stuff. It's interesting

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cuz like a Little side thing. I don't know if

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you've seen but there's people that are kind

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of upset with the Jeremy Camp skillet song they

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did called like, No Survivors. So it's a lot

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of like imagery about like, I'm paraphrasing,

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but it's like, God like, you know, kill all of

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the like, pride or whatever. It's like a lot

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of imagery of like, I need this, drop this bomb

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on this or whatever. And so like, people just

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tell me how like nowadays you don't really find

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that in the like, In like like a lot of things

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about like oh being soldiers or whatever. Yeah

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So when you said that I was like, oh, it's You

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could have brought that up in the news. Yeah,

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I should have alright Calling on you Metal yeah.

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Yeah, that's that's a real one. That's off to

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hell with the devil lightning in the sanctuary

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Metal That one's a myth. Is it a real song or

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is that a fake song? It's a fake song. Oh, okay.

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Not real. It doesn't exist. I'd like to hear

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it if it was a real song. Tears of the Lionhearted.

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Myth. That's a myth. The Steel Wings of Zion.

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That's gotta be metal. It's myth. More than a

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man. Metal. Yeah, that one's real. In God We

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Trust. Metal. Yep, that's the title track off

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an album. Holy Fire Rebellion. I'm gonna go with

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myth. Myth, yeah, that's a little too on the

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nose. The Rock That Makes Me Roll. I feel like

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that exists, but I don't think they sing it,

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so I'm gonna go myth. It's metal. Heaven's Iron

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Fist. Myth. That's correct. Myth, yep. Angels

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and the Amplifiers. That sounds like a Family

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Force V song. A myth. It's myth. Always there

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for you. Metal. Do you know that song? No. Yeah,

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that's one of the really popular Sharper songs.

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It's like a pop song. So like an encore if there's

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or? Uh, maybe. It's like one of their like few.

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A mass view as if you've been like? One of their

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few like acoustic songs. Oh, okay. That's pretty

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well known. Obviously it's paper out of my pocket

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so I don't keep crinkling. Uh, Crimson Thunder

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Gospel. Um, CTG. Uh, I'm gonna go metal. It's

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a myth. Yahweh. Metal. Yep. The gospel according

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to volume. Myth. Yep. You're right. You're right.

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You did pretty well. You probably got half or

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maybe a little more of those. I should do a better

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job keeping track so we know. But the viewers

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outside will be like, oh, he only got 43%. But

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it does just kind of prove that your striper

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knowledge is Little limited. I need to go listen

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to some more. That's what's happening. Yeah,

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that's what needs to happen so that you know

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I mean you should always there for you this classic

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classic song All right. Well, let's talk real

00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:32.500
quick about what we've been listening to lately

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And then we'll kind of jump into talking about

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the greatest gift of all. What's something that

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you've been listening to lately? I've been listening

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to Sorry while we were doing that. I was I just

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found out something that was really interesting,

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but I can share it later on. Okay Grace Graber

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like I mentioned to you mentioned to you the

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other day about her. Yeah so she's like been

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doing like some original stuff and some covers

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and Last week she came out with a punk version

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of Forrest Frank's lemonade. Mm -hmm. I was pretty

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interesting, but I think the one I enjoyed a

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little bit more was she came out with a cover

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of his favorite Christmas story. And I think

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that is one of the most underrated Christmas

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songs out there. It's by, I think it's Capital

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Lights. And I was getting mixed up because there's

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like Capital Lights and Capital Cities, and one

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of them was this Christian band that released

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like two bands, and the other one was like, I

00:14:31.960 --> 00:14:36.899
think super big. So I was getting mixed up. But

00:14:36.899 --> 00:14:39.320
yeah, it's I think it's a really underrated Christmas

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story and I feel like she did a really good job

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of Making a cover of it. So I've been listening

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to both those a pretty good bit. That's cool.

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That's awesome I haven't really been listening

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to anything new I'm getting ready for next Is

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it March or April when mxpx is coming to town?

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And so I have a little bit of gap in my MXBX

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listening that I listened from the very beginning,

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like all the way through until the ever passing

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moment, basically, and then stopped. And so I've

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kind of picked up listening, I've been listening

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to the album Secret Weapon by MXBX, just trying

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to... Kind of fill the gaps in my knowledge.

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So I make sure I know enough of the songs when

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we get to see them live You're gonna have to

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start listening to them. So you're not just there.

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I know do you do you ever um Do you ever go to

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setlist .com and check what the setlist is gonna

00:15:38.360 --> 00:15:42.039
be beforehand? I should actually I I do that

00:15:42.039 --> 00:15:46.460
before so many Um concerts like especially if

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I don't know the band. Yeah um, because even

00:15:49.419 --> 00:15:51.039
bands I know there's sometimes where they play

00:15:51.039 --> 00:15:54.139
songs and it's like it's not until later on that

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I appreciate the song. And like some bands like,

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you know, they like need to breathe. They'll

00:15:59.000 --> 00:16:03.139
throw in one or two. But I feel like it's nice

00:16:03.139 --> 00:16:05.320
because you know what to expect. So then you

00:16:05.320 --> 00:16:08.080
appreciate instead of spending three minutes

00:16:08.080 --> 00:16:11.440
going, what are they singing? Yeah. I felt like

00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:14.299
MXPX has so many songs and they're always doing

00:16:14.299 --> 00:16:16.620
live streams of just playing like every song

00:16:16.620 --> 00:16:19.519
they have. And so I feel like just because they're

00:16:19.519 --> 00:16:21.299
playing something on a tour doesn't mean that

00:16:21.299 --> 00:16:23.509
they're playing it. the night you go see them.

00:16:24.990 --> 00:16:27.549
But yeah, that would be a helpful thing. And

00:16:27.549 --> 00:16:29.389
I need to check that out to just kind of get

00:16:29.389 --> 00:16:33.049
an idea of kind of what they're doing. But yeah,

00:16:33.110 --> 00:16:37.509
eventually we'll cover some MXPX records so that

00:16:37.509 --> 00:16:40.190
we can have Mike Carrera on the pod when he's

00:16:40.190 --> 00:16:45.110
in town. But yeah, I've been listening to Secret

00:16:45.110 --> 00:16:47.990
Weapon, so it's been pretty cool. All right.

00:16:48.029 --> 00:16:50.730
So again, today we're covering The Greatest Gift

00:16:50.730 --> 00:16:53.450
of All, the brand new Christmas album from Striper.

00:16:53.590 --> 00:16:58.710
Here's some info that I pulled online about this.

00:16:59.169 --> 00:17:02.389
So The Greatest Gift of All released on November

00:17:02.389 --> 00:17:05.690
21st, 2025. And so it's only been out for a few

00:17:05.690 --> 00:17:10.529
weeks at this point, fulfilling a long time fan

00:17:10.529 --> 00:17:13.910
request for a full Christmas record. It's a 10

00:17:13.910 --> 00:17:17.190
-track album that features five original songs

00:17:17.190 --> 00:17:20.190
and five heavy reimagined Christmas classics

00:17:20.190 --> 00:17:24.170
like Reason for the Season and Winter Wonderland,

00:17:24.309 --> 00:17:27.329
delivering their signature power metal sound

00:17:27.329 --> 00:17:31.150
with festive themes. It was released as a physical

00:17:31.150 --> 00:17:34.630
release only and is not available on streaming

00:17:34.630 --> 00:17:38.549
services. So that was an interesting thing for

00:17:38.549 --> 00:17:42.450
us when we found out about this. I honestly,

00:17:42.470 --> 00:17:44.670
when we talked about covering this, I'm like,

00:17:44.890 --> 00:17:47.549
I'm just gonna pick that up. And so I just went

00:17:47.549 --> 00:17:51.869
ahead and ordered it on vinyl because I wanted

00:17:51.869 --> 00:17:55.049
to check it out. But I had no idea that it wasn't

00:17:55.049 --> 00:17:57.970
gonna be on streaming until you were like, hey,

00:17:57.990 --> 00:18:02.069
this isn't on streaming. Do you feel like if

00:18:02.069 --> 00:18:03.670
it was streaming, you would have still bought

00:18:03.670 --> 00:18:07.009
the vinyl? Well, I did before I even knew whether

00:18:07.009 --> 00:18:11.279
it was or not. And I think just because it felt

00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:14.859
like a little bit of novelty to me, like things

00:18:14.859 --> 00:18:17.900
like a Striper Christmas album just kind of fascinates

00:18:17.900 --> 00:18:21.880
me. And so I feel like that's like a piece of

00:18:21.880 --> 00:18:25.759
history that I want to own and be able to hold

00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:29.420
in my hands. I don't know why, but yeah, so I

00:18:29.420 --> 00:18:31.900
did. But what's your take on that? Like, what

00:18:31.900 --> 00:18:34.740
do you think about that? Just why would they

00:18:34.740 --> 00:18:39.099
make this move? So when I first found that out,

00:18:40.120 --> 00:18:44.319
I felt like it goes both ways. I think from a

00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:47.799
business side, it in a way makes sense. Like,

00:18:47.799 --> 00:18:50.299
it's kind of a risky thing, but you're making,

00:18:50.420 --> 00:18:53.420
like, there's only so much supply. So, if you

00:18:53.420 --> 00:18:55.579
want this, you gotta go buy it. You can't just

00:18:55.579 --> 00:19:00.880
wait around to get it. I think from, like, a

00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:05.539
ministry side, it's like, I feel like it's like

00:19:05.539 --> 00:19:08.160
a church. Like, if you were to say, like, churches

00:19:08.160 --> 00:19:11.349
that, like, charged for seats or whatever it's

00:19:11.349 --> 00:19:15.230
like yeah people know but also you're like closing

00:19:15.230 --> 00:19:18.190
the door for more people hearing about it yeah

00:19:18.190 --> 00:19:23.210
um so i think for me it's like i like i get annoying

