Nailed In Stone / Star Song

Nailed In Stone

These days, Brian Barrett is playing his father's guitar - a 1955 Gibson J-45, the one Dad hauled all over the world during his stint in the navy. "It's the one I learned on," says Brian. "It's and heirloom, a vintage piece." It's beat-up and comfortable, according to Brian, and it glimmers with the patina of a lifetime of wear - years of skillful fingers on the fretboard and strong arms cradling the wooden frame. It's a guitar that resonates as only a well-worn instrument can, seasoned with time, love, and the passion of expression.

It's the perfect symbol of Brian Barrett's life these days, as reflected in his second Star Song album, Nailed In Stone, produced by veterans Russ Taff and James Hollihan, Jr. An astounding follow-up to his popular debut, Nailed In Stone reveals a combination of musical and lyrical maturity that's evidence of both the changes in Brian's life and the influence of his producers. "Being around Russ and James was a tremendous experience," says Brian. "They encouraged me to be who I am; they also helped me focus musically."

Part of that focus was tapping into Brian's musical roots, which reach from his childhood in rural middle Tennessee to his youth in suburban Dallas-Fort Worth. That 1955 guitar his dad used to play often rang with the tunes of Chuck Berry, Ronnie and the Daytonas, and Hank Snow, back when the lines between country and rock weren't as distinguishable. Though Brian's music has reflected those sounds since the day he beat out 300 contenders in the Gospel Music Association's 1992 New Artist Showcase, Nailed In Stone brings it home like never before. Call it "cool country" or "vintage rock" - as far as Brian's concerned, putting a label on the sound isn't that important. It's like trying to describe the taste of an ice cream flavor, or a smell - all I know is that it's true to who I am."

And who is Brian Barrett? A young man with vision and passion, firmly committed to his God and the communication of truth through music. He's been doing that with great gusto ever since he traded his future as an air force pilot and signed up for a lifetime stint in the service of Christ. With music as his passion, Brian committed himself to the craft of songwriting. After winning the GMA New Artist Showcase in 1992, it wasn't long till Star Song signed Brian as a recording artist. The success of his debut album, including the radio hits "Wing and a Prayer" and "The Cross Road," set him on a steady course of performing, writing, and communicating the gospel through music.

With the release of Nailed In Stone, Brian expresses the growth that has been the hallmark of his experience for the last couple of years, through the whirlwind pace of performing throughout the U.S. and Canada. "Touring with Phillips, Craig & Dean left me exhausted, but it was a growing time," says Brian. "Those guys were great mentors for me - touring with them taught me to relax and be who I am. I also learned it's OK to do some shouting when I need to!"

Not only does Brian shout, he whispers, preaches, laughs, and cries - not only on stage, but on the songs of Nailed In Stone. The range of emotion and thought that characterizes the album, from the fun, rambunctious "Jimmy Got Saved" to the wistful vulnerability of "In Time," is evidence of Brian's growth and development as an artist, and as a man of God. In collaboration with both of his producer-writer-friends Taff and Hollihan and other proven writers, Brian has crafted songs that are encouraging, thought-provoking, and thoroughly genuine - from the comfort of "He Is There," to the drama of "Goin' To." On these, and songs like the Dwight Lyles/Scotty Krippayne power ballad "Write It On My Heart," and the upbeat "He Still Moves Stones," Brian's already expressive voice reaches an amazing level of passion and conviction, as though it were seasoned by time and trial.

Like his dad's old guitar, which he now plays on stage ("It's a piece of my past; now it's a part of my present"), Brian Barrett's life is an instrument that shows the marks of a loving father's hands. And like the "crossroads preacher" inside of him, Brian doesn't miss the chance to point out the spiritual analogy in his own life. "That guitar carries scars like all of us. It doesn't hide them. And when it plays - it sounds all the better because of those scars."

Soul Surrender

He Still Moves Stones

Write It On My Heart

Jimmy Got Saved

In Time

I Know Where I'm Goin'

The Comeback Kid

One Prayer Away

Goin' To

He Is There

Copyright 1995 by Star Song Communications and Christian Music Online.