Description
Victims of the Age is the fifth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Mark Heard, released on Home Sweet Home Records in July 1982, distributed by The Benson Company. The album was recorded during January and February 1982 by Mark Heard, Janet Sue Heard, and Bill Cobb at Cobb’s Poiema Studios in Camarillo and at the Gold Mine in Los Angeles, California; with Mark Heard producing and arranging. Mixed by Heard at Wilder Brothers Studios in West LA.
Victims of the Age was included among the Best Albums of 1982 by CCM Magazine, voted number six on a list featuring thirteen albums. – With Victims of the Age, Mark Heard cemented his place into a Christian rock roster which is inhabited by a few elite. His music transcends sugar-coated Christian pop and makes passage into a frontier where lyrical creativity and rock expression are effectively married into potent social comment. It’s comment sorely needed, but rarely attempted. Thom Granger reviewed Victims of the Age in the November 1982 CCM. In part, he said: “These nine songs confront the see-no-evil, hear-no-evil attitudes held by many present-day believers. Heard’s word pictures are vivid and believable. With repeated listenings, larger themes seem to envelop all of the songs… Musically, it reigns with… street-smart bravado… and some slap-back vocal techniques… This one’s [Heard’s] best yet… a careful, mature, incisive challenge to believers to come out of hiding and love a dying world.” Our voters for Best of 1982 added: “Right up there with Cockburn; relevant and musical”; “poetic songs of protest (no Christianese), dynamite rock ‘n’ roll”; “thoughtful, incisive poetry, consistent concept, a musical step forward”; “possibly the first Christian rock album that articulated the urban view of life.”
Victims of the Age was as well recognized by mainstream media. It was awarded Album of the Week in Boston Globe, which wrote: “Heard is… an intelligent craftsman who should not be dismissed simply because he doesn’t record for a major label. His music echoes that of Tom Petty, Ry Cooder, Kenny Loggins and James Taylor. It has appeal for Christian and non-Christians alike. He doesn’t preach, preferring to use humor, and quaint piquant lyrical twists to comment on… life.” The September 4, 1982 issue of Billboard Magazine chimed in with praise for Victims of the Age as well. (Later, in Billboard‘s Critic’s Choice ’82 published in the January 8, 1983 issue, one of the magazine’s editors listed Heard’s effort alongside albums by Elvis Costello and Talking Heads, describing it this way: “Imagine Lindsey Buckingham and Eric Clapton and you’ll get an idea of this singer/guitarist/songwriter’s sound, but unfortunately his social commentaries don’t get wide distribution on this small gospel label.”)
With modern, relevant, sensitive songwriting, Victims of the Age realized all of Mark Heard’s lyrical potential, pounding Francis Schaeffer’s pulpit of artistic and poetic honesty in the face of the decline of Western culture (“Victims of the Age”, “City Life Won’t Let Up”) and taking Christendom to task for its detachment from the world’s problems (“Growing Up Blind”, “Dancing at the Policeman’s Ball”, “Some Folk’s World”, “Nothing Is Bothering Me”). In the album’s liner notes Mark Heard stated that one of the “major points” of the album was to “reaffirm the reality and value of human life and death, the wonderfulness of the creation of life on earth, and the horribleness of the staining of that wonder by the Fall, and the art of comprehending them simultaneously.”
If Lindsey Buckingham played tougher rock’n’roll, the results might come within striking distance of this LP. Mark Heard, whose high, exertive vocals resemble Buckingham’s, belts out socially-conscious rockers marked by filigreed guitar growls, reverb vocals and loud drums – a mix equalled by strong melodies, especially on «Some Folks World», «Faces In Cabs» and the title cut. The inspirational label may fool some AOR programmers, but a listening to these well-crafted tracks should attract airplay. [Billboard Magazine, September 4, 1982]
The city – with it’s noisy streets, buildings, cars and neon lights, provides the major metaphor in Mark Heard’s latest album, Victims of the Age (Home Sweet Home R2107). His 1981 release, Stop the Dominoes, revolved around issues of alienation and the loss of individuality. Victims takes on an equally serious problem in the church today: isolationism.
Like Daniel Amos’ Alarma, these nine songs confront the see-no-evil, hear-no-evil attitudes held by many present-day believers. Heard’s word pictures are vivid and believable, from the «Faces In Cabs» (the anonymous souls Christ died to save) to the self-centered man portrayed in «Nothing is Bothering Me». With repeated listenings, larger themes seem to envelop all of the songs. One is of true compassion for the “masses out there.” «Some Folks’ World» presents a good view of this. (Remember, we’re commanded not to judge unbelievers.) The other major theme would be best defined as re-establishing our primary call: to love with the love that is greater than any differences we possess. «Everybody Loves A Holy War» uses satire to make this point.
Musically, Victims rings with the street-smart bravado of groups like Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, along with some slap-back vocal techniques similar to those used by John Lennon with producer Phil Spector. I’ll be honest with you: the sounds on this album do a lot for me. Heard’s music always has, but this one’s the best yet. Mark is becoming the consummate recording artist, producing and arranging as well as handling all guitar parts (this would be enough), some background vocals, co-engineering, and the final mixdown. Victims of the Age is a careful, mature, incisive challenge to believers to come out of hiding and love a dying world. [Thom Granger, CCM, November 1982]
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LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Victims of the Age” – 3:14
A2. “City Life Won’t Let Up” – 3:40
A3. “Faces in Cabs” – 3:22
A4. “Nothing is Bothering Me” – 4:22
A5. “Some Folks’ World” – 4:32
Side Two
B1. “Growing Up Blind” – 4:57
B2. “Dancing at the Policeman’s Ball” – 3:53
B3. “Everybody Loves a Holy War” – 4:24
B4. “Heart of Hearts” – 3:14
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Home Sweet Home Records. Later re-issued on CD by Home Sweet Home Records. (It should be noted that Home Sweet Home butchered the album for the label’s digital re-release.)
A special soundboard recording of Mark Heard and his band (Bill Batstone on bass & John Mehler on drums) – from the Rainbow Music Hall, Denver, Colorado October 16, 1982. Recording courtesy of the late Robbie Marshall of Road Home Concerts.
CREDITS. Produced and Arranged by Mark Heard. Engineered by Mark Heard, Bill Cobb, Janet Sue Heard. Recorded January-February 1982 at Poiema Studio, Camarillo, California and at The Gold Mine, L.A. Mixed by Mark Heard at Wilder Brothers Studios, West L.A. Mastered at A&M by Bernie Grundman. Cover design by Mark Heard. Photographs by Janet Sue Heard.
Thanks to Bill and Marsha, John and Linda, Billy, Guy (#8) Denton, Lindaat Laursens, Chris and Shanon, Daryl and Dawn, Tom and Dori, Jonathan,and the Benson folks. Love to the Circle of Cynics, Pat and Pam Terry, the Strat Brothers.Chuck and Sandra Perefit, Jon and Diane, Jean and the Screaming CheeseBand in Zurich, the L’Abri folks in Huemoz and Chesieres, Calhoun, Peterand Becky, and my folks.
Musicians: Mark Heard (Vocals, Electric 6 and 12 string guitars, electric lead and slideguitars, percussion, harmonica, accordion, mandolin), Carl Pickhardt (Keyboards), Tom Howard (Keyboards), Billy Batstone (Bass), John Mehler (Drums), Harry Stinson (Tambourine, Shaker). Background vocals: Mark Heard, Larry Norman, Leslie Phillips, Billy Batstone.
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