Sunday, April 12, 2020

Sunday Music: Easter Song and He's Alive


Two versions:




True fact: The Ward clan and Keith Green were friends later in their lives, and all were products of the '70s Jesus Movement, and San Fernando Valley dwellers (like your bloghost), from back when it was a great place to live, before the porn industry became its primary export. I like both versions, and both were in regular rotation on my turntable when they were still vinyl-plastic-smell fresh and new. I insert them here today (they weren't on my list prior), like it or not, because sometimes, like today, Sunday music should be Sunday music. I do hope it doesn't bother anyone, but if it does, they should go back to their chocolate rabbits and Cadbury eggs for the moment.

And for Borepatch and ASM:
While we are glad Dolly discovered this song and did well with it, we much prefer the original version, by the song's author (and master of the genre, frankly), Don Francisco. But then, we were always bigger fans of Don than we were of Dolly.


And nota bene: these are songs, but they're not just songs. However the day finds you, have a Happy Easter Sunday, one and all.

13 comments:

Wayne said...

Thanks for posting these Aesop. I agree that Don Francisco’s original version is THE standard.

Keith Green was a little before my time but this is great. I also like Glad’s acapella version from the late 80s

And Was It a Morning Like This by Sandy Patty has some of the most evocative lyrics I have ever heard.

“Did the grass sing? Did the Earth rejoice to feel You again?”
Brings tears to my eyes just typing the words.

Happy Resurrection Sunday! Jesus is risen!

FredLewers said...

Dolly is a great performer but Don's version has a way of shaking a believer till they're wide awake and covered in goosebumps. Did it to me anyway and still does decades later.
Excellent music choices today. It's not a Fleetwood Mac or Merle Haggard kind of day.

Michael said...

Psalms 118:24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Proverbs 18:14 The human spirit can endure in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?

He has RISEN Indeed! Rejoice and be encouraged.

As Alexander Solzhenitsyn the Gulag Writer said "Those with faith survived".

Michael Powers said...

Nice choices! I saw Keith Green in concert in Visalia California in 1980 (or thereabouts). Still have the album he was giving away that night "So you want to go back to Egypt"..

Badger said...

Happy Easter to you.
Couple years ago I was showing the Mrs. where I grew up using Google Earth. I noticed that the southern end of Van Nuys (just south of Burbank Blvd.) was now considered part of Sherman Oaks. When I was a kid the dividing line was further south than that, maybe Magnolia. I note that, although called Sherman Oaks, many of the businesses retained their 'Van Nuys' moniker. (The demise of the term Junior High for "middle school" is nauseating to this FOG.)

Question: Do you happen to know when Sherman Oaks took over that chunk of Van Nuys? Just curious.

lineman said...

Happy Easter Brother... Rejoice He Is Risen...God Bless You...

Robert said...

Thank you, Aesop. While I no longer share your belief, I do appreciate the manner in which you present it on your blog. Semper Fi from an old squid.

Borepatch said...

I love Dolly, but Don dig a great version.

Happy Easter, Aesop!

Appalachdirtfarmer said...

We’ll chosen for the day. He is alive. Would we choose to grasp that, many other problems would become smaller. Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

He's Alive still give me chills - what a great song. Thanks for the post.

Happy Easter, Aesop. We don't deserve the grace and mercy we've received. May we continue to live for Him.

J said...

Not offended in the slightest - quite the contrary.
He is risen!

Gordon said...

Since I mostly listen to the old church music (Martin Luther, JS Bach, Charles Wesley, etc. I hadn't heard these before. Thanks! Wonderful music for a glorious Easter.

I attended Cal State Northridge for school year '78-79, and thought I was going to die. I'm from "a ways" further north, and I have to say that the city environment was pretty stifling. Lucky for me I could see the trees (usually, if there wasn't too much smog) on the hills behind my apartment (the old Nike missile sites), and better yet, my weekly trips to Sherwood and a couple of other gun stores/surplus stores. I think I bought a box of.45ACP every week if I could (everyone else was spending their money on dope and booze... my money has always gone into guns and ammo). Anyway, in retrospect it was a great time, just like all other times of misery look from far enough away. Thanks for the reminder though, there were definitely some fun things to do in the SFV back then.

Light Dragoon

Night driver said...

Gordon, Consider looking through the music that the Vineyard puts out/uses.

SOME of it is VERY good. It'll generate some fairly deep responses if done right.

But one would expect nothing less with John Wimber putting it together.


NIght Driver