Barry Manilow & Alan O'Day, A Humble Suggestion |
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J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here.
Crazy week, eh?
If you were surprised by the results of this election — whether pleasantly or unpleasantly — I’d like to make a suggestion: Open a free account on X.com (formerly Twitter), and start getting your news there (and from additional sources people there might lead you to) instead of from newspapers or the main television networks.
You won’t be alone. There’s a reason viewership and subscribers for legacy media have dramatically decreased. As Jeff Bezos, who owns both Amazon and The Washington Post, wrote in an editorial in that newspaper on October 28:
"In the annual public surveys about trust and reputation, journalists and the media have regularly fallen near the very bottom, often just above Congress. But in this year’s Gallup poll, we have managed to fall below Congress. Our profession is now the least trusted of all. Something we are doing is clearly not working.”
As a guy who majored in journalism in college and worked briefly in the newspaper business, I am absolutely appalled by the lack of journalistic objectivity out there today. I hate lies. And Jesus says the father of lies is Satan himself (John 8:44). The only defense against them is the truth. But there is so much censorship out there today, and there are still plenty of people out there who are unaware of that fact.
I wasn’t surprised by Tuesday’s outcome, because I had been following the most accurate pollsters from previous elections — people like Mark Mitchell from Rasmussen Reports and Rich Baris (a.k.a. The People’s Pundit) from Big Data Poll. I also kept tabs on AtlasIntel and Trafalgar Group. They all correctly predicted the outcome of this election and had been doing so for quite some time; it wasn’t some last-minute surprise to them.
And they also accurately reported what the other major polls were saying … even when those polls significantly disagreed with them, which happened often this time and had happened in past elections. I found Baris’ insights particularly fascinating. That guy can rattle off historic numbers and trends as matter of factly as I can recite Bible, music, and sports trivia.
Something I really like about X right now is that you can get both sides of any story, unlike most of the newspapers or network news. It even allows readers to post comments that add additional info or disprove the statements made. One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 18:17: "The first to plead his case seems right, Until another comes and examines him."
Unlike Twitter’s approach in 2020-21 (and the approach of certain other social-media platforms that still continues to some extent), X doesn’t ban people simply because they disagree with the viewpoint of the people in charge, no matter what party they support. Yes, there are trolls who just live to post snarky comments, but that’s the society in which we live, unfortunately. They’re easy enough to tune out.
Obviously, the only one we can ultimately trust in all things is Jesus, who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6a). I seek His guidance every single day. But we still live in a rapidly changing, often frightening world, and we need to keep informed about current events. What human beings can you depend on to give it to you straight? Well, I think we often find that by trial and error. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
To paraphrase and expand upon something I read recently, if you were confident the election was going to go the other way based on things certain people or institutions said, maybe you should wonder about the trustworthiness of those people and institutions and the accuracy of other things they’ve told you.
I didn't come here to talk about politics, though. You’ll note that I haven’t mentioned any candidates (presidential or otherwise). However, if you think politics don’t matter to God, then you haven’t been paying enough attention to the Books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, let alone the Major and Minor Prophets. In a 2024 book by Megan Basham, she cites respected British theologian Os Guinness, who has lived in America since 1984:“
During a recent podcast interview, he said that Christians who buy the line … that to be faithful believers means 'keeping their heads down' as the early Christians did under Rome are 'dead wrong.’ ‘The early church were faithful, yes,’ he said, ‘but they were under an imperial dictatorship … [We] are in a Republic, where every citizen is responsible for the health and vitality of the Republic.’ Guinness added that not to contend for God’s laws in the political sphere would be a ‘failure of citizenship.’”
Sorry, I didn’t want to write about this, but it’s the elephant, and donkey, and 400-lb. gorilla in the room. I felt that the Lord was compelling me to talk about what was on my heart and that it would be wrong to ignore it, especially with people melting down all over the place and families and friendships being torn asunder. I currently have no plans to write any more about it, Lord willing. Now back to my favorite topics: The Bible, music, and an occasional bit of sports. :) |
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New Single: #1 Hits by ‘70s Singer-Songwriters |
On Sunday night, we released our 22nd single of 2024. It features parodies of two #1 hits from ‘70s singer-songwriters. |
Undiscovered Angels - Undercover Angel - Alan O’Day
Barely Manilow - Looks Like We Made It - Barry Manilow |
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The Stories Behind the Songs on This Single |
J. Jackson, lead singer and lyricist for ApologetiX here again.
Here are the stories behind the songs on our 22nd single of 2024.
