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Oh What A Day!: Exploring the Genius of Phil Keaggy's Iconic Debut Album
When a rising rock guitarist named Phil Keaggy left the mainstream in the early 1970s to make music expressing his newfound faith, he ended up recording one of the most inspired contemporary Christian albums ever made. This book explores the background, influences, gifting, and spiritual connection that enabled a self-taught 21-year-old musician to weave such a sublime sonic tapestry. Phil's own recollections follow each in-depth track analysis.
"Phil Keaggy's What A Day shaped a generation of artists and believers, including me . . . I know this book will be a gift to anyone who loves great music and a beautiful tribute to someone who has impacted so many of us."
- MICHAEL W. SMITH Multi-platinum recording artist, Grammy and Dove award winner
". . . an inside look at the songs and techniques that helped set Phil Keaggy apart as a legendary guitarist and highly respected recording artist . . . a must read for every Keaggy aficionado."
- PETER YORK Former Chairman & CEO of Capitol Christian Music Group
"In the parallel universe of Christian music, What A Day has iconic status analogous to Pet Sounds or Dark Side of the Moon-and now Professor Hatch tells us why. I'm sure I've listened to this album a hundred times, but he still points out things I never noticed before."
- MARK ALLAN POWELL PhD, author of Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music
"There's nothing like a brand-new Christian to remind us of the joy of our salvation. That's exactly what Phil Keaggy's first solo album did for me and untold others . . . . Five decades later, John Hatch has now explored the depths of this wonderful collection of music."
- TOMMY COOMES Producer; founding member of Love Song and Tommy Coomes Band
"Phil Keaggy's What A Day shaped a generation of artists and believers, including me . . . I know this book will be a gift to anyone who loves great music and a beautiful tribute to someone who has impacted so many of us."
- MICHAEL W. SMITH Multi-platinum recording artist, Grammy and Dove award winner
". . . an inside look at the songs and techniques that helped set Phil Keaggy apart as a legendary guitarist and highly respected recording artist . . . a must read for every Keaggy aficionado."
- PETER YORK Former Chairman & CEO of Capitol Christian Music Group
"In the parallel universe of Christian music, What A Day has iconic status analogous to Pet Sounds or Dark Side of the Moon-and now Professor Hatch tells us why. I'm sure I've listened to this album a hundred times, but he still points out things I never noticed before."
- MARK ALLAN POWELL PhD, author of Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music
"There's nothing like a brand-new Christian to remind us of the joy of our salvation. That's exactly what Phil Keaggy's first solo album did for me and untold others . . . . Five decades later, John Hatch has now explored the depths of this wonderful collection of music."
- TOMMY COOMES Producer; founding member of Love Song and Tommy Coomes Band
169 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 23, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 15, 2026
A very nice story about a foundational album to the Jesus Music movement. For those less familiar with music theory, author Hatch’s explanation of just what Phil Keaggy was doing sheds light on why it sounds so good. I especially enjoyed the insights from PK regarding his inspirations for this music, and how the songs and the project came about. How amazing that the music and The Message of What a Day are still fresh and relevant over half a century later. This book will be enjoyed by PK fans, people who enjoyed Jesus Music, and by people who wonder what this era in contemporary American Christian history was all about.
August 13, 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.
_____________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
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.
_____________
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.
August 17, 2026
A Beautiful Deep Dive into a Remarkable Album
John B. Hatch’s Oh What A Day!: Exploring the Genius of Phil Keaggy’s Iconic Debut Album is the kind of book that makes you want to stop reading and go listen to the album again, and that is exactly what I did reading each chapter and listening to one song at a time. I didn’t rush through the book, sometimes just listening to a song a day and letting Hatches commentary help me experience what a revolutionary act of creative faith this album is.
I have loved Phil Keaggy’s music for years, but this book gave me a deeper appreciation specifically for What A Day. Hatch brings together the story of Phil’s life and faith, the musical influences that shaped him, and the remarkable details of the album itself while pointing the heart of the music, Jesus, and a young guitarist's love for his King.
