A long introduction
(I'm not kidding - it really is a long introduction, detailing why Rich Mullins has been, and shall remain, my favorite musician. If you really don't care, then please scroll on down to the heading "The Jesus Record," where you will find an in depth review of the CD.)

The year was 1984. I was twelve years old, and while other girls in my class were listening to Michael Jackson's hot new release, my favorite album was a bit different. It was Behold the Man by a group called "Zion." They had visited our church in previous years and were no longer together, but their music was wonderful and was all written by the group member Rich Mullins. My brothers and I were taking piano lessons, and Rich was my older brother's hero of sorts - he hoped to one day be able to play half as well as Rich.

That spring, our youth minister asked my parents if a young man giving a concert at our church could stay at our home - we had an extra room, you see. My mother would have said "yes" no matter who the individual was, but you can imagine how ecstatic my older brother was when we found out it was Rich Mullins! Then one day soon, a young, bedraggled man (in need of a shave and a haircut, in the early 80's opinion) showed up at our doorstep after hitch hiking across the country to reach our small town. I believe he had a small bag with him, but that was it - his aged t-shirt, faded jeans and holey shoes were pretty much all he had with him. None of this mattered, though, once he sat down at our (relatively clunky) piano and played... that piano had never sung like that, and it never did again (except when Rich would drop by in later years).

"Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground." Rich seemed to take God's words to Moses to heart, as he did indeed perform most of his concerts barefoot. I came to wonder, though, if this practice was out of reverence or necessity. A bit of both, I think. My mother, being the mom that she is, took it upon herself to take Rich to the sporting goods store in town and give him the gift of a new pair of tennis shoes. If he was going to be hitch hiking around the country, he may as well be wearing a decent pair of shoes that can keep his socks dry. (I think Mom also wanted him, if he was going to wear tennis shoes to the Sunday morning service, to at least have ones without holes in them. But she didn't say this.) Rich was the first person to ever perform at a Sunday morning service at our church wearing faded jeans and tennis shoes. But once he played, it didn't matter (as if it mattered anyhow).

I had the rare privilege of growing and maturing as I listed to Rich's music grow and mature over the coming years. (I also attended at least fifteen concerts from 1984-1997.) Rich left a copy of his demo tape with my family, along with a little note for each of us kids. I listened to my tape so much that it aged rather quickly, but I grew to love my favorite song there, "Elijah," and one of Zion's songs, "Heaven in His Eyes." (I always wondered why the second wasn't rerecorded on one of his albums... I found out with The Jesus Record that Rich was just waiting for the right time.) The demo contained some real gems, and Rich's first official album, which was self-titled, soon followed. Many more were to come, and whenever we would make it to a concert, even when Rich became a best-selling, award-winning composer and performer, Rich would recognize us among the crowd of well-wishers and take a moment to chat. Any who had the joy of making his acquaintance will tell you that Rich had a way of remembering folks from all parts of his life, from the small Indiana towns like ours to the Kansas community where he later attended college to earn a teaching degree to the New Mexico Indian reservation that he eventually called home.

Why am I telling you all of this? In part, to add credibility to my review of Rich's music. I know most every song of his by heart, can play a few on the piano (though I never do them justice), and actually learned to play pennywhistle because of the really neat pennywhistle parts in a few of his songs (particularly "Boy Like Me, Man Like You" and "You Gotta Get Up"). Rich Mullins is the only artist for whom I have every CD and/or tape he ever produced, including the 1997 musical Canticle of the Plains. I do not claim to have been a friend of Rich's, though that certainly *would* have been a special blessing, but I was an acquaintance and thus had the unique opportunity to see Rich and talk with him when he was at different points along his journey.

I last saw him in August 1997 at a concert in Fort Wayne, Indiana. That was the first time that I actually openly, unashamedly wept during one of his concerts... the song "Bound to Come Some Trouble" was so beautifully sung that it hit me right at the heart. Two weeks earlier I had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), and the much-needed release came through the words of the song. I also had the chance to have a very quick chat with Rich during a break in the concert to pass on greetings from family who had wanted to come. Though fans and acquaintances like me probably were a bit of an irritation, he didn't act as if this was the case, and I am thankful that I had found the chance to say hello on that August night. A month later, as I am sure you are aware, Rich was killed in a car accident. My younger brother called and told me, and once the numb shock wore off, I went outside, gazed at the bright, starry sky, and wept. As I did so, the words to "Elijah" rose to the surface of my emotions...

