Jump The Shark - CCM version

[BecauseEdwardISEdward]

Awhile back, Rolling Stone had a "Jump The Shark" site. It probably got too big and too mean, but it's gone now. I've always thought that CCM was ripe with comparisons.

So...with that in mind, and with murlough's "First album" thread, here are some categories of Jumping the Shark that I thought fit CCM. Feel free to add, agree, disagree whatever. Just keep a sense of humor and a chip off your shoulder.

JTS - CCM Edition Categories:

In name only - When a band has lost critical members and still continues. Talks of a reunion abound, even though the band is still technically alive. Examples: Petra, Sonicflood.

BalladLand - An awesome rock band puts out a ballad of some sorts. It's a hit (usually the first) on CCM radio, and the band starts getting press from mainstream CCM. Then more ballads are on the next disc. Then more. Then you tend to forget that they were once known as a rock band. Then the Christian station your grandma listens to is playing them. Examples: Petra, Audio Adrenaline

Jazz Odyssey - A group's musical style is suddenly out of style in the mainstream. The band responds by either 1) attempting to sound like the new style or 2) changing styles entirely. Examples: Bride, Supertones, Thousand Foot Krutch, DC Talk.

Rock and Roll, Pt II - Band/soloist gets a song that tears up the charts, gets sung at weddings/funerals/bar mitzvahs, and even some get mainstream airplay. Said band/soloist attempts a blatant copy of song for following albums. Law of diminished returns ensues. Examples: Bob Carilse, Don Fransisco, Carman, MercyMe.

Celebrity Reversions - A famous or semi-famous person thanked God on one of their album liners. Suddenly, they're on Christian Radio, Christian bookstores, Christian talk shows, Christian concerts, and the rest of the circuit. Later on, they seem to want to have nothing to do with it all, even to the point of ignoring that phase of their career. Examples: BJ Thomas, Maraiah Carey, Little Richard, Seemingly half of everyone on American Idol

The Worship Album(s) - Someone puts out a worship album. Then another. And another. Many of the songs are renditions of other recently done songs. Examples: Newsboys, Third Day

Reverse Jump - Do them a favor and never mention their first album or two. They'll thank you in the future. Example: DC Talk, Newsboys, Rebecca St James

Never - The few, the proud, the ones who maybe broke up too soon. Examples: Adam Again, Chasing Furies, Mukala, Steve Taylor, Daniel Amos

There a start. Is there anyone you think has JTS? Do they fit a category, or do they need a new category?

[-TheWanderer-]

Well as far as Adam Again goes, it didn't help that Gene Eugene passed away too soon.   AA might have JTS, but Gene helped so many young bands get their name out there and make good music

[BecauseEdwardISEdward]

Agree 100%, Hence the honor of "never jumped" status.

[-TheWanderer-]

Agree 100%, Hence the honor of "never jumped" status.

Ahh, I misread that...

[Brenden]

Rock and Roll, Pt II - Steven Curtis Chapman?

Celebrity Reversions - Creed, even though they're dead. I heard people calling then a christian band even when they denied it. And maybe 12 Stones.

The Worship Album(s) - Newsboys and Third Day are pretty obvious.

Reverse Jump - Also, Audio Adrenaline hates their first cd from what I've heard

Never - Earthsuit (with only one cd, they didn't really have time, so it may not really count, but whatever), and Downhere I'd add since both cds were good albums.

[murlough23]

Allow me to add a few categories:

Critical Hyper-Awareness - When an artist becomes so aware of what is being said about their work that it becomes a pre-occupation on their next album, causing them to either try to be all things to all people in an attempt to deflect said criticism, or to develop a martyr complex and sing about unnamed oppressive forces a lot. (Can't think of any CCM examples, but Creed is coming to mind here.)

Very Special Guest - Analogous to the "Very Special Episode" category for TV shows, this is when an artist's albums become more about the special guests, producers, or writers that get highly publicized as having worked on the album, to the point where the actual talent of the artist is overshadowed. Examples: Carman, Jeff Deyo, Kirk Franklin.

[Josh]

Critical Hyper-Awareness - When an artist becomes so aware of what is being said about their work that it becomes a pre-occupation on their next album, causing them to either try to be all things to all people in an attempt to deflect said criticism, or to develop a martyr complex and sing about unnamed oppressive forces a lot. (Can't think of any CCM examples, but Creed is coming to mind here.)

The Juliana Theory is coming to mind, as well.

[murlough23]

The Juliana Theory is coming to mind, as well.

I'd put them in the "Hey Lookie, We're on a Major Label Now!" category. Though I did still enjoy Love.

