When Lie Down in the Grass appeared in 1984, the contemporary Christian music industry hadn’t really ever seen anything like it. It immediately established newcomer Charlie Peacock as a songwriter of unusual creativity and intelligence with a willingness to go closer to the cutting edge than just about anybody else in the industry. Peacock later joked that the record earned him a reputation as an “alternative” artist simply because financial restrictions had forced him to use a lot of synthesizers, but that assessment seems unjustifiably dismissive. One of the strengths of Lie Down in the Grass is its modestly eclectic instrumentation: The synthesizers play a supporting role alongside electric guitars, saxophone, trumpet, and an array of percussive instruments that give the record an international feel. Peacock seems to draw from European and American new age influences, but the album never feels derivative. His lyrics are also impressive for an early-’80s CCM record, asking universal spiritual questions without giving them pat doctrinal answers. Songs like “Till You Caught My Eye” and “Turned On an Attitude” indulge a little too liberally in alternative angst, but that was an extremely refreshing development in a music industry dominated by earnest happy talk. More than a decade later, Lie Down in the Grass remains one of Peacock’s boldest and best efforts. – Evan Cater