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| OVER THE EDGE by Geoff Moore (1986) Power Discs - PWRO1080 Producer: Billy Smiley File Under: Christian Rock
Time Capsule-Worthy Track:
Why Should the Devil (Have All the Good Music)
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Nothing incredibly different or amazing here, just a solid project of mid-80s heartland rock and roll, competently sung and played, with a huge assist from an established band. Oh - and one very well-executed cover song. More about that later.
Geoff Moore was a midwestern kid, born and raised in Michigan. The son of a minor league baseball player/steelworker, Geoff discovered singing while attending a then-Christian school known as Taylor University.* After graduating from Taylor, Moore did what any aspiring CCMer would do...he moved to Nashville and went to work in a clothing store...(wait for it)...where he met Michael W. Smith, who helped him break into the Christian music biz. Moore scored a publishing contract with Paragon Music and went to work writing songs and singing background vocals (much the same path that Margaret Becker traveled). Geoff was called upon to write or co-write several songs for another young artist named Steven Curtis Chapman (Steven and Geoff co-wrote a little ditty you might've heard of, titled The Great Adventure). Moore and Chapman remain friends and continue to work together in various capacities to this day. But I digress.
It didn't take long for Geoff Moore to land a solo recording contract of his own. Where Are the Other Nine was the debut, released in 1984 on Power Discs. The title track, based on the Scriptural account of Jesus healing the ten lepers, became a minor hit.
Which leads us to our featured album, Over the Edge. On the cover of this album, Geoff had submitted to a much-needed makeover. He traded in the televangelist hairdo and lead-pastor-in-training sweater from Where Are the Other Nine in favor of a decidedly cooler look.
The clothing, the fence, the shoes, the shades...it all works to help give Geoff a much hipper image on this record before you even drop a needle on it.
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| White Heart |
Now, one could be forgiven if one considered this a White Heart album...with Geoff Moore singing lead. Because that's pretty much what it is. Which worked out great for Geoff, since White Heart's roster has always been stocked with mega-talented musicians. White Heart's fearless leader Billy Smiley produced this record; Smiley, Mark Gersmehl and Gordon Kennedy wrote or co-wrote a number of songs on the project; and the music was played by the likes of Gary Lunn, Chris McHugh, Dann Huff, Gordon Kennedy, and Mark Gersmehl, White Heart members one and all.
Apparently, the backlash against electronic drums was well underway in 1986, as this record's liner notes hilariously state, "This album has no Simmons drums."
"From the opening strains of Tear Down the Walls, you know you're in for a fun ride of fresh and raw rock," wrote one reviewer. Well, I don't know how raw it is...but it is a nice ride. There are basic rock tracks and a few ballads, with a straight-forward Christian faith message present in the lyrics throughout the album. But, for me, it's the presence of a cover song that makes this album worth its weight in gold.
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| Larry Norman (center), performing with Geoff Moore & the Distance at Cornerstone 1990 |
You could say that Larry Norman's Why Should the Devil (Have All the Good Music) was the founding hymn of Jesus Rock. I'll never forget seeing and hearing Geoff Moore & the Distance perform the classic song at Cornerstone 1990. Yes, Geoff Moore was still cool enough in 1990 to be invited to play Mainstage at C-stone, the greatest and hippest Christian rock music and culture festival of them all. As the band launched into their version of that iconic song, Geoff Moore surprised us all and welcomed Larry Norman, The King himself, on stage to perform it with them. Tired from several days of hardcore festivaling as well as a sightseeing trip into Chicago, my brother and I were chilling out on a blanket during Geoff Moore's set, far from the stage. But when we heard him bring Mr. Norman on, previously unannounced, we jumped to our feet and literally ran to the stage to catch a closer view of the Father of Christian Rock and Roll, not knowing if this would be our one and only chance to see him perform. [It wasn't...six years later we would have the honor of actually playing in Larry Norman's band for the final three songs of a concert in North Carolina. But I digress again.]
Geoff Moore has always demonstrated a healthy respect for Larry Norman. His cover of this song is quite faithful to the arrangement and the spirit of the original, just much more muscular. It's basically White Heart with Petra's John Slick on organ and Geoff on lead vocal - what could go wrong?! The video of the song was great, complete with an appearance by Norman. Moore also included this song on his next solo album, confusingly titled The Distance, and again on a live album several years later. It was a staple of GM&D concerts and was used as the "introduce-the-band" song. Moore also delivered a very tasteful and respectful cover of U.F.O. on a tribute album to Norman titled One Way - the Songs of Larry Norman.
Geoff Moore also paid tribute to another Gospel Rock pioneer when he recorded a stellar cover version of Randy Matthews' classic Didn't He on his next album. Again, quite faithful to the original and handled with care. Well done, Mr. Moore.
In 1987, Moore formed a band that he called Geoff Moore & The Distance. That group released eight albums, enjoyed a slew of No. 1 hits on Christian radio, won a Dove Award and were nominated for Grammys. Geoff Moore retired from the road in 1998. "I just really sensed it was time for me to explore some new things, musically and in the ministry...I needed to slow down and simplify my life," Moore said in an interview with the Tampa Tribune.
Geoff has continued to write and record as a solo artist. So you might say he's come full circle. And, from all indications, he's still quite certain that the devil should not have all the good music.
Fun Facts:
John Slick, underrated keyboardist for Petra from 1981-1984, played keyboards for four songs on this album.
At Taylor University, Geoff Moore was a classmate to future White Heart lead singer Rick Florian.
* I half-jokingly refer to Taylor University as a formerly Christian school. Taylor is purportedly still an evangelical Christian college, but like many other schools of its type, her founders would hardly recognize her as such. A quick Google search will reveal a number of regrettable issues and controversies that have given Taylor a black eye in very public way as far as her adherence to Scriptural belief and practice.