Or maybe you're talking about Emotion Is Dead, which did seem to be brought about by critical backlash, but it was a darn good album, so I don't think they jumped the shark there.

[BecauseEdwardISEdward]

Critical Hyper-Awareness - Possibly Point of Grace. They'd been told enough times that their music sounded all the same, tame, and predictable. So, on their newest album, they attempted to change it a little to mixed reviews.

Very Special Guest - My R&B/rap knowledge is fairly short, but they seem to dip in this well often. I think of Toby Mac right away.

Hey Lookie! - Project 86

One more category I thought of:

Youth Group band! - They once had a few insights and moments of musical brilliance on an album. Suddenly, every song could be a slogan for a banner in the youth room, and the lyrics may have been lifted from a bumper sticker. Heck, they may have had a cheerleader write a few verses. (note: This is no slam on various youth-grouped named people around here. They seem to be above this sort of thing.) It's approved by mom, dad, pastor, the youth leader, and Dawson McAllister....how cool is that?!?? Well? Examples: DeGarmo and Key, Skillet, Geoff Moore and the Distance.

[RedcoatJones]

Youth Group band! - They once had a few insights and moments of musical brilliance on an album. Suddenly, every song could be a slogan for a banner in the youth room, and the lyrics may have been lifted from a bumper sticker. Heck, they may have had a cheerleader write a few verses. (note: This is no slam on various youth-grouped named people around here. They seem to be above this sort of thing.) It's approved by mom, dad, pastor, the youth leader, and Dawson McAllister....how cool is that?!?? Well? Examples: DeGarmo and Key, Skillet, Geoff Moore and the Distance.

Casting Crowns is the model of a Youth Group Band - especially since their singer is a youth pastor.

[Brenden]

I wouldn't really call Skillet a "youth group band" according to that definition.

[Josh]

I wouldn't really call Skillet a "youth group band" according to that definition.

Ugh... some of Skillet's songs are about as youth groupy as you can get. Need I post the lyrics from the chorus of "Stronger"?

[murlough23]

Ugh... some of Skillet's songs are about as youth groupy as you can get.

Some. Not most.

[bloop]

Some. Not most.

I keyed into the "about as youth groupy as you can get" rather than the "some", which would be enough for me to say it isn't an entirely unfair classification.

[murlough23]

I keyed into the "about as youth groupy as you can get" rather than the "some", which would be enough for me to say it isn't an entirely unfair classification.

Yes, and I agree with Josh that the song he mentioned, as well as a handful of others, are unforgivably youth-groupy, but as a whole I think Skillet writes better songs than that. John Cooper (and also Ken Steorts in the past) has a way with violent imagery that generally works out pretty well for the band. Alien Youth as an album is probably their lyrical low point, but I think they bounced back after that.

On another subject, I think that U2 might have jumped the shark. I can't really put them in any of the categories we've mentioned, and the funny thing is that jumping the shark for U2 means putting out pretty good albums instead of amazing ones. But I think they hit a few peaks in the 90's and they've kind of settled down. I can see them continuing to put out good albums for as long as they're around, but at this point I don't expect another album as amazing as Achtung Baby or Pop, because U2 has largely left the irony behind them.

[danny316]

Allow me to add a few categories:

Very Special Guest - Analogous to the "Very Special Episode" category for TV shows, this is when an artist's albums become more about the special guests, producers, or writers that get highly publicized as having worked on the album, to the point where the actual talent of the artist is overshadowed. Examples: Carman, Jeff Deyo, Kirk Franklin.

Threefold (Through the Torn Curtain-era) - They're great live, but you'd never guess what they actually sound like if you only heard their new album. The instruments on the album are mostly played by guys from Jars of Clay, with Kenny Meeks, Mitch Dane, and Matt Slocum (from Sixpence) picking up most of the slack. I should have known something was up when I heard that they released rock (guitar/vocal/drums/bass/etc) albums but they only had two band members.

Jennifer Knapp - I don't think she's actually capable of recording without an all-star cast behind her. I like her songwriting and all, but she just wouldn't be the same if she didn't have all those other guys backing her up (from Audio A, dc Talk, LSO, Nickel Creek, Sixpence, etc, etc, etc)

Sixpence None the Richer (self-titled-era) - C'mon, without that string quartet, Steve Taylor, and John Mark Painter, they would have been able to make half the album they made (Strike that up as another reason that Arcade Fire is technically better at it when compared to Sixpence like I said in the SGTC thread - SNTR needed help to make an album, AF did not).