Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

I have always been a little suspicious of concept albums and this is definitely a change of direction for Rick Altizer. He's responsible for some of the most creative power pop music in the Christian scene as well as being the producer of some of America's most successful children's worship albums. Here, Rick gives us a rock concept album which starts with a heartbeat (hey just like Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side Of The Moon'!) and like the Pink Floyd opus explores the human condition but Altizer does it by following through the life of Sam from birth to death. Sam's condition is selfish from birth where he makes his demands known through to a career as a pop star where his self obsession knows no bounds. Not a totally original concept to follow someone's life from birth to death but it has its moments and you also get the idea that beneath the surface it's also having a go at the selfishness of American consumer society or am I reading too much into it? At the heart musically, there are the characteristic Altizer approaches of finely tuned production, inventive arrangements and at the heart some killer hooks. There are plenty of highlights including the dramatic "Feed Me" and the brilliant "I Want My Whatever" and the familiar sounding "Star". The emptiness of the rock star life expressed in the heavy rocker "Is That It?" is perhaps the pivotal moment in the story and the haunting "Assisted" describes the beginning of the end. Overall, 'Take Care Of Me' is a cautionary tale of the emptiness of a life without God from one of America's most underrated creative spirits.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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