Kindekrist – Commonplace Forms

Description

Commonplace Forms is the debut album debut by the Australian folk-rock band Kindekrist, released on Edition One Records in 1973. The album was recorded at Bomar Studios in Adelaide, Australia.

Formed in 1971, Kindekrist was Australia’s first Christian rock band. The band brought together musicians from different musical styles – folk, country-rock, classical, pop and rock – and theological traditions (Lutheran, Presbyterian and Methodist). The band’s name derived from the German for “Children of Christ”, reflecting the Lutheran roots of the lead singer, Robin Mann.

The interdenominational group Kindekrist was formed in 1971 at Scots (then Presbyterian, later Uniting) Church in Adelaide by a pastor there, Rev Rod Jepsen, who was the band’s original drummer. The band played in churches across the Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, Salvation Army, Catholic and Anglican denominations as well as for Lutheran services.

From 1972, Kindekrist led the music for the packed-out monthly student worship services at St Stephen’s Lutheran Church in Adelaide. Started by then LCA student chaplain Pastor John Sabel, along with student services at other Adelaide congregations which weren’t long-lived, the St Stephen’s evening services ran until 1998, Kindekrist’s ‘last hurrah’.

Kindekrist’s music reflected both a concern for issues of social justice as well as expressing more spiritual and religious themes. In this, it paralleled the themes of the contemporary US Jesus Movement, which itself spawned the development of Jesus Music that later evolved into Contemporary Christian Music. Two of the band’s members, Robin Mann and John Pryzibilla, were arrested during Australian protests against the Vietnam War, while the band’s first drummer, Rev Rod Jepsen, was a leader of the Anti-Apartheid campaign against the 1971 Springbok Rugby Tour of Australia.

With membership changing over the two decades of the band’s life, the core performer and composer was Robin Mann. Many of his songs were subsequently included in congregational hymn collections in Australia, the UK, US and elsewhere.

Their most excellent debut LP. Some fresh 12-string acoustic sounds, a little Rising Hope-ish on «Friday», playful with harmonica backing on «Jesus Is My Lord» and «Where Do We Go From Here». «If I Didn’t Have You» gets an ASFB-styled electric blues groove, complete with kazoo chorus. Organ brings a mysterious folk/psych edge to moody tracks like «The Fratricides», «He Is Risen» and «Life To Give» (the latter trips out with some good electric guitar). Nice flute touches on «Your Loving Still Goes On». Also covers of Kurt Kaiser’s «Pass It On» and Sebastian Temple’s «Prayer Of St. Francis». Ends on a powerful psychy note with «March On», featuring heavily phased guitar, a wild organ climax and the repeated chorus of “let God’s love explode into the world”. Front cover is a child’s crayon drawing. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th Edition]

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “Jesus Is My Lord”
A2. “Friday”
A3. “Where Do We Go From Here”
A4. “The Fratricides”
A5. “He Is Risen”
A6. “Pass It On”

Side Two
B1. “If I Didn’t Have You”
B2. “Your Loving Still Goes On”
B3. “Life To Give”
B4. “Prayer Of St. Francis”
B5. “March On”

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