Help Still Needed but New CD, Single, and USBs Coming |
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J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here.
Don’t be alarmed by the “Help Still Needed" in this week’s headline. As Thanksgiving approaches, we in ApologetiX have much to be thankful for, including a new CD, a new single, and new USBs on the way soon.
Moreover, we got a wonderful initial response to the appeal letter last weekend. Praise the Lord! We were able to make significant progress on our bills. We just still have a ways to go.
But that’s not surprising. I usually have to do a follow-up for the folks who miss the appeal letter the first time around (many people don’t see every issue), and I wasn’t able to send a news bulletin earlier this week.
So that’s what this is. We have more band expenses coming up next week that are due by the end of this month (next Saturday) and at the very beginning of next month (next Sunday and the first half of the following week).
The band also is still way behind on my back pay. But all the other guys are all up to date, and my family’s bills are paid for this week. We’ll just have a bunch of expenses that are due by next weekend.
Two quotes from Jesus in Matthew 6 come to mind: "Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) and "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34).
So, as I said, don’t be alarmed. I’m not. God always comes through for the band, my family, and me. |
If you'd like to help, here are some options: (Safari users may need to manually scroll down the pages or use the navigation menu at the top of the page.) |
Pray (first and foremost) Give by mail: ApologetiX, 208 Charlemma Dr., Pittsburgh PA 15214
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Donations are not tax deductible. Please only give if you feel led and can afford it. Thanks for reading this and for praying, either way! God bless you! |
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Clues for 2024 Single #23 |
We hope to release our 23rd single of 2024 by the end of this weekend, Lord willing. Here are your clues. Want to really impress us? See if you can spot all of the references in both entries. We counted a total of 16.
SONG #1
Good news! If we turn from our sins, life in Christ is a brand new day. Meanwhile, Satan puts deceptive bends in the road, lying in wait like an iceberg for the Titanic. Sometimes it’s just memories of the “pleasures” we used to enjoy. Heed the words of the anonymous alcoholic: Don’t reminisce and speculate. Run away!
SONG #2
As the “good” Earth continues its march along the road to Babylon, sin is glorified, magnified, and dignified while those who believe in Christ’s resurrection are vilified. Look around! Our cultural gatekeepers have been messin’ with the truth for so long that far too many people have cloudy eyes from all the lies. Once the new single is released, we'll announce it in our news bulletin, on our website, and on our Facebook page. |
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The Story Behind Our Next CD |
Our next CD, X-Tract, is slated to come out sometime in December. We sent the master recording to the duplicator last Thursday, and we plan to start taking orders next weekend. Here’s the story behind the title and the contents:
Generation X is usually classified as people born between 1965 and 1980. That includes three members of the current ApX line-up. The rest of us are baby boomers, although our lead singer/lyricist just missed the cut for Gen X by six months. All but one of the songs spoofed on this album originally came out between 1965 and 1980 as well, including one from '65 and one from '80. That's part of the reason why we titled this project X-Tract. We think of our parodies as musical Gospel tracts. The kids of Generation X went on to become the MTV Generation, as the Music Television cable channel began broadcasting in '81. The first video played was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles, a song we spoofed to open this album. Generation X was also the band where Billy Idol first found fame, with the hit "Dancing With Myself," which he later remixed and released under his own name. Our parody of that song kicks off the second half of X-Tract. Many people today don’t realize that the X in "X-mas" was not an attempt to take Christ out of Christmas. It actually stands for Chi, the first letter in the Greek word Christós (Χριστός), and the X-mas abbreviation is a church tradition dating back to the 16th century. In fact, “X” was first used to symbolize Christ in the English language as early as 1100. Does that mean we Christians can refer to ourselves as X-Men? Probably not, if Marvel Entertainment has anything to say about it. Nevertheless, the world does seem to regard us as mutants, and we'll continue trying to do our part to save it ... by pointing the rest of humankind to the source of our power, strength, endurance, and, most importantly, salvation. X-celsior! |
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New USBs Coming, Include Next CD and Single |
We ran out of our latest batch of ApologetiX USB thumb drives on Wednesday, but we ordered a new batch that same day. They should be in stock on Monday, December 2, because of Thanksgiving next week.
Here’s the good news, though: The new USBs will include our next CD, X-Tract, and our next single (see the clues in this week’s newsletter), and even though neither of those has come out yet.
We'll start taking orders for the USBs now, and we’ll send them out soon as they’re in stock.
Our updated ApologetiX USB thumb drives will also contain the digital versions of all of our other CDs, plus any singles, EPs, or rarities that aren't on CD.
