Music Review: Giant Hits by David and the Giants

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Some unique insight into familiar territory

Cons: 80's production for those who don't like it.

The Bottom Line:

Don't let the dated

Production keep you from disc

Wonderful lyrics

The Greatest Hits of an 80's Christian Rock Band

David & the Giants was a Christian rock band most popular in the 1980's. It was fronted by David Huff and included his twin brothers Clayborn and Rayborn. Over the years, other musicians cycles through including another brother, Lance, and Keith Thibodeaux on drums. For trivia buffs, Keith is best known as Little Ricky during the sixth season of I Love Lucy.

I'm not quite sure how David & the Giants first came to my attention. I think they may have still been playing a few of their songs on Christian radio when I started listening to it during the early 90's. Or maybe the rock fans in my youth group listened to them. Either way, I had considered getting Giant Hits, their best of, for a while and finally broke down and bought it. A couple of the songs I knew right away while others sound familiar, but I can't quite place them.

I mentioned earlier that David & the Giants was most popular during the 80's, and it shows. The songs here are soft rock at best. There's nothing head banging or heavy metal. The production is heavy on the electric guitar, keyboard, and synthesizer. Even David's voice sounds like it belongs to an 80's rock band.

The one song I knew I knew was "Here's My Heart." It's just as good as I remembered. While the song ultimately is about surrender, I like the fact that it emphasizes that God is truly worthy of our surrender. It's mid-tempo with keyboard and drums being the major focus. You can hear guitar in there, but the others are the focus.

I instantly remembered "Why" by Keith Thibodeaux. This song ponders the changes in his life after becoming a Christian and asks why he didn't come to God sooner. It's a topic that people don't sing about very often, and I like hearing it. Even though I was raised in the church, it speaks to me. Crazy, I know. This songs features lots of synthesizer tricks to the music. If there is any doubt about this being an 80's band, this song erases them.

"I was the Nails" puts the singer in the place of various things around Jesus on Good Friday. While the verses wish he could have been something that could have offered comfort, the chorus admits that, thanks to sin, he is really the nails that caused the pain. While the idea is often expressed in song, it's never quite this clear. This is a slower track and features guitar most prominently.

Another highlight for me is "I'll be Loving You." It's a quiet ballad with guitar, drums, and just a hint of keyboard. The music highlights this prayer of commitment to God.

And the CD rounds out with "Noah," a fun song written from the perspective of those laughing as Noah built the ark. The track opens with laughter and ends with rain. The first verse is guitar, but then subtle drums and keyboard join in on the later verses. Along the way, the singer keeps expressing disbelief right until the end. After all, "It don't look like rain today/It's just another sunny day."

This CD is definitely dated, but that doesn't make it any less good. Anyone who enjoys 80's production and Christian music will enjoy Giant Hits.

CD Length: 42:08

Tracks:

1. Get Together

2. Here's My Heart

3. Love Has a Place

4. Show Them the Light

5. Heavenly Love

6. Why

7. I'll be Loving You

8. Always on My Mind

9. I was the Nails

10. Noah