Description
Vertical Reality is an album by the American singer and songwriter Eric Champion, released on Myrrh Records in 1994, a division of Word. The album was produced by Tommy Sims and Eric Champion.
From the spoken word-with-sound effects intro where a voice identifying itself as “Sam” speaks of a scenario filled with hackers, orphans of the Undergrid, and an organization called Govtrol, it’s clear that Eric Champion’s latest album is something a little different.
It’s also something pretty special. ‘Vertical Reality’, Champion’s fifth Myrrh album, is not only a concept record that tells a cool story, but it’s Eric’s most musically accomplished album to date, and will likely turn a few heads.
Co-produced by Champion and the multi-talented Tommy Sims (songwriter/producer/bassist for Bruce Springsteen, etc.), Eric continues his penchant for modern, funky pop, falling into the Princely groove once again (but not as often as in the past), on a batch of songs that are his best yet. He wrote or co-wrote everything on the record, including words and music of seven out of 10 tunes completely by himself. Sims and Champion are also responsible for creating nearly every note of music on the album, with the exception of a few key solos and background vocals.
Since most of the lyrics revolve around ‘…Reality’s story line, many of them sound strange to quote out of context; but the album’s first single and video, «Touch», is a thoroughly inspiring pop ballad which should be all over Christian radio by the time you read this. Unfortunately, with Champion being the pop chameleon that he is, the song’s melody owes more than a little to Michael Jackson’s «Will You Be There», but such is the nature of pop in general, and, as goes pop, so goes contemporary Christian music much of the time.
Though the influences aren’t hard to spot (George Michael fans won’t be disappointed either), what must be emphasized is just how great this album is overall. Champion and Sims have corralled an incredible stable of songs, some of which are begging for mainstream Top 40 airplay, and all of which should help make Eric Champion a very popular young Christian artist, indeed. [Thom Granger, CCM, May 1994]
Though some may think dance music given to thematic vapidity, Eric Champion recalls the halcyon 70’s and 80’s ambitious concept albums for the strobelight set. That Champion fashions a similar endeavor from an evangelical young adult’s perspective is at least intriguing.
Champion’s concept for ‘Vertical Reality’ is as grounded in the worst fears of many a tele-preacher as it is in computer fantasy: Sam, a hacker in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by a single government which outlaws freedom of enterprise, expression and religion, is out to prove the existence of God, the memory of Whom has largely been eliminated by the Govtrol agency. Sam is an “orphan of the undergrid” whose parents were among the revolutionaries resisting the forces that brought Govtrol to power.
The thematic unity isn’t as tightly woven as, say, Sandi Patti’s ‘Le Voyage‘, but producer Tommy Sims assists in tightening his client’s usual balance between Christian radio-ready nuggets and pretty authentic club music explorations.
But even the radio goodies have musical bite. The same Carolina beach music shuffle mined by Jon Gibson takes on epic proportions in «Touch» with black choral accompaniment and fervent melodic climax. «My Life Is In Your Hands» and «Endless» stand apart from the AC pack with deft keyboard and acoustic guitar touches.
Champion’s most valuable artistic service, however, might be serving a purpose not unlike that of Madonna: Where The Material Girl filters club trends from the dance underground to mainstream mall kids, Champion works roughly the same terrain for those mall kids who would rather hang out at the Christian bookstore. He has a good feel for bouncy retro-funk on «More About You», and combines trance and old-school disco elements for «Believe It To See It». Even alternative-types should like «Verticality», where visions of Steve Taylor fronting the Soup Dragons come to mind. Of course, remixes on some ‘Vertical Reality’ cuts should be a priority, but maybe record pool subscribers will have to find this in the same underground manner that Sam hacks his way to knowledge of the Lord. [Jamie Lee Rake, Syndicate Magazine, July 1994, Vol. 9, Issue 2]
> iTunes (https://music.apple.com/us/album/vertical-reality/1682115490)
CD tracklist:
01. Transmit – 1:55
02. N2 The Next Dimension – 5:09
03. Verticality – 3:40
04. Walk on Water – 4:09
05. More About You – 4:33
06. My Life Is in Your Hands – 4:28
07. Dancing in the Fire – 4:40
08. Endless – 4:54
09. Journey – 4:49
10. Touch – 6:21
11. Believe It to See It – 5:16
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Myrrh Records.
A full-page advertisement for Eric Champion’s album Vertical Reality was featured on the back cover of the July 1994 issue of CCM Magazine.
[youtube_sc url=”” playlist=”z_jbkFCEf0g,JYuiBdOl45s,L5-RjHFisgY,NXIzVoNdj6A,Qunl2vFgD3U,lNn3viY2L5Y,TxNAz43mHOs,JMkvnlT9OAM,G48Pn6Lm_Dc,AzF_DcHqaNU,SsK416pe3go” title=”Eric Champion, Vertical Reality – Transmit + N2 The Next Dimension + Verticality + Walk On Water + More About You + My Life Is In Your Hands + Dancing In The Fire + Endless + Journey + Touch + Believe It To See It” autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]
[youtube_sc url=”HABhv5hxTMI” title=”Eric Champion – Touch – HD VIDEO” autohide=”1″ rel=”0″]
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.