It's time to experience something you never have and in some cases properly never will again. It's the life of singer/ songwriter/ Catholic evangelist Chris Padgett. It's time to get inside his head and see what he does daily and meet his family.
How to do this? Watch his new DVD called Chris Padgett: The Experience.
Yes, you too can watch as Padgett buys an RV (he did it before Robin Williams did). Watch the trip to Wal-mart. Learn how to throw darts. From an educational side you can learn how to cut up bacon. See the Dean Martin mural. See where the Padgett family goes to the bathroom. See Padgett's huge religious library. Apart from all the silliness that is Chris Padgett, you also get to hear many of his songs in the background and the DVD also has a cut-away or two of Padgett doing his famous talks to the youth. Chris Padgett: The Experience is a must-have for any of his fans or for fans of Scarecrow and Tinmen.

JPII, The Great One, John Paul the Great, whatever you call him, he will be remembered as one of the greatest Pope's that ever lived. He was truly called by God to be the leader of the Catholic Church during a time when we needed one.
Heartbeat Records has seen this and has gathered together a diverse collection of songs about Pope John Paul II. The CD is called Pope John Paul II - The Tribute Album. Songs are from popular singers such as Dana, Jose Feliciano, Rachel Lampa, Rich Mullins, Mark Forrest and many more. One of the more surprising songs includes actor Michael Crawford, famous for his "Phantom of the Opera" role, singing "On Eagle's Wings." One other reason to buy this is Tom Booth's award wining song "Giovanni Paolo." This is a song that Booth did with his friends Matt Maher and Fr. Stan Fortuna. They were inspired when they saw the Pope in Canada as the crowd yelled his name. Fr. Stan says, "JP II has been attractive to the youth of the world before, during and after his death. Why? He was young at heart. He lived the journey of his life going ever deeper into the heart of God, who is the source of all youthfulness." Pope John Paul II - The Tribute Album is a great collection of songs that allows you to remember the fond memories of his life.

With his third album Overflow , Matt Maher shows listeners why he has climbed up the ladder to become one of the top selling Catholic artists. Maher has an alternative rock sound that you may hear on any modern rock radio, but Maher's visionary songwriting leads listeners closer to the heart of God than any rocker out there. This new 14 track CD has the same power found on Maher's first two CDs. In many ways it maybe a stronger CD with the music not being so forceful; some of it is just so slight it gives it a personality that can only be Maher.
I heard this in "Here and Now," a song in which Maher shows us a glimpse of the Second Coming. The music has a dark guitar line lingering over the track's throbbing percussion, which evokes a feeling of immediacy. The lyrics are full of contradiction that Christians will understand. The world is ending, yet it is the beginning. We are sad, but also filled with joy.
It is this joy that we feel in "Resurrection Day," an awesome song that tells us about the day of Christ's rising from the cold grave, and that one day we will do the same. Check out the powerful drum and guitar on this one!
Matt really cuts loose on "Everything You've Done." A celebration of God's gifts, it starts out innocently enough. But suddenly he doubles its two-beat rock tempo and you're whisked away on a journey of guitars and musical fireworks. This one will get your head to bounce with the beat. "Timeless" is a wonderful adaptation of Suzanne Toolan's "Jesus Christ, Yesterday, Today and Forever." Maher slows the music down a bit to weave a lush arrangement of love for Jesus - the one who never changes and always loves us. We are also given a cover song of sorts. Maher transform Bob Foley's standard "Come To The Water" into his own. It has simple vocals and guitar with a little drum to keep the beat. It really is almost a completely new song after Maher has gotten a hold of it. In "The Rivers of Babylon," he tells the story of a modern-day exile contrasted against the Biblical story. The listener gains a better understanding both of the Biblical narrative itself and the pertinence such a narrative has for someone living in a culture that has exiled itself from God. The source material is imagined anew and reinvigorated through a four-minute pop song - no small feat. In a genre that can sometimes seem repetitive, Matt Maher's Overflow is musically diverse and shows his love of God.

Fr. Stan Fortuna has completed his hip-hop trilogy with Sacro Song 3. Yeah, tat's true!
Alllright?
Alllright! Yeah tat's true!
(You'll get that joke when you hear the CD!)
Sacro Song 3 has 18 all-new tracks including "Got the Mike On", an ode to old school; the jazz/funk-inspired "Ain't No Party"; "Hangin' In There", a challenge to persevere; the dark-themed "Daddy Wound". "Jesus Talks" is a response to the hip-hop hit "Jesus Walks" by Kanye West. Fr. Stan tells West that he needs to get his life right and set a better example. Sacro Song 3 also features guest artists UGC (Kwame, Enigma & Gremlin) on the Latin-flavored "World F.A.M.I.L.Y." and Sean Santiago and Glenda Mortoral on "Ima Do Me". Many of the songs were inspired by Fr. Stan's South Bronx experiences and his desire to use popular culture within his vocation to reach the broadest possible audience. "Sacro Song 3 offers hope and empowers people to look upward - to what I believe and know is a better future," says Fr. Stan. "I wanted to challenge the perceived, stereotypical notion that rap music cannot be redeemed and used to elevate contemporary culture. The power of love, regardless of musical genre, can break any barrier, scale any wall - it is stronger than death." Yeeaaah, tat's true!

I have really liked the change and new direction that John Michael Talbot has taken on his last few CDs. Monk Rock and City Of God gave me a new view of one of Catholic music most popular singer. I know there are those who love his contemplative side, and that's alright. I just need a little more groove in my life. Talbot gives me that in his new CD The Beautiful City . This is his 49th release. Following in the steps of Monk Rock, Talbot has picked up his electric guitar from his former days and fueled the music to praise God. It goes beyond the limits of just him and the guitar as he brings out what I would call a classic rock style. Many of the songs have a Cream, Doobie Brothers, or Blind Faith type of sound. JMT many times sounds like Eric Clapton in his playing. The title track of The Beautiful City refers to New Orleans and the devastation left after Hurricane Katrina. Talbot sings about how we got down on our knees to pray as the storm waters rose. The song ends with a hopeful note that "she will rise again….He will rise again." The song was released as a download only song with the money going to victims of the disaster and was co-written by Talbot's brother Terry. The two also worked on the song "Holy Man." The song has some great guitar licks that are found in many classic rock songs and tells the story of Jesus as healer.
Songs that talk about when Jesus will be coming back for us include," "He's Coming," and "Get Ready." TThe Beautiful City  is as inspirational as it is a joy to listen to.


 

--Jeff Burson