Michael
sweet is not new to the Christian music scene. He is 
most known for being the lead singer for the former rock, metal, call-em
whatever you want band, Stryper. Robert Sweet(Michael's brother),
Tim Gaines, and Oz Fox were the other band members. They sported
long, wild hair, and often wore make-up for concerts, videos, and photo
shoots. 
They had several albums, the most successful of which was titled "To Hell
With the Devil". Their album covers featured some of the
best design concepts ever seen in Christian music as illustrated by the
cover of their follow up to "To Hell..." titled "In God We Trust".
Following that release, the group made some changes. The yellow and
black theme was dropped, and the band sported a rougher image. Also,
the direct references to Christ and salvation were not present in the lyrics
of their new album, "Against the Law". These changes became the marker
for the final frontier for the band. What you will find on the rest
of this page is Michael's more recent history from the period after "Against
the Law" until now, a few reasons why I like Michael Sweet and why I think
he is one of the best artists today, and any links that I've been able
to scrape together. On our Links
page, you can find some links to sites devoted to Stryper as a band. |
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Michael's
Recent History
Not only did Stryper change, but the industry attitude also changed.
Benson records decided that it would no longer distribute Stryper products
and many stores also removed Stryper products from their shelves.
Also, the band's mainstream record label eventually went under and Stryper
moved over to Hollywood records. Their final release was a compilation
titled "Can't Stop the Rock". Despite hinting at a renewed commitment,
with two new songs, to the message embraced in the past, Michael made the
decision to leave the band. After getting his own life back on track
and recommitting himself to Christ, he embarked on a solo career.
Ironically, Benson records, the label that gave Stryper the boot, embraced
the transformed Michael
and released his first self-titled album. They recognized a genuine
change and commitment on his part and that he could be a big asset to Christian
music. Perhaps also, once they were satisfied that he was for real,
they heard the sound of the cash register ringing. They were indeed
right. Michael's first album, which some dubbed as Stryper lite,
was a big success and garnered several awards. It featured songs
like the rockin' "All This and Heaven Too", and the acoustic flavored,
"Forever Yours". Benson released a companion video which featured
two videos, behind the scenes footage, and an interview with Michael.
Michael also hit the road for a major tour which included many of the summer
festivals. Michael's second album was aptly titled "Real".
Michael called it a return to his musical roots. The songs feature
lots of acoustic guitar and acoustic rock grooves. After starting
his solo career, Michael also moved to Cape Cod, MA. Following the
release of "Real" Michael took some time away from music and devoted more
time to his family and friends. His latest musical offering is titled
"Truth". It now has two versions. Michael did quite a bit of
the work himself on the first version and put the album together without
a record company. It is available through his web site. "Truth"
is Michael's heaviest release yet and delves into some more modern rock
grooves as well as classic power rock. There has been a lot
of buzz within the music and radio industry over this project. After
much prayer, Michael signed a deal with Restless records. Michael
and Restless decided to redo the album. The new version features
some smokin' songs that were not put on the first release and also features
world famous drummer Kenny Aronoff. |
I believe that Michael is one of the best artists within Christian music
today. For starters, he is very talented and gifted. He is
a great songwriter. He wrote almost all of the music for his three
solo projects, and he is responsible for many of Stryper's big hits.
He can play both acoustic and electric guitar very well, and he can also
play and write music on the piano. He has a very distinct and recognizable
voice, and an awesome range. Another reason is his commitment to
the message of Christ and getting that message to as many people as possible.
Particularly with his latest album, he has chosen not to get wrapped up
in the music business, but rather to focus on getting the music into the
ears of those who need to hear it. Also, by making the album himself,
he was able to be true to himself and to make the music he wanted to make.
Finally,
Michael has an awesome stage presence. I had to the opportunity to
see him live and up close. He had an amazing command of the songs
and really drew the audience into the show. At the same time, he
was very real. He took time to share with the audience and communicate
his message verbally. Like some of our other favorite artists, Michael's
focus is not just on playing some songs. Michael has got some great
things in the works which you can find out all about at his official web
site. Here's hoping that Michael will be out on the road again soon.
If Michael ever comes to your area, go and see the show. You won't
be disappointed. |
