(This is the first time John's ever heard Idle Cure - ed) Whoa!!! Where have I been? Nobody told me Paul Stanley got saved! With this passionate 1990 release, a standard in Christian music has just made a rather impressive dent in my brain. The overall sound achieved on this opus is best described as gutsy arena rock, i.e. Whitesnake or Def Leppard. Vocalist Steve Shannon belts out a high-powered delivery over a groundwork of tasteful heavy rock rhythms of guitar, drums, and keys, with top-notch backup vocals throughout (Shout quality). In the opening song, "Pray", Steve's gritty vocal style evokes memories of AC/DC's late Bon Scott. Carried over a march beat, this cut outrightly exhorts us to get down and make petition to the Lord in order to make the Christian difference. Especially interesting is the final cut, "Ordinary Man", a softly-strummed ballad performed in a Rod Stewart vocal style. Excellent production by Bill Baumgart drives this effort home with class. Obtain this tape! It rocks!! (Overall, it's consistently heavier than their previous two releases, with only two wimpy ballads - ed)
