The Story of CPR and C-Prog Advancement In the late 1990's, with the rise of the Internet, email discussion lists & newsgroups became all the rage. These are online "communities" by which people with similar interests can discuss & learn more about their favorite topics. Bill Hammell, a Christian music lover from New Jersey, started a number of these lists for many of his favorite bands & artists. While most of his lists centered on specific artists, one list, which became affectionately known as the CPROG list, was launched with a different purpose in mind: "This list is for the discussion of Progressive Rock from a Christian's perspective, and for discussing progressive music made by Christians." According to Bill, the list served two purposes: "One, to (re) introduce Christians to a style of music that has never played a large role in speaking to the Church, and two, to further the Kingdom." Over the years, a number of Christian "Progrock" musicians subscribed to & became associated with CPROG. Many close friendships & relationships developed as a result. In March 2003, five years into the life of CPROG, a guitarist by the name of Mike Tenenbaum had a vision whereby the musicians on CPROG could work together to help cross-promote each other. This led to the formation of an offshoot "CPROG Advancement" list, consisting primarily of the musicians & artists from CPROG. Mike's first message to the CPROG Advancement list read in part: "Welcome to Christian Progressive Rock Advancement. Should there be any effort made to advance Christian Progressive Rock? Why? How else can we show each other mutual support?" The idea of a community dedicated to the advancement of the genre was a welcome one. It is a true challenge for the Christian Progressive Rock artist to make an impact in this new millennium. The spirit of cooperation among the musicians, each with a desire to serve the Lord in song, was unusual in this age of fierce competition in the music industry. As discussion ensued, the idea of these CDs arose. The purpose of these CDs is two-fold: To introduce Progressive Rock into the Christian community, & to introduce Christian themes into the "Progrock" community, which is mostly an underground independent movement in America today. Progrock is still very much alive as a mainstream format in Europe, South America & Japan. As with so many people who grew up in the mainstream of Progrock music during the 70's, many still have a desire for music that reflects an age when musicians were about music, and creativity was colorful and abundant, as well as music with spiritual integrity that conveys a positive message. Each artist on these projects is a confessed Christian and strives to move beyond existing standard musical forms. The result is CPR, an acronym for Christian Progressive Rock. You are about to experience the music of many talented artists in these collections. Some are well known for other works in their career, while some are new artists with their first recordings. These unique collections are sure to challenge the listener on many levels. If you enjoy the music of a particular artist, we would encourage you to visit their website to learn more about them. Bill Hammell: "When I started CPROG, I never would have dreamed that something like this would come to pass. May God truly be glorified through this endeavor." Welcome to CPR, the new voice in Christian Music.