When I leave I wanna go up like Elijah
with a whirlwind to fuel my chariot of fire,
and when I look back on the stars
it'll be like a candlelight in Central Park,
and it won't break my heart to say "goodbye."

Like Elijah's whirlwind, Rich was gone from this world, but his music lived on. You see, nine days before his death, Rich sat down in a small country church with a cheap, battery powered tape recorder, and he recorded nine songs that were to be a part of his next project, which he called "Ten Songs about Jesus." (Why didn't he tape ten? I'll explain later.) It later became The Jesus Record, and the songs spell the journey of a seeker, a man hitch hiking his way through life, following a man who had been homeless himself, praying to a God he sometimes questions, and serving a savior who came to redeem the world. In fact, a picture is painted of that savior in a way that can only be portrayed through music and poetry. To Rich, God is not just a God of prose, and Rich's poetry connects us with the savior in ways that little else can.

If you have been skimming along hoping for the actual music review to follow, you're in luck, as it shall (finally, you say) get started.

The Jesus Record

The Jesus Record is actually more than just a single CD. It is a two CD set, for which I was incredibly thankful. Remember that tape I referred to, the one that Rich used to tape the nine songs? As you can imagine, the quality was far from professional. However, the producers managed to clean up the background noise sufficiently so that people like me could have one last piece of Rich's original work. So the first CD is the demo CD, and the second is a CD of all ten songs, recorded in studio by The Ragamuffins (Rich's band, still together) and others with whom Rich, at some point, toured in concert (namely Ashley Cleveland, Amy Grant, Phil Keaggy, and Michael W. Smith).

The Jesus Record packaging

This 2 CD set is packaged in a way that I have never seen another set packaged. The cover is a sturdy cardboard, and you can see the picture on the outside from the epinions graphic. From there, though, the CD opens into three different sections. You open the first fold, and it appears like a book. On the left is pictured, in sepia tones like the front cover, a wooden placard on a wall, like one often sees at a small church. It is where attendance and offering for each week are posted for all to see. The only number on the register, though, is "NUMBER ON THE ROLL: 4." This is in reference to the Ragamuffins... while Rich was here, there were five of them. Now the four band members stand alone.

On the facing page, in gray tones, is a small table with a single candle burning. Above the table is hanging a small picture of Jesus praying, with light shining down from heaven toward him. Both of these pictures make me think of a small country church like the one where Rich recorded his demo tape, and that is likely the feeling we are supposed to get. (I even wonder if the photos were taken at that church.)

Open the next fold, and the CD's are both visible. I have a feeling that this is why the CD case is of this different design - one can view both CD's at the same time, which really allows the images to impact the viewer. The studio CD has a picture on it of the four Ragamuffins sitting on two sets of steps in front of a small country church (presumably the same church where the other photos were taken). In the foreground, between the two sets of steps, sits an empty wooden chair. The demo CD has a photo of the exact same scene without the Ragamuffins - just the empty chair. Rich wasn't involved in the production or packaging of this album, but his presence is still felt so intensely. Of course, the photos are in black and white.

An envelope-type compartment inside the front cover is the home of the booklet that contains lyrics to the songs, as well as information about who provided vocals and instrumentation for various tracks. At the opening of the booklet is an explanation of the roots of The Jesus Record, describing how it came to be. The most striking image in the booklet is on the back cover, which finds the four Ragamuffins sitting and standing, alternately, in wooden slat pews, beside windows through which the sun is shining in. The thing that makes this image so striking is that on the back cover of the CD package, there is a photo of Rich Mullins, sitting in one of these very pews, leaning against a window as he gazes outward. This makes me wonder again if this photo was taken the day he made the demo... even if it was not, it still offers an intense portrait of the man behind these songs.

As I stated, the packaging for this CD set is like none other I've ever seen. Perhaps this is why it won a Dove award for design - I cannot think of a more deserving album.

The Music of The Jesus Record

For lack of a more creative method of organization, I shall describe and review the CD in order of the songs on CD 2. I will not do any type of review of Rich's demo CD - he didn't tape it so that it could be professionally produced, but just to get the project started, so I feel it would be unfair to Rich and his band to make any critical statements about the music contained therein. Suffice it to say that The Jesus Record would not be complete if it were not for the presence of both CD's.

