Here's an oddity for you - Eric Champion, the hip young purveyor of Christian dance pop who vanished after the brilliant concept album Vertical Reality in 1994, only to resurface with a full band and a new attitude on the newly-formed Essential Records in 1996. Having recently rediscovered the last three albums that Eric put out before retiring (in mp3 format, thanks to AudioGalaxy, since I only had them on cassette up until now), I remembered my early days, when I was just getting into Christian music and I had thought that Vertical Reality was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I've been itching to review that album, but Epinions isn't exactly a completist organization when it comes to the discographies of obscure Christian artists. Suffice to say that Vertical Reality is a wonderfully woven sci-fi story set to music, in which Eric makes his escape from an oppressive government and sets out in search of a God who can't be "seen, heard, felt, tasted, put through a series of number crunches and printouts and scientifically proven". I was expecting another equally compelling story when Transformation released the summer after my freshman year in college. I was holed up at a camp on Catalina Island for most of that summer, so Transformation was actually the only new album I purchased during the entire three-month period. The first few listens left me a bit confused - there wasn't as much of a linear story here, though each song blended into the next quite nicely, giving the album a wonderful continuity despite the disparate musical styles to be found. I hadn't heard any of this stuff on the radio, and though Eric's techno roots still remained in the programmed beats and synthesized effects and so forth that anchored down most of these songs, there were strange, organic instruments in the mix, often creating a more bleak, alternative soundscape, and I just wasn't prepared for that. This was back when I expected any artist who put out a truly great album to do more of the same on the follow-up, instead of understanding that artists need to grow and experiment. That's exactly what Eric did - he experimented in ways that are often career-destroying for an artist. Once it grew on me, this album became one of my favorites of all time, one that I constantly drove my roommate crazy with during my sophomore year. And though I recognize its weirdness and its points where it tries a little too hard to have that grunge-rock attitude, I still consider it one of the most adventurous and enjoyable Christian rock albums of all time.

Dress Me Up
I stink, I smell like the dirt, I smell like the filth, I smell like myself and it won't come off...
This song starts off with the sound of drumsticks hitting each other as the beat is being counted off, as do many of the tracks on this album. One thing I learned in listening to this album and reading interviews was that Eric is a drummer at heart, and the solid and energetic percussion that drives this album makes Eric's switch from mostly programmed electronic music all the more convincing. This song is driven by a catchy, disco-meets-rock beat, some space-age guitar playing, and just the right amount of electronic bleeps and blurps to add spice and glitter to the song. It just oozes coolness, taking on much the same attitude as U2's "Discotheque" (though this song predated that one by a year). You might think from the title that this song was about Barbie dolls or something - it actually makes a clever metaphor linking fashion to redemption. In the verses, Eric bemoans his smelly, tattered, sinful clothing and asks if God can do anything to change that image. God's response is to remove everything Eric is wearing and give him a total makeover, and when it's done, only Eric could pull off a lyric like "I'm so fly, lookin' so fine, dressed up in my new fancy clothes, all eyes are on me." Fashion is obviously one of Eric's hobbies - the CD jacket portrays his style as an odd hybrid between grunge and space-age. So it makes sense that he'd come up with such a metaphor.

Transformation
I feel my heart beating on the inside, said it's pumping and it's jumping and it's feeling like it's gonna explode...
As "Dress Me Up" degenerates into electronic noise, a few jolts of electricity get the guitars revving up for this fast-paced rock track in which Eric describes a few weird and seemingly scary things going on inside of his body as a result of becoming a Christian. (The track is actually quite similar to "Verticality" from the last album, just sped up.) Eric has an interesting way of sidestepping typical Christian metaphors and coming up with comparisons such as the Spirit hitting him on the head "like an egg rollin' down". An odd image at first, but Eric handles his joy with a good shot of humor and uniqueness. He urges the doctor to leave him be and not panic about the state of shock he's going into because "It's just a transformation, for you information." The track flies by rather quickly, getting more and more intense until it also falls apart into more computer generated noise. "Techno-punk" is probably the best description I can come up with.

Life Form
I don't do today the things that I did yesterday, tomorrow maybe I'll try something new...
Things slow down a little bit to give us a taste of Eric's more organic side - this tune seems to be an electrified version of what otherwise might have been an acoustic ballad. Eric begins to sing about how he is a completely different person than who he used to be, and the music supports this fact, sounding nothing like anything from Vertical Reality, and yet the song is still peppered with little synthesized noises here and there, as if an infant robot had just been born and was clumsily stumbling about. This seems to be the unfinished state of Eric's transformation. The guitars and drums ramp up a bit more during the chorus, as Eric requests "And when I change, let it be into someone like You." Oddly, there are two verses printed in the lyric sheet, but only one is sung on the album. Essential later put out a CD with remixes of Eric Champion, Imagine This, and Jars of Clay (killer remix of "Flood", just FYI), and that version of "Life Form" had both verses, but it wasn't as good as the original.

