Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 9: Tales of Wonder
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 1: Introduction
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 2: The Self-Titled Debut
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 3: Vital Signs
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 4: Hotline
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 5: Don’t Wait for the Movie
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 6: Emergency Broadcast
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 7: Freedom
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 8: Powerhouse
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 9: Tales of Wonder
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 10: Highlands
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 11: Inside
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 12: Redemption
- Whiteheart Retrospective – Part 13: The Other Songs
Way back in the 80’s and early 90’s, Petra was my favorite band and Whiteheart was my 2nd favorite. One reason for that hierarchy, is that my brothers and I had been able to get our hands on more of Petra’s music. Also, at that time in my life, Petra’s sound just worked for me. We lived in Panama and getting Christian music, particularly rock music, was not always easy. So, we did the best we could which included making copies of any albums that our friends were able to find when they were stateside.
I’m not sure what year it happened, but at some point, my older brother decided that to ensure we were able to maximize our purchases and acquisitions, we needed to be more strategic in our approach. Even though we all loved Petra, it didn’t make sense for each of us to buy the same Petra albums. As the oldest, he would be the Petra guy, which meant he would buy or obtain as many Petra albums as possible. He assigned me Whiteheart’s catalogue. I don’t remember what band our younger brother was instructed to collect.
This all might sound a bit insane to others, but for us it made sense. Our resources were limited, and the supply could be scarce when we were in Panama. We had to be smarter if we wanted to get as much Christian rock as we wanted. So, Whiteheart became “my” band. I didn’t begrudge my brother’s decision. My heart was already moving towards the music of Whiteheart. From that point forward, I began to feverishly and obsessively consume everything the band had released – provided we could find it. 30+ years later and things haven’t really changed that much for me. But, if you have been reading this series, you probably already figured that out.
Enough personal history. Let’s take a look at Whiteheart’s 1992 masterpiece – Tales of Wonder.
For their 1992 album, Whiteheart only made one lineup change. Drummer Mark Nemer departed and Adam Again drummer, Jon Knox, joined the band. Knox joined the band very late in the recording process so former drummer Chris McHugh handled all the drums on the album except for one song.
One could have excused, or even expected Whiteheart to deliver another album in the same vein as Powerhouse, considering how popular that album was. Instead, the band did what they did better than any of their contemporaries in the CCM world – they switched gears, shook things up, and charted new paths.
Where Powerhouse was in-your-face rock and roll, Tales of Wonder dialed things back and delivered one of the most textured and aesthetically beautiful albums of their careers. That’s not to suggest the album does not include any great rock and roll. It absolutely does. But the band clearly chose to strike a more subdued tone for big swaths of the album, and it really worked for them. I would contend Tales of Wonder is their second-best album and is as timeless as anything they ever produced.
For me, Whiteheart’s vocals were always one of their greatest strengths, particularly after Rick Florian joined the band. And for my money, Tales of Wonder is peak representation of that. Not only do Florian and Mark Gersmehl each provide incredible lead vocal performances, but the way the songs play their distinctive vocal styles off of one another is masterfully done. Gersh’s rougher baritone contrasting with Florian’s pure tenor creates a musical palette that is unique and virtually unprecedented in the annals of CCM.
The album kicks things off with one of the most overlooked songs in the band’s repertoire. “Raging of the Moon” is eerie moodiness in all the best sorts of ways. Sonically, the album sounds incredible, with a clean, wide-open sound and a mix that highlights every instrument when called for. “Raging”, with its steady, driving beat, atmospheric synths and keyboards, and wonderful guitar texture perfectly sets the stage for the album.
“His Heart Was Always in It” is up next and is probably the most straight forward rocker on the album. An incredibly catchy hook propelled the song and made it an instant fan favorite. And the song ends in classic Whiteheart fashion. Not content to simply end the song, the band opts to instead deliver an anthemic, drum solo led crescendo to close out the tune.
I think Tales of Wonder’s first 5 tracks can stack up against any other album in terms of quality. Much of that is due to how incredibly powerful “Unchain” and “Say the Word” are. Having ballads back-to-back as the 3rd and 4th tracks on the album was a gutsy decision, but it pays off handsomely. Both songs are simply beautiful, musically speaking, but the vocals are the showstopper. The three-part harmonies on “Unchain” are vintage Whiteheart and the vocal back and forth on “Say the Word” is perhaps the best the two leads ever sounded together.
Track 5 is “Who Owns You” and it’s just a perfect rock song. The intro is easily one of my favorite Whiteheart intros ever and the rest of the song does not disappoint at all. Gersh and Rick take turns with lead vocals on the verses while Rick takes over on the choruses. The drums are thundering, and the guitars are given their chance to shine. The closing jam session with Brian Wooten’s guitar tearing it up is perfection. And speaking frankly, the message of the song is just as relevant today as it was in 1992.
The rest of the album is fantastic, and I don’t want to give the impression that it’s not. The back half is not as strong as the front half, but every song connects. From the missions minded “Where the Thunder Roars” to the aggressive call to love of “Vendetta” to the second half ballads “Silhouette” and “Gabriela”, the band displays their range, creativity, and vision.
“Light a Candle” closes out the album in anthemic fashion. (I realize “Morning Star” is the actual closer but that is less of a fully realized song and more of a tease for something coming down the road.) Musically speaking “Light a Candle” is all about building tension, driving us to a climax that is a payoff to the entire album. In a different article, I said this about “Light a Candle”:
Anthemic doesn’t come close to capturing the mood and sound of this song. I’m basically at a place in my life that if you can’t appreciate this song, at least some elements of it, then we are probably not going to be good friends. I’ll be nice to you and love you like I’m supposed to, but our relationship cannot move beyond that. I draw the line here.
I’m good with that. Maybe that is petty of me. I just can’t wrap my head around anyone not appreciating this song, at least on some level. It’s the type of song that makes me love Whiteheart even more because they did stuff like this. It also makes me sad that it doesn’t seem like many CCM artists are willing to just “go for it” like this anymore.
Tales of Wonder was another big hit for Whiteheart. It received a Grammy nomination for Christian Rock album of the year, eventually losing to Unseen Power by Petra. While Billy Smiley and Mark Gersmehl handled production, Brown Bannister assisted as a production consultant for the album. (Bannister had previously produced Freedom.) 9 of the 10 songs on the album charted on Christian Rock and Radio (AC/CHR) charts.
Whiteheart’s hot streak continued. They would go into their next album with the lineup intact. Would they continue their impressive run of music, or would they finally hit a wall? Come back next week to find out.
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