Jars Of Clay Album: “Jars of Clay”

When I first purchased this CD, it was for the then popular song LIQUID. Its subtle lyrics are accompanied by a solid beat, but not overbearing like other Christian Rock music I've heard. You know... the kind that quenches the Spirit. I must admit, my first reaction was that I would like about two or three songs and the CD would eventually end up in the "pile". NOT! This is one of those collections that grows better with time! Each song tells of a different human condition of the heart to which we can all can relate - but you have to look deeper than the surface. This one is deep! It's not your typical praise and worship collection. You probably can't sing the songs in Sunday worship. But you will sing them in your car! You will sing them in praise to God! It tells of our relationship with a loving God in spite of our frailties. Some people will miss the soul searching, healing ministry Jars of Clay inspires if they don't think. Fortunately, the sound is soooo awsome that listening to all the songs over and over is not a problem. Two years after I first heard this CD, it is still my #1 pick... period. After several years of feeling that I would "sacrifice" musical and poetic content for the sake of wholesomeness (ie: CCM was sub-par), I am thrilled that CDs like this prove CCM is now the crem-de-la-crem!

Jars of Clay took the Christian music industry by storm in 1995 when they burst onto the scene with this CD. Everyone was listening to it and talking about it. Being a leader who loves to be ahead of the trends...I bought the CD earlier this year.

Ok, ok, so I'm stubborn. I willingly admit I was an idiot for not getting this CD sooner. It's great! The combination of stringed instruments into a rock sound is worth the price alone. But the lyrics are great. Heartfelt and poetic, they take several listenings and some thought to understand, unlike most music out there today. Personally, I'm drawn to the helplessness apart from God of "Like a Child," the prayer of submission of "Worlds Apart," and the reliance (and fun) of "Flood."

Every song here in enjoyable. I wish I'd gotten it sooner so I could have enjoyed it longer. I'm certainly going to give their other CD's a try.

Jars of Clay's debut album is so good that its one of those albums that you can listen to in its entirety and not skip a track. The album is that good. Dan Haseltine provides strong yet subtle vocals, Greg Howell effectively works his guitar, and Adrian Belew's production ranks among his best. The group implements beautiful additions to their music, like the Gregorian chant in "Liquid", the violin solo in "Boy on a String", and the string sections in "Flood" and "Blind". Besides the two well-known tracks on the album, "Flood" and "Liquid", every other track is a gem in its lyrics and music. Thankfully the group did not overbear their spiritual message, but kept it simple and sweet. My personal favorite on the album is "He", an incredibly moving song about finding hope in God in the midst of doubt. Everything just meshed together well on this album, and it remains one of my favorites. A must buy not only for fans of Contemporary Christian music, but for all music listeners.

After listening to all of Jars of Clay CDs, I believe this title,the first of the pack, to be the best. The lyrics, written somewhat like poetry, make the CD worth listening to over and over and over. We've owned this CD since 1995 and it continues to get played every week in our house. The lyrics are sometimes obscure; which I love to listen to and try to figure out the orginal meaning the band was trying to get across. Depending on the mood I'm in, I can find a different meaning for the same song. I never knew this CD was popular on the pop radio stations. It doesn't surprise me since Jars of Clay is no typical Chrisitan band. "HE" tends to be my favorite song with its soulful woes on the pain of trying to be perfect. The times when I feel the need to connect with God, I turn off the lights, sit in my glider rocking chair, and close my eyes while listening to the lyrics glide with the music playing. Time after time, I find tears running down my face by the end of the CD. When I was in labor with my first child last year, this CD was the only type of music I could stand to listen to. I turned up the volume full blast, shut my eyes, and endured the pain. That is what this CD makes you do - shut out the outside world and focus on God!

I first got in touch with Jars of Clay by downloading "Love Song For A Savior" on a whim and promptly bought the album very soon after that. My reasoning for what was - comparatively - an example of impulse buying was that if what I'd heard was true about the rest of the album being more of the same then it would have to be worth the money. I was quite right.

This album is one of the better examples, not just of Christian rock, but of rock in general of the late 20th-early 21st centuries. The pop hooks which take up residence in your memory and don't go away are still there, so are the glorious vocal harmonies, but even without bringing a Christian perspective to the listening experience, the listener can see that there's certainly something more here than there is on the charts.

Despite being a Christian myself, I'm not a big fan of over-preachiness in Christian music - beyond the praise/worship style. Thus, it is a considerable advantage that, with the exception of "Love Song For A Savior" and "Art In Me", the Christian references can really only be picked up if you know what you're listening for. Certainly tracks like "Liquid" and "Flood" seem to be talking about some kind of faith, but then again, the secular listener could easily think of them as rehashing the sorts of themes that most modern rock acts visit once or twice every album.

The music and lyrics here are superb, there's simply no other word for them. I maintain my belief that the majority of the album sounds like the restrained parts of Creed's songs, but that's not one which has much agreement among other people who've heard both acts. Creed-like or not, Jars Of Clay have taken the acoustic sound and shining harmonies of the best folk-rock and adapted them to the modern rock sound. There are some moments - especially on "Flood" and "Liquid" - where a little more bombast may have helped the song forward a bit, but that could so easily have diluted the message of these songs. Other reviewers have mentioned the Gregorian chant sample in "Liquid", and that in itself is worth the price of admission, in the right setting, the effect is literally spine-tingling.

Jars are also not afraid to experiment with their sound, adding in strings where needed and even samples of children's voices to create a multi-layered work.

While the songs on the album are richly deserving of a 5-star rating, one star has to be removed for the "hidden track" at the end of "Blind". This track is simply a collection of snippets of the orchestra used in some songs tuning up and some half-obscured voices talking about exactly how different parts should sound. While the album would certainly not be very long without it, the time could easily have been made up by taking the time to record some extra songs rather than recording these "outtakes".

All in all, a very worthwhile purchase indeed. From a Christian perspective it's great to hear these young men who clearly have a mission and aren't afraid to share it, and the non-Christians who will hear it will be pleasantly surprised that the word "Jesus" is barely ever mentioned.