What's in a Name
I had the world at my fingertips, I could have been most anything, if you had only bothered to see inside of me...
For an artist as energetic as Eric Champion, he seems to have slowed down early on this album. This track ventures even more into the organic vibe that Eric has picked up, with little to no programming to back it up, choosing instead to imply a weirdly-tuned guitar, a lighter drum beat, and a Wurlitzer. It sounds like a weary, alt-rock slacker anthem at first, as Eric bemoans being called "stupid" and "a loser" by the world around him, insisting that these things hold him back from being all that he can be in life. The chorus build up the tension as Eric does a total 180, claiming that "Inside, I'm called a conqueror, my name is ruler of all that I see." As things get more and more intense, you begin to realize that Eric is taking on the point of view of Christ, who holds a ton of power as the Son of God, and yet very little power in the lives of people who write Him off and won't let Him in. Clever.

Higher
There's thousands of feet down below me, the jagged rocks shine, but I'm tired of hanging with mortals, I want my kind...
Again, the sound of drumsticks counts off the beginning of the song, and a methodically ascending and descending series of electronic notes fades in, giving way to a powerhouse rock anthem in which Eric describes a thirst for immortality. It's an apt description of the life of a Christian as an "alien and stranger", still being part of the modern world and yet not quite fitting in. "I'm tired of walking with wings on, I want to fly," he insists. The song runs for over five minutes, a supernatural blend of electronica and grunge rock, revving back up just when you think that it's over and the electronic noise is going to fade off into nothing.

Sparkle in Your Beat
Well I ain't seen you 'round here before, you stick out when you're on the floor, it's in the cool way you groove and the hip way you move, I can tell you've got something more...
The first few seconds of this track sound almost identical to "Dress Me Up", and this song has a similar attitude, this time portraying the Christian as someone who stands out with some cool and unusual dance moves. The overall tune is rawer, with grittier guitars and a jerkier beat, but still enough electronic noise and overall coolness factor to get you moving. The lyrics are a bit strange, as is Eric's way of monotonously singing them during the verse, but the chorus packs quite a punch, as Eric insists, "I gotta know, how'd you get that sparkle in your beat?" At this point, the theme of the album is coming clear - the change that a Christian goes through is often awkward, and it looks strange to the outside world, often making them curious as to what sets us apart. The only thing bogging down Eric's message is his tendency to try to be "hip" with slang words. It's probably just the way he normally talks, but he can sometimes fall into that trap of sounding a little contrived when mixing spiritual jargon with everyday language.

Droppin' Nova
A nova's gonna split the sky and manifest before your eyes, and you're face to face with the bright morning star...
The last beat of "Sparkle" is the first beat of this song - few songs actually have silence in between, forcing the listener to pay attention in order to realize that the track has changed, and yet unlike your typical "dance mix" type album, each song has a distinctive beat and flavor instead of every track being tied together with the same beat. This track is a little mellower, depicting a starry night during which one of the stars suddenly goes nova and creates a brilliant astronomical spectacle for all to see. Perhaps it is an allusion to the "star" that led the wise men to Bethlehem, re-described in modern terms. Eric actually sings from the point of view of that star (likely the point of view of Christ), which makes it interesting when he says he's "shining brighter than a Christmas tree." A few lines here and there are odd, especially the slightly ego-centric "take a hit of me", but it's all good when you realize he's not singing about himself. The atmospheric sound as this song fades out is oddly reminiscent of the lovely ballad "Endless" from the previous album. At first, I found myself wishing for a song that beautiful and emotional on this album, but it wouldn't have fit with the quirkier style and theme here. Classics are classic, and it's better that Eric wasn't trying to recreate them.

Temptannie
You can spit your lies right on the floor, 'cause I've laid down in your bed before, and I've had to pay the price for all my sin...
It took me a long time to really appreciate this song. It's a bit too dark and downbeat in its tone, and it seems to break with the theme of the rest of the album, though it does chronicle an important struggle in Eric's life. Using a similarly weary sonic palette to "What's in a Name", Eric describes a female character who is tempting him, and he makes no bones about the fact that he's been fooled by her before. The chorus is simple and aggressive - "Get away!" The verses, however, seem to lack momentum at times, and the abrupt explosion of electronic noise right before the second chorus is a bit jarring at first. It's not a bad song. It's just not the Eric Champion you thought you knew, and admittedly, he's dealing with a well-worn topic in Christian music.