UNDISCOVERED ANGELS
"Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day topped the Hot 100 on July 9, 1977, 365 days after "Afternoon Delight" by Starland Vocal Band hit #1. ApX released parodies of those songs almost exactly a year apart as well — "Undiscovered Angels" on November 3, 2024, "Samson & Delilah" on October 29, 2023.
The parallels don't end there: Both were tunes I loved with suggestive lyrics that went way over my head as a kid ... just like the angel and sky rockets they sang about. Moreover, the folks in Starland Vocal Band achieved prior success as songwriters ("Take Me Home, Country Roads," a #2 hit for John Denver in '71), as did Alan O'Day ("Angie Baby," #1 for Helen Reddy in '74, and "Rock and Roll Heaven," #3 for The Righteous Brothers in '74).
I first got the idea for "Undiscovered Angels" on June 26, 2024, I immediately thought of Hebrews 13:2: "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." Two prime examples are Abraham in Genesis 18 and Lot in Genesis 19, but have you ever pondered the possibility of it happening in your own life? I know I have.
However, God brought something else to mind as I wrote the lyrics: In Matthew 25:40, Jesus says, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." If I had to choose whether I wanted to unknowingly display kindness to an angel or to the Lord, I'd definitely pick the Lord, wouldn't you?
"Undiscovered Angels" features J. Jackson on male lead and backing vocals, Heather Jackson on female backing vocals, Rich Mannion on keyboards, Tom Tincha on guitars, Keith Haynie on bass, and Jimmy "Vegas" Tanner on drums and percussion. BARELY MANILOW
The serpent suggested the forbidden fruit would make them wise, but rather than opening up opportunities for Adam and Eve, it made them very clothes-minded. They decided to make like a fig tree and leave.
I got the hook line for the chorus of this parody many years ago. I deliberated and prayed for a long time about whether to ever use it. In 2024, I finally felt comfortable giving the guys the green light to record the instrumentation. Then the rest of the lyrics came to me. I think they make it sound natural even though it’s au naturel.
I got the title on June 26, 2024, the same day as I got the title for "Undiscovered Angels." That's crazy, because I had no idea we'd release those two songs on the same single a little over four months later. I wanted a title that didn't give away the punchline, and "Barely Manilow" fit the bill.
From a biblical standpoint, this is one of our earliest songs, coming after "Animals I Have Begun" on the timeline and right before “It’s Not Eden,” followed by “Eve Looks Back,” “Called My Wife,” and “Did You Ever Ask Where Cain Got His Wife.” At least two other ApX parodies, "You Booked Me All Along" and "Something of Value" also reference the Fall in Eden, but they do so more in how it relates to us today.
ApX keyboardist Rich Mannion and I both had mothers who loved Barry Manilow, so we have a soft spot for his soft songs. On the other hand, our metalhead bassist, Keith Haynie, texted me his own parody title, “Looks Like I Hate It.”
"Barely Manilow" features J. Jackson on lead vocals, Rich Mannion on keyboards, Tom Tincha on guitars, Keith Haynie on bass, and Jimmy "Vegas" Tanner on drums and percussion. |
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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. 9 - Jeremiah 25-27
Sun., Nov. 10 - Jeremiah 28-30
Mon., Nov. 11 - Jeremiah 31-33
Tue., Nov. 12 - Jeremiah 34-36
Wed., Nov. 13 - Jeremiah 37-39
Thu., Nov. 14 - Jeremiah 40-42
Fri., Nov. 15 - Jeremiah 43-45
Sat., Nov. 16 - Jeremiah 46-48
Sun., Nov. 17 - Jeremiah 49-52
Mon., Nov. 18 - Lamentations 1-3
Tue., Nov. 19- Lamentations 4-5
Wed., Nov. 20 - Ezekiel 1-3
Thu., Nov. 21 - Ezekiel 4-6
Fri., Nov. 22 - Ezekiel 7-9
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 and our latest CD. |
Standard CDs 1993–2024 (943 tracks) Remastered Classics CDs (219 tracks) Singles, EPs, Rarities, Side Projects (558 tracks)
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New USBs Include Latest CD & Single |
Our new ApologetiX USB thumb drives are now in stock!
