2nd Chapter of Acts/Phil Keaggy: How The West Was One (1977)

Tracks:

1. Concert Intro
2. Hey Whatcha Say
3. Keep on Shining
4. I Fall in Love/Change
5. Now That I Belong to You
6. Phil's Intro
7. What a Day
8. Your Love Broke Through
9. Take Me Closer
10. My Life
11. Another Try
12. Rejoice
13. Just the Same
14. Hallelujah
15. Time
16. Easter Song
17. Dance with You
18. Which Way the Wind Blows
19. Something Tells Me
20. Yahweh
21. Psalm 61
22. Grinding Stone
23. Receive
24. Morning Comes When You Call/The Son Comes Over the Hill

Only in the '70s--the golden age of the multi-disc live LP--could a record like How the West Was One have existed.  It's hard to think these days with Youtube, cable, satellite, and who nows how many digital outlets, that live LPs used to be a regular--even essential--entry in any major artist's catalog.  Some even had multiple live albums, and there was a time when such things really mattered.  Nowadays, you'll still see a live album, but more than likely it will be paired or even substituted with a live DVD, which itself is rapidly becoming an obsolete medium for live music.

But there was a time when the double LP format was the standard, and it wasn't unheard of for bands to stretch it to three or even four discs--I mean, why buy Chicago's first three albums when you could buy the 4-LP Live at Carnegie Hall album and hear three-fourths of the songs anyway?  So, it seemed natural back in 1977 for two of Christian music's premier acts to team up and drop a three-spot on an unsuspecting public.  

The 2nd Chapter of Acts was becoming one of the top artists in the still-new CCM scene, and probably the hippest and most mainstream vocal group.  Sure, you had your Imperials, your Gaithers, and your Oak Ridge Boys belting out gospel in a relatively modern style, but the sibling team of Annie Herring, Matthew Ward, and Nelly Greisen could front a full-on rock show with their sweeping harmonies, high-energy arrangements, and spiritually-powerful songs.  In 1977, they had established themselves with one of the greatest anthems written, "Easter Song," as well as a series of successful albums.  So they were definitely due for the live LP treatment, and naturally, they were the headliners, not that it really mattered, but at that time and place, their career was flying at full throttle.

Phil Keaggy was still an up-and-comer at this point, and while he had two solid albums to his credit, he really hadn't developed a huge following as a national act yet.  Love Broke Thru definitely reached a wider audience than the humble What A Day, but he still was something of a local phenomenon, at the time fronting his own band out of New York.  So he sat in with A Band Called David, a crack line-up of rock-friendly musicians in Richard Souther, Herb Melton, and Gene Gunnells.  Throw in Phil's old comrade Peter York and you had a real Jesus Music Summit, and these records capture the best of those West Coast shows.

I have to confess, I went into the album as a Keaggy fan, not so much for 2nd Chapter.  For the most part, I have not been a big fan of vocal groups.  It's not that I don't appreciate the style, but I've always been about bands, not singers.  Plus, their music, while popular and almost edgy for the '70s, hasn't really aged well, "Easter Song" notwithstanding.  I can't really say I've actually listened to a 2nd Chapter of Acts album, and really only a handful of their songs.  This record changed my way of thinking.  Yes, the songs, the arrangements, and the atmosphere are very much of their time and place, but I really love those harmonies!  And they really do pack a lot of power in those songs, I was humming and singing "Hey Whatcha Say" and "Keep on Shining" for days after I listened to them.  

I really liked "Which Way the Wind Blows," with its big chorus, and "Grinding Stone" because of its use of one of Jesus' prophetic parables about His Second Coming.  There was nothing wimpy or corny about the music, and probably the sweetest moment was when Annie asked the audience to stand up and join her in "Easter Song."  And they really have a humble attitude throughout, keeping it very Christ-centered and not about "the Big Show."

Still, I was there to hear Phil first, and his playing really shines.  He backs up the kids on their stuff and really has some hard-edged solos, picking some very gruff tones and really putting his all into it.  His solos on "Hey Whatcha Say" were especially hot and tasty.  He seems to slide right in to the guitar slot like he had played with A.B.C.D. for years.  

As far as his solo stuff, he's given three whole sides to showcase his music, and for the most part, he more than earns his keep.  One thing I immediately picked up was how young he sounds, especially on his stage chatter.  He sounds like he's practically in tears, he's so happy to be playing at times.  Another skill that Phil really masters that I rarely see elsewhere is his ability to sing and play lead simultaneously.  I can't think of another player that does that.  He really is the whole package.

I would say about half of his songs really stand out for me.  "What A Day" gets a full band treatment and keeps all of its fun, old-timey charm, with a nice extended coda.  "Just The Same" really benefits from 2nd Chapter's backup vocals, and stays pretty close to the studio version.  The sibs' harmonies really take "Hallelujah" to another level, although it does go on a little long.  Phil pulls the acoustic out for the autobiographical "My Life," a moving picture of his childhood and spiritual rebirth, throwing in a few super-fast runs for good measure.

Where the live setting really benefits most is in "de-glossing" some of the shimmery arrangements of the Love material.  "Take Me Closer" is essentially the same Love Boat-friendly dance tune, but somehow Phil changes up the playing to make it a little more vibrant.  The real show-stopper ends side four:  We finally get to hear the full version of "Time" in all of its nine-minute glory.  There something about the tone that is especially hairy on this version, and he just burns it.  He even throws that greasy "laser" riff in there, but somehow it sounds more natural and robust here.  Of course, we get the quasi-bolero section about six minutes in, and then Phil brings the house down with a boogie finale.

At the other end of the spectrum is "Rejoice."  Whenever I saw this album in the past, I'd see the sixteen-minute running time of this track and think, "Really?  That never seemed like a jam song."  And really, it's not; it might be the most energetic thing on Day but it's not the kind of thing that lends itself to going off into the stratosphere.  Phil hangs out for a while but eventually the band drops out and he does his "riff clinic" of different runs, licks, and mini-solos for five minutes.  I'm of two minds about this: On the one hand, I'm truly impressed by the sounds and resonance of these random pieces of genius, and how he can make his Les Paul sound like a french horn, a harp, etc.  On the other hand, I get bored of them quickly.  On both times I listened to the track I nearly fell asleep during this part.  When I was younger and driving hours and hours on the road, I could really get into those 20-minute plus jams, and there are still times today where it really works for me, but if it doesn't go anywhere or have any connection to a larger piece, it's just a lot of flashy curios.  But they're awesome curios, nonetheless...

I was really pleased with this album, it turned out to be a lot of fun, and I'm definitely interested in exploring more of 2nd Chapter's music.  And it really is an excellent document of one of the pivotal tours of CCM.  As far as Phil's career, it only added to his rapidly-growing status as the guitar virtuoso in Christian music.  With his next release, he would really start to cut loose and show the world what all the hubbub was about.