CPR (Christian Progressive Rock)

CPR is a website and resource group promoting progressive rock with a Christian message. CPR has also released four compilation albums with Christian progressive rock. Many of the bands listed in ProgArchives is also members or listed in CPR. In short, I wanted to find out more about them. 

I got in touch with them and Randy George from CPR (and Ajalon) answered my questions.

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I have to admit that you have taken an angle to music I did not see at all although I have interviewed many Christian prog bands. Randy George's Ajalon being one of them. But an organised scene and a website was a surprise. I know the story of CPR can be found on your website, but please still give us a distilled/the full CPR history.

It basically started with the internet group [email protected]. A group of us started an offshoot list to discuss ways of cross promoting each other to our respective audiences. It was decided that a compilation CD would be the best way to achieve this. So the first CPR was born with 18 artists and 2 discs.

Christian rock, hip hop or rap does not make that much sense to me. But the connection between christianity and prog rock makes perfectly sense to me because most, if not all of progressive rock has it's origins in Christian music and imagery. So why buttering up this piece of bacon with even more fat by setting up CPR ? Was it due to hostility from the rest of the scene so you had to create your own Israel in the form of CPR ?

Well I don't think that Progressive rock has really touched at all on Christian themes. I realize many founding prog bands were Church of England guys... but it's a very different thing. I think we are coming more from the western Christian culture bent. It's also more aimed at countering the CCM indistry rather than anything to do with "the rest of the scene" as you put it.

CPR is based on the idea that there is a divide between the secular and the christian progressive rock scene. What is this divide ?

Mainly the divide is the same between believers and non-believers. It's the same with religions and churches vs the rest of the unchurched society.

You are based in the USA and I guess most of your followers are US based. But how is the Christian prog scene in the rest of the world and how big is it in the USA ?

Well it's been more prevailent in the USA cause again I think we are coming more from the western church mindset while the rest of the world still embraces the classic prog relation as you mentioned earlier.

I cannot fail to see your list of socalled Christian Progressive Rock bands. A list which I think is just the top of the iceberg. What is your criteria to include bands on that list and how do you support them, if you support them at all ?

Well we try and help those that struggle with their production skills by either helping to get a better mix and/or performance. I think CPR also affords some a way to release some music when they don't have a full CD or are unable to fund a full CD recording.

You are releasing some self titled compilation albums. So far, four of them has been released. Please tell us more about these compilation albums.

Well after the overwhelming success of the first one more bands were interested and more fans were interested. By the time we got to Volume 4 it has really found it's own legs so we really didn't do much to make it happen. It sort of fell into our laps. We usuall y have about 3 years between volumes. More bands continue to want to be part of it. As long as the bands are there we'll do it. The way it works is each band pays a flat rate to be on it then the total run of CD's is divided evenly amongst the bands and they do their own promotion of it.  It's really a promotional tool rather then a frontline release. But since it's a limited run we wanted to make it a keepsake as well so that's why we go for the deluxe packaging.

What is your plans for this year and the future ?  

Well like I said if more bands continue to want to be on it and produce the music... we'll keep putting it out! But it will be some time before another is released. It has also been talked about to do a Christmas version as well but that hasn't garnered enough interest to see it through. We'll see I guess.

Thank you to Randy for this interview

Their albums and website is here

Here's a link to a related thread started recently: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=78089