Description
Coming Attraction is the sophomore and final solo album by the American singer and songwriter Lewis McVay of Mustard Seed Faith fame, released on Heartland Records in 1984, distributed by The Benson Company. The album was actually recorded back in 1982, during a three all-nighter session at Weddington Studios in North Hollywood, California (while at daytime Keith Green was recording what turned out to be his final studio album, Songs for the Shepherd). Some parts of the album were as well recorded at Heartland Records’ own mobile recording studio. Recorded and mixed by Jonathan David Brown and Greg McNeilly with Lewis McVay and Jon Phelps producing (Phelps, formerly vocalist and guitarist of Suncast, was president and part owner of Heartland). All songs written by Lewis McVay except track B1 co-written with Bill Batstone, track B3 co-written with Batstone and Darrell Cook, as well as track B4 written by Loyd Boldman of Prodigal fame.
Featuring fine musicians including veteran Bill Batstone, Loyd Boldman, Daniel Amos sideman Rob Watson, guitarists like Jon Goin and Wayne Brazel, as well as session drummer Keith Edwards. The album features tracks as the new wave-ish “Moon Eyes” (which had an accompanying video made), a song pointing the finger at the Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church cult, the soulful west coast ballad “Someday” (the only soft-rock track on this album), and “Night and Day” (written by Bill Batstone and as well featured on his 1985-project One By One, the sole collaboration album between Batstone and Tom Howard). All in all, quite similar to the sounds also explored by labelmates Prodigal – a mix of new wave and classic rock.
After Sail On Sailor by Mustard Seed Faith and my first solo album Spirit of Saint Lewis I recorded a project called Coming Attraction. Originally I produced it as a live band studio album, mostly all first takes with vocals completely recorded in about 4 to 5 days in 1982 in the same studio at night that Keith Green was recording in during the day, and what would be his last record. Coming Attraction was to be released on StarSong Records but because of some unforeseen problems the record went on the shelf till 1984 then got picked up by Heartland Records. By then this new record company wanted to change much of what I was wanting to do and pulled away from the live feel. There were many songs that were taken off, like «Wake Up». The record was in 1982 a true live record with count offs and everything, it’s so hard to get record company’s to understand what your trying to do when you want feel over perfection…When I recorded Coming Attraction in 1982 I recorded part of it using a mobile recording studio, Heartland Records’ Dream Machine. I remember on one of the tracks, it was such a nice day I set up outside in the yard and recorded guitar tracks. It was awesome sitting there waving at neighbors as they went by with my headphones on… we had to stop a couple of times when fire trucks went roaring by… There were two covers for that record. The original 1982 cover was Charlton Heston as Moses at the drive-in. That one got turned into a show poster in 1984. [Lewis McVay on Facebook, February 2010]
Coming Attraction, from former Mustard Seed Faith member Lewis McVay, fits snugly into the “power-pop” category. McVay flirts with reggae and leans toward hard rock on several cuts, but he doesn’t cross the stylistic edge that would alienate him from the pop crowd. Still, it’s a more aggresive outing than his first solo excursion, Spirit of St. Lewis in 1978.
This album packs twice the muscle of most Christian rock albums. It sports a beefy mix with the sonic clarity to allow you to play the record loud.
In trying to program new music hipness into the arrangements, however, some important lyrical statements are occasionally lost in the mix. It’s almost as though the producers thought that rock ‘n’ roll means you aren’t supposed to be able to understand all the words. This certainly isn’t the case for the Christian audience.
On the plus side, McVay’s lyrics are, for the most part, as fresh and up-to-date as the music. The album contains at least two legitimate hits, «Moon Eyes», strategically placed as the LP’s opener, and «Working Man», the closing tune.
In between are several other strong selections. The title song treats the Lord’s return as the top bill at your local theater (hence the cover concept). «It’s Real» features Steely Dan-esque cord changes and a sinewy lead guitar track over poignant lyrics: “Hello, good-bye, we live, we die. It’s not a game for us to play.”
An impassioned plea for a closer relationship with the Lord is brought forth on «I Need You»: “Oh Jesus, sometimes I just don’t understand what you could hope to find/ In this cold dark heart of mine… Oh Father, oh, I need you so.”
Lloyd Boldman, chief songwriter for Prodigal, contributes «Can’t Live Without Your Love». It features the best guitar solo in recent memory by Jon Goin and intricate layers of finely-woven keyboards and vocals.
Coming Attraction is a cohesive package with a smartly styled cover and unique concept. The only chink in its armor is the mysterious inclusion of «Someday», a song in the pseudo-jazz vein long since played out by Sweet Comfort Band and others. It’s so totally out of context (both musically and thematically) with the rest of the album that it shouts the question, “Do songs aimed at getting airplay on Christian radio have to be so obvious?”
The album is redeemed in the end by the closing tune, «Working Man». Its hooky chorus, done in a mid-’60s call and response style, will stick with you long after the music fades. Coming Attraction ends with an admonition for us all to be “working men” laboring in the Lord’s kingdom. [Bruce Brown, CCM, August 1984]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Moon Eyes” – 4:03
A2. “Coming Attraction” – 2:25
A3. “Can’t Fool Me” – 3:43
A4. “It’s Real” – 3:52
A5. “Someday” – 3:39
Side Two
B1. “I Need You” – 3:34
B2. “Running” – 3:00
B3. “Is Everything Possible?” – 3:46
B4. “Can’t Live Without Your Love” – 3:56
B5. “Working Man” – 3:06
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Heartland Records. The original 1982 live studio recordings of Coming Attraction is available at Lewis McVay’ Bandcamp website: https://lewismcvay.bandcamp.com/album/lewis-mcvay-coming-attraction-original-1982-live-studio-recordings
An advertisement for Lewis McVay’s Coming Attraction was featured in the August 1984 issue of CCM Magazine.
Lewis McVay Tour Poster. [There were two covers for McVay’s Coming Attraction album. The original 1982 cover was Charlton Heston as Moses at the drive-in. That one got turned into a show poster in 1984.]
CREDITS. Producer by Lewis McVay, Ted French, and Jon Phelps. Engineered by Jonathan David Brown, Greg McNeilly, and Gary Platt. Mixed by Jonathan David Brown and Greg McNeilly. Mastered by Mike Fuller. Songwriters: Lewis McVay, Bill Batstone, Loyd Boldman, Darrel Cook.
Musicians: Lewis McVay (Guitars, Vocals), Jon Goin (Guitars), Bill Batstone (Electric Guitar), James Glass (Lead Guitar), Wayne Brazel (Lead Guitar), Loyd Boldman (Synthesizer), Shane Keister (Synthesizer), Rob Watson (Synthesizer), Jeff Lamms (Keyboards), John Andrew Schreiner (Keyboards), Ronnie Eades (Sax), Darrel Cook (Bass), Greg McNeily (Bass), Emery Gordy (Bass), Keith Edwards (Drums), Larrie Londin (Drums), Glen Hamilton (Linn Drum Programming). Background Vocals: Ted French, Renda Tull, Kay Roebuck, Bill Batstone, Jon Phelps, Darrel Cook, Keith Edwards.
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