Emblazoned with the band's logo, they have a storage capacity of 16 GB, and they’re write-enabled, so you can add more music to them if and when you get future ApX downloads.
They’re available for a donation of $150 or more. If you've donated for our complete library before, they're available for a donation of $50 or more. |
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Bible-Reading for the Next Two Weeks |
We began our latest trip through the Bible on Wednesday, April 3.
Here's our Bible-reading plan for the next two weeks for those of you reading along with us:
Sat., Nov. 23 - Ezekiel 10-12
Sun., Nov. 24 - Ezekiel 13-15
Mon., Nov. 25 - Ezekiel 16-18
Tue., Nov. 26 - Ezekiel 19-21
Wed., Nov. 27 - Ezekiel 22-24
Thu., Nov. 28 - Ezekiel 25-27 Fri., Nov. 29 - Ezekiel 28-30
Sat., Nov. 30 - Ezekiel 31-33 Sun., Dec. 1 - Ezekiel 34-36
Mon., Dec. 2 - Ezekiel 37-39
Tue., Dec. 3 - Ezekiel 40-42
Wed., Dec. 4 - Ezekiel 43-45
Thu., Dec. 5 - Ezekiel 46-48
Fri., Dec. 6 - Daniel 1-3 Note: If you don't have a Bible handy, you can look up these passages for free on Bible Gateway. They have about 60 different English translations/versions there to choose from, plus translations in many other languages, many of which also have multiple translations/versions. |
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Get Our Complete Library for $100 |
We recently revamped the downloadable version of our complete library. Now it comes in a PDF with pictures of every album and single for easy reference. You just click on the ones you need to download them instantly.
We're giving our complete library on download to everyone who donates $100 this week.
That's 1720 tracks, including various versions (studio, live, rarity, album, single, EP, revised, remastered, etc.), plus side projects ... even our most-recent single, “Undiscovered Angels / Barely Manilow," and our latest CD, Zedekiah, Hezekiah, Jeroboam & Other Guys. |
Standard CDs 1993–2024 (943 tracks) Remastered Classics CDs (219 tracks) Singles, EPs, Rarities, Side Projects (558 tracks)
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Influential Albums #1654–1660 |
J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.
Here are the latest entries in the "albums that influenced me" series I started writing in May 2020.
Note: Just because an album appears on this list doesn't mean I give it a blanket endorsement. Many of the secular albums on this list are mainly there because they wound up being spoofed by ApologetiX.
1654. From Hair to Eternity - ApologetiX The 49th ApologetiX LP came out in mid-October 2017. It featured ApX guitarist Wayne Bartley on the cover and parodies of Bon Jovi, Kiss, Journey, Loverboy, Missing Persons, Night Ranger, Robert Palmer, Poison, The Scorpions, Bruce Springsteen, 'Til Tuesday, and Van Halen on the disc. I love clever hair salon names. Some of my favorites include Hairway to Heaven, The Hairport, The Tortoise and the Hair, and Curl Up and Dye. If you comb the Net (the internet, not the hair net), you’ll find that all those names have multiple mentions at various venues. Consequently, when we titled this disc “From Hair to Eternity,” we supposed some salon had selected it sooner. We’re musicians not beauticians, but the place where we played our first concert (and nearly 50 of our first 100) was once a hair salon. That concert was back in ‘92, which seems like an eternity ago. This CD spoofs songs spanning from ‘81–’87 — a hairy time in rock history — from New Wave to Glam Metal, with mullets in the middle. That’s quite a quantity of coiffures of questionable quality. Hairstyles change, and even permanents aren’t permanent, but eternity is. And that’s where we’re all headed. Jesus said the hairs on your head are numbered (Matthew 10:30, Luke 12:7), so God cares about even the smallest details of your existence, both in the “hair and now” and the “hairafter.” Talk daily to Him. Find a Bible and pick it up. That’ll help you brush up for eternity. 1655. Road Food - The Guess Who The Guess Who's 12th LP is another that piqued my interest with its title and cover art, and once again the title track didn't disappoint. It's one of the best tunes on the album and served as the flip side of the amusing second single, "Clap for the Wolfman" (#6 U.S., #4 Canada), which featured guest vocals by legendary DJ Wolfman Jack and tied "These Eyes" (#6 U.S., #7 Canada) as the group's third-biggest U.S. hit, exceeded only by "American Woman/No Sugar Tonight" (#1 U.S., #1 Canada) and "No Time" (#5 U.S., #1 Canada). The first single, "Star Baby (#39 U.S., #9 Canada), didn't fare as well stateside but deserved better. It's an irresistibly pleasant rocker and a perfect way to open the album. I first discovered "Star Baby" in a box of old 45s I purchased at a flea market in Indiana PA in August 1986. Released in April 1974, Road Food is a collection of songs about show biz and the highs and lows of the music industry. The other standout track for me is the melancholy seven-minute closer, "Ballad of the Last Five Years." Additional cuts I liked included "Attila's Blues" and "Pleasin' for Reason," but the whole thing is solid. The tongue-in-cheek (at least I hope it's tongue in check) "Don't You Want Me" is very catchy but a tad morbid. There's no denying that Cummings was a heck of a singer and songwriter. Road Food made it to #60 on the Billboard 200 and #28 on Canada's RPM Top Albums chart. 