Falling
What's yours is mine, and that's all fine, what's wrong for you is right for me...
Another fast-paced track kicks in just as "Temptannie" explodes and vanishes, this one relying on a ska-styled drum beat and slightly bluesy guitar licks to get it going. Here, Eric launches into a tirade on relativism, insisting that in times of crisis, the attitude of "to each his own" doesn't mean much any more when everything's "falling down around you". Some of it is called for - he seems to blame modern American culture its tendency to teach people that whatever goes wrong in their lives is someone else's fault, but the attack sounds a bit harsh and overly conservative at times. Looking back, I can see that - Eric is clever, but not always subtle. Still, it's a high-energy, rocking track, and a nice segue into one of the most amusing tracks on the album.

Every Heartbeat
Classic case of boy meets girl, moving in the same direction, you're not asking for the world, I'm not asking for perfection...
Yeah, you read that right. This is a cover of the mega pop hit from Amy Grant's Heart in Motion album. If you liked that version, you may well hate this one - Eric turned it into a dizzyingly fast punk song, where the chorus is shouted out rapid-fire, Ramones style. The story behind this one is one of the funniest I've ever heard. Charlie Peacock, the Christian pop album producer extraordinaire, was at the helm for this album, and I dare say it stretched him quite a bit, because this is not a pop album. One late night in the studio when Eric and the guys were fooling around in the studio (presumably after Charlie had called it a day), they decided to cover "Every Heartbeat" as a joke, and put it on their demo tape for Charlie to listen to, since he co-wrote the original song. Charlie was listening to it in his car, and when this track came on, he laughed so hard that he very nearly got into an accident. So he came back the next day and insisted that they put it on the album. A little post-production was done to add electronic noise and ambience, and to segue this track into the surrounding ones, and voila! It takes a little getting used to, especially the way that Eric rambles on during the bridge like a belligerent fool instead of just singing the lyrics, and yet, that brings new meaning to "Yeah, sure, maybe I'm on the edge"! This is a good track to pull out to shock your friends - especially the ones who like to rip on Amy Grant.

Until I Get My Way
Call me a fanatic, beat me with a bat, nail me to a cross or feed me to a cat, but I'm not leaving you...
Eric closes out the album with the weirdest track he's ever done - it turns on a dime after the sudden ending of "Every Heartbeat" and launches into a weird, Beastie Boys-style rap in 3/4 time. Eric sounds like a total spoiled brat here, loudly proclaiming to someone who is persecuting him that they can do whatever gruesome things they want to him (his suggestions are alternately amusing and disturbing) and he still won't give up on his mission. That mission, of course, is to spread the good news, even if it means matyrdom. Eric is excited about his transformation, and he knows it can't help but affect the world around him. This track evokes some of the more radical and scary Christian thinking (often end-times related), and I personally believe that being obnoxious "until I get my way" isn't the way to go about it. I don't think Eric's calling for militant Christianity here, just saying that the world's most extreme threats aren't going to make him give up his beliefs (which was also a major theme on Vertical Reality). It's a fun track, and a wonderfully extreme way to end the album, but it's probably not one I'd play loudly around non-Christian friends.

Eric's career continued with the more accessible electronic rock album Natural in 1998, which spawned more radio hits but felt more like a "normal" Christian rock album with breaks between all the tracks and not as many original musical ideas. He then "retired" to Florida to become a music teacher. I miss having him around - he was never one of the most popular acts in Christian music, but he was definitely one of the most adventurous and downright cool. Sad to say, pressure from his record label may have been what pushed Eric to get out of the music business. Essential started out with some groundbreaking acts like Jars of Clay, and it's unfortunate that they've since tried to cash in on whatever current trends are already guaranteed money makers, such as teen pop and the endless stream of modern worship albums plaguing the industry today. Oh, well. Eric's albums are probably all out of print by now, but if you can dig up Transformation somewhere (or Vertical Reality, which was released on the now-defunct Myrrh Records), go for it. Both are amazing and unique creations that will (for the most part) withstand the test of time.

TRACK REVIEW SUMMARY
Excellent: Dress Me Up, Sparkle in Your Beat, Higher
Good: Every Heartbeat, Transformation, What's in a Name, Temptannie, Falling, Until I Get My Way
Decent: Life Form, Droppin' Nova
Weak: NONE
Skippable: NONE

Great Music to Play While: Being a grungy, off-the-wall techno-geek.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving