Extra-Ordinary

Description

Extra-Ordinary is the debut album of the American alternative rock band johnny Q. public, released on Gotee Records in February 1995, distributed by Myrrh Records, a division of Word. The album was produced by Joe Baldridge.

It’s always fascinating to listen to musicians whose primary influences clearly date back to before they were born. In the case of JQP, its members were barely out of the cradle when blues-rock bands such as Led Zeppelin and Cream were in their heyday. (But, hey! That’s the beauty of classic rock radio, isn’t it?) Still, you can’t dismiss JPQ as completely retro. There’s a little grunge attitude in its sound mixed with the hard rock sensibilities of bands such as Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. And these guys don’t use their mega-watt riffing to cover up bone-headed lyrics – there’s great songwriting here as well. «Body Be», for example, is a high-energy interpretation of Paul’s 1 Cor. 12 reminder that every member of the Body is special; «Black Ice» uses the sheet of ice which covers a winter street as a warning that many situations which look safe are often anything but, while the acoustic «Women of Zion» is a serio-comic examination of the “bald women” in Isaiah 3, who earned God’s rebuke for their proud ways. To show it knows its history, the group also covers Larry Norman’s «Reader’s Digest» and Bob Dylan’s «Gotta Serve Somebody». JQP builds on rock’s legacy with very impressive songs and preformances. [Bruce A. Brown, July 1995]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/extra-ordinary/1533117130)

CD tracklist:

01. Preacher’s Kid – 3:59
02. Body Be – 3:54
03. Black Ice – 3:52
04. As I Pray – 3:23
05. Know – 4:54
06. Women Of Zion – 2:50
07. Reader’s Digest – 4:48
08. Secret Trees – 3:40
09. Violet – 2:57
10. Big Top – 2:50
11. Why – 3:06
12. Scream – 5:50
13. Serve Somebody – 6:51

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Gotee Records.