1656. The Best of Big Star - Big Star Formed in 1971, Memphis power-pop band Big Star never had a Hot 100 hit nor did any of their albums crack the Billboard 200. Nevertheless, they left their mark on rock history by inspiring bands like REM and The Replacements. The latter even recorded a song called "Alex Chilton" in honor of Big Star's lead vocalist. Chilton, who also played guitar and piano, had racked up seven Top 40 singles from 1967-70 with The Box Tops, including the huge hits "The Letter" (#1) and "Cry Like a Baby" (#2), but I'd never have guessed it was the same guy if I hadn't known in advance. Not only did the two groups sound totally different, so did the way he sang for each of them. Two Big Star tunes, "September Gurls" and "Thirteen," were voted to Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time," and they both really are great songs. Meanwhile, three of the group's albums were named to that publication's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time." In its initial incarnation, Big Star only lasted from 1971-75, but they reformed in 1993 and continued until 2010, when Chilton died of a heart attack at the age of 59. Released on June 16, 2017, The Best of Big Star featured 16 tracks. My other favorites are "I'm in Love with a Girl," "The Ballad of El Goodo," and "Thank You Friends." "When My Baby's Beside Me," and "Watch the Sunrise" are nice, too. I also like the song "Jesus Christ," but I prefer the more-polished cover version The Monkees recorded for their 2018 holiday LP Christmas Party. Another Big Star deep cut I enjoyed that didn't make it onto this collection is the experimental "Kanga Roo."
1657. Xit Ego Lopa - ApologetiX In mid-December 2017, ApologetiX finally achieved my secret goal of having an album title for every letter of the alphabet — from Adam Up to Zebraic. The final letter needed was X, and Xit Ego Lopa did the trick. By then, there were already other letters for which we had multiple album titles, including four apiece starting with "A" and "S." Though the phrase is unfamiliar to most people, “xit ego lopa” (pronounced “EX-it EE-go LOH-pah”) means “back to the beginning.” That was a fitting title for our 50th CD, at the end of our 25th year, which felt like the completion of a cycle. This project went back to the beginning in numerous ways: We started with one of the first parodies I ever wrote, “Ha-Bakk,” a song played (in a more-primitive form) at our first concert, in 1992. Then listeners were invited to investigate the beginning of life itself on “No Exclusions,” a parody we first tried (different lyrics, same theme) in ‘95. Three other tracks were revamped versions of parodies from our early years, including “Once You See Truth, You Can’t Unsee It,” which we played at Keith Haynie’s first show as ApX bassist in ‘95. And there was a new one about how God knew us from the beginning of time, “Known from the Beginning.” The CD opened with a parody of “Get Back” and closed with a parody of “Beginnings,” so it truly went from “Back” to the “Beginning.” The following artists were spoofed on Xit Ego Lopa: Alice in Chains, Badfinger, The Beatles, Blood, Sweat & Tears, The Cars, Chicago, Goo Goo Dolls, The Kinks, Rainbow, The Raspberries, and REM. 1658. I Know You Are but What Am I? - ApologetiX I love the cover art on the 51st ApologetiX LP. It's a photo of my two youngest kids, Natalie and T.J., goofing off for the camera, and they actually took it themselves on my wife's phone. We were outside of Lambert's Cafe in Sikeston MO on July 2, 2016. Natalie was eight and T.J. was five. As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to use it for an ApX project someday. The perfect opportunity finally came in late March 2018, when we released I Know You Are but What Am I? That's a classic comeback line used by countless kids, dating back to at least the 70’s and famously repeated (ad infinitum and ad nauseam) by Pee-wee Herman in the 80’s, but the question in this album's title is actually addressed to God, who first identified Himself to Moses as the “I AM” in Exodus 3:14. The CD begins with a song about the event in Exodus 3 that led to that conversation — Moses seeing the burning bush and deciding to move in for a closer look. Shortly thereafter, the LORD spoke and said He would send Moses to Pharaoh to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. And how did Moses respond to that? Exodus 3:11 tell us his words: “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” It took quite a bit of convincing on God’s part, but Moses finally got the message … and ran with it. Like Moses, we often question our qualifications to serve God. But, as Moses sings in this CD’s final song (even when the Israelites wanted to appoint a new leader in Numbers 14), “The LORD is sovereign; the LORD who chose me didn’t err.” Remember that when you wonder about yourself. I Know You Are but What Am I? featured parodies of The Beatles, David Bowie, Green Day, Led Zeppelin, Alanis Morissette, The Offspring, The Rolling Stones, Bob Seger, The Sex Pistols, Simple Minds, Stone Temple Pilots, and Tears for Fears. 