They contain the digital versions of all 75 of our CDs, plus any singles, EPs, or rarities that aren't on CD ... including our latest single.
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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Influential Albums #1640–1646 |
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.
1640. Very Vicarious - ApologetiX The 47th ApologetiX LP, Very Vicarious, featured parodies of two leading Men — Men at Work and Men Without Hats. Released in March 2017, it was also an ampersand special, spoofing Blood, Sweat & Tears; Earth, Wind & Fire; and Elmo & Patsy ... plus Cheap Trick, Chicago, Fine Young Cannibals, Nick Gilder, Green Day, Kiss, Carole King, and Eddie Rabbitt. When the guys in ApologetiX were growing up, we lived vicariously through our favorite rock stars. Now we live vicariously through Jesus Christ. Of course, those are different kinds of vicarious, as Merriam-Webster offers various definitions, including: “experienced or realized through imaginative or sympathetic participation in the experience of another” (like the rock-star fantasy) and “performed or suffered by one person as a substitute for another or to the benefit or advantage of another” (like the reality of Christ). Rock stars live the kind of lives we can’t live. But is that how you really want to live? Jesus also lived the kind of life we can’t live — a perfect, sinless life — and then sacrificed it on our behalf. His words on the subject were the antithesis of the rock-star mentality: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Peter and Paul explain further: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18) and “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Now, if that doesn’t give you a vicarious thrill, what will? 1641. Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection - Bon Jovi I covered Bon Jovi's first "best of," Cross Road, earlier on this list. That one came out in October 1994; Greatest Hits arrived in October 2010. It went to #5 on the Billboard 200 and sold 800,000 copies stateside but hit #2 on the U.K. album chart and sold 1.5 million copies there. I ordered a copy in May 2017. The single-disc standard edition had 16 tracks, but the double-disc Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection took it up to a total of 28, including four new songs, "What Do You Got?" (#102 pop, #8 adult contemporary), "No Apologies," "This Is Love, This Is Life," and "The More Things Change." Despite the title, Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection does not contain all 21 of the group's Top 40 hits. It's missing "Living in Sin" (#9), "Miracle" (#12), "(You Want to) Make a Memory" (#27), "Never Say Goodbye" (#28 airplay), and "Edge of a Broken Heart" (#38). Bummer. However, it does have five that weren't on Cross Road: "Born to Be My Baby" (#3), "This Ain't a Love Song" (#14), "Who Says You Can't Go Home" (#23), and "It's My Life" (#33). The relatively low chart position of "It's My Life" belies that song's importance. It jump-started Bon Jovi's career in the 2000s and eventually became the group's first biggest video on YouTube, with over a billion views! It also hit #3 in the U.K.; #2 in Denmark, Germany, Iceland, and Sweden; and #1 in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain, and Switzerland ... plus #1 on the Eurochart, which was based on singles sales from 17 European countries. Not surprisingly, it occupies an exalted place on Greatest Hits: The Ultimate Collection — the coveted third slot on the track listing, right after "Livin' on a Prayer" and "You Give Love a Bad Name." 1642. Zebraic - ApologetiX Released in late June 2017, Zebraic was the 48th ApologetiX LP. It spoofed songs from five different decades — two from the '60s, four from the '70s, two from the '80s, three from the '90s, and one from the 2000s — with parodies of the Beatles, Collective Soul, Foreigner, Tommy James & the Shondells, Avril Lavigne, Live, John Cougar Mellencamp, Missing Persons, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, REO Speedwagon, The Rolling Stones, Spin Doctors, and The Vapors. Zebras are controversial. Americans pronounce it “zee-bra,” other English-speaking nations pronounce it “zeh-bra.” Some folks say zebras are white with black stripes (based on underbellies); others say they’re black with white stripes (based on embryos). One thing we can all agree on is they’re not gray. Or is it grey? We can’t even agree on the spelling. “Grey” is