John William Schlitt was born on February 3, 1950 in
Lincoln, Illinois. He joined the
mainstream rock band Head East in 1972 as a lead vocalist. In 1980 he was fired due to his drug and
alcohol addiction. He became suicidal
but thankfully through the influence of his wife and her pastor, became a born
again Christian. In 1986 John became the
lead singer of the Christian rock band Petra, when Greg X. Volz left the
band. In 1995 Schlitt released his solo
debut, SHAKE (Word). He writes: “I would
like to thank the Lord Jesus Christ. For
through His sacrifice, I have a second chance in life and am able to enjoy the
fruits of a happy family as a husband, father, and son. Thanks to my wife Dorla, for your strength
and devotion...I want to thank Petra for having the courage to let me stretch”.
Schlitt, Mark Heimermann, and Dan Huff wrote ‘Wake the
Dead’, which is one of the greatest Christian rock songs of all time in my
opinion. It includes great electric
guitar work by Huff and is very catchy.
These lyrics are meant to wake Christians from their spiritual slumber:
“Wake up!/There’s a job to be done/You’ve got a calling that you haven’t
begun/For too long you’ve been coasting along/You think salvation is the end of
it all/The fields are ready, but the workers few/You’re not heeding the
call/It’s time the body starts to shout the news/And wake the world up to God’s
invitation/Wake the dead (2X)/Take up the call and carry His commission/Wake
the dead (2X)/Don’t be content and just walk away/There’s too much to do to
just walk away”. The also catchy
pop/rock song ‘Don’t Look Back’ follows.
It starts off tackling regret: “Every morning as I look into the
mirror/Yesterday’s mistakes are so painfully clear/I could let them take me
under/Be a source of misery/Or I could understand the power of the blood that’s
shed for me”.
‘Show Me the Way’ is a melodic song that serves as a sincere
prayer: “Take me, guide me, lead me/I’m trusting in You, Lord/Teach me and show
me the way/Break me, love me, forgive me/I’m asking of You, Lord/Take me and
show me the way.../I know for me You have the perfect plan/I know You had it
before time began/Don’t want to listen to what others say/Just show me the
way”. ‘Inside of You’ is a beautiful
adult contemporary ballad. One of the
co-writers is Billy Luz Sprague. The
song points to our true potential: “Oh, inside of you there’s a heart full of
dreams/Like the gold in a stream to be uncovered/Inside of you lies a soul made
to shine/Yes, a child meant to fly and discover/All the wonders God can do
inside of you/Where dreams can still come true...”
‘Let it Show’ is a funky alternative rock number about
sharing the Gospel: “So many friends are being led about, down the path of
life’s deceptions/You’d speak the truth, but fear to let it out/You don’t want
to face rejection/No matter what the cost/You’ve got to let them know/The key
to life you’ve found/You’ve got to let it show/Say you’ve been forgiven/Live
the life you’re livin’/Don’t hold back/Just let it show”. Schlitt wrote ‘Carry the Burden’ with Dan and
David Huff. It’s a standout Christian
rock song about relying on our sure hope, Jesus Christ: “Let Jesus carry the
burden/And remember His words that were spoken/Let Jesus carry the
burden/Trusting in the price of the sacrifice/Shed for you.../When a problem
you face starts to break you/If you lift it in prayer/Together you’ll get
through/Yes, He’s faithful to always be there/No need to worry, you’re not
alone/Don’t have to try to do it on your own”.
‘One by One’ is a moving rock ballad with Donna McElroy,
Vicki Hampton, Kim Fleming, and Kari Schlitt on backing vocals. It encourages us to help others: “One man
could do so much/Sharing the life that he lives through God’s loving touch/That
light that shines from the mountain top/It is a beacon of strength and of
hope/That no one can rob/If I can reach just one, if I can touch just one/If I
can help just one/One by one”. Schlitt
wrote ‘Try Understanding His Heart’ with Petra bandmates Jim Cooper and Ronny
Cates. It speaks to God’s character:
“Try understanding His heart/His love for you, it is never ending/Try
understanding His heart/It has for you enough mercy, grace/And strength for you
to face it all/Understand His heart/With Him there is a strength to carry on/He
paid the price, He sacrificed/His love is there for you/He wants to help you
through”.
‘The Hard Way’ is an adult contemporary track that reflects
on the crucifixion: “His anguish echoed against a dark sky/All of heaven
watched in silence/And from that mountain He looked through dim eyes/As the world
mocked the Messiah/He crossed that valley alone/Exchanged His life for my
soul/He would not forsake me”. The
closing song, ‘The Road to Calvary’, was penned by Rich Gootee, John Schlitt,
and Jim Cooper. Joe Spivey plays
mandolin and violin on this gospel anthem: “On that road, He walked for you and
me/On that road, through all the pain and misery/He knew when it was
finished/We would have the victory/On that road, the road to Calvary”.
Some solo albums from frontmen of groups can be a mixed bag
quality wise, or even all out duds. Not
so with John Schlitt’s SHAKE. This album
flawlessly blends rock and adult contemporary sounds that at the time of its
release in 1995 would appeal to youth and adults. Schlitt delivers some great vocals here and
for the most part it doesn’t sound like a Petra album, which is a good thing to
say here, artistically. Three main
lyrical themes emerge on the album: being a witness for Jesus by sharing the
Gospel, living for Christ and not looking back, and the events of Good
Friday. Needless to say this record will
mainly appeal to evangelicals. The songs
are straight forward without being condemning or using big theological terms. I’m rating SHAKE a perfect 100%. For more info visit: www.johnwschlitt.com.