00:19:23.210 --> 00:19:26.230
people don't do a physical release but i understand

00:19:26.230 --> 00:19:28.329
it because like i want to look through the booklet

00:19:28.329 --> 00:19:32.589
i want to buy the cd but i understand um but

00:19:32.589 --> 00:19:35.700
i feel like it's weird to have where people don't

00:19:35.700 --> 00:19:39.039
even have like a here's a download link or whatever

00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:42.420
um but what's interesting about all of that is

00:19:42.420 --> 00:19:44.859
that what i discovered while we were playing

00:19:44.859 --> 00:19:48.359
our game is that it is now available on apple

00:19:48.359 --> 00:19:53.940
music what okay so it's not available on spotify

00:19:53.940 --> 00:19:57.099
yet but you can stream it now on apple music

00:19:57.099 --> 00:20:01.200
so it is interesting out digitally i was How

00:20:01.200 --> 00:20:03.339
does that make you feel that they said they're

00:20:03.339 --> 00:20:05.019
because I think what you had read was there was

00:20:05.019 --> 00:20:08.220
not going to be a digital release. Yeah, I think

00:20:08.220 --> 00:20:13.220
in my head I was imagining that like they're

00:20:13.220 --> 00:20:16.200
like this year we're going to do a physical release

00:20:16.200 --> 00:20:20.779
only and that way we can sell everything and

00:20:20.779 --> 00:20:23.660
then next year we'll release it on streaming

00:20:23.660 --> 00:20:26.599
and it's almost like it gets two releases. You

00:20:26.599 --> 00:20:28.710
know what I mean? Like they get two shots at

00:20:28.710 --> 00:20:30.690
it coming out and catching an audience. They

00:20:30.690 --> 00:20:35.509
pulled a goatee. So it's interesting that basically

00:20:35.509 --> 00:20:39.109
it's been out for three to four weeks and now

00:20:39.109 --> 00:20:44.450
they've like dropped it online. Which I guess

00:20:44.450 --> 00:20:50.619
catches like all the fans to buy it first. Because

00:20:50.619 --> 00:20:53.099
I think this is, it's actually charted. Like

00:20:53.099 --> 00:20:56.400
it's done decently well, probably because it

00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:58.539
wasn't available on streaming and you had to

00:20:58.539 --> 00:21:03.140
go buy it. But it rubs me a little bit the wrong

00:21:03.140 --> 00:21:06.279
way that they're like, this is gonna be a physical

00:21:06.279 --> 00:21:08.779
release only. And then just a few weeks later,

00:21:08.779 --> 00:21:13.359
they drop it on streaming. I'm not sure how I

00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:17.079
feel about that, honestly. Dropping the breaking

00:21:17.079 --> 00:21:19.200
news in the middle of this. You're giving me

00:21:19.200 --> 00:21:21.660
some mixed feelings walking into this conversation.

00:21:23.240 --> 00:21:26.259
But I think it's like, it is just interesting

00:21:26.259 --> 00:21:29.839
because, you know, and I'm sure this is like,

00:21:30.339 --> 00:21:32.480
this could be a whole episode, and I mean, I'm

00:21:32.480 --> 00:21:35.680
sure that you could have people come on who are

00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:38.000
like, dealing with this right now and discuss

00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:39.740
this, but like, at the end of the day, like,

00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:43.950
it is a business. And like, I know for me, there's

00:21:43.950 --> 00:21:48.490
been bands that I've loved and they will trash

00:21:48.490 --> 00:21:50.849
their record label when they leave. But they

00:21:50.849 --> 00:21:53.230
start describing what happened and it's like,

00:21:53.269 --> 00:21:55.029
yeah, our sales weren't good. So then they tried

00:21:55.029 --> 00:21:59.769
to change our sound. And it's like, well, yeah,

00:21:59.769 --> 00:22:02.490
I get it. As an artist, I don't think it's right

00:22:02.490 --> 00:22:05.450
to be stifled, but also it's like when someone's

00:22:05.450 --> 00:22:08.109
handing you $50 ,000 and they only get $10 ,000

00:22:08.109 --> 00:22:12.569
back, they're going to make a change. I feel

00:22:12.569 --> 00:22:18.549
like it feels dirty, but also it's like, you

00:22:18.549 --> 00:22:21.670
know, like I think as a Christian musician, you

00:22:21.670 --> 00:22:24.950
should, you know, it should be, oh, the music's

00:22:24.950 --> 00:22:26.710
for free, or it should be like a new song where

00:22:26.710 --> 00:22:29.450
it's like, pay what you can for this or whatever.

00:22:29.910 --> 00:22:33.369
But at the same time, like, you look at someone

00:22:33.369 --> 00:22:36.410
like Toby Mack, and let's say hypothetically

00:22:36.410 --> 00:22:40.140
that he made $100 ,000 off of doing a show. Like,

00:22:40.140 --> 00:22:42.960
you've got his band members. There's like 10,

00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:45.960
12 of those. There's probably how many techs,

00:22:45.960 --> 00:22:49.140
how much gas money. So it's like, Toby's not

00:22:49.140 --> 00:22:51.920
walking around walking away with like $70 ,000.

00:22:52.299 --> 00:22:55.900
Right. So I think that like, sometimes it's forgets

00:22:55.900 --> 00:22:59.039
that like it is, there is a business aspect to

00:22:59.039 --> 00:23:02.619
it. But I think that it, it kind of gets like

00:23:02.619 --> 00:23:06.180
magnified whenever you're mixing like ministry

00:23:06.180 --> 00:23:10.299
component to that as well. Yeah. Yeah, it's a

00:23:10.299 --> 00:23:12.059
tough line. I mean, this is how people make a

00:23:12.059 --> 00:23:14.660
living, like Stryper still makes their living

00:23:14.660 --> 00:23:17.400
by doing this, which is wild that they're able

00:23:17.400 --> 00:23:20.640
to after all these years. And a pretty cool thing.

00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:25.740
But yeah, I understand that for sure. Let's talk

00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:30.059
a little bit about Stryper. So what history,

00:23:30.299 --> 00:23:35.809
if any, do you have with this band or? Nothing.

00:23:36.950 --> 00:23:40.769
I think that I know their one song, To Hell With

00:23:40.769 --> 00:23:44.849
The Devil, and that's about... like, I know they

00:23:44.849 --> 00:23:49.250
exist, but like, other than that, never listen

00:23:49.250 --> 00:23:53.690
to them, never... like, I know that for some

00:23:53.690 --> 00:23:56.890
people they're divisive, especially back in the

00:23:56.890 --> 00:24:00.430
day when it was like, you cannot be a Christian

00:24:00.430 --> 00:24:03.599
and... go hang out with that band or this or

00:24:03.599 --> 00:24:08.279
that. So, like, I think that I feel like legacy

00:24:08.279 --> 00:24:11.440
-wise, and I mean, I'm not like a historian by

00:24:11.440 --> 00:24:15.519
any counts or whatever, but I think it is interesting

00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:19.539
to have a band that was reaching across the aisle.

00:24:20.220 --> 00:24:21.420
And I know you were telling me earlier about

00:24:21.420 --> 00:24:24.660
them touring with bands like Motley Crue, you

00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:27.799
know, or whatever, that like back in the day

00:24:27.799 --> 00:24:29.279
I hadn't heard of. It's like, you know, stay

00:24:29.279 --> 00:24:32.470
in your little seat, cut your hair, go play in

00:24:32.470 --> 00:24:36.910
church. And, you know, I think it's cool because

00:24:36.910 --> 00:24:39.349
you have, you know, I wonder how many bands saw

00:24:39.349 --> 00:24:43.470
that and they became whoever they became because

00:24:43.470 --> 00:24:46.589
they were like, well, Stryper's out here and

00:24:46.589 --> 00:24:50.349
they don't have to be Christian and put out bad

00:24:50.349 --> 00:24:53.109
music. And they also don't have to like, give

00:24:53.109 --> 00:24:55.250
up their faith to make good music. Like they

00:24:55.250 --> 00:24:57.990
can be Christians, they can be very vocal about

00:24:57.990 --> 00:25:01.950
Jesus. but also put out, like, songs that people

00:25:01.950 --> 00:25:05.809
consider to be good. Yeah. They were able to

00:25:05.809 --> 00:25:08.970
do that in a way that I think still few artists

00:25:08.970 --> 00:25:14.210
have in the fact that they really were able to

00:25:14.210 --> 00:25:19.369
be who they were, like, really, really, really

00:25:19.369 --> 00:25:23.930
upfront about their faith and be huge in the

00:25:23.930 --> 00:25:29.220
mainstream. And a lot of artists since then have

00:25:29.220 --> 00:25:32.759
made big steps into the mainstream, but it's

00:25:32.759 --> 00:25:34.720
been a little bit at the cost of like, we're

00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:38.740
gonna change a little bit of our lyrics and whatever

00:25:38.740 --> 00:25:41.900
it may be, the way that we talk between songs.

00:25:42.359 --> 00:25:46.619
And that was just not the case for Striper. And

00:25:46.619 --> 00:25:49.079
so it's pretty wild that they were able to find

00:25:49.079 --> 00:25:56.779
the success that they found in that way. So I

00:25:56.779 --> 00:26:01.359
had... I had definite exposure to Stryper growing

00:26:01.359 --> 00:26:05.259
up, but I wouldn't say they were always earlier

00:26:05.259 --> 00:26:08.640
than me. And so I listened to, I feel like a

00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:11.759
ton of bands that probably were really directly

00:26:11.759 --> 00:26:17.259
influenced by Stryper, but not, I didn't spend

00:26:17.259 --> 00:26:20.900
a lot of time with Stryper themselves. I remember

00:26:20.900 --> 00:26:24.200
in high school, I had, I just picked up a couple

00:26:24.200 --> 00:26:28.549
of Stryper records somehow, maybe cheap on CD

00:26:28.549 --> 00:26:30.970
somewhere like I think soldiers under command

00:26:30.970 --> 00:26:33.990
and against the law or something and spent a

00:26:33.990 --> 00:26:38.869
lot of time with those albums and I feel like

00:26:38.869 --> 00:26:40.690
it was against the law which I think is one of

00:26:40.690 --> 00:26:43.549
their like edgier kind of albums that I ended

00:26:43.549 --> 00:26:46.329
up spending the most amount of time listening

00:26:46.329 --> 00:26:50.849
to but but striper was just a band that like

00:26:50.849 --> 00:26:55.890
everybody knew of because they made such a cultural

00:26:55.890 --> 00:26:58.750
impact. And there were a lot of Christians that

00:26:58.750 --> 00:27:02.470
didn't like it. And they were upset about it

00:27:02.470 --> 00:27:07.589
and angry about it and called it evil. And then

00:27:07.589 --> 00:27:09.970
a lot of people, I'm sure that were reached by

00:27:09.970 --> 00:27:15.170
their music at the same time. And so definitely

00:27:15.170 --> 00:27:20.250
a really important band in the history of this

00:27:20.250 --> 00:27:25.700
whole thing of Christian music. but a very divisive

00:27:25.700 --> 00:27:29.039
band at that same point in time. I don't think

00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:33.059
today that a lot of people look at them in that

00:27:33.059 --> 00:27:36.599
same lens. They're still making music today and

00:27:36.599 --> 00:27:39.539
I feel like they're much more just entrenched

00:27:39.539 --> 00:27:44.039
in this like Christian music world today in their

00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:48.480
own little way. But still making music, still

00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:52.319
releasing albums every couple of years. but not

00:27:52.319 --> 00:27:55.940
really like controversial anymore. But we've

00:27:55.940 --> 00:28:00.079
seen a lot happen between now and when they started.

00:28:00.839 --> 00:28:07.180
So, yeah. Well, so this is an album that has

00:28:07.180 --> 00:28:12.000
a musical theme. And just to kind of get into

00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:15.359
some opening thoughts about it, I feel like there

00:28:15.359 --> 00:28:20.740
are, there's some of it that feels actually like

00:28:20.740 --> 00:28:27.099
decently modern in some ways that surprised me

00:28:27.099 --> 00:28:32.960
and then a lot of it feels like it's out of the

00:28:32.960 --> 00:28:36.200
80s but I do feel like it's a little bit of a

00:28:36.200 --> 00:28:39.859
blend of like probably 80s striper and like just

00:28:39.859 --> 00:28:45.359
more current melodic hard rock or metal and so

00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:50.029
I was a little surprised with that it felt a

00:28:50.029 --> 00:28:54.910
little more like of the time than I kind of thought,

00:28:55.190 --> 00:28:58.130
even though a lot of it just kept kind of pulling

00:28:58.130 --> 00:29:01.609
back. So I don't know, that's a balance that

00:29:01.609 --> 00:29:03.710
I felt like they were walking a little bit with

00:29:03.710 --> 00:29:10.250
this, this record. I think... I feel like my

00:29:10.250 --> 00:29:14.309
only context for Christmas music in this vein

00:29:14.309 --> 00:29:18.150
or style of music would be Trans -Siberian Orchestra.

00:29:18.650 --> 00:29:21.369
And so I feel like that's the place where my

00:29:21.369 --> 00:29:23.910
head kept going as I was listening to this and

00:29:23.910 --> 00:29:27.009
I kept just comparing it to what I knew of Trans

00:29:27.009 --> 00:29:30.630
-Siberian Orchestra. What were your kind of big

00:29:30.630 --> 00:29:33.210
thoughts as you were engaging with us for the

00:29:33.210 --> 00:29:38.049
first time? Yeah, I think that... I think it's...

00:29:38.029 --> 00:29:41.950
It's easier and harder whenever you have like

00:29:41.950 --> 00:29:44.230
this distinct sound like if you're just like

00:29:44.230 --> 00:29:48.710
a Like folk artists kind of type thing. It's

00:29:48.710 --> 00:29:50.670
easy just to go into okay It's just gonna be

00:29:50.670 --> 00:29:53.930
me and acoustic guitar singing Christmas carols

00:29:53.930 --> 00:29:57.849
I feel like it's harder because a lot of the

00:29:57.849 --> 00:30:00.750
songs aren't written to you know turn into like

00:30:00.750 --> 00:30:04.480
metal songs but also I feel like you have the

00:30:04.480 --> 00:30:06.480
opportunity just to run with it and be like,

00:30:06.859 --> 00:30:10.539
yeah, this isn't gonna... People don't want us

00:30:10.539 --> 00:30:12.960
to try to have just a piano inside. No one wants

00:30:12.960 --> 00:30:15.059
this to be an acoustic one. Everyone wants it

00:30:15.059 --> 00:30:22.279
to be full on us. I remember years ago, there

00:30:22.279 --> 00:30:25.880
was a band that I felt like they were really

00:30:25.880 --> 00:30:28.619
fun and playful, and then they released a Christmas

00:30:28.619 --> 00:30:32.680
album, and I'm like... There's nothing original.

00:30:33.960 --> 00:30:35.900
It's like you guys were just like, well, everyone

00:30:35.900 --> 00:30:38.740
else is doing this. So it felt more like a cash

00:30:38.740 --> 00:30:43.880
grab for me. And I'm like, why didn't you put

00:30:43.880 --> 00:30:47.279
out what I'm hoping for as an artist? It's like

00:30:47.279 --> 00:30:49.859
if John Rubin just saying, go tell it on the

00:30:49.859 --> 00:30:51.900
mountain. That's not what I'm looking for. I'm

00:30:51.900 --> 00:30:54.160
looking for something original. I'm looking for

00:30:54.160 --> 00:30:57.079
something silly. I'm looking for something super

00:30:57.079 --> 00:31:01.339
serious, like on this or whatever. and um so

00:31:01.339 --> 00:31:05.339
i mean i i feel like on on that end like they

00:31:05.339 --> 00:31:08.940
gave they gave like the fans what they wanted

00:31:08.940 --> 00:31:12.420
but i guess it's kind of like as we dive into

00:31:12.420 --> 00:31:15.940
this it's kind of like you know if you're like

00:31:15.940 --> 00:31:18.980
pizza's awesome but like can there be too much

00:31:18.980 --> 00:31:22.599
pizza or too much ice cream for dinner or whatever

00:31:23.430 --> 00:31:26.750
Yeah, I think that this is gonna run into you

00:31:26.750 --> 00:31:28.930
I feel like honestly what I run into listening

00:31:28.930 --> 00:31:31.910
to a full Christmas album by any artist Mm -hmm

00:31:31.910 --> 00:31:35.309
is that it wears down on me as I get further

00:31:35.309 --> 00:31:39.089
in it? Because I think I've mentioned this before

00:31:39.089 --> 00:31:41.869
Like I'm just so used to listening to Christmas

00:31:41.869 --> 00:31:45.930
music on a playlist and so the variety that's

00:31:45.930 --> 00:31:48.730
there And so I feel like when a Christmas album

00:31:48.730 --> 00:31:51.670
for me is track after track after track kind

00:31:51.670 --> 00:31:54.569
of feeling the same way. I just it wears on me

00:31:54.569 --> 00:31:58.309
a little bit and I'm ready for something else

00:31:58.309 --> 00:32:01.950
and so I think this album and we'll get into

00:32:01.950 --> 00:32:05.829
it but I think this album even honestly like

00:32:05.829 --> 00:32:08.430
Amy Grant when we talked about Amy Grant it just

00:32:08.430 --> 00:32:11.190
it wears down on me the further that we that

00:32:11.190 --> 00:32:13.890
we get into it so. Well I can I go ahead and

00:32:13.890 --> 00:32:16.670
jump into this. Let's do it. So the first one

00:32:16.670 --> 00:32:21.670
we have is Greatest Gift That's the title of

00:32:21.670 --> 00:32:23.410
that track, right? Greatest Gift of All. Okay,

00:32:23.410 --> 00:32:24.829
I want to make sure I didn't start like cutting

00:32:24.829 --> 00:32:28.549
it short. So Greatest Gift of All. I think for

00:32:28.549 --> 00:32:32.130
me, like, I enjoyed it. I think it sets up the

00:32:32.130 --> 00:32:37.089
album pretty well. You get a feel for, okay,

00:32:37.210 --> 00:32:41.849
this is going to be what you expect. And I think

00:32:41.849 --> 00:32:45.130
after hearing like a little bit more like striper,

00:32:45.190 --> 00:32:46.789
because I think I was telling you that when I

00:32:46.789 --> 00:32:50.109
think of metal, I think of like Screaming and

00:32:50.109 --> 00:32:52.329
all yeah, and it was I know this is like an 80s

00:32:52.329 --> 00:32:56.930
like type of like metal And I think it is smart

00:32:56.930 --> 00:32:59.549
to begin with an original. Yeah, I think it's

00:32:59.549 --> 00:33:03.190
smart to Because like, you know, it's like like

00:33:03.190 --> 00:33:05.710
the joke is whenever you see like someone performing

00:33:05.710 --> 00:33:08.069
at a restaurant or something It's like oh, he's

00:33:08.069 --> 00:33:10.369
about to perform some originals. So I think it's

00:33:10.369 --> 00:33:14.650
really smart to Start with okay here. Here's

00:33:14.650 --> 00:33:18.000
an original. This is us. So like this is This

00:33:18.000 --> 00:33:20.240
is our thing. This isn't going to be just us

00:33:20.240 --> 00:33:23.559
doing Christmas covers. Right. So I personally

00:33:23.559 --> 00:33:26.299
really enjoy that they started off with an original.

00:33:26.839 --> 00:33:31.279
So yeah. And and I think it's it's a really actually

00:33:31.279 --> 00:33:35.819
good and bold move that this whole album that

00:33:35.819 --> 00:33:38.380
there's like it's half and half, like it's five

00:33:38.380 --> 00:33:43.119
original songs and then five. Classics, I don't

00:33:43.119 --> 00:33:45.599
think most artists would do that. Usually you're

00:33:45.599 --> 00:33:48.259
probably gonna end up with seven or eight classics

00:33:48.259 --> 00:33:51.319
and two or three originals on an album like this.

00:33:51.579 --> 00:33:54.200
And so the fact that they were willing to go

00:33:54.200 --> 00:33:58.339
half and half proves that they're investing in

00:33:58.339 --> 00:34:01.500
this. They're putting energy into it, which I

00:34:01.500 --> 00:34:03.740
think is really cool. And I don't know that anybody

00:34:03.740 --> 00:34:08.360
would have expected that. Yeah, I like the song

00:34:08.360 --> 00:34:11.650
too. I like the bells at the beginning just to

00:34:11.650 --> 00:34:14.250
kind of kick the album off. And then the guitars

00:34:14.250 --> 00:34:17.190
honestly were coming in and I was like, is this

00:34:17.190 --> 00:34:21.110
like an 80s album or a punk album? There's like

00:34:21.110 --> 00:34:24.389
some punk rock vibe to the guitars that were

00:34:24.389 --> 00:34:29.170
happening. And I feel like almost every song

00:34:29.170 --> 00:34:32.530
on this album has like a dual guitar solo happening,

00:34:33.110 --> 00:34:36.869
harmonic guitar solo. And if there's one thing

00:34:36.869 --> 00:34:39.489
that I'm really here for on this album, it's

00:34:39.489 --> 00:34:43.150
that. I love that sound. And Striper's a band

00:34:43.150 --> 00:34:46.329
that's done that forever. And they do it better

00:34:46.329 --> 00:34:51.409
than almost anybody else. And I just love the

00:34:51.409 --> 00:34:55.449
sound of it. And so getting that on this first

00:34:55.449 --> 00:34:59.309
track was like, OK, I'm here. I like this. So

00:34:59.309 --> 00:35:02.500
yeah, I thought that was fun. Um, we'll track

00:35:02.500 --> 00:35:06.719
two go tell it on a mountain. Um, what were your

00:35:06.719 --> 00:35:10.000
thoughts on the first cover? Didn't care for

00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:14.280
it I don't know. I felt like um I wrote down

00:35:14.280 --> 00:35:16.280
that go telling on the mountain isn't a song

00:35:16.280 --> 00:35:19.119
that you give whatever treatment they do. It's

00:35:19.119 --> 00:35:23.300
not like I wasn't sure um I feel like it's it's

00:35:23.300 --> 00:35:25.539
a bold choice because when I think of go telling

00:35:25.539 --> 00:35:29.039
the mountain I think of like it's best suited

00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:32.920
for like country. This is a song Garth Brooks

00:35:32.920 --> 00:35:40.480
is going to cover. So I felt like there was maybe

00:35:40.480 --> 00:35:44.239
a better choice you could have put into there.

00:35:45.539 --> 00:35:50.619
I feel like if I heard this live, I feel almost

00:35:50.619 --> 00:35:56.519
like the crowd would be divided. We want we want

00:35:56.519 --> 00:35:59.019
you guys, but I don't know if we want this song

00:35:59.019 --> 00:36:01.179
and vice versa like we want this song But I don't

00:36:01.179 --> 00:36:03.639
know if I want you like I want Crowder to yeah

00:36:03.639 --> 00:36:06.360
sing this or whatever See it kind of left me

00:36:06.360 --> 00:36:08.659
like scratching my head. Yeah, this wasn't my

00:36:08.659 --> 00:36:12.460
favorite track either And I don't think I would

00:36:12.460 --> 00:36:16.380
have put this as track number two. Mm -hmm It

00:36:16.380 --> 00:36:20.219
didn't do anything like special it's a pretty

00:36:20.219 --> 00:36:24.360
standard version of the song and there was nothing

00:36:25.250 --> 00:36:29.210
Nothing like about it that kind of drew me into

00:36:29.210 --> 00:36:31.769
a different space I like like the gang vocals

00:36:31.769 --> 00:36:34.510
at the beginning leading into it They didn't

00:36:34.510 --> 00:36:36.949
have like hand claps towards the end, which I

00:36:36.949 --> 00:36:39.030
thought oh, that would be cool But then I don't

00:36:39.030 --> 00:36:43.210
really think it helped it that much So yeah,

00:36:43.289 --> 00:36:45.550
I'm with you. I actually really like the song

00:36:45.550 --> 00:36:48.929
but I I don't really care for this version I

00:36:48.929 --> 00:36:53.780
think that if you replaced it with like just

00:36:53.780 --> 00:36:55.980
for a minute, like, close your eyes and imagine

00:36:55.980 --> 00:37:00.739
if you go into We Three Kings. I feel like that's

00:37:00.739 --> 00:37:05.460
a song that maybe, like, lends itself to, like,

00:37:05.840 --> 00:37:08.659
I mean, I would think you could turn that into

00:37:08.659 --> 00:37:11.280
kind of this. I feel like metal is almost this,

00:37:11.980 --> 00:37:15.380
like, you're weaving this, like, story. Like,

00:37:15.380 --> 00:37:17.760
it's about story books and all. This is the kind

00:37:17.760 --> 00:37:19.820
of music you hear about, like, wizards doing

00:37:19.820 --> 00:37:26.360
stuff. I can already hear the lead guitars in

00:37:26.360 --> 00:37:29.320
my head playing the melody of We Three Kings.

00:37:29.500 --> 00:37:33.639
I feel that. That's a valid point. Next we move

00:37:33.639 --> 00:37:39.019
to Heaven Came On, Christmas Day. First off,

00:37:39.099 --> 00:37:43.179
I'm wondering, is this an original? Yes. Yeah,

00:37:43.179 --> 00:37:48.460
it is. Yeah, so this is kind of where the album

00:37:48.460 --> 00:37:55.000
picks back up for me. I do like this song. The

00:37:55.000 --> 00:37:59.920
gang vocals on the chorus are kind of fun. Obviously,

00:38:00.039 --> 00:38:03.960
the message is strong. It's got another great

00:38:03.960 --> 00:38:09.519
dual solo, guitar solo. And there's not a lot

00:38:09.519 --> 00:38:12.199
about this one that I don't like. I think it's

00:38:12.199 --> 00:38:14.699
probably one of the high points on the album

00:38:14.699 --> 00:38:19.280
for me. And it's even got a down chorus at the

00:38:19.280 --> 00:38:23.369
end. which was a good, like a really good change

00:38:23.369 --> 00:38:26.829
of pace. And I'm like, all right, this song works

00:38:26.829 --> 00:38:30.030
like well, big, but it also works well when you

00:38:30.030 --> 00:38:34.150
kind of bring it down to like its basis. Yeah.

00:38:34.190 --> 00:38:37.610
Yeah. I think that that's what I thought too,

00:38:37.650 --> 00:38:40.789
is that I enjoyed that they went back to the

00:38:40.789 --> 00:38:43.869
original route and I enjoyed when there was this

00:38:43.869 --> 00:38:47.809
like slow down into there. And I think that's

00:38:47.809 --> 00:38:50.940
what's cool with this like this genre is that

00:38:50.940 --> 00:38:54.260
you can be like loud and fast but then it opens

00:38:54.260 --> 00:38:56.760
the door to have these like little like slower

00:38:56.760 --> 00:38:59.300
parts and for you to have these like guitar solos

00:38:59.300 --> 00:39:02.980
that kind of just like go back and forth um so

00:39:02.980 --> 00:39:05.579
yeah i i feel like the album picked back up like

00:39:05.579 --> 00:39:09.079
you said a little bit yeah this honestly this

00:39:09.079 --> 00:39:12.639
these these few songs that i feel like are right

00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:15.559
here or or like the high point of the record

00:39:15.559 --> 00:39:21.900
for me so um my favorite Cover song on this one

00:39:21.900 --> 00:39:24.420
would be the next track for Little Drummer Boy.

00:39:26.619 --> 00:39:29.059
I just kind of like what you were saying with

00:39:29.059 --> 00:39:32.139
We Three Kings and imagining that in my head.

00:39:32.179 --> 00:39:34.519
When Little Drummer Boy kicked in and the guitars

00:39:34.519 --> 00:39:37.659
are going and doing their thing, I felt like

00:39:37.659 --> 00:39:41.760
it just worked with the song. Just to have the

00:39:41.760 --> 00:39:44.599
drums and those lead guitars carrying the melody

00:39:44.599 --> 00:39:47.599
at the beginning. There's a key change that happens.