I especially appreciated the exploration of the seemingly unlikely meeting points between Bach, the Beatles, gospel, rock, folk, jazz, country, and classical music. All these influences somehow became part of something that sounds unmistakably like who Phil Keaggy is as a musician, without being derivative. The book’s discussion of Bach’s “wildness” and beauty is particularly meaningful.
Hatch’s book doesn’t feel like commentary on a collection of songs that happen to be about Christian faith. His description of the album “lifts us into glory” capturing something many of us have felt listening to Phil Keaggy for years but may not have not had such eloquent, musically knowledgeable and spiritually mature words articulate it.
I also loved the stories surrounding the recording sessions. The account of Gary Hedden and others being impacted by Phil’s presence reminds us that the story of What A Day isn’t simply about an album being made. It is about lives being changed when an artist’s faith, life, and musicianship are surrendered to Jesus.
The musical analysis is detailed, but it never felt like analysis for analysis’ sake. This long-time musician learned a lot of things about music in general. Hatch shows how keys, rhythms, melodies, harmonies, guitar parts, and Divine encounters in life and in the studio contribute to the emotional and theological character of the songs that are birthed into the world. Hatch helps me hear familiar songs with new ears.
Most of all, Oh What A Day! reminded me that great music doesn’t always come from striving. Sometimes, as Phil himself recalled, “Everything flowed; there was no striving.” That idea seems to capture something essential about this album.
Hatch’s book is deeply researched scholarship that is thoughtful, inviting and is the perfect companion to the ‘What a Day’ album experience. Even if you already know the album by heart, Hatch may give you a reason to press play again and listen a little more carefully. This book is like a “making of” documentary to a historic album that will outlive us all.
★★★★★
John B. Hatch’s Oh What A Day!: Exploring the Genius of Phil Keaggy’s Iconic Debut Album is the kind of book that makes you want to stop reading and go listen to the album again, and that is exactly what I did reading each chapter and listening to one song at a time. I didn’t rush through the book, sometimes just listening to a song a day and letting Hatches commentary help me experience what a revolutionary act of creative faith this album is.
I have loved Phil Keaggy’s music for years, but this book gave me a deeper appreciation specifically for What A Day. Hatch brings together the story of Phil’s life and faith, the musical influences that shaped him, and the remarkable details of the album itself while pointing the heart of the music, Jesus, and a young guitarist's love for his King.
I especially appreciated the exploration of the seemingly unlikely meeting points between Bach, the Beatles, gospel, rock, folk, jazz, country, and classical music. All these influences somehow became part of something that sounds unmistakably like who Phil Keaggy is as a musician, without being derivative. The book’s discussion of Bach’s “wildness” and beauty is particularly meaningful.
Hatch’s book doesn’t feel like commentary on a collection of songs that happen to be about Christian faith. His description of the album “lifts us into glory” capturing something many of us have felt listening to Phil Keaggy for years but may not have not had such eloquent, musically knowledgeable and spiritually mature words articulate it.
I also loved the stories surrounding the recording sessions. The account of Gary Hedden and others being impacted by Phil’s presence reminds us that the story of What A Day isn’t simply about an album being made. It is about lives being changed when an artist’s faith, life, and musicianship are surrendered to Jesus.
The musical analysis is detailed, but it never felt like analysis for analysis’ sake. This long-time musician learned a lot of things about music in general. Hatch shows how keys, rhythms, melodies, harmonies, guitar parts, and Divine encounters in life and in the studio contribute to the emotional and theological character of the songs that are birthed into the world. Hatch helps me hear familiar songs with new ears.
Most of all, Oh What A Day! reminded me that great music doesn’t always come from striving. Sometimes, as Phil himself recalled, “Everything flowed; there was no striving.” That idea seems to capture something essential about this album.
Hatch’s book is deeply researched scholarship that is thoughtful, inviting and is the perfect companion to the ‘What a Day’ album experience. Even if you already know the album by heart, Hatch may give you a reason to press play again and listen a little more carefully. This book is like a “making of” documentary to a historic album that will outlive us all.
★★★★★
August 21, 2026
Complex, difficult to read (for my simple brain), a little repetitive… Thankfully, there were some golden nuggets in there that were worth the work of digging through it. I especially enjoyed Phil Keaggy’s personal remembrances and thoughts at the close of each chapter.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews