Oh What A Day

Oh What A Day, John B. Hatch with foreword and commentary by Phil Keaggy. Palmetto Publishing (ISBN: 9798318835919), 2026.

Summary: The background, composition, recording, and impact of Phil Keaggy’s debut solo album, a milestone in Christian music.

I come at this review from a unique perspective. Phil Keaggy and I both grew up in the Youngstown area. In 1970, he came to faith about the same time as I started following Christ. While I had heard of Glass Harp, the rock group of which he was lead guitarist, our paths first crossed at a Jesus rally on the front lawn of my church that might have been the launch of the local manifestation of the Jesus Movement in our area. On that Sunday afternoon, I spoke publicly about my faith in Christ for the first time. And Phil sang a song titled “The Answer” about how Christ is indeed the answer to all our searching.

Subsequently, he rented half of a duplex owned by an elderly woman from my church who lived at the other end of our street. I cut her grass and shoveled her drive and walks, which gave me a chance to make Phil’s acquaintance. This was about the time that he was leaving Glass Harp to go on his own. In the foreword to this book, Phil mentions recording the songs that would become “What a Day” on his Sony recorder. He played some of those recordings for me. I was in awe of both his guitar artistry and the beauty of the music. When the album came out, I snapped it up immediately. I still have it 52 years later and am listening to it as I write.

John B. Hatch, a retired communications professor and church mission also loved this album. This book is part of a larger project, a case study of Phil Keaggy’s career as an analysis of using music to “communicate spiritually and theologically.” But his study of “What a Day” was lengthy enough that he turned it into a book of its own.

As alluded to above, “What a Day” was Phil Keaggy’s first solo album, recorded in 1973. The ten tracks on the album were recorded at a cost of $1800, paid by a generous donor. Phil Keaggy plays all the instruments on this album. An interesting side note was that Gary Hedden, the recording engineer for the album came to faith in the process. After being rejected by several Christian labels, it was released in 1974 under New Song, a label launched by Christian disc jockey and leader of the Love Inn ministry in upstate New York.

John B. Hatch has researched the background of this album and the musical influences evident in the recording. Furthermore, he devotes a full chapter to each of the ten tracks on the album. Each chapter consists of three parts. First, Hatch gives us an initial description of the track and the musical elements and lyrics and how they work together. Then he offers a “Musical Deep Dive” walking through the track, looking in detail at key changes, providing transcriptions of interesting details, and other elements of Phil’s compositions and how they were recorded. Hatch also includes a helpful glossary of musical terms that he uses throughout the book. Finally, Phil offers his own reflections on the inspiration of the song, how he wrote it, recorded it, and its impact in performances. Hatch recommends listening to each track before and after reading each chapter, which I found helpful.

I’ve listened to this music for over fifty years. Yet Hatch helped me appreciate details of Keaggy’s musical genius I had missed. For example, in the opening track, he notes the acoustic and electric guitar octave descents that open “That is What the Lord Will Do for You” and how octave descents and ascents convey the joy of new life in Christ in the same way as the octave descent in “Joy to the World.” He writes:

“The timbre of acoustic guitars creates an intimate feel, while the regally marching low notes and briskly dancing high notes evoke majesty and celebration together, foreshadowing the sublime yet accessible music to follow. What a perfect introduction for a song (and album) about God who graciously ‘gives life to all mankind.’ “

The “deep dives” identify influences as diverse as Bach and The Beatles, including classical guitarist Julian Bream, whose records Phil played for me.

Hatch also helped me see two things about the album as a whole. While not conceived as a concept album, there is a seamlessness of flow from one track to the next, yet the tracks were only sequenced after the recording process was complete. He says the album “functions less as a collection of songs than a deeply immersive experience, a cohesive journey through the Spirit-saturated world of a young artist….” He also notes how the two sides on a vinyl recording focus on witness (side A) and worship (side B).

Hatch also addresses something I notice as I listen fifty years later. The lyrics are actually quite simple. However, what Keaggy manages to convey through the sheer musicality of the album transcends what the lyrics look like on paper. For example, “Hallelujah” consists of just that word, and yet leads the listener into exultant praise.

From my own background, I felt John B. Hatch characterized both Phil Keaggy and “What a Day” as I remembered them. But he also deepened and renewed my appreciation for music I hadn’t listened to for some time. There are both YouTube and a special 50th Anniversary recording available if you missed out on buying the album. If you love Phil Keaggy’s music, it will only enhance your appreciation. It certainly did for me.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.