Description
Kingdom Come is the seventh studio album by the American singer, songwriter, keyboardist, and producer Charlie Peacock, independently released on his own label re:think in 1999, a division of Sparrow Label Group, distributed by Chordant Distribution Group. The album was recorded and mixed by Richie Biggs with Charlie Peacock producing.
In the words of re:think’s promo ad: “Beatle-esque melodies, searching lyrics, textured instruments, and layered vocals ask the question, ‘Just how big is God’s kingdom?’” Kingdom Come was August 1999 Pick of the Month at The Phantom Tollbooth.
I’m glad I live in a world where Charlie Peacock still gets to make records. The problem is, he doesn’t make ’em often enough! Not that we’ve been bereft of Peacock’s considerable gifts. He’s continued to ply his trade as a producer and songwriter on a more regular basis. And his recent foray onto the printed page with “At the Crossroads: An Insider’s Look at the Past, Present and Future of Contemporary Christian Music” should be required reading for anyone with more than a passing interest in Christian music.
But whither Peacock, recording artist? Kingdom Come finds Peacock eschewing the world beat and techno experiments of his 1997 disc, strangelanguage, for a relaxed, pop and jazz-inflected setting that’s more reminiscent of the mostly organic 1994 album, Everything That’s On My Mind. By doing so, Peacock – who has confessed to having a bee in his bonnet about the scarcity of avenues in this industry for mature artists – has made an album unabashedly aimed at his peer group (a subject he addresses in the track «Is the Brightness Still in Me?»).
That’s not to suggest that Kingdom Come is retro, only that it’s thoroughly musical in a way that most modern pop albums are not. The songs, played mostly live in the studio, are breathing entities. Peacock is joined by equally adept and seasoned musicians – jazz bassist James Genus (who partly inspired the project), Kenny Greenberg, Steve Brewster, Bela Fleck and Jerry McPherson, to name a few – who support this vision with supple performances and tasteful improvisations.
Not only does this album speak directly to the church, it does it in an inclusive way. No hyperbole, just gems like “Nothing worth the trouble comes without a price” (from the title track), “Wouldn’t it be strange, if power made you weak…/[if] victory came to those who turned the other cheek?” («Wouldn’t It Be Strange?») and “Cheer up church, you’re worse off than you think” («Cheer Up Church»). Another lyrical and musical highlight is the Tom Petty-esque pop tune «Don’t Be Afraid».
Here’s a piece of advice: Read Peacock’s book while listening to this disc. It’s a one-two punch that’ll leave a lasting impression. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, July 1999]
Even at the best of times, Charlie Peacock is not known as a slouch but recently he seems to be excelling himself. Whilst producing the latest Switchfoot album (which is excellent by the way!) he found time to research and write his challening critique of the Christian music industry At the Cross Roads and suddenly found himself being treated as a learned professor and invited onto Christian TV shows that never wanted to know him as an artist! Strange world eh? Consequently ‘Kingdom Come’ is Charlie playing it safe, making inroads into the lives of a new group of people who are just discovering his music afresh. But then safe for Charlie Peacock doesn’t spell bland! Like ‘The Secret Of Time‘ a decade ago, ‘Kingdom Come’ simply pulls in the reins on his more experimental moments and gives you 10 expertly crafted thought-provoking songs. Some simple but devastatingly effective musical performances and the sort of top class spit and polish that has established Peacock as one of CCM’s most wanted producers make this a delight. I witnessed a solo performance of the brilliant self-examining «Is The Brightness Still In Me» when I visited Nashville recently and it strikes me that most of these songs, built as they are around Charlie’s solo piano, would stand up to unplugged solo presentations. As usual, Peacock’s distinctive voice picks it way through the questions and searching songs he has penned and this time, uppermost in his mind is the Kingdom Of God. Not a normal subject for a CCM album, but definitely timely. He manages to walk the path of maintaining a deft musical touch whilst lyrically wrestling with the vastness of God and The Kingdom. Favourite moments? Hard to narrow it down! I like the powerpop rock of «Don’t Be Afraid», the delicate vulnerability and gorgeous Beatlesy melody of «Only You» and the jazzy tinges of «The Night Won’t Last Forever». Overall this is classy stuff from a man who even when he understates says more with one album than some artists manage in a lifetime! [Mike Rimmer, Cross Rhythms, August 1999]
Trying to understand the things of God is difficult for human minds, which are finite – especially when compared with the mind of the Creator. If inquiring minds want to know, then looking into God’s way is often frustrating – yet it can also be fulfilling. That’s the main pulse of Charlie Peacock’s new album, Kingdom Come.
Musically, Kingdom Come has the Charlie feel to it: that funky, jazzy thing he does so well. But what’s truly outstanding are the lyrics and delivery. Opening with a song about the body of Christ coming together, Peacock delves right into the dichotomy faced by those who search for Truth («Wouldn’t it Be Strange»). Although we’ve often heard such spiritual truths as: the first will be last, we gain power by seeming weak, our greatest hope is in Jesus and in his return, the human way of thinking doesn’t make sense, these are truths upon which we must continually dwell.
Beside the recurrent theme that we face a dichotomy when seeking to walk closely with God, Charlie sings of the hope within everyone’s reach. «The Night Won’t Last Forever» comforts with the knowledge that things won’t always be bad because, like the sunrise, redemption comes to awaken us from sleep. Building upon these words of hope, the album’s first ballad, «Cheer Up Church», awakens us to what our minds may see as contradictions: God raising a hero from a sinner, and the church ought to cheer up because it’s worse than we think. Despite this last bit of reality, we shouldn’t despair, we shouldn’t fear, because grace is near.
After singing about I Corinthians – losing that first love, then questioning ourselves and becoming complacent in our faith – «Don’t Be Afraid» is a fun ditty that encourages us to not fear failure. This 60’s style song speaks of how actions will overcome that fear; Just Do It is the command he sings.
Christian love songs are refreshing because their message often touches on the physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects of love, and «Sacrifice of Love» does indeed look at romance holistically. It’s built on the refrain:
I know we could reach an understanding,
But a superficial kiss won’t be enough,
’cause the only bridge across our canyon,
Is built on the sacrifice of love.The ability to give oneself wholly to another is truly a gift from God, and the message that love is more than sex, that it is more about giving than about taking, needs to be heard.
Finishing the album with the most important relationship of all is «Only You». Here Charlie sings about our relationship with Jesus, and how it’s each person’s responsibility to surrender to Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior. Yet even here another dualism comes across. As Christians, it’s our responsibility to love others, but as we try to love them by sharing the greatest gift of all, salvation, we often feel frustrated when they can’t taste and see for themselves what God has done to – and for – our hearts.
I believe one of the valuable gifts of Christian artists is to be able to take listeners on a journey and show them spiritual reality in a physical world. The Charlie Peacock sound, the solid songwriting, and a theme of God’s multi-dimensional truths make Kingdom Come a winner on all levels. [Sam Hagedorn, The Phantom Tollbooth, 6/25/99]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/kingdom-come/724715732)
CD tracklist:
01. Kingdom Come – 4:33
02. Wouldn’t It Be Strange – 4:03
03. The Night Won’t Last Forever – 5:54
04. Cheer Up Church – 3:26
05. Is The Brightness Still In Me – 5:23
06. Genius In The Details – 6:00
07. Don’t Be Afraid – 3:50
08. Sacrifice Of Love – 4:34
09. What We Do – 4:56
10. Only You – 5:07
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by re:think.
A full-page advertisement for Charlie Peacock’s album Kingdom Come was featured in the July 1999 issue of CCM Magazine.
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