1659. The Best of Leon Russell - Leon Russell Oklahoma's own Leon Russell was a seasoned session musician in the '60s who became a sought-after sideman then a superstar solo artist in the '70s. I'd read about him for years, but the only song of his I ever heard on our local rock station was "Tightrope" (#11 pop). He had just one other Top 40 hit, "Lady Blue" (#14 pop), although two of his albums made the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 — Carney (#2 for four weeks) and Leon Live (#9), both of which gold, as did four additional LPs. Finally, I decided to educate myself and bought this 2011 collection, which came out a year after his comeback album with Elton John (who was a major fan of his work), The Union. One of their songs together, "If it Wasn't for Bad," even made it onto The Best of Leon Russell. There were 16 tracks in all. In addition to the hits I mentioned before, other notable cuts included "A Song for You," which has been covered and recorded by over 200 artists; "This Masquerade, which became a smash for George Benson (#10 pop, #6 adult contemporary); "Back to the Island" (#53), a favorite of Elton's; and the Tim Hardin classic "If Were a Carpenter (#73), which had already been a hit for Bobby Darin (#8 pop), The Four Tops (#20 pop), Johnny Cash & June Carter (#36 pop, #2 country), and Bob Seger (#76 pop). I love that song, and Leon did a fun arrangement, but he took it in some strange directions lyrically. My personal favorites on The Best of Leon Russell were "Stranger in a Strange Land," "Delta Lady," "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" (#105 pop), "Heartbreak Hotel" with Willie Nelson (#1 country), and an amazing live medley of The Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and The Coasters' "Youngblood." I also liked "Tryin' to Stay Live," "Shoot Out on the Plantation," "Out in the Woods," and "Hummingbird." In case you're wondering what kept Leon's #2 album, Carney, out of the top spot for those four weeks, it was the tandem of Superfly by Curtis Mayfield and Chicago V. 1660. The Best of... Pt. 1 - Uriah Heep Founded in 1969 and named after a character in the famous Charles Dickens novel David Copperfield, British band Uriah Heep combined hard rock and prog (and eventually metal) and parlayed that into a career spanning over half a century ... without the benefit of many hits. Amazingly, the band's original lead guitarist, Mick Box, still serves in that capacity; he's the only member of the classic Heep lineup who is still living. Released in 1996, The Best Of... Part 1, covered the years 1970-76, during which the group put out their first nine studio albums. Their frontman for that period was David Byron, a versatile lead singer with a powerful voice reminiscent of Three Dog Night's Chuck Negron and Deep Purple's Ian Gillan. Meanwhile, the music calls to mind elements of classic Deep Purple and early Rainbow, Styx, Three Dog Night, Rush, and Wishbone Ash. In the first half of the '70s, Uriah Heep scored their sole U.S. Top 40 hit, "Easy Livin'" (#39), and their two other U.S. Hot 100 hits, "Sweet Lorraine" (#91) and "Stealin'" (#91). Those are my favorite tracks on this collection, along with "The Wizard." However, it's not because the other songs aren't good, it's just that those four are so impressive ... so much so that The Best Of... Part 1 even included added live versions of "Easy Livin'" and "Stealin" as bonus tracks at the end. Other cuts that made an impression on me included "Gypsy," "Bird of Prey," Lady in Black, "Salisbury," "July Morning," and "Misty Eyes." Although the group hailed from England, they didn't have any U.K. chart singles until 1983 — "Stay on Top" (#76) and "Lonely Nights" (#85) — and that was all. Nevertheless, four Uriah Heep LPs reached the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 and eight made the Top 40 on the U.K. album chart. |
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If you'd like to donate to the ministry of ApologetiX, there are a couple ways you can do it. |
If you prefer to mail a check or money order, please make it out to "ApologetiX" and send it to:
ApologetiX
208 Charlemma Drive
Pittsburgh PA 15214-1414
Although the donations are not tax-deductible, they will be received very gratefully and used immediately. Thank you! |
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Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His mercy is everlasting. Psalm 118:1 (NASB) |
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P.O. Box 101705
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
USA
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