Raised by Wolves: The Story of Christian Rock & Roll

By John J. Thompson

An insider's look at the birth, evolution and growing popularity of Christian rock music. Unprecendented sales for music groups such as DC Talk and the Supertones, as well as the recent successes of crossover artists such as Jars of Clay, MxPx and Sixpence none the Richer have inspired interest and further investigation in this very underrated area of Rock.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1550224212
• ISBN13: 9781550224214
• Release Date: August 1970
• Publisher: ECW Press
• Length: 262 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.8" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

Everybody Is Here

I've been listening to "Jesus music" for about 35 years, and this book has brought back many memories. It's also brought to light many new (to me) stories. This is the most complete coverage of "Christian" music and its history I can imagine. Everybody is here: From Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill, Andre Crouch, and Barry McGuire (who was very encouraging during my participation in the "2009 Aids Walk"), to Petra and Rez, to Amy Grant and M.W. Smith, to DC Talk, Daniel Amos, and Steve Taylor (who loved making "hamburger out of sacred cows" and guided the music and careers of The Newsboys, Sixpence, and others), to Keith Green and Rich Mullins, to Alice Cooper, Sixpence None the Richer, and Creed, to Delirious? and Sonic Flood, and Lauren Hill. Lots of stories, behind the scenes insights, and inside information. But more than just the artists and music, this book comments on the "Christian music industry," various attitudes and expectations, and the age-old story of religion always fighting what God is doing. It also comments on the down side of the "Christian" marketplace: "The Christian community had nearly completed its total retreat from mainstream society. It even had its own television networks. Many Christians were able to live in a world within a world, one that would protect them from ever brushing up against non-Christians. And the ghetto was large enough that many people made millions of dollars selling Christian CDS to Christians, Christian books to Christians, and even Christian toys, paintings, videos, and clothes to Christians. A handful of artists, however, wanted nothing to do with that ghetto." In many ways, the "CCM Industry" serves to further the illusion of the separation and compartmentalization of the Christian life into secular and sacred. But, wheat and weeds have always grown together, and will continue to do so. There's a lot of great music out there by people of faith. This book, at many points, shows how the industry tried to ignore it (or lambast it), while the "church" tried, first, to destroy it, and then to control it. There are a lot of true "success" stories chronicled here as well; Petra, Lost Dogs, and Sixpence None The Richer being among them. This book is already about 10 years old, so the last decade is, of course, not covered. But, I can't think of an abundance of landmark happenings in CCM during that period anyway. Except maybe for Stryper getting back together. Oh, and the release of Re-Union's "Inside Out." ;-) If you're a long-time devotee, this book will provide a nostalgic trip down memory lane. If you're relatively new to the scene, you will be brought "up to speed." In either case, you'll find a fun, informative, and challenging time with "Raised By Wolves."

Response to Chris Doyle

"Meanwhile, artists and bands like Allies, John Elefante, Mark Farner, Idle Cure, Jag, Legend Seven, Liaison, Mastedon, PFR, Ruscha, Skillet, Switchfoot, and Matthew Ward get little, if any, credit in this book."Gee, maybe that's because they produced mostly unoriginal, derivative drivel. "Sure, the 80's group Daniel Amos was okay, but they are mentioned throughout the book as if they were to Christian rock what the Beatles were to secular rock and roll."Well, that's exactly what they are, artistically speaking. Or maybe they're the REM of Christian rock, or the Nirvana of Christian rock -- the only difference being that DA never had success with charts or record sales. In commercial terms, I guess Petra were the Beatles of Christian rock, but in terms of artistic achievement, they were midgets.

Off the Beaten Path

If you're trying to find detail on your favorite Christian pop stars, this really isn't the place. You will, however, find great information on those tenacious Christian music "artists". These artists, for the most part, came on-scene before contemporary Christian music was well accepted. They had, out of necessity, to develop their own ministry and distribution systems. They kept their stuff a bit too controversial for the mainstream --both mainstreams. They were too Christian for the secular market, but too edgy for mainstream Christians. The artists Raised By Wolves concentrate on really show some of the better work in Christian music. I made lots of great discoveries in the book.This all is not to say other artists aren't mentioned. Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, DC Talk, and more, get very positive reviews, too. I bought the book because I'm questing for Christian music.

BEYOND THE NASHVILLE SKYLINE

In these days of a Nashville-centric Christian music scene, it was refreshing to read John's book and remember that it wasn't always this way. The history of what we now call CCM is very complex and every author has his own foibles and favourites when it comes to writing about the significant artists who have made a contribution. What I really like about John's approach is that he has managed to stretch out beyond the usual suspects to a wider frame of reference. Sometimes it does become a little bit of a CCM trainspotter's paradise as John seems intent on listing so much music by so many artists. For me, the accusations of a lack of depth when profiling artists are far outweighed by the fact that the scope of his writing extends way beyond Nash-Vegas and anyway if you want artist profiles, fan type interest etc etc, read CCM magazine or other books! John is attempting a serious overview of the scene and just how we got here. As a Brit, it's also refreshing to find an American who recognises that some of the best Christian music in the world has actually been recorded on these shores! And that for me is the crux of the issue, John demonstrates his wide knowledge of his subject, thorough research skills and solid writing style to deliver a book that takes you on a journey through the formative years of Christian music to see that some of the very foundations of the industry, some of its theology and thinking and approaches are actually flawed. He's not alone in thinking this but still it all rumbles on...

Long overdue

This is a long overdue look at the world of music made by people of faith. An interesting read as well as encyclopedic in its breadth. The author does a wonderful job of detailing the little-known world of "Christian" rock, and in so doing introduces the reader to many overlooked, underrated artists in a much-maligned "sub-genre." Stories of great artists pigeonholed and subsequently confined to the "Christian ghetto" mingle with stories of those who broke out into the mainstream - and we're talking about the likes of Dylan, U2, Bruce Cockburn, and T-Bone Burnett here - NOT the usual fare of Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith, thank you. Recommended to anyone who thinks they'd never be caught dead listening to "Christian" music: you might be surprised to find that such unfamiliar names as Mike Knott, Terry Taylor, Mark Heard, the 77s, The Choir, and Adam Again (to name a few) provide music as honest and relevant as anything offered up by Elvis Costello or as creative as anything produced by Pink Floyd or the Talking Heads. Recommended to anyone who thinks they're a big fan of Christian music because they really like Jars of Clay, DC Talk or The Newsboys: there's a whole world that you have yet to discover, and you owe it to yourself to take a good look at the "underground" that made bands like those I just mentioned possible. And finally, to anyone who's suffered as a fan with the same frustrations that many of these artists have confronted: finally, someone's told the whole story!