Trust Meece to Provide a Dynamic Experience | Posted July 19, 2013
David Meece was one of the greats in early CCM, having some notable success from the 70s through the early 2000s. He's still playing music, although he hasn't had a new studio release in over a decade and he seems to have been largely forgotten by the CCM crowd. Which is a real shame, because his music, while obviously quite dated now, is still one of the most intense listening experiences early CCM ever gave us.
David was trained in classical music from a young age and was performing in symphonies as a teenager. As a result, his music is an unmatched fusion of an 80s pop/rock sound and classical pieces.
Learning To Trust was released right at the end of the 80s, when CCM/Rock was just beginning to come into its own as a serious music genre. The album starts with a brief prelude that leads into the 80s rocker "When I Was Seventeen." The song is a good opener and helps get the listener used to Meece's voice before throwing them full fledged into Meece's signature sound. The title track is next and is a classic Meece ballad, not surprisingly about learning to give up the need to control things and trust in God.
"To Know Him" gives us the first taste of what Meece can really do. The song is a rousing anthem about knowing Christ with a memorable chorus. "The Man With The Nail Scars" is a passionate and emotional ballad, with simple lyrics about following Christ.
Meece's true musical power is best displayed on 3 tracks that are definite classics. "To The Glory of God" has Meece at the top of his game vocally. "The Rest of My Life" comes with a children's choir that helps add even more power to what was already a fantastic song to close out the album. But Meece's talents are best displayed in the musical masterpiece "This Time." Meece's classical training is on full display in the song that blends classical piano melodies against a passionate rock song.
An interlude of Chopin's "Etude in C Minor Op. 10 No. 12" proves that this guy can really play. Meece has told about how this piece always used to trip him up as a student, but it's flawless on the album and helps make this song one of the best of his career. The theme about not living in the past but living for Christ in the present is a timely theme that still rings true today: "And when regret closes in / I don't see what might have been / I see grace and I know whatever comes, He'll make a way / This time / this is what counts / this is what our life is about." If you check out no other songs from this album, give this one a listen.
Several songs from this album are definite Meece classics. While the tracklist comes up a bit short with two of them being interludes, there's definitely enough here to enjoy and make this one worthy of a listen.
Closing Thoughts:
David Meece was already pretty established when he made this album. But I think it marked a definite progression of his sound that helped him make the jump to a whole new level of musical greatness. This album has several of Meece's strongest cuts, which stand among the better contributions to classic CCM. If you're looking for a throwback listen that goes beyond what you'd expect for the genre, or if you're just curious to see how the fusion of 80s pop/rock and classical music sounds, definitely give David Meece a listen. And if you decide to check him out, Learning To Trust is a great place to start.
Song to Download Now:
"This Time" (Get it on iTunes here.)
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