00:39:48.940 --> 00:39:52.619
they do a cool like little timing change on the

00:39:52.619 --> 00:39:59.059
Rumpa Pum Pums every time. I don't feel like

00:39:59.059 --> 00:40:02.239
most of the covers on this record work very well,

00:40:02.239 --> 00:40:05.780
but this one worked for me. Yeah. So yeah, I

00:40:05.780 --> 00:40:08.820
don't know what you think. I really, I enjoy

00:40:08.820 --> 00:40:14.039
the drums and I don't really know what it was

00:40:14.039 --> 00:40:16.059
about it, but it just like I kept waiting for

00:40:16.059 --> 00:40:19.329
it to like Shift in I guess that next year you're

00:40:19.329 --> 00:40:24.309
gonna be like, okay, this is working Like I don't

00:40:24.309 --> 00:40:26.170
know if it was maybe just already kind of feeling

00:40:26.170 --> 00:40:29.789
like a little bit burnt out With like go tell

00:40:29.789 --> 00:40:31.889
it on the mountain. It's a little early for that

00:40:31.889 --> 00:40:35.650
already Brandon. Yeah, so I guess like I don't

00:40:35.650 --> 00:40:38.070
know and one thing I've just noticed this year

00:40:38.070 --> 00:40:41.210
is that I think out of our reviews and just my

00:40:41.210 --> 00:40:46.679
personal listing like I appreciate like these

00:40:46.679 --> 00:40:51.599
originals or like I said whenever you start combining

00:40:51.599 --> 00:40:54.920
and I'll get into that later on here but like

00:40:54.920 --> 00:40:57.559
I think I just enjoy when someone does something

00:40:57.559 --> 00:41:00.420
that someone else hadn't done so maybe that was

00:41:00.420 --> 00:41:06.280
it is just it was like like this isn't um like

00:41:06.280 --> 00:41:08.719
if I start comparing it with little drummer boys

00:41:08.719 --> 00:41:12.719
I've heard it's not the most rocking it's not

00:41:12.719 --> 00:41:15.000
the like it just kind of feels like it falls

00:41:15.000 --> 00:41:18.659
in the middle of like, yeah, it's good, but it

00:41:18.659 --> 00:41:22.199
doesn't set itself apart. I guess maybe that's

00:41:22.199 --> 00:41:26.559
the best way to describe it. Yeah. I hear you

00:41:26.559 --> 00:41:29.760
there. I actually, now that this is on Apple

00:41:29.760 --> 00:41:32.199
Music, this one's going to go on my Christmas

00:41:32.199 --> 00:41:36.320
playlist. So I think that's also like part of

00:41:36.320 --> 00:41:39.820
this is some albums, whenever they're on like

00:41:39.820 --> 00:41:42.019
streaming, you can go back and listen to them.

00:41:42.119 --> 00:41:44.619
But with this one, it was like I've got one listen

00:41:44.619 --> 00:41:50.500
through to like or not like stuff. Yeah. So moving

00:41:50.500 --> 00:41:54.480
into our next one, still the light or your thoughts

00:41:54.480 --> 00:41:58.800
on this one. So this is my favorite song on the

00:41:58.800 --> 00:42:04.469
record. I really like the. the opening guitar

00:42:04.469 --> 00:42:07.530
riff, it's a little like darker tone than the

00:42:07.530 --> 00:42:10.090
rest of the album, but I feel like it works really

00:42:10.090 --> 00:42:13.050
well for that and for the message of the song.

00:42:16.010 --> 00:42:19.010
Yeah, I like, like there's a line, a stable floor

00:42:19.010 --> 00:42:25.230
was holy ground. I think the chorus is pure like

00:42:25.230 --> 00:42:30.150
80s metal goodness. Just again, kind of the like

00:42:30.150 --> 00:42:35.110
gang vocals and I just I felt like this one worked

00:42:35.110 --> 00:42:38.969
a lot plus it's got like like um heaven came

00:42:38.969 --> 00:42:42.869
it's got a down chorus uh -huh um which I thought

00:42:42.869 --> 00:42:44.769
worked really well and then they went from that

00:42:44.769 --> 00:42:48.269
down chorus into a halftime chorus um where it

00:42:48.269 --> 00:42:53.969
picks up but it's like halftime um and um yeah

00:42:53.969 --> 00:42:58.210
I just I I really I really like this one I think

00:42:58.210 --> 00:43:01.030
this is what I expected when I'm going into this

00:43:01.030 --> 00:43:04.559
album um I feel like it just continued the theme

00:43:04.559 --> 00:43:07.559
of originals being like the strongest part of

00:43:07.559 --> 00:43:10.320
this. I feel like all the elements were there.

00:43:10.380 --> 00:43:14.239
Like the solo was really good. The lyrics are

00:43:14.239 --> 00:43:16.960
great. And I think it was this song that I started

00:43:16.960 --> 00:43:22.800
thinking like, oh, I think that like lyrically,

00:43:22.940 --> 00:43:27.280
like it is it is pretty strong. Like I think

00:43:27.280 --> 00:43:30.719
because thinking of a band from like the 80s,

00:43:30.719 --> 00:43:34.610
when I think of like 80s Christian band. There's

00:43:34.610 --> 00:43:36.510
just a lot going on there where I was like, I

00:43:36.510 --> 00:43:40.130
feel like the 80s were just cheesy in general.

00:43:40.289 --> 00:43:42.829
And then like you throw in like how cheesy Christian

00:43:42.829 --> 00:43:47.010
music can be. And then you add in like Christmas.

00:43:48.309 --> 00:43:50.489
So I feel like there's so many ways that they

00:43:50.489 --> 00:43:55.190
could turn into this very cheesy. But I really

00:43:55.190 --> 00:44:01.250
liked it. So yeah, that's good. This was definitely

00:44:01.250 --> 00:44:06.570
the high point for me. And then for me, sadly,

00:44:06.570 --> 00:44:10.110
moving into track six, the album takes a real

00:44:10.110 --> 00:44:12.909
dive with Silent Night. What do you think about

00:44:12.909 --> 00:44:20.650
that? I felt like it was a quality attempt. And

00:44:20.650 --> 00:44:22.750
I think just I'm learning more and more that

00:44:22.750 --> 00:44:25.710
it's just really hard to do anything with Silent

00:44:25.710 --> 00:44:30.099
Night than what it's like. Meant to do like there

00:44:30.099 --> 00:44:33.920
is right. It's it's one speed there is no like

00:44:33.920 --> 00:44:36.599
like I think of like Like when you have auto

00:44:36.599 --> 00:44:39.440
racing you have like they go in an oval they

00:44:39.440 --> 00:44:42.019
go on road courses They do all this stuff. Whereas

00:44:42.019 --> 00:44:45.679
like drag racing is like it's just straight Like

00:44:45.679 --> 00:44:47.719
there is no turns like you're just gonna hit

00:44:47.719 --> 00:44:50.539
the gas and go straight and I think with Silent

00:44:50.539 --> 00:44:54.860
Night That's the best thing so it almost makes

00:44:54.860 --> 00:44:59.590
me like I'm starting to think with Silent Night,

00:44:59.610 --> 00:45:01.550
if you are going to want to do something different

00:45:01.550 --> 00:45:04.110
with it, then I think that it would be such a

00:45:04.110 --> 00:45:07.250
cool thing to throw into like the bridge of a

00:45:07.250 --> 00:45:10.130
song. Or for it to be just like a little minute

00:45:10.130 --> 00:45:15.510
long, like little interlude track going into

00:45:15.510 --> 00:45:19.369
maybe this like slower original. Because I mean,

00:45:19.409 --> 00:45:23.309
maybe like if this was 45 seconds long and then

00:45:23.309 --> 00:45:25.889
you move into like on the Silent Night or something.

00:45:26.519 --> 00:45:29.679
Maybe that's a little bit stronger than just

00:45:29.679 --> 00:45:32.019
having like Silent Night on the Silent Night

00:45:32.019 --> 00:45:34.079
and it's like is there gonna be another night

00:45:34.079 --> 00:45:40.900
track after this or Yeah, I I Guess I'm thankful

00:45:40.900 --> 00:45:44.099
that there was a change in pace sort of Because

00:45:44.099 --> 00:45:46.880
like you said Silent Night has to be one way

00:45:46.880 --> 00:45:49.280
and they definitely drop and try and pull it

00:45:49.280 --> 00:45:52.360
off that way, right? Yeah and so it makes sense

00:45:52.360 --> 00:45:56.139
for the song itself. I think that like And this

00:45:56.139 --> 00:45:59.840
isn't like throwing any shade at Michael Sweet

00:45:59.840 --> 00:46:06.300
because I think he was an incredible singer and

00:46:06.300 --> 00:46:09.199
frontman and guitar player for this band for

00:46:09.199 --> 00:46:14.579
years. But he's up there at this point. And I

00:46:14.579 --> 00:46:17.760
think all the space left a lot of room for his

00:46:17.760 --> 00:46:21.920
vocals to stand out. And I don't think that that

00:46:21.920 --> 00:46:27.809
helped. You know what I mean? and so it's it's

00:46:27.809 --> 00:46:30.329
Yeah, it just wasn't wasn't my favorite track.

00:46:30.349 --> 00:46:34.409
Yeah i'll say too like I know that like there's

00:46:34.409 --> 00:46:36.349
like I said a while ago There's a lot going on

00:46:36.349 --> 00:46:38.489
where it can be like because there's a lot of

00:46:38.489 --> 00:46:40.429
qualities where it's like I don't like a lot

00:46:40.429 --> 00:46:43.889
of this stuff. Yeah, it's easy but like Like

00:46:43.889 --> 00:46:46.170
even though some of the stuff's like negative.

00:46:46.170 --> 00:46:49.550
I never found myself like like hating or being

00:46:49.550 --> 00:46:53.050
angry at this album, you know or something like

00:46:53.130 --> 00:46:56.510
You know, well, that's good to know Because I

00:46:56.510 --> 00:46:58.650
feel like there's been albums where I start listening

00:46:58.650 --> 00:47:01.210
and I mean case in point we go back to the five

00:47:01.210 --> 00:47:04.150
iron frenzy For the first listen i'm like, hi,

00:47:04.150 --> 00:47:07.130
this is this album is making me angry But then

00:47:07.130 --> 00:47:09.150
after a couple of listens, i'm like, I really

00:47:09.150 --> 00:47:15.449
like this band Oh man, yeah, it's interesting.

