When a CD titled Monk Rock came across my desk I thought, "Is this the theme music to that TV show, or another group of monks sings Gregorian chant with rock lyrics?" I was wrong on both counts. Monk Rock is the new CD by Catholic music legend John Michael Talbot. Talbot is a former rock ‘n roller from 20 plus years back and was in the band Mason Profitt with his brother before turning his life and music around to a more monastic setting. With this CD Talbot has picked up his old electric guitar and explored his roots while maintaining prayerful lyrics. Monk Rock lets you know where it stands right off with the first track "One Body In Christ." In it you hear many different influences, from the Moody Blues to CSN, it even has a riff taken from The Who. The song is an awesome way to start the CD and lyrically let’s you know we are all God's children. "Kyrie" is a cover of the Kyrie Eleison prayer (Lord Have Mercy.) This has more of a Talbot style vocal with floating electric guitar riffs almost like Stevie Ray Vaughan. It’s backed up by a multi-track vocal choir (JMT explains how he pulled that one off).  Talbot also sings the "Te Deum,"(also sometimes called the Ambrosian Hymn because of its association with St.Ambrose) a traditional hymn of joy and thanksgiving. The guitar here is reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix with a little country thrown in. "Credo," which is the Apostle's Creed, comes alive with a reggae sound from Bob Marley and the Wailers, while "Gloria" does so with a Latin American beat of early Santana or the Doobie Brothers. Talbot really lets loose on "Proclaim The Mystery," a rockin’ song that puts music to the words spoken during the narration of the Last Supper. This song shows what kind of guitarist Talbot really is. Monk Rock is John Michael Talbot's 48th release and with the originality of this CD, one looks forward to many more.

Rock Bottom Choir has one of the freshest sounds I have ever heard in Christian music. Their debut CD For All the Saints is properly one of the best music CDs (Christian or secular ) to come out this year. There is no way these guys can lose since the band is full of musical experience. This all-star band includes Matt McCormack, Joey Shuffield (from Fastball), Bill Carter, Ryan Carter (from Dewato) and George Reiff (Chris Robinson's New Earth Mud) and legendary guitarist Charlie Sexton's brother Will Sexton.  This eleven-track CD, which was originally written and recorded as a simple no-frills endeavor "to give back" and to raise money for various charitable causes, has since exploded into a full-blown mission with the message and music. The odd fact is that the album was financed by none other than Gene Simmons of Kiss. "Gene bought one of my songs," relates vocalist Matt McCormack, “the sale of which allowed him to finance the For All The Saints CD. Bob Dylan had Slow Train Coming and George Harrison had All Things Must Pass - I wanted to do something like that. Not preachy or anything like that. I'm no saint and I don't live my life that way, but kind of like an outlet of positive music. That's what Rock Bottom's about." The CD reminded me very much of the band The Traveling Wilburys, giving the listener the best of alternative rock, the best of country and the best of gospel in the best of ways. The CD starts off with a take on the well-known gospel classic "How Great Thou Art," but songwriter McCormack has made the song his own with updated lyrics and a laid back beat. It's an awesome song of praise. The title track "For All the Saints" is an adaptation from a church choir hymn from the 1800's which McCormack and Sexton rearranged and gave new verses, eloquently bringing it into the mainstream realm of today's music. With a profound Americana resonance, "For All the Saints" as well as other tracks such as "Roses" and "Seed", translate fluently into the Triple A radio format, while other tunes "All That You Want" and "Taste of Faith" would sound right at home on traditional rock radio. "For All the Saints is a must-have CD that will not sit collecting dust in you collection.

How does Mark Mallett follow up one of the best selling Catholic CDs, Through Her Eyes: A Journey To Jesus? Mallett does it by releasing songs for Mass, adoration, or private devotion. His fourth CD is called Let The Lord Know Rich with 16 original songs, this in Mallet's personal response to the Year of the Eucharist as proclaimed by Pope John Paul the Great. The songs on this CD are so moving that during recording Mallett and the other musicians were often moved to tears.  Joining Mallett on this CD is world famous fiddle player, Natalie MacMaster on the song "Lift Our Hands." The song is one of praise to the One whose hands healed, saved and loved. It highlights MacMaster's gift of fiddle playing without taking away from the song’s meaning.  Also joining Mallett is up-and-coming Christian R&B artist Raylene Scarrott. This beautiful duet is a highlight of the CD with both of their vocals blending into an awesome song, "Love Live In Me." The song tells of dying to oneself and surrendering to God. A song that is my favorite from the CD is the tune "Faustina's Song." This takes the Divine Mercy chaplet and passages from out of St. Faustina’s diary and combines them into one rockin’ pop/folk song. (I would love to hear Mallett do an entire Divine Mercy CD.)  A song that sums up "Let The Lord Know" is "In The Presence."  Mallet sings: “In the presence of the angels I will sing praises." I believe they where there during the making of Let The Lord Know.