The album is produced by Rick Elias, now the leader of The Ragamuffins. If Rick's name looks familiar outside of his Ragamuffin membership, it could be because he wrote part of the soundtrack for Tom Hanks' That Thing You Do and also performed a very small role in the movie. He is an incredibly talented musician, and he did indeed pour his heart and soul into the production of The Jesus Record.

Now for the songs...

o My Deliverer - by Rich Mullins and Mitch McVicker, lead vocals - Rick Elias

This song won the Dove award for "Song of the Year," and it was well-deserved, in my opinion. The song begins with a haunting pennywhistle melody made fuller by background orchestration. (Interestingly, in concert, the Ragamuffins performed this song with a background track providing the introduction - I had wondered how they would do this. They *rarely* use tracks, so this was unusual. But none of them plays pennywhistle, so I suppose it's understandable.) After the haunting opening, the song continues in a minor key, and Rick Elias' vocals are perfect for the song style, as he has a bit of a gratey edge to his style that makes one feel the intensity of a message.

So what is the message? It is that of the God of Moses who promised to deliver his children out of slavery. The message bridges to us, though, as we are reminded that our God is one who never breaks his promises. And the second verse takes us to Christ in the desert, as he gazes at the stars and hears the world cry for deliverance that will only come through his own scars. Very powerful.

This song is also included on a CD of songs that were companion to or inspired by the movie Prince of Egypt. I do not have this CD, but the song is certainly appropriate for such a compilation.

o Surely God is With Us - by Mark Robertson and Beaker (Beaker is Rich's best friend, and they toured together until the arrival of the first child of Beaker and his wife Julie.), lead vocals - Mark Robertson

Mark Robertson is a very distinct member of The Ragamuffins. He is also the lead vocalist for the small, somewhat "punk" band This Train, and his style is very blunt, "this is the way it is" in whatever he sings. The first time I saw This Train in concert was at the August 1997 Rich Mullins concert where Mark's band also performed, and since then, I've been able to pick out Mark's voice in any Ragamuffin song without trouble. "Surely God Is with Us" has Mark's fingerprints all over it, and I can see why Rich had wanted to include it as one of his "Ten Songs about Jesus." (It did surprise me that Rich was not an actual writer of this song, as it is very much the way that he also tended to say things whether people wanted to hear them or not.)

The song starts,
Who's that man
thinks He's a prophet
I wonder if He's got something up his sleeve
Where's He from
who is His Daddy
There's rumours He even thinks Himself a king
Of a kingdom of paupers, simpletons and rogues
The -hores all seem to love him and the drunks propose a toast, and they say...
Surely God is with us

Bet you don't hear very many "Christian" songs like this, do you? I'll also bet that you'd be hard pressed to find a song that better captures what Jesus was all about during his time here on earth.

Style wise, the song is a nice departure from the first, as it is partially in a major key and has a bit more of a beat to it. The thing that makes it sound most different, though, is the distinct vocal quality of Mark Robertson.

o Nothing is Beyond You - by Rich Mullins, Mitch McVicker, and Tom Boothe, lead vocals - Amy Grant

This is very much a song that inspires hope, as one would imagine from the title. The first part of the song repeats the promise in Psalm 139 that "If I rose on the wings of the dawn, even there you would find me." But it becomes even more personal, weaving poetry only as Rich and company can to show us how Christ can cut through pain and darkness, no matter how painful and dark it may be.

Amy Grant, though she is not among my favorite artists, did an outstanding job at performing this particular song. Her alto range fit the song perfectly, and she really seemed to sing it from the heart, helping us feel the hope that the song portrays. (Interestingly, Amy and Rich met when she was recording her album Age to Age, and she recorded Zion's song "Sing Your Praise to the Lord." Rich toured with Amy in her next tour, and that was the first-ever "real" tour in which he performed. So they go back a ways. She also sang one of her own songs at Rich's memorial service - which my brother and I attended - and I imagine that singing on this album was healing for her, too.)

o You Did not Have a Home - by Rich Mullins, lead vocals - Rick Elias, Mark Robertson, Jimmy Abegg

This song has, in many ways, become Rich's "theme" song in the memorials that have been produced, including the video "Homeless Man - The Restless Heart of Rich Mullins." Rich's life reflected several of the sentiments that he expressed about the person of Christ, particularly the fact that Rich was very much a wanderer who did not put down permanent roots anywhere. I'm betting that Rich would be the first, though, to tell you that his imperfections were too numerous to count and this song is about the perfect Christ, not an imperfect man who did try to pattern his life after his savior.

