Love Life

by

Charlie Peacock

Edit

Charlie Peacock is an accomplished musician/producer/songwriter, and his 1990 release "Love Life" is a classic in Christian music. So why isn't it in print?

The title of the album reveals the theme behind the lyrics: each song takes a look at the various dimensions of a life lived with love as the dominating guide. The songs take on the spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical aspects of living life through the eyes of love.

Stylistically, Peacock runs all over the place. "After Lovin' You" and "What's It Like In Your World" start off the album with some r&b-tinged pop. "Forgiveness" has a gospel foundation to the music, while "Personal Revolution" takes gospel towards a more straight-ahead, though mellower, pop feel. "Another Woman In Tears" is one of the strongest cuts on the album, with Charlie veering into a more overtly jazz feel. "In the Light" and "I Would Go Crazy" are more up-tempo songs with a dance vibe, the former being a far superior version than the version that DC Talk recorded for their Jesus Freak album a few years later. "There Was Love" and "When I Stand With You" are, for lack of a better term, particularly Peacock-esque - artsy songs that defy any particular definition in terms of genre.

The song that deserves the most attention and, in my humble opinion, the most applause on this album is the next to last track, "Kiss Me Like a Woman." Peacock wrote this song as a celebration of the sexual relationship of he and his wife. The backlash he received from the conservative Christian majority over the "controversial" song was completely unfounded (they're MARRIED, for crying out loud), although it did not necessarily come as a surprise. Many Christian stores refused to carry the album, or would only carry it behind the cash registers, which really did a lot of harm to the sales of the album.

This album holds up well, even 15 years after its initial release. I have been an admirer of Charlie's music and writing since the days of his "Lie Down in the Grass" release, but I still find Love Life to be his strongest album from top to bottom. It is a crime that Sparrow Records allowed this classic release to be taken out of print. It is well worth tracking a copy down...

This is a very good album released in 1991 by Charlie Peacock. He covers a variety of song styles as well as lyrical themes, showcasing his arranging and production talents. The album is, if anything, possibly "overproduced", as some of the songs are extremely busy instrumentally, but those are offset by a couple of (comparitively) simple ballads. The wide selection of styles makes this album hard to categorize, which could both work for and against it. It's nice to have some differences, but too much could possibly be alienating to some people. If you're a muso, you'll probably like it. Standout tracks include "Another Woman in Tears", "What's it Like in Your World", and "There was Love".

Some of the lyrical themes on this album were not especially inspiring, as in "Personal Revolution": "I'm so tired of all these easy solutions/I can't stand it, they're nothing but denial". I could use more easy solutions in my life, and Jesus' teachings about how to live were always very straightforward and meant to be understood by the common man. As far as the controversy that occurred regarding the song "Kiss Me Like a Woman", as the years have passed I have understood it a little more (though I don't know if I'd put myself in the same camp as the critics, necessarily). Plainly, the Bible condones and encourages the physical relationship between man and wife. Whether or not those relationships should be discussed as openly as they sometimes are with the general public is another question. I suppose the answer lies largely in motive, and I don't know Mr. Peacock's.

This album is probably not quite as good as his "The Secret of Time" album (in my opinion), but is a good addition to your collection, especially at the current going rate.