The Light of Things Hoped For
Encyclopedia
The Light of Things Hoped For is the second album
by Christian rock
band Brave Saint Saturn
, released in 2003 (see 2003 in music
).
The album is described as "astro-rock" and tells a story dealing with many personal struggles of the band members. The album has a more serious focus than the bands' debut, and shows growth in vocal and musical depth as well.
Unedited versions of both tracks have been leaked to the internet. If the CD is ordered from Brave Saint Saturn's online store, they will email the unedited songs to the purchaser.
The song "Titan" is introduced by a clip of the computer WOPR
asking "Shall we play a game?" from the film WarGames
.
The song "Estrella" was written by Reese Roper in his basement about his 25 year old friend, Matt Estrella, who suffered from Neurofibromatosis
2, Dying a year before the album came out.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
by Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band Brave Saint Saturn
Brave Saint Saturn
Brave Saint Saturn is a Christian rock band formed in Denver, Colorado in 1999. The band is a side-project of former members of Five Iron Frenzy started by Reese Roper...
, released in 2003 (see 2003 in music
2003 in music
-January:* January – following an investigation by The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and London detectives, police raids in England and the Netherlands recover nearly 500 original Beatles studio tapes, recorded during the Let It Be sessions. Five people are arrested...
).
The album is described as "astro-rock" and tells a story dealing with many personal struggles of the band members. The album has a more serious focus than the bands' debut, and shows growth in vocal and musical depth as well.
Concept
The Light of Things Hoped For chronicles the crew of the U.S.S. Gloria (Roper, Culp, Hoerig, Verdecchio) as they continue their study of the moons of Saturn. As the album begins, the crew has just received the command from Mission Control to return home. The mood quickly changes, however, as complications arise. Gases are emitted from the Gloria, sending the ship careening into the eclipse of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Communications cut out, and all seems to be lost. The crew reflects on what had happened and what they had lost, drawing the comparison of being away from the light of Christ. The album ends in a series of radio transmissions between the Gloria and Mission Control, and the U.S.S. Gloria emerges from the shadow of Titan and into the light, once again drawing the comparison between the Sun and Christ and the light He brings.Controversy
Tooth and Nail edited two tracks on the album without the band's permission. On the song "Enamel" a record scratch covers the end of the line "When you hear this song, I hope it hurts like Hell." Edits on "Heart Still Beats" cover the word "pissed" and the line "Go to hell."Unedited versions of both tracks have been leaked to the internet. If the CD is ordered from Brave Saint Saturn's online store, they will email the unedited songs to the purchaser.
Track listing
- "Prologue" (Reese Roper) – 1:12
- "The Sun Also Rises" (Roper) – 3:15
- "Binary" (Roper) – 3:54
- "Mercury" (Saki) – 0:42
- "Enamel" (Roper) – 3:32
- "Anastasia" (Roper) – 4:18
- "Titan" (Roper) – 3:35
- "Gemini" (Saki) – 1:06
- "Estrella" (Roper) – 4:37
- "Heart Still Beats" (Dennis Culp) – 4:28
- "Babies Breath" (Roper) – 4:07
- "I Fell Away" (Roper) – 3:13
- "Recall" (Culp) – 4:21
- "Atropos" (Roper) – 1:08
- "Daylight" (Roper) – 6:24
- "Irides of M" (Hidden Track)
The song "Titan" is introduced by a clip of the computer WOPR
WOPR
WOPR is a fictional military supercomputer featured in the movie WarGames and its sequel. It is an acronym for War Operation Plan Response. Director John Badham invented the name "WOPR" when he thought the NORAD SIOP was "boring, and told you nothing"...
asking "Shall we play a game?" from the film WarGames
WarGames
WarGames is a 1983 American Cold War suspense/science-fiction film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film stars Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy....
.
The song "Estrella" was written by Reese Roper in his basement about his 25 year old friend, Matt Estrella, who suffered from Neurofibromatosis
Neurofibromatosis
Neurofibromatosis is a genetically-inherited disorder in which the nerve tissue grows tumors that may be benign or may cause serious damage by compressing nerves and other tissues...
2, Dying a year before the album came out.
Personnel
- Dennis CulpDennis CulpDennis Culp is an American trombonist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with the bands Brave Saint Saturn and the now defunct Five Iron Frenzy. He currently resides in New Jersey with his wife Melinda, and has released one solo album, Ascents, under the name Dennis Bayne...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, background vocals, narrator, vox organ - Dave Fredrickson - saw
- Keith HoerigKeith HoerigKeith Hoerig is best known as the bass guitarist for Five Iron Frenzy and Brave Saint Saturn. He later assisted former band-mate Reese Roper with booking his new band, Roper....
- bass - Justin McRobertsJustin McRobertsJustin McRoberts is an independent singer-songwriter from the San Francisco Bay area. McRoberts released two albums with 5 Minute Walk before the label disbanded in 2001. Since then he has independently released four studio albums, a live album, and five EP's...
- background vocals, voices - Reese RoperReese RoperMichael Reese Roper is an independent filmmaker and the former lead singer and chief song writer of the third-wave ska band Five Iron Frenzy. After Five Iron Frenzy disbanded in 2003, Reese released a single album using the moniker Roper. He is also part of the band Brave Saint Saturn, who released...
- pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboard, vox organ, lead vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Monica Smith - background vocals
- Andrew "Chaka" Verdecchio - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Masaki LiuMasaki LiuMasaki Liu, sometimes referred to as "Saki", is the engineer and producer operating One Way Studio, a digital recording studio in Benicia, California. Masaki has recorded and produced music for many bands, including Five Iron Frenzy, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Echoing Green, The W's and...
- additional electric guitar, additional acoustic guitar, violin - Jen Hollingsworth - narratorNarratorA narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
- Vinnie Angello - percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
- Phil Bennet - wurlitzerWurlitzerThe Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to simply as Wurlitzer, was an American company that produced stringed instruments, woodwinds, brass instruments, theatre organs, band organs, orchestrions, electronic organs, electric pianos and jukeboxes....
, keys
Production
- Producers: MasakiMasaki LiuMasaki Liu, sometimes referred to as "Saki", is the engineer and producer operating One Way Studio, a digital recording studio in Benicia, California. Masaki has recorded and produced music for many bands, including Five Iron Frenzy, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Echoing Green, The W's and...
and Reese RoperReese RoperMichael Reese Roper is an independent filmmaker and the former lead singer and chief song writer of the third-wave ska band Five Iron Frenzy. After Five Iron Frenzy disbanded in 2003, Reese released a single album using the moniker Roper. He is also part of the band Brave Saint Saturn, who released... - Executive producers: Brandon Ebel, Tyson Paoletti
- Programming: Dennis Culp, Reese Roper
- Layout design: Aaron James
- Artwork: Aaron James
- Illustrations: Reese Roper
- Photography: Melinda Culp