I like how the Ragamuffins had one person do each of the three verses - it worked well. Jimmy Abegg's voice is distinct from the other two, so it is easy to hear which vocalist is singing where, and each man brings his own perspective of sorts to the verse's meaning.

The verses spell out how the person of Jesus did not have a home, did not have a wife, and had "no stones to throw," quoting snippets of scripture within each verse. The chorus, though, says it best:

Birds have nests, foxes have dens
But the hope of the whole world rests
on the shoulders of a homeless man

The song is upbeat in style but more serious in meaning than it may at first sound. (If I were told one of the Ragamuffins had written this, I would have guessed Mark Robertson. But it most definitely spells out how Rich upheld his view of Christ.) The song is simple but deep, the type of song that can find itself running through your head on "repeat." (It does through mine, anyhow.)

o Jesus... by Rich Mullins, lead vocal - Ashley Cleveland

You will notice that I have had nothing negative to say about any song thus far. I am afraid that I have to break that trend, though I almost left this comment out. Of the ten tracks on this album, I feel that this is the weakest. Why? I wish I could put my finger on it, but I can't. The lyrics are very powerful, written by as man who asked Jesus to "write me into your story, whisper it to me, let me know I'm yours." But somehow, the demo version just seems to cut to the heart more than Ashley Cleveland's vocals do. Musically, she did just fine, but if I am to press "skip" over a song on this CD, this is the one. I think maybe it lacks the energy of the other songs, even the more mellow ones (which this one definitely is).

But it's meant to be mellow - it is a loving, pleading prayer, written to a Jesus who is beautifully spelled out in the lyrics. Perhaps you'll be able to find energy within the music that I was not able to unearth. (I hope so.)

o All the Way to Kingdom Come - by Rich Mullins, lead vocals - Phil Keaggy, Rick Elias, Jimmy Abegg, Mark Robertson

Another more upbeat tune, the four vocalists (Ragamuffins plus the well-known Phil Keaggy) join the strong bass and drum accompaniment to paint us a picture of the depth of the love of Christ.

We didn't know what love was till He came
And He gave love a face and He gave love a name
And he gave love away like the sky gives the rain and sun

We were looking for heroes, he came looking for the lost
We were searching for glory and He showed us the cross
Now we know what love is 'cause He loved us ...all the way to kingdom come

Like the songs before it, "All the Way to Kingdom Come" shows us a Christ unlike the one of the Renaissance paintings and pristine liturgies. The world had been looking for a powerful king, when Christ came along offering love and forgiveness to the most imperfect of sinners.

The music is trademark Rich Mullins, with a strong rhythmic backbone and lyrics that pile quickly on top of one another without losing their power. This is another track that likes to find its way into my subconscious and repeat over and over and over... and the telling thing about the song is that I do not grow tired of it.

o Man of no Reputation by Rick Elias, lead vocals - Rick Elias

Remember how there were only nine songs on the demo tape? Rich tried to tape this one, too, but he was unable to. Every time he started, he cried at some point during the song and had to stop. So there is no track of this song on the demo CD, as Rich intended to try recording it again at a later time. Rich rarely recorded songs that were not by him (or his friend Beaker). In fact, I only know of one such song from a previous record: "Ready for the Storm" from Rich's third album. But he loved Rick's song so much, and felt it added depth to the portrait of Jesus that the songs created, that he wanted it very much to be a part of this album. I'm glad he did, and I am glad that Rick Elias was willing to share his work with us.

Again, Rick's gratey, somewhat breathless vocal style adds the needed intensity to this mellow, straightforward piece.

He was a man of no reputation
And by the wise considered a fool
When He spoke about faith and forgiveness
in a time when the strongest arms rules
But this man of no reputation
Loved the weak with relentless affection
And He loved all those poor in spirit
just as they were
He was a man of no reputation

This is one of the few songs that consists of a single track with no background vocals, and that is as it should be. The keyboard and guitar provide appropriate background for the sincere sharing of this sentiment, which helps round out the picture of Christ that The Jesus Record gives us.

o Heaven in His Eyes - by Rich Mullins, lead vocals - Michael W. Smith

This is the first song I ever heard that featured Rich's solo voice, self accompanied on the piano. His voice sounds a bit more aged than it had 20ish years younger in his "Zion" days, but the song was just as fresh on the demo CD as it was on that record so many years ago. And Michael W. Smith, one of the Christian artists who really seemed to understand Rich's perspective, truly does the song justice. (Smitty also composed a song, "Song for Rich," on his album "Live the Life." Rich and his music were special to Michael W. Smith, and I am glad he was a part of this project.)

