Comstock Records Various Artists 10th Anniversary Album 1988

Comstock Records Various Artists 10th Anniversary Album 1988 CAT# COM-986

If you dig through 45s in the KC area, you're almost guaranteed to come across one from Comstock Records listing a Shawnee address on the label. It would appear to be a regional country label focused on local talent. However, it's not. Comstock was and still is a small independent country label focusing on national talent.

The label's founders, Frank Fara and Patty Parker, are both from out west, Arizona and Neveda. Neither seem to have any ties to the Kansas City area, yet, for some time they put their Comstock Records home in Shawnee, KS. Other than having a central location, it's not really clear why they picked Kansas (now the label calls it's home Arizona).

They did scout and sign talent in the area. This 10th Anniversary compilation features three Kansas City area artists, Debbie Martin, Alla Dee Franklin, and the O'Roark Brothers. But, outside of a few locals and an address, Comstock releases are from artists all over. In fact, the label's biggest successes seemed to be finding Canadian country artists and getting them charted up North.

Paul Clark & Friends Good to Be Home Seed 1975

Paul Clark & Friends Good to Be Home Seed Records 1975 CAT# PSR-004

Have you ever seen the Christian rock episode of South Park where Cartman starts a Christian rock band because he can't gain a following doing a regular rock band? That's pretty much what I think about the contemporary Christian music scene...bunch of fairly talented players who couldn't come up with enough originality in their rock band so they took their ideas, inserted the word "Jesus" and throw it at the kids not allowed to watch MTV in the Bible Belt. Whit that same outlook, I put it on the Jesus Music scene of the 70's, just a bunch of washed up dudes selling their tunes to an audience short on culture.

Part of that is probably still true, but the 70's Jesus Music scene was a bit deeper than today's contemporary scene. Jesus was much cooler in the late-60's and 70's than he is now. The music kind of shows that. There are legitimate hit tunes centering around Jesus from the 70's. Today, Kayne West thinks he's special for "Jesus Walks" (and he is, that beat is insane). But beside Kayne, point is, the 70's Jesus Music scene offers some hidden gems, some of which go for a lot of money. Kansas City had a pretty substantial foot-mark on the scene.

Mainly in Paul Clark, but also Phil Keagy. Paul Clark is native to the area and released a ton of albums, many of which can be found in dollar bins across the metro. Keagy, who is featured on this album, was one of the bigger names in the scene, wasn't native to the KC area, but moved to Shawnee to record much of his output.

As far as their music, it typically sounds genuine, these guys were always super-Christian and making music was only going to be about that. It doesn't sound forced, although, if you're not Christian, the albums can get uncomfortable and preachy. But, the music is good, they're good players, it's well recorded, and it fits in line with everything else in the 70's.

Looking at this specific album, Good To Be Home, it looks like you're in some hippie-folk. However, it's more of a soft-rock affair. Similar to singer/songwriter stuff coming out in the 70's. It's got it's moments, musically...it's just all the Jesus stuff throws me off.

FULL ALBUM