While listening to this new CD by guitarist/singer-songwriter Marcus Eaton, I recalled a debate often had amongst music fans. Why is the sound and style of Christian music so easily identifiable as Christian music? While never really understanding what the negative aspect of that connotation was, after listening to a decent amount of Christian music I knew what they were talking about. Whenever coming across something intended to be “Christian rock” it was always easy to tell the music was geared to Christians and, surprisingly, often way before any telling lyric was heard. Something in the production, maybe the sound of the guitar or the drums, seemed to always seem very rock “lite.” It’s as if the balls were left out of the music, as if the producers and musicians wanted to create some real rock but felt if they did the negative aspects of secular hard rock would be thrust on the listener.
When listening to Eaton’s new CD, you can throw any and all of those issues out of the window and enjoy the music purely for what it is: great rock and roll covering many sub-genres and shades. For one thing, Eaton has not stated anywhere on the album or in the press accompanying it that he is (or wants to be known as) a “Christian” artist. Still, it doesn’t take a genius to discern that Eaton is a spiritual man. The music is contemporary in every respect and is meaningful and heartfelt most of the time, yet rocking when it needs to be and always enthralling and interesting. It’s obvious Eaton knows how to craft a great album, and as well he should, since he’s been a professional for a long time. Signed by a division of MCA/Universal in 2002, Eaton and his band made his hometown of Pocatello, Idaho, proud and have been recording prolifically ever since.
“Life In Reverse,” the first song, opens up the album with a driving beat and a great immediacy. It’s a great choice to begin the CD as the beat and intense acoustic guitar give a resounding announcement of Eaton’s poignant but upbeat lyrics. Great drumming on the track as well by Kevin Rogers, who adds a lot to the song during the ride-out where his furious tom work brings the song to a higher level of intensity. The next song “Dismantle The Machine” has a slower groove, but the rhythm section keeps the song intense with Rogers’ furious drumming and Garrett Sayers’ exceptional bass work. Eaton’s guitar work on both of these cuts is captivating and makes one wonder why he hasn’t been featured more prominently in those guitar magazines you see in every grocery store. The song itself reminds me of something by The Police if they would had come up to prominence in the past five years or so. Not lyrically, per se, as Eaton’s lyrics have a decidedly Christian/spiritual bent to them, but the music especially, as Eaton’s band seems as accomplished on their chosen axes as Sting and company were on theirs. At the end of the song the band adeptly morphs into a Rush-type sound.
“Eleven” is next and finds Eaton and crew in ballad mode, with a dreamy, ethereal sound featured on the song. As great of a guitarist as Eaton is (and he’s a monster), his vocal work is equally as good and he has a very commercial, radio-ready style. Eaton’s production of the album is top-notch, as well, showing him to be quite adept in the studio as this release has up-to-the-second production, some of the finest work I’ve heard done by someone not on a major label.
The Police-isms come back on the next song, “What’s The Difference”, as the song starts with a slick reggae beat reminiscent of the Police song “Roxanne” and has that band’s way with dynamics and tempo changes. The next cut, “Dreams of Flying”, has a totally different sound, which is a groovy, almost jam-bandy drive. Eaton’s vocals give it a Maroon 5/John Mayer feel while the music is slick pop on the verses and a Dave Matthews feel on the chorus. Eaton’s deft acoustic work opens up the next song, “Weightless”, and the tempo combined with the guitar, lyrics, and production are a perfect match for the song’s title. Eaton has created the perfect musical bed for his song, a rare occurrence of musical synergy which can be called nothing less than inspired.
Next, “Black Pearl” begins with Eaton’s intense vocals upfront as if he is singing directly to the listener. The rest of the band comes in on the chorus and then fades as the second verse begins, executing an excellent arrangement by their use of dynamics to draw the listener deep into the song. This would seem the logical choice for a single, as the song is very accessible and the spiritual imagery in the lyrics is masked.
“Who You Are” comes next and has a slight Latino flavor to the rhythm and the guitar work, which borders on the flamenco, and sounds like one of the songs Santana would feature on his latest albums. Eaton burns the guitar on this cut, proving he is an exceptional player who knows how to use it properly. Eaton’s guitar rages on the intro to “Over You”, giving the song some of the hard rock oomph I have been waiting for since the album began, and finishes the album with the same unleashed passion on “You Can’t Close Your Eyes.”
While As if You Had Wings is likely geared to listeners who would appreciate a Christian world view, the musicianship is top notch and can be enjoyed for its own sake. Guitar freaks and fans of modern rock are sure to enjoy this album as it features great vocal work, excellent band performances and Eaton’s frighteningly skillful guitar playing throughout. All that, plus production work that is top-notch spells a set of songs accessible to anyone, anywhere, anytime.
Review by Scott Homewood
