Promoting CATHOLIC Rock

  • Thread starter Thread starter urban-hermit
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
CTA1967 said:
Go listen to a country song and tell me it does not have strong rhythm. Or Shostakovich or Rimsky-Korsakov for that matter.
Click to expand...
I’m not saying there are not bad country songs, just like they are bad classical ones.

Fr. Basil Nortz in his talks said: “good music, at its best, disposes man to virtue, whereas, bad music, does the opposite.”

I highly recommend reading this article if you are interested in what he meant:
catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0221.html
 
Chaldean_Rite said:
I’m not saying there are not bad country songs, just like they are bad classical ones.

Fr. Basil Nortz in his talks said: “good music, at its best, disposes man to virtue, whereas, bad music, does the opposite.”

I highly recommend reading this article if you are interested in what he meant:
catholiceducation.org/articles/arts/al0221.html
Click to expand...
Then isn’t there a chance that there aren’t bad rock songs if the same applies for country and classical? Tell me, have you ever even listened to “Let It Be” before? Its beat isn’t nearly as strong as that of country music (actually, there aren’t even drums for the first two verses), and you’d think lyrics were written by a Catholic.
 
And how about rock bands who perform country songs or country bands who perform rock songs? There are plenty of muscians who have broader, more reasonable standards than you.
 
Chaldean_Rite said:
Country is actually much better and ordered. You are not going to see a bunch of horny kids humping each other to country because it is not taken over by the rhythm.
Click to expand...
I think you ought to turn on CMT or GAC sometime and watch some of those videos…:o
 
Here’s a great quote from Cat:

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=126255
I don’t agree that rock music has a “beat” that is any more dangerous than many other forms of music.
Click to expand...
I am a pianist, and I personally believe that many of the Baroque pieces have an incessant beat that is quite riveting. My husband will not listen to classical music in the car because of the driving beat.
Click to expand...
I find that Cajun music has a very definite and repetitive beat, as does a lot of the country music, especially Texas swing and rockabilly.
Click to expand...
A lot of children’s music has a definite beat that is rather annoying at times because of it’s constancy.
Click to expand...
A beat is not evil. Listen to life–it all has a beat. Our hearts, the machinery at our workplaces (I work in a hospital lab), clocks, engines, birds in the trees, the frig.
Click to expand...
A beat is what is call “amoral.” There is no morality or lack of morality attached to a beat.
Click to expand...
I also think that there is nothing inherently good about a “melody line” in music. Much of the music of other cultures has discordance in the melody such that Westerners like us can’t even find the melody. Consider Gaelic music–this music has not only a driving beat, but a repetitive drone in the background and often a harsh, guttural melody.
Click to expand...
Again, melody is “amoral.”
Click to expand...
As a pianist, I consider rock music to be one of the most complex forms of music. I had to play a rock piece in the last choir concert I played for, and it was the hardest piece in the program.
Click to expand...
Now after saying all this, I must say that I don’t particularly like a lot of rock music, especially the pablumic “pop” music that many Christians seem to cherish. But I respect it as a music form even if it is not my personal choice.
Click to expand...
And I don’t care for polka much either, but maybe if I could dance, I would like it more. Darn Baptist upbringing! (Dancing was forbidden while I was growing up.)
Click to expand...
That brings up an issue–IMO, rock music is a musical form that demands MOVEMENT. My daughter spent a year in an Assemblies of God high school which played rock music, but forbade dancing. She often said, “WHY do they play dance music, but not allow us to dance?!”
Click to expand...
So I think that this needs to be considered when Christians bring in the rock music. There will be dancing. It is impossible to prevent it. Now if the dancing is “decent,” fine. But if the dancing will cause young men to sin in their minds, is that OK? On the other hand, I personally believe that young men can sin in ANY situation–look at the reputation that Catholic school uniforms has (sexy). So I don’t think it’s realistic to eliminate everything that tempts a young man.
Click to expand...
 
anyone here heard of the indian group Rex Band?

Their Rock music is nice, very Indian and bollywoodesq if you know what I mean.

They are a Catholic Rock group associated with the “Jesus Youth” Missionary movement.
 
Christian Rock sucks the riffs are too soft, it’s not lound, and the lyrics stink and for any idiot that thinks ac/dc does’nt mean Alternating Current/Direct Current your an idiot, malcom & angus young came up with the name when they saw a warning sticker on their sisters (the same sister who told angus to wear his school uniform for a gimmick) sowing machine saying "warning AC/DC high voltage, then if you still stubbern and continue to bash them then your a stinky doody head
:mad:
 
CTA1967 said:
Where exactly did you get that incredible generalization? I know I’ve heard Catholic nuns singing “Let It Be” by The Beatles before. How would they know how to sing it if they never listen to rock?
Click to expand...
I think that was when Whoopi Goldberg was playing a nun in a movie! ROFLOL
 
like i said befor

Christian Rock sucks. The riffs are too soft, it’s not lound, and the lyrics stink and for any idiot that thinks AC/DC does’nt mean Alternating Current/Direct Current your an idiot, Malcom & Angus Young came up with the name when they saw a warning sticker on their sisters (the same sister who told angus to wear his school uniform for a gimmick) sowing machine saying "warning AC/DC high voltage, then if you still stubbern and continue to bash them then your a stinky doody head:mad:
 
colliric said:
anyone here heard of the indian group Rex Band?

Their Rock music is nice, very Indian and bollywoodesq if you know what I mean.

They are a Catholic Rock group associated with the “Jesus Youth” Missionary movement.
Click to expand...
Do u have any links to their music?
 
Christian Rock stinks the riffs are too soft, it’s not lound, and the lyrics stink and for any meany head that thinks ac/dc does’nt mean Alternating Current/Direct Current your an less than intellegent person(s), malcom & angus young came up with the name when they saw a warning sticker on their sisters (the same sister who told angus to wear his school uniform for a gimmick) sowing machine saying "warning AC/DC high voltage, then if you still stubbern and continue to bash them then your a meany head
 
I will honestly never understand the argument that says any music with a strong beat is inherently evil. Whether it is rock, classical, shoegaze, or even victorian influenced industrial music, I react in a strongly passionate way because of my disposition towards music. For instance, when I was young child, I would become enthralled with the sound of Flight of the Bumblebees much the same way I would with a metal song now, and in both cases, there is nothing sexual or disordered about it. Any good music ought evoke a strong emotional reaction or prompt the listener to admire the beauty of what he hears. For instance, I’ve been brought to tears listening to Palestrina, but I’ve had similar reactions listening to the black metal influenced post-punk of the French band Amesoeurs. I think people who criticize a type of music as evil should be familiar with more than just the bands played on the radio. Palestrina helps me to realize the beauty of God, and Amesoeurs helps me cope with spiritual desolation of modernity. I believe both of these have their place in the Catholic life.
 
KennethD said:
I will honestly never understand the argument that says any music with a strong beat is inherently evil. Whether it is rock, classical, shoegaze, or even victorian influenced industrial music, I react in a strongly passionate way because of my disposition towards music. For instance, when I was young child, I would become enthralled with the sound of Flight of the Bumblebees much the same way I would with a metal song now, and in both cases, there is nothing sexual or disordered about it. Any good music ought evoke a strong emotional reaction or prompt the listener to admire the beauty of what he hears. For instance, I’ve been brought to tears listening to Palestrina, but I’ve had similar reactions listening to the black metal influenced post-punk of the French band Amesoeurs. I think people who criticize a type of music as evil should be familiar with more than just the bands played on the radio. Palestrina helps me to realize the beauty of God, and Amesoeurs helps me cope with spiritual desolation of modernity. I believe both of these have their place in the Catholic life.
Click to expand...
To me, it seems less a strong beat that is evil, and more a highly Hypnotic styling contained within the music(Which can include the element of a strong beat). Such as, to me anyway, Techno(and other highly hyponotic Dance music) Music and also any music that is considered “Hardcore” or “heavy” such as Metal, or perhaps more specifically the Sub Genre of Metal that is called “Gothic”(which is quite often very depressive music, but occasionally can be the opposite). I think the Majority of Rock, Pop and even Rap music, does not nessecerily fall into that category, but it seems to be increasing. Personally I find that Techno in all of it’s ways shapes and forms, falls into that category, especially when it’s played at nightclubs with dingy atmospheres.

Although I did not like the film for being quite delibratly crafted to be hypocritical or “tounge in cheek”, the teenage comedy film “Josie and the Pussycats” seemed to hit the nail on the head with this. It is not the music which is of itself evil, it is how it is used to subcoincously hypnotise people.
 
Recently I’ve been quite taken with rock and pop music which pertains to Christianity, it says some nice things about Jesus and really gets my emotions going really quick. But what I’ve started to notice is that although it gets me going very quickly, it also fades fairly quickly, and doesn’t leave me with much more than I started with (aside from some fatigue) and a few choice lyrics. This reminds me of what it’s like to have a lot of sugar like in soda or candy, it gives you that quick rush of sweetness and energy, but quickly peters away. The same can be said of caffeine. I kind of think of classical music as being a little more nutritious, sure it isn’t as instantly exciting or energizing, but it slowly builds on itself over time and perhaps leaves you with something which lasts longer and is soft enough to blend with other senses and thoughts into a more complete experience.

Basically my personal fear and observation is that it can lead me into a sort of spiritual gluttony, where I crave and look to the more intense, quick, and guaranteed emotions associated with rock/pop to escape normal drudgery and into something which I perceive to be spiritual (but which in reality may just be emotional). I think to this I must prefer simple, silent, and faithful prayers. For you it may be different.

Also the Pope wrote something about this:
“Rock” [music]. . . is the expression of elemental passions, and at rock festivals it assumes a cultic character, a form of worship, in fact, in opposition to Christian worship. People are, so to speak, released from themselves by the experience of being part of a crowd and by the emotional shock of rhythm, noise, and special lighting effects. However, in the ecstasy of having all their defenses torn down, the participants sink, as it were, beneath the elemental force of the universe."

Although that might just have been regarding liturgical music.
 
I have not read all the replys, so i may be repeating somone, but here goes.
Music, i belive, and how it helps in the spiritual life (or hurts it) is in the words spoken and the intent of the song. God made music, not rockers or hymnists. So, music is not evil in and of it’s self. To say Rock is evil would be to say drums are evil or singing loudly is evil and so on. Rock, heavy metal, and other types of music is not evil. It is not that DemonHunter ( a christian band) that sounds like others who are sending an evil messege, it is the others (like Nine Inch Nails) who are writitng evil lyrics and sending a bad message, whos drums and singing style sound like and mimic somthing that is Christian, because God made music, not Nine Inch nails. They are takeing What God made and useing it for the wrong purpose. When people think of rock they think of all the people who have missused the instraments and abillty of music. Also, there are bands out there who despite the pull to forsake there love of God for riches are still staying with it and i think it is wrong for there brother Christians to bash them right along with the world when they are useing there talent for God. Not to mention how many youth are finding God in Rock, and that DOES help the spiritual life. Thus far it may be unheard of that very spiritual people listined to rock but they never had the Rock we have today. A whole new genaration of holy men and women are going to be rising up, and they will be, yes singing the hymes of our tradition, but also screaming the very christian rock and roll of today and beyond. ALSO NOTE, i do not think Rock has a place in Church during Mass. That us a very different setting, there is a place and time for everything. God Bless.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top