more popular with the English; “gray” is more popular with Americans. But that’s enough horsing around. This album’s title was inspired by another, Black and White in a Grey World (released in 1985 by Leslie Phillips) — a great way to describe the challenges we face living a Christian life in a world that rejects moral absolutes. Christians are controversial, too. Referees are sometimes referred to as “zebras,” and we’re about as popular with the crowd as they are. Moses heard the same thing back in Exodus 2:14: “Who made you ruler and judge over us?” As zebras in the world, we have to be just as cautious as zebras in the wild. As 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” However, we do have this encouragement: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). That’s how we earn our stripes. 1643. Complete Greatest Hits - Gordon Lightfoot Earlier on this list, I wrote about a mid-'70s Gordon Lightfoot compilation called Gord's Gold that my brother-in-law owned. Unfortunately, it came out a year before Lightfoot's second-biggest hit, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" (#1 Cash Box, #2 Billboard, #1 Canada), although it did have his other three U.S. Top 10 hits "If You Could Read My Mind" (#5 U.S. pop, #1 adult contemporary, #1 Canada), "Sundown" (#1 Billboard pop and AC, #1 Cash Box pop), and "Carefree Highway" (#10 pop, #1 AC, #11 Canada). Gord's Gold also contained a #1 U.S. AC hit, "Rainy Day People" (#26 pop, #1 AC, #10 Canada). As I stated back then, "Edmund Fitzgerald," "If You Could Read My Mind," "Sundown," and "Carefree Highway" were — and still are — four of my all-time favorite tunes. Despite all that, however, I never felt compelled to expand my horizons regarding his music until many years later. Finally, In 2017, I purchased a 20-song collection called Complete Greatest Hits from Rhino Records that covered his career from the 60's-90's and had the five singles I already mentioned plus his final U.S. Top 40 hit, "The Circle Is Small (I Can See It in Your Eyes) (#33 pop, #3 U.S. AC, #6 Canada, #1 Canadian AC). Other songs I really liked on Complete Greatest Hits that were also on Gord's Gold include "Early Morning Rain," "Canadian Railroad Trilogy," "Summer Side of Life" (#21 Canada), and "Cotton Jenny," a Lightfoot composition that fellow Canadian Anne Murray covered with great success in their home country, where it topped the pop, country, and AC charts. Here are a few of my faves from Greatest Hits that arrived too late for Gord's Gold: "Race Among the Ruins" (#65 U.S. pop, #13 U.S. AC, #30 Canada), "Daylight Katy" (#16 U.S. AC, #44 Canada), "Baby Step Back" (#50 U.S. pop, #17 U.S. AC, #6 Canadian A.C.), and a moving, late-career gem called "Restless." ApologetiX released a parody of "Sundown" in 2018, but we weren't the first to spoof the man. In 1981, SCTV (a Canadian comedy show I adored) did a hilarious record commercial in which it offered a 379-record set called Gordon Lightfoot Sings Every Song Every Written. It's well worth a watch: |
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Burton Cummings of The Guess Who also did an unbelievable Lightfoot impression in this video: |
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1644. Damn Yankees - Damn Yankees Lisa and I saw the musical Damn Yankees as part of Pittsburgh's Civic Light Opera (CLO) series at the Benedum Center in in 2016, but I'd first seen it in 1976 — the previous time CLO put it on — at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh. The actors playing baseball players in the cast threw autographed wiffle balls into the crowd at the end, and I caught one as a souvenir. That musical is based on a 1954 novel by Douglass Wallop titled The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant, which I'd read in '74 or '75. The premise involves a middle-aged man who is a longsuffering baseball fan of the woeful Washington Senators ("first in war, first in peace, and last in the American league") who makes a deal with the devil in order to became a strapping, young, superstar baseball player and lead his beloved team to vanquish the Yankees and win the title. Obviously, things don't turn out quite as planned, because that's the way Faustian bargains always seem to work. The most famous song from Damn Yankees was "Whatever Lola Wants," which became a pop hit in 1955 for both Sarah Vaughn (#5) and Dinah Shore (#12). However, the most famous song by the rock supergroup Damn Yankees was "High Enough." Formed in 1989, the band featured solo star guitarist-vocalist Ted Nugent, Styx guitarist-singer Tommy Shaw, Night Ranger bassist-vocalist Jack Blades, and drummer Michael Cartellone, who had been the head of the main Mafia family in The Godfather movies. Just kidding, of course ... that was Michael Corleone. Cartellone eventually joined Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1999 and was still in that position 25 years later, when I wrote this entry. Damn Yankees put out their eponymous debut LP on March 13, 1990. The first single, "Coming of Age," didn't hit the Top 40 (#60 pop), but it did reach #1 on the mainstream rock chart. The aforementioned "High Enough" followed (#3 pop, #2 mainstream rock). Then came "Come Again" (#50 pop, #5 mainstream). Two other cuts from the album also received significant airplay on rock radio, "Runaway" (#9 mainstream) and "Bad Reputation" (#31 mainstream). Those five selections enabled the album to reach #13 on the Billboard 200, and it sold two million copies. I bought a copy in 2017, because I wanted to write a parody of "Coming of Age" — an irresistibly catchy rocker — which ApologetiX recorded in 2018. Damn Yankees seemed set for sustained success when they released their second LP, Don't Tread, on August 11, 1992. Four of its songs charted: "Don't Tread on Me" (#3 mainstream), "Where You Goin' Now" (#20 pop, #6 mainstream), "Mister Please (#3 mainstream), and "Silence Is Broken" (#62 pop, #20 mainstream). However, the album stalled at #22 and only sold half a million copies, as hard rock had taken a back seat to the grunge and alternative by then, thanks to Nirvana, Pearl Jam, et al. 1645. The Best of Berlin: 20th Century Masters - Berlin New wave group Berlin got their start in Los Angeles CA in the late '70s but made their mark in the '80s, with seven Hot 100 hits. Only one of those reached the Top 10, although it was a monster — "Take My Breath Away" (#1 pop, #3 adult contemporary) — thanks to its inclusion in the blockbuster movie Top Gun. The others were "No More Words" (#23 pop, #25 mainstream rock), "The Metro" (#58 pop), "Sex (I'm a ...)" (#62 pop, #10 mainstream, #4 Canada), "Now It's My Turn" (#74 pop), "Masquerade" (#82 pop), and "Like Flames" (#82 pop). All seven of them were on The Best of Berlin: 20th Century Masters, along with five other songs. I picked up a copy in 2017, having previously owned a cassette copy of Berlin's second LP, Pleasure Victim, in 1983. I bought Best of Berlin with the intention of spoofing "Take My Breath Away," although I personally favored "Masquerade," "The Metro," and "Like Flames." I finally wrote that parody in 2023, and ApologetiX recorded and released it later that same year. 1646. Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 - Janet Jackson This was one of a number of CDs I purchased in May and June 2017, because my iPod wasn't working in conjunction with our car, which is where I often work on parodies. Released on September 19, 1989, Rhythm Nation 1814 was Janet Jackson's fourth LP, and her much anticipated sequel to Control, which had come out three and a half years earlier and had yielded six Top 40 hits, including Top Five hits. How do you top something like that? Challenge accepted. Rhythm Nation 1814 became the first and only album in history to contain seven Top Five hits: "Miss You Much" (#1), "Escapade" (#1), "Black Cat" (#1), "Love Will Never Do (Without You)" (#1), "Rhythm Nation" (#2), "Come Back to Me" (#2), and "Alright" (#4). Keep in mind that Janet's brother Michael's Thriller and Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA held the record at the time with seven Top 10 hits, but Thriller only contained five Top Five hits and Born in the USA had just two. Rhythm Nation 1814 topped the Billboard 200 for weeks and sold 12 million copies worldwide. My favorite single was "Escapade," but the song I was wanted to spoof was "Black Cat," which ApologetiX did in 2023. |
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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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Have I not written thirty sayings for you, sayings of counsel and knowledge, teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth, so that you bring back truthful reports to those you serve? Proverbs 22:20-21 |
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P.O. Box 101705
Pittsburgh, PA 15237
USA
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