Jars of Clay Greatest Hits

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Music
Genre:	Christian & Gospel
Artist:	Jars of Clay

Here's an extensive review of the latest album from the band that inspired us to start our own CCM band, JARS OF CLAY. Simply called Greatest Hits, this compilation album is a collection of the band's greatest hits through out their careers. Spanning a grand total of 10 albums to date, Jars of Clay can arguably be called as the greatest Christian band that ever hit the mainstream audience. This album would show you why they have managed to last this long despite the hardships that they have to endure as a Christian band. The track listing is lined up in chronological order. The song Flood is the opening track of the album, and it is just right that the listeners are welcomed to the band's songs in this album through this song. The band actually bursted into mainstream radio way back in 1995 courtesy of this song (perhaps their biggest hit to date), making them one of the most successful Christian band to crossover in the mainstream market. Flood's possible appeal to the mainstream audience can perhaps be attributed to it's uniqueness as the song opens with a strong acoustic guitar track which segues with fast drum beats backed by choral sounding vocals. In the middle of the song, a violin solo is inserted, sending a new twist to the song. This particular track shoot up in the mainstream hit charts, in effect surprising mainstream listeners. But as their story goes, the mainstream audience's interest would soon wane the moment they discovered that the band was actually a Christian band. The second track in the album, Love Song for a Savior, would define the messages of the band's songs as it speaks about wanting to fall in love with Jesus. This also speaks the same for the next two tracks, Like A Child, and Worlds Apart. Worlds Apart is my personal favorite and which I consider as their most powerful song to date because it is so emotional and it speaks volumes about our Christian faith, our shortcomings in loving Christ, our doubts and our fears. These four songs are taken from their self-titled debut album. The next two tracks are taken from their sophomore release called Much Afraid, their first Grammy winning album for the Pop/Contemporary Gospel category. Crazy Times and Frail, would continue the tradition of their previous songs' message. Crazy Times would introduce us to the band's alternative rock leanings as electric guitar wails are added to the song. While the song Frail is something akin to the song Worlds Apart, or as what I would like to call Worlds Apart version 2.0. but more introspective and a bit haunting. While the band's songs dwelve into their Christian faith, in effect alienating secular listeners, the band would also have to wrestle from a small backlash coming from Conservative Christian groups. Putting them in between two types of listeners that they hoped to have their music be heard.

But despite this, the band would continue to move on with their music and continue to knock on the doors of the mainstream listener's ears without sacrificing their musical integrity. The next two tracks, Unforgetful You, taken from the If I Left the Zoo album (their second Grammy winning album), and I Need You, taken from the Eleventh Hour album (their third straight Grammy winning album), would highlight this. Unforgetful You would successfully crossover to the mainstream market as it was used for a soundtrack in a motion picture. During these times, Jars of Clay's popularity would reach to a feverish high, as their more Pop leaning songs would gain them more admirers. But for the next album, the band would go back to their folk/pop/acoustic background. The Who We are Instead album is represented in this compilation album via the songs Show You Love, and Amazing Grace. The next song, God Will Lift Up Your Head, is taken from their only Gospel album called Redemption Songs. This album was made perhaps to appease those Conservative Christians who continuously criticize them. The album would feature a rework of several well loved Christian Hymns and Gospel, giving it a Jars of Clay spin. The next two tracks, Dead Man (carry me), and Work would surprise the listeners because the band has deviated a lot from their previous works in these two songs as we will be hearing more electric guitars than their traditional acoustic ones. Taken from the Good Monsters album, their first and only genuine rock record, the songs would readily make you want to literally jump on your feet and head bang to the songs. The song Dead Man (carry me) has this danceable tune that is reminiscent of other mainstream Dance Rock bands. While the song Work is loud and hard. Electric guitar wails, riffs, harder drum beats, are littered all over the song.

The last song in this album is called Love is the Protest. This track was specially made for this particular compilation album. I could say that the song is the sum total of their story, the sum total of their musicality. The song's lyrics is pretty well crafted, and the message that it wants to share is easily relateable from whichever faith that you might have come. Love after all is a universal language. The music comes as a fusion of all their influences, but still has strong relevance to the type of music that the band goes nowadays, harder, louder, and meaner.
This album is a perfect jump on point for those who are yet to discover Jars of Clay. This is not a greatest hits album that would signal the end of the band's career, but it serves as a new jumping off point for the band who would want to honor their history and past successes as they move forward to a new sounding Jars of Clay. With their message intact, their vision much more clearer, I am definitely looking forward for the next Jars of Clay album.

The band has definitely inspired me to continue writing and creating music without minding the labels, genres, or limitations that people tend to put with music. And as my band Thoughts And Notions is currently recording a new album, I just hope and pray that we could follow Jars of Clay's lead and be as diverse as them without necessarily sacrficing our musical integrity.