00:47:15.449 --> 00:47:18.190
All right. What about track seven on this holy

00:47:18.190 --> 00:47:20.210
night? What were your thoughts about that one?

00:47:20.210 --> 00:47:24.880
I think that on this um Oh, that's I wrote down

00:47:24.880 --> 00:47:28.699
on the silent night. I'm glad you that I'm glad

00:47:28.699 --> 00:47:32.940
you corrected me. I really like this. I think

00:47:32.940 --> 00:47:35.179
that the lyrics were strong. I think this might

00:47:35.179 --> 00:47:38.960
have been my favorite one on the whole album.

00:47:39.300 --> 00:47:44.599
I think it's it's a gamble to make a like serious

00:47:44.599 --> 00:47:48.079
Christmas song sometimes because you can go overboard

00:47:48.079 --> 00:47:52.019
into being really cheesy. But I think this song

00:47:52.019 --> 00:47:57.239
does such a good job of kind of just, like, calling

00:47:57.239 --> 00:48:02.400
out, you know, like, while we're in church celebrating

00:48:02.400 --> 00:48:04.780
and all, like, you know, there's people out there

00:48:04.780 --> 00:48:06.920
that are starving. There's people out there that

00:48:06.920 --> 00:48:11.039
are dealing with lost loved ones. Like, it reminded

00:48:11.039 --> 00:48:14.199
me a lot of, like, I really love the song, Rebel

00:48:14.199 --> 00:48:16.860
Jesus, and I feel like it's got a lot of the

00:48:16.860 --> 00:48:20.079
same stuff in it, is that it's like... you know,

00:48:20.139 --> 00:48:22.579
hey, there's still poor people in February and

00:48:22.579 --> 00:48:25.179
March and all. Like, it doesn't disappear, you

00:48:25.179 --> 00:48:29.280
know, on Christmas Day or something. So, I think

00:48:29.280 --> 00:48:32.239
that this might have just been the strongest

00:48:32.239 --> 00:48:35.860
one because you add another element to where

00:48:35.860 --> 00:48:38.320
you're trying to be serious now, and it can be

00:48:38.320 --> 00:48:42.539
like too preachy or whatever. But I think that

00:48:42.539 --> 00:48:47.099
this is probably the best track on the whole

00:48:47.099 --> 00:48:51.639
album for me. That's cool. Yeah. It's so, I mean,

00:48:51.699 --> 00:48:54.920
again, I like still the light. I think the best,

00:48:54.920 --> 00:48:58.659
but yeah, this is a good one for sure. Um, just

00:48:58.659 --> 00:49:01.599
about how we've, we've kind of maligned the name

00:49:01.599 --> 00:49:04.139
of Jesus and we continue to do that at Christmas

00:49:04.139 --> 00:49:08.800
time. Um, sometimes I think is, is a really important

00:49:08.800 --> 00:49:11.000
thing for us to be remembering. And so I'm thankful

00:49:11.000 --> 00:49:13.739
that they like tackled that. Um, and I think

00:49:13.739 --> 00:49:16.619
the chorus is good. I do think though, that this

00:49:16.619 --> 00:49:19.440
is kind of the point where. like the album started

00:49:19.440 --> 00:49:23.760
to wear on me a little bit, and so that kind

00:49:23.760 --> 00:49:26.920
of affects me moving forward at this point, but

00:49:26.920 --> 00:49:32.360
I did enjoy this one, yeah. Next one we go to

00:49:32.360 --> 00:49:36.079
Joy to the World. Joel, does this track bring

00:49:36.079 --> 00:49:42.440
you joy? So this is kind of the more like poppy

00:49:42.440 --> 00:49:46.480
side of Striper, like always there for you or

00:49:46.480 --> 00:49:49.900
whatever it may be um from the past but it was

00:49:49.900 --> 00:49:52.760
a good change of pace that you've got like this

00:49:52.760 --> 00:49:56.300
combined acoustic and electric more of a traditional

00:49:56.300 --> 00:50:01.360
kind of model for a song um but and it's got

00:50:01.360 --> 00:50:04.139
a key change in it um but yet with all of those

00:50:04.139 --> 00:50:08.159
things it just it wasn't doing it for me um i

00:50:08.159 --> 00:50:11.119
think i was just i'm wearing down at this point

00:50:11.119 --> 00:50:16.170
and it didn't really feel like um and It didn't

00:50:16.170 --> 00:50:20.070
do anything special or kind of extraordinary.

00:50:20.369 --> 00:50:22.409
And so it just kind of felt like it was there.

00:50:23.969 --> 00:50:26.929
I think I need to remind all of the listeners

00:50:26.929 --> 00:50:29.690
that we're all friends. I just don't know if

00:50:29.690 --> 00:50:35.050
I like joy to the world. I like joy to the world.

00:50:35.170 --> 00:50:40.550
I don't know if I like joy to the world. Don't

00:50:40.550 --> 00:50:43.570
know like the more I listen to the song. I feel

00:50:43.570 --> 00:50:47.130
like it's just not one of my favorite Christmas

00:50:47.130 --> 00:50:51.989
songs and I think that everyone covers it so

00:50:51.989 --> 00:50:56.010
like Hearing this. It's like I'm already kind

00:50:56.010 --> 00:50:59.269
of like oh cool. You guys are covering another

00:50:59.269 --> 00:51:04.050
Like song that everyone covers and You know,

00:51:04.050 --> 00:51:06.289
we were talking earlier about like when you're

00:51:06.289 --> 00:51:12.019
reviewing an album how Like how do you go about

00:51:12.019 --> 00:51:14.599
it? And it's like you can say this isn't a vacuum

00:51:14.599 --> 00:51:17.159
and it's like I've never heard the song before

00:51:17.159 --> 00:51:20.280
How would I rate it right or you can think? Okay,

00:51:20.280 --> 00:51:22.780
I've heard a hundred joy to the world How do

00:51:22.780 --> 00:51:26.460
I or it could be okay out of all all Christmas

00:51:26.460 --> 00:51:31.480
music? Where's it fall? And so I think for me

00:51:31.480 --> 00:51:35.320
it just it was just kind of like there and maybe

00:51:35.320 --> 00:51:38.300
it kind of just felt like filler And maybe that's

00:51:38.300 --> 00:51:42.340
just because it's not one of my favorite Christmas

00:51:42.340 --> 00:51:47.019
songs. Maybe that's why I'm feeling it. I do

00:51:47.019 --> 00:51:52.920
agree with you is that I think that the first

00:51:52.920 --> 00:51:56.559
half... I say that, but I feel like On This Holy

00:51:56.559 --> 00:51:58.880
Night is on the second half and pretty strong.

00:52:00.559 --> 00:52:03.650
But I feel like the first... Maybe like 70 percent

00:52:03.650 --> 00:52:06.369
of this album like is where the strengths were.

00:52:06.449 --> 00:52:09.530
Yeah. Um, so for me, it was kind of just there

00:52:09.530 --> 00:52:13.570
um Next we move to your reason for the season

00:52:13.570 --> 00:52:17.730
or your thoughts on uh, this one Yeah, so I think

00:52:17.730 --> 00:52:20.489
this my understanding i'd have to do a little

00:52:20.489 --> 00:52:22.829
more research and I didn't do it but my understanding

00:52:22.829 --> 00:52:27.610
is this is uh A previously released striper song

00:52:27.610 --> 00:52:30.889
that they're redoing for this album. Okay And

00:52:30.889 --> 00:52:34.949
so that they wrote this years ago and now they're

00:52:34.949 --> 00:52:41.829
doing a new version of it on here. I think it's

00:52:41.829 --> 00:52:47.409
fine. Brandon, you're probably gonna make fun

00:52:47.409 --> 00:52:49.170
of me for saying this because this is something

00:52:49.170 --> 00:52:54.679
that I don't say very often. I'm realizing at

00:52:54.679 --> 00:52:57.840
this point in the album that I want more production

00:52:57.840 --> 00:53:05.199
out of this album. The four -piece metal band,

00:53:05.699 --> 00:53:08.860
two guitars, bass and drums doing their metal

00:53:08.860 --> 00:53:14.960
thing, they're occasional, like bells and hand

00:53:14.960 --> 00:53:17.659
claps and whatever it may be on this album, but

00:53:17.659 --> 00:53:21.239
it's so slight and so infrequent that I think

00:53:21.239 --> 00:53:24.079
that's a big reason why I'm like, kind of worn

00:53:24.079 --> 00:53:27.159
out on this towards the end. Like if there was

00:53:27.159 --> 00:53:31.400
more production and more layers to it, then I

00:53:31.400 --> 00:53:38.239
think it would like stick with me more. But I

00:53:38.239 --> 00:53:41.739
think at this point, I'm like, I'm just, I felt

00:53:41.739 --> 00:53:45.920
like I was kind of done. And I don't know, the

00:53:45.920 --> 00:53:48.949
song just didn't really go anywhere for me. probably

00:53:48.949 --> 00:53:50.710
for that reason. I probably didn't give it much

00:53:50.710 --> 00:53:53.590
of a fair shake, honestly. I think that's interesting

00:53:53.590 --> 00:53:57.630
you say that it was previous because I felt like

00:53:57.630 --> 00:54:02.369
this was the one original that didn't hit. Yeah.