The song, Rich's first real "song about Jesus" that tried to cut to the heart of who Jesus is, paints yet another picture. This is one of the teacher, the master, performing miracles yet playing with children. All the while, if one simply looks into his eyes, one will see heaven. Real heaven, not that pie-in-the-sky type of illusion, but Heaven.

The studio track disappointed me at first, I'll admit, because I love Rich's piano accompaniment. After hearing it one way for almost twenty years, it is hard to change. And I know Michael W. Smith himself can easily play the accompaniment - he is one of the few people I have heard in concert who could play Rich's songs as well as Rich. But the arrangement has grown on me, as guitar, bass, and keyboard provide a fitting background for this beautiful song.

You don't take a favorite song of a once twelve-year-old girl and change it without a little bit of resistance, but I am okay with it now. Particularly because Rich's demo is really how I hear the song.

o Hard to Get - by Rich Mullins, lead vocals - Rick Elias

If there is a single song on this album that is most likely to bring tears to my eyes, this is it. The song opens with a pretty little melodic recorder line, then in comes Rick Elias. And the song asks questions that I know (from reading what he wrote and listening to what he said) Rich truly struggled with. Is God always there? If He is big enough to see the entire world, can he really understand how hard it is to be bound by time, relationships, loss, pain...?

The last stanza of the song, though, comes to the realization that Rich shares with us who are still left here, though I don't think he realized it would comfort those whom *he* left behind:

I can't see how you're leading me unless you've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so, you've been here all along, I guess
It's just your way, and you're just plain hard to get

The song is made up of such intricately woven poetry that if you are a questioner, a deep thinker, a doubter... it is worth purchasing this CD just for this song. But if you were a lover of Rich's music, it may make you cry.

o That Where I am, There You - by Rich Mullins, lead vocals by everyone, including Rich

This song provides a joyful climax to an intriguing profile of Jesus Christ. In John chapter 14, Christ tells His disciples that they need not fear, for He is going to prepare a place for them, that where He is, they may also be. The song is sung in first person from Jesus' perspective, sharing that promise.

Here is the truly unique thing about the song... Rick Elias and all who worked with him were actually able to take Rich's demo and integrate it in with the studio tracks. Thus, we have the first verse of the song sung by Rich and accompanied by what I believe is a mandolin (if not a mandolin, a similar stringed instrument - whatever Rich had with him in that little country church). Another voice comes in offering harmony with Rich's melody, then after the first verse enter the additional instruments and drums. One of the Ragamuffins (I believe) starts the next verse, and each vocalist from the album enters at some point, singing harmony or melody or a fun little descant in one case.

This song is truly a joy, and if it makes you cry, they are happy tears rather than sad ones. Rich's voice cries out as one who does indeed want to be with his Lord in those mansions prepared in heaven, and for folks like me who held Rich and his music dear, the song helps provide both closure and hope.

The Final Word

After reading this review, you can likely guess why I put this one off for so long... how can I do this album justice with a simple little review? I do hope that you are able to grasp a bit of the spirit of The Jesus Record, and perhaps understand what a gift it is to each of us.

In closing, I'd like to share a few words penned by Rich Mullins. In high school, I had the assignment to do a photographic essay of a song or poem, so I quickly decided to do it on Rich's song "Elijah." At the end one of his concerts (these were his early days, so we were among a small crowd of listeners), I approached Rich and asked if he would pen a few words about "Elijah" for me to use as a forward to the photo essay (in essence, a book illustrating the song). Here is a portion of what he so kindly wrote:

There are those gaps in our lives that are created by the lack of heroes: people with integrity and courage, and people who inspire those qualities in us. I have been blessed enough to have met a few...

So have I Rich, so have I. Thank you.




______________________

the lyrics quoted above from The Jesus Record are all copyright 1998 Liturgy Legacy Music, except for "Man of no Reputation," which is copyright 1994, Careers-BMG Music

(By the way, I had to choose from a menu for "great music to play while:" - I'd say praying or meditating on Christ, but that wasn't an optional response.)


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying