I know. It hardly needs saying. But, I'll say it anyway. It's been a whole year, and I've never made a real post. A week or two ago, however, I realized it actually *was* possible for me to start up my blog again. I must say, it makes me quite happy to return for real! I didn't realize until now just how much I miss blogging. Just let me take a moment to dance around singing, "The blog is back! The blog is back!" Anyway, I'll walk away from my non-sense and return to Grace Unmeasured: my blog about music, life, and, most importantly: GRACE.
So, I'll get to the thing that reminded me to make a blog post today. If you've ever read my blog, then you'll know that music is a great passion of mine, and that one of my favorite bands in Christian music (number one favorite favorite, actually) is the Newsboys. I've been a committed fan for almost six years now (has it been that long?), and one thing I've learned is that there seems to be a "curse of the guitarist" as one of my sisters and I jokingly call it.
So far, there have been six different men in that position throughout the years, the most recent being Australian singer/songwriter Paul Colman (formerly of the Dove Award-winning Paul Colman Trio), who joined the band in early 2006. By that time, I had already watched the exit of long-time guitarist Jody Davis and the entrance and exit of replacement Bryan Oleson, so at this point, I thought it seemed a bit ridiculous getting used to all these new people!
To be honest, I didn't feel all that excited when Paul joined...I'm not sure why, but I felt as though I couldn't picture what the band would be like with him. But when I watched the behind-the-scenes DVD of the special edition of GO, his first album with the Newsboys, I realized my suspicions were way off. The minute he came on camera, I immediately knew he was born to be a Newsboy. The first thing I noticed was his unstoppable comedy, and if you know anything about the Newsboys, you know that humor needs to be involved to some degree. Infact, when watching Paul joking around, I actually said, "I think he's giving Duncan a run for his money" (as drummer Duncan Phillips had always been known as "the funny one.") I hadn't even seen him performing with the band yet, but I just knew he fit in perfectly!
So, coinciding with Paul Colman's addition to the band was the release of what I believe to be the best Newsboys album ever, GO, and there started their absolute best era altogether. Even with long-time bassist Phil Joel's recent departure from the band, I certainly think they were at their absolute best during what I call the GO era (a.k.a. 2007-2008). I still can't quite put my finger on it, but I always felt there was a really great dynamic in the group, some kind that hadn't quite been there before. They were undeniably at the top, and I'm not referring to their chart positions or music sales (although those were doing great), but rather to that new dynamic that came about; their music, their lyrics, the way they reached out to the masses. Those were great days! But, unfortunately, it was announced earlier this week by Paul Colman, my favorite guitarist for the Newsboys, that he decided to leave the Newsboys in order to put more time into pursuing his solo career. So, if Paul Colman has left the Newsboys, then who's taking his place? As a fan, I rolled my eyes (metaphorically, not literally) at the idea of one more new person stepping in. But, to the shock and surprise of all the fans, it was also announced that former guitarist Jody Davis had returned! I am looking forward to seeing what 2009 will be like for the Newsboys and for Paul! And while I find it disappointing to see Paul go, I'm glad that his replacement is at least a Newsboy we've known before ;-) It'll be great to have Jody back in the band, and I can't wait to see how things go with this new change! Now, if only we could get Phil back... ;-)
Anyway, to wrap up my silly fan post, I thank God for bringing Paul Colman into the Newsboys...I learned a lot from Paul, spiritually and musically. I've been greatly encouraged by his solo music, which I may have never listened to if he hadn't joined the Newsboys ;-) I've truly admired his love for God, and how he's used his gifts for His glory.
Alright, my out-of-control fandom has had its say ;-) I don't know about all the things I'll be blogging about during these days, but I know that I wanted to blog about my top 10 favorite albums at some point...I just need to go over the list and make final decisions! ;-) I'm not sure if I'll make it all one post, or if I'll do one post per album. Any thoughts?
Leave a comment