00:54:02.849 --> 00:54:06.289
And honestly, that that would make a lot of sense

00:54:06.289 --> 00:54:09.469
because, you know, we go back to the other ones

00:54:09.469 --> 00:54:11.809
we're talking about, like, man, they're really,

00:54:11.809 --> 00:54:13.949
you know, digging through the stuff and they're

00:54:13.949 --> 00:54:17.309
throwing these like. These like lines out and

00:54:17.309 --> 00:54:19.989
then you go to this one and it's you your life

00:54:19.989 --> 00:54:22.849
can be a holiday Every day when he is with you.

00:54:22.969 --> 00:54:25.070
Yeah, and like I hear that and I'm like this

00:54:25.070 --> 00:54:28.690
just feels like it doesn't Like it feels like

00:54:28.690 --> 00:54:31.269
it was written by someone else like they're covering

00:54:31.269 --> 00:54:36.150
right someone else and um, I I feel like that's

00:54:36.150 --> 00:54:37.869
interesting because it's someone who hasn't listened

00:54:37.869 --> 00:54:42.090
to their work like it makes me wonder like oh

00:54:42.090 --> 00:54:47.219
with age like their newer stuff isn't more biting.

00:54:47.619 --> 00:54:49.940
Maybe because back in the day, I feel like the

00:54:49.940 --> 00:54:53.420
idea of them just having long hair and singing

00:54:53.420 --> 00:54:57.380
this was already like, whoa, that's edgy. Whereas

00:54:57.380 --> 00:55:00.920
today it's like, you have Christian artists that

00:55:00.920 --> 00:55:05.579
are cussing on their albums. So it's hard to

00:55:05.579 --> 00:55:08.760
be a Christian artist and do something that's

00:55:08.760 --> 00:55:12.019
like... Shocking or like gets attention, you

00:55:12.019 --> 00:55:13.860
know when all these other people are already

00:55:13.860 --> 00:55:19.280
doing this Yeah, I hear that Well, let's talk

00:55:19.280 --> 00:55:23.780
about the last track on the record Winter Wonderland

00:55:23.780 --> 00:55:26.340
this was actually the single that they released

00:55:26.340 --> 00:55:29.880
first before this album Came out. So I don't

00:55:29.880 --> 00:55:32.320
know. Does that impact your thoughts or feelings

00:55:32.320 --> 00:55:38.110
on this? I so at first I am I I was like they

00:55:38.110 --> 00:55:41.550
definitely put their own spin on this one and

00:55:41.550 --> 00:55:44.369
I was like, this is just overboard. This is too

00:55:44.369 --> 00:55:47.769
much going on. Um, but as the track went on I

00:55:47.769 --> 00:55:50.269
started thinking that You know, we've talked

00:55:50.269 --> 00:55:54.130
about how Well, I think that this one fits this

00:55:54.130 --> 00:55:56.429
style or this one's more country or whatever

00:55:56.429 --> 00:55:59.889
I feel like winter wonderland is a song that

00:55:59.889 --> 00:56:03.630
you can do You it can be rap. It can be metal.

00:56:03.630 --> 00:56:07.800
It can be country like it it kind of like It's

00:56:07.800 --> 00:56:11.420
like elastic enough that it's like yeah, it's

00:56:11.420 --> 00:56:14.780
not It's not weird if I heard like alan jackson

00:56:14.780 --> 00:56:20.539
do this or toby mac or like, you know, Uh nf

00:56:20.539 --> 00:56:26.300
or something, you know do one um So yeah, I I

00:56:26.300 --> 00:56:29.099
felt like I found myself kind of rolling my eyes

00:56:29.099 --> 00:56:33.320
but then being like I think this is Like a perfect

00:56:33.320 --> 00:56:35.980
track to throw one to one because it is just

00:56:35.980 --> 00:56:38.809
very much. It doesn't fit into this one category.

00:56:39.469 --> 00:56:42.610
Yeah. I actually didn't like it as a closer,

00:56:43.590 --> 00:56:49.550
just because it kind of like, yeah, the pace,

00:56:49.750 --> 00:56:52.250
it was fun. It was fast. Like I just felt like

00:56:52.250 --> 00:56:54.130
the pace was kind of different. And so it was

00:56:54.130 --> 00:56:57.869
a nice little change of pace at the end. It didn't

00:56:57.869 --> 00:57:03.030
like I wasn't. Over excited about it. Yeah, but

00:57:03.030 --> 00:57:08.510
but I think it worked fine in that spot. So All

00:57:08.510 --> 00:57:10.630
right. Well, let's kind of wrap up and talk about

00:57:10.630 --> 00:57:14.309
maybe our closing thoughts on the record and

00:57:14.309 --> 00:57:17.929
And maybe maybe where we scored this. What were

00:57:17.929 --> 00:57:22.230
your thoughts Brandon? Um, I felt like going

00:57:22.230 --> 00:57:27.230
into it like These ones are always like tricky

00:57:27.230 --> 00:57:30.250
because you don't like I don't want to go into

00:57:30.250 --> 00:57:33.550
a high expectations and then it be like oh I

00:57:33.550 --> 00:57:36.469
was expecting more I don't like this, but you

00:57:36.469 --> 00:57:38.889
also don't want to go into it like Expecting

00:57:38.889 --> 00:57:40.869
it to be bad because then you're gonna look for

00:57:40.869 --> 00:57:44.090
every flaw But I mean, it's it's another one

00:57:44.090 --> 00:57:47.670
that I walked away from it Like I felt like it

00:57:47.670 --> 00:57:51.110
was better than I thought like I found myself

00:57:51.110 --> 00:57:57.179
enjoying tracks I found myself like If they ever

00:57:57.179 --> 00:57:59.380
get around to putting it on Spotify, I'll probably

00:57:59.380 --> 00:58:02.139
add it to a playlist. But for now, I guess I'll

00:58:02.139 --> 00:58:05.219
just sit at my house and I'll think that one

00:58:05.219 --> 00:58:08.780
time I borrowed that vinyl and it was good. Maybe

00:58:08.780 --> 00:58:11.900
like it sounds like it's like 30 years ago or

00:58:11.900 --> 00:58:13.619
it's like, maybe I might drive over to Joel's

00:58:13.619 --> 00:58:17.539
house and borrow that vinyl, help him do some

00:58:17.539 --> 00:58:22.039
yard work or something. I don't know. I love

00:58:22.039 --> 00:58:24.539
that. So what do you, what do you think you land

00:58:24.539 --> 00:58:30.550
for a rating for it? I I'll be honest. I think

00:58:30.550 --> 00:58:39.710
that I think that the It not being Like as accessible.

00:58:40.090 --> 00:58:43.670
I think I think it hurts the album score. Hmm,

00:58:43.969 --> 00:58:46.730
and it's not like it's not from like a oh, I'm

00:58:46.730 --> 00:58:49.909
on team Spotify standpoint or whatever but last

00:58:49.909 --> 00:58:53.190
night I Remember as I'm listening to it. I'm

00:58:53.190 --> 00:58:56.940
thinking to myself I'm playing this on my like

00:58:56.940 --> 00:59:00.599
I think I think my record players may be like

00:59:00.599 --> 00:59:03.920
15 years old and I mean it's like a cheap I think

00:59:03.920 --> 00:59:06.139
it might be crossly but I mean it's it's something

00:59:06.139 --> 00:59:11.260
I paid 80 dollars for 15 years ago and I'm like

00:59:11.260 --> 00:59:15.619
this isn't the best like speaker so it's like

00:59:15.619 --> 00:59:18.480
I'm not hearing everything yeah and it's even

00:59:18.480 --> 00:59:21.780
me thinking like um you know you can plug headphones

00:59:21.780 --> 00:59:24.289
into that thing Yeah, but I was I was in the

00:59:24.289 --> 00:59:31.170
middle of work I was So I think I I think that

00:59:31.170 --> 00:59:36.130
that like plays into it yeah, and I mean I I

00:59:36.130 --> 00:59:39.590
would say that I think it's worth half a point

00:59:39.590 --> 00:59:44.429
like deducting so I think that for the listeners

00:59:44.429 --> 00:59:47.130
if you're thinking if you think that I'm lazy

00:59:47.130 --> 00:59:49.889
and Should have used my headphones or just went

00:59:49.889 --> 00:59:52.920
out and like bought a nicer record player I think

00:59:52.920 --> 00:59:57.980
it's a 2 .5. I think that if you don't think

00:59:57.980 --> 01:00:01.739
I'm lazy, I think I land on maybe a two for it.

01:00:02.760 --> 01:00:06.619
I don't know. A two sounds harsh, but like I

01:00:06.619 --> 01:00:09.920
said, I didn't. I felt myself enjoying it. I

01:00:09.920 --> 01:00:14.840
think it was just... I felt myself thinking that

01:00:14.840 --> 01:00:19.940
kind of adds to it, this being released. I guess

01:00:19.940 --> 01:00:23.090
for you, did you... Which I guess you do listen

01:00:23.090 --> 01:00:25.329
to a lot of vinyl so you're not in that same

01:00:25.329 --> 01:00:29.230
position I do and i've got a good a good setup.

01:00:29.289 --> 01:00:32.929
Yeah, so it actually sounds better For me listening

01:00:32.929 --> 01:00:37.030
to it than probably Yeah, any other way. I mean

01:00:37.030 --> 01:00:40.690
if I was using my good headphones On my record

01:00:40.690 --> 01:00:42.869
player that would probably be the ideal Yeah,

01:00:42.869 --> 01:00:44.889
like setup for me, but I was just listening to

01:00:44.889 --> 01:00:49.190
it through like my my speaker setup um, yeah,

01:00:49.190 --> 01:00:56.829
I So I thought it was cool for a while that this

01:00:56.829 --> 01:01:00.550
thing was a physical only release. It felt grounded

01:01:00.550 --> 01:01:05.449
and real. And I'm like, I actually, you asked

01:01:05.449 --> 01:01:07.409
me this question before, does it help it or hurt

01:01:07.409 --> 01:01:10.230
it? And I was like, I think it kind of helps

01:01:10.230 --> 01:01:12.809
it. And then today when you told me that they

01:01:12.809 --> 01:01:16.670
just released it on Apple Music, now I'm like,

01:01:16.670 --> 01:01:20.090
I don't have... Quite the same feelings about

01:01:20.090 --> 01:01:23.190
that anymore. You so like you also deduct So

01:01:23.190 --> 01:01:25.269
you're like if they didn't really said you could

01:01:25.269 --> 01:01:29.590
add a half point It's funny how we work opposite

01:01:29.590 --> 01:01:33.690
in that way and so Yeah, I don't know. I think

01:01:33.690 --> 01:01:36.969
I think as I like did my math for my ratings

01:01:36.969 --> 01:01:40.769
I came up with a three point two for this But

01:01:40.769 --> 01:01:44.050
I honestly feel like it's it's more of like a

01:01:44.050 --> 01:01:47.730
three in my heart, just listening to it. And

01:01:47.730 --> 01:01:50.570
so there was, again, there was stuff on here

01:01:50.570 --> 01:01:55.110
that I really liked. I really liked Still Delight.

01:01:55.210 --> 01:01:57.070
I really liked a little drummer boy. I mean,

01:01:57.230 --> 01:02:01.349
that's, I thought that was a great take on that

01:02:01.349 --> 01:02:03.489
song. And I know that that song has been done

01:02:03.489 --> 01:02:08.090
a billion times by a bunch of people. But I thought

01:02:08.090 --> 01:02:12.010
it was one of the better versions that I've heard.

01:02:12.030 --> 01:02:14.409
And I thought it just fit really well with the

01:02:14.409 --> 01:02:19.309
style that that Striper has. And so there were

01:02:19.309 --> 01:02:23.050
some high points for me. Absolutely. Some really

01:02:23.050 --> 01:02:25.929
good songs. And I liked most of the originals

01:02:25.929 --> 01:02:32.510
a lot. But the covers overall, outside of Little

01:02:32.510 --> 01:02:35.190
Drummer Boy, I just don't feel like any of them

01:02:35.190 --> 01:02:39.309
really worked for me and landed for me. And so

01:02:39.309 --> 01:02:41.309
I think that's where the struggle comes in for

01:02:41.309 --> 01:02:45.829
this album for me. It's just that, that I wanted

01:02:45.829 --> 01:02:50.250
more from the covers. And I think that that would

01:02:50.250 --> 01:02:53.530
be the place where I wish they would have spent

01:02:53.530 --> 01:02:57.829
more time and been more creative. And I think

01:02:57.829 --> 01:03:00.369
that, I think it could have overall been in a

01:03:00.369 --> 01:03:03.869
better spot. Yeah. I mean, like, like I said,

01:03:04.010 --> 01:03:08.840
I'm not a like... It's like Striper. I say Striper

01:03:08.840 --> 01:03:10.800
fan. There's nothing against I just haven't spent

01:03:10.800 --> 01:03:14.039
time with their music. Yeah, but like I feel

01:03:14.039 --> 01:03:17.920
like if you like them then Like it seemed like

01:03:17.920 --> 01:03:21.539
it's more of a passion thing for the fans Rather

01:03:21.539 --> 01:03:24.199
than let's get all of like the new people to

01:03:24.199 --> 01:03:28.880
come join in. Yeah so I mean like I I kind of

01:03:28.880 --> 01:03:32.159
see this album like I don't think you've ever

01:03:32.159 --> 01:03:34.239
listened through it, but like Family Force V's

01:03:34.239 --> 01:03:37.980
Christmas Pageant. And I think that that's an

01:03:37.980 --> 01:03:41.639
album that when they released it, it was, I love

01:03:41.639 --> 01:03:44.400
this. As a fan, this like they're singing about

01:03:44.400 --> 01:03:48.820
like their little drummer boy is like, I'm gonna

01:03:48.820 --> 01:03:51.280
bring my drum machine. I'm sure it's bonkers.

01:03:52.039 --> 01:03:55.920
And so, I mean, it's an album that I... Like

01:03:55.920 --> 01:03:58.820
I'd probably give it a 4 .5 today But I know

01:03:58.820 --> 01:04:00.500
that for a lot of people that they don't know

01:04:00.500 --> 01:04:04.380
anything about famous five It would be this is

01:04:04.380 --> 01:04:07.800
terrible. They're like this is it's hard to like

01:04:07.800 --> 01:04:10.559
Look by the first two tracks. They'd be like

01:04:10.559 --> 01:04:13.960
I'm done with like this is just too too out there.

01:04:14.699 --> 01:04:17.960
Yeah So like to me this is an album. I think

01:04:17.960 --> 01:04:20.159
it would have been really cool to have someone

01:04:20.159 --> 01:04:23.860
who like listens to striper I think it would

01:04:23.860 --> 01:04:25.639
have been difficult for me to be like, oh, I

01:04:25.639 --> 01:04:28.519
don't want to like be like negative about this.

01:04:28.539 --> 01:04:31.699
But I think also it'd be interesting to see like,

01:04:31.860 --> 01:04:35.579
you know, for them, is this what what they wanted

01:04:35.579 --> 01:04:38.179
or is it something where they feel the same way?

01:04:38.179 --> 01:04:40.019
And they're like, oh, I wish they would have

01:04:40.019 --> 01:04:43.179
done, you know, like as a striper fan, I wish

01:04:43.179 --> 01:04:45.659
they would have done like these different tracks.

01:04:46.579 --> 01:04:48.980
So I think I'm going to be really interested

01:04:48.980 --> 01:04:53.019
to see. Like as other reviews pour in to kind

01:04:53.019 --> 01:04:55.079
of see like what are the thoughts from people

01:04:55.079 --> 01:04:58.619
who have been with striper for the past? What

01:04:58.619 --> 01:05:01.519
going on 40 like 50 years or whatever they've

01:05:01.519 --> 01:05:05.039
been playing So like for me, that'll be really

01:05:05.039 --> 01:05:08.059
interesting to see like how how close or how

01:05:08.059 --> 01:05:12.579
far off like was it as someone who? Isn't familiar

01:05:12.579 --> 01:05:14.780
with the rest of their stuff. Yeah, I feel like

01:05:14.780 --> 01:05:17.869
from what i've seen so far it's Kind of a mixed

01:05:17.869 --> 01:05:19.989
bag when it comes to reviews. I think mostly

01:05:19.989 --> 01:05:23.329
positive Yeah, but maybe kind of landing in some

01:05:23.329 --> 01:05:25.929
of the same places We are I think for me the

01:05:25.929 --> 01:05:28.230
other thing is I mentioned this earlier Like

01:05:28.230 --> 01:05:30.050
I think it just could have used a little more

01:05:30.050 --> 01:05:32.969
production like Michael Sweet barely singer produced

01:05:32.969 --> 01:05:36.650
this album. Mm -hmm It probably could have used

01:05:36.650 --> 01:05:40.670
an outside producer. Uh -huh Taking what they

01:05:40.670 --> 01:05:44.130
built but then building up on it and making it

01:05:44.130 --> 01:05:47.769
just a little Broader. Yeah, I feel like probably

01:05:47.769 --> 01:05:49.449
could have helped it. I just wanted a little

01:05:49.449 --> 01:05:52.050
more of that trans -siberian orchestra kind of

01:05:52.090 --> 01:05:56.489
sound and feel and where's the kids choir? I

01:05:56.489 --> 01:06:00.269
don't know why. Where's the drama to the record,

01:06:00.449 --> 01:06:03.289
you know? And I felt like, man, I could have

01:06:03.289 --> 01:06:05.550
put it in a little bit of a better place. But

01:06:05.550 --> 01:06:08.309
again, that's just my context for Christmas music

01:06:08.309 --> 01:06:11.489
when it comes to this style. And so I feel like

01:06:11.489 --> 01:06:14.469
maybe that's what kind of drew me in that direction.

01:06:15.559 --> 01:06:19.820
So let's talk about what our lyric of the week

01:06:19.820 --> 01:06:36.239
is for this one. So the lyric of the week this

01:06:36.239 --> 01:06:39.860
week comes from my favorite song on here, Still

01:06:39.860 --> 01:06:43.739
the Light. Um, it is not in gold or robes of

01:06:43.739 --> 01:06:47.599
Kings, no headlines or angels wings. A mother's

01:06:47.599 --> 01:06:50.320
cry in a quiet town while the world kept spinning

01:06:50.320 --> 01:06:56.000
around a stable floor was holy ground. I like

01:06:56.000 --> 01:06:59.869
that. I like that too. That's fun. Alright, well

01:06:59.869 --> 01:07:02.650
we are super grateful for you guys for joining

01:07:02.650 --> 01:07:06.190
us and we would love it if you engage with us

01:07:06.190 --> 01:07:09.530
Online you can find us on Facebook. Hey, are

01:07:09.530 --> 01:07:14.469
you listening at? Hey, are you pod on X? like

01:07:14.469 --> 01:07:18.570
stuff Subscribe to the podcast, leave us a review.

01:07:19.250 --> 01:07:20.849
We're just grateful that you're joining us for

01:07:20.849 --> 01:07:25.329
the journey and we're looking forward to next

01:07:25.329 --> 01:07:27.590
week. It's going to be a pretty fun episode as

01:07:27.590 --> 01:07:31.190
we kind of look back at 2025. And so we hope

01:07:31.190 --> 01:07:33.969
that you will join us for that and we'll see

01:07:33.969 --> 01:07:34.789
you then.