Although I was not exposed to Rich Mullins' amazing work at an early age
like our reviewer, I still thank God often that the man left such a legacy.
Twelve years after this album released, it has lost none of its power and
has been on my playlist more and more often. From the hammer dulcimer of
"Creed" to the rockin' epilogue that is "Land of My Sojourn," this disc is a
definite keeper.

GOT COMMENTS?? - We want your input on cMusicWeb.com! Send it to
webmaster@... or find me on AOL IM.

UNSUBSCRIBE?? - Logon to http://groups.yahoo.com to do so, or drop us an
e-mail telling us why you're annoyed by hearing from us.


A LITURGY, A LEGACY AND A RAGAMUFFIN BAND (1993)
by Hollie Stewart

When I was 13, I had no idea I would become a poet. 13-year-olds don't
generally understand the formulaic principles of Shakespearian sonnets,
French vignettes, and the free-form style, which has its own understood
form. All I knew was that I absolutely loved the way Rich Mullins phrased
his songs.

I also did not have a good grasp on the principles of music. I did not
understand the hip music culture created for teenage girls in the early 90s.
All I knew was that I loved to sing, and the music on A Liturgy, A Legacy, &
A Ragamuffin Band inspired me to sing—unlike any of the Top 40 hits.

Looking back today, I see that I understood this album more than I imagined.
Children often grasp the importance of liturgy and legacy before busy,
self-absorbed adults. They're the ones who dream of pink castles, horses
with wings, and the opportunity to leave a stamp of greatness on the world.
In coming like a child, Rich Mullins weaved a project that can only be
compared to C.S. Lewis' Narnia series. This album is one of danger and
drama, of rising waves and crashing moons. "52:10" sounds the alarm ("The
Lord has bared His holy arm"), and the piano, drums, and violins reflect a
Celtic warrior cry. The grandeur of the ballad could almost be gaudy in
presentation, but it keeps away from this stereotype by Mullins' rough
vocals, reminiscent of freshly plowed farmland. As the song blends into "The
Color Green," we exchange the grandeur of the heavens for the majesty of
God's handiwork in the earth. When reflecting on some of my personal
inspirations, "The Color Green" remains in the top ten. This is poetry at
its finest: "And the moon is a sliver of silver / Like a shaving that fell
on the floor of a Carpenter's shop / ...And the streams are all swollen with
winter / Winter unfrozen, and free to run away now." The music rises once
more to Celtic splendor, weaving the images like delicate spider webs dotted
with morning dew. The chorus offers a jolly rendition of wooden recorders,
and one can almost picture field hands dancing an ancient Irish jig.

Rich Mullins captured an entire cosmos of beauty and managed to shrink it
onto one CD. This is the project that brought "Hold Me Jesus," a simple
prayer for peace: "Hold me Jesus / 'Cause I'm shaking like a leaf / You have
been King of my glory / Won't You be my Prince of peace." This is the
project that holds a modern rendition of the Credo from ancient church
tradition. And by mirroring the Agnus Dei, Mullins creates the tune "Peace,"
a meditation on the sacraments.

And yet with all this heavenly glory, Mullins returned to what he knew best:
the land itself. He addressed the difficulty in following Christ ("Hard").
He dwelled on the haunting power of memories, and how we can keep someone
else within them ("I'll Carry On"). He also concluded the album with his
now-poignant song "Land of My Sojourn." Here the topic is as old as the
apostle Paul: wanting to rise to heaven, yet wanting to keep you fingers in
the dirt just a bit longer. Mullins sings, "Nobody tells you when you get
born here / How much you'll come to love it / And how you'll never belong
here / So I'll call you my country / But I'll be lonely for my home / And I
wish that I could take you there with me." Mullins' desire was alleviated;
he left this land of sojourn for the bright city on a hill.

These aren't typical worship songs, but paeans of praise. This album
provides opportunity for personal reflection while mirroring Rich Mullins'
personal thoughts on God and life. I'll never forget one afternoon coming
home from a car ride, my mom wanting to turn off the engine, and me begging
to keep the tape player rolling. "52:10" had just started, and I knew "The
Color Green" came next, and I just had to listen to those two songs before
entering the house. She sufficed my wish, and I closed my eyes and
experienced my first encounter with music, and one of my earlier encounters
with God. I am forever grateful that Rich Mullins recorded A Liturgy, A
Legacy, & A Ragamuffin Band.

Read more about Rich Mullins at cMusicWeb.com:
http://cMusicWeb.com/folk/richmullins


MORE NEW STUFF ON cMUSICWEB.COM

Review: Jordan's Sister - Kendall Payne
http://cMusicWeb.com/pop/kendallpayne/jordanssister.shtml


AVAILABLE TUESDAY, MARCH 1 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

PURCHASE THIS MUSIC AND MORE AT GRASSROOTSMUSIC.COM:
http://www.grassrootsmusic.com/?associateid=249

THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION EXPANDED EDITION - TREE63
2004's The Answer To The Question was not up to par with their earlier
releases, but the changing of band members can do that to a band. However,
the band has found another single to service to radio, so the label decided
to re-release the album. For added value, the band included two acoustic
versions of songs already on the disc. This is a must-have for those who
love the album, while the rest of us may have to wait for the old Tree63
brilliance to resurface.

FAREWELL OLD FRIENDS - BLEACH
Last year found the last show ever from Bleach. Amazingly, they're
resurfacing again in a couple weeks to benefit their friend, Aaron Marrs.
And today marks their last album, Farewell Old Friends. Fans get ten new
songs that will very rarely, if ever, be performed live.

!HERO THE ROCK OPERA LIVE ON STAGE DVD - VARIOUS ARTISTS
For a number of months fans have been able to get this on the web only. But
today finds !Hero, the rock opera starring Michael Tait and Rebecca St.
James, available for your in-home enjoyment. The whole production as well as
behind-the-scenes information is available on this two-disc set.

LET IT GO - PAUL COLMAN
After many years as the Paul Colman Trio, the leader is taking it solo. The
lead single, "Gloria" is on Christian radios and in his native Australia.
Expect a more worshipful, acoustic sound from the solo man from down under.

THE REVOLUTION WILL BEGIN IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE VOL. 2 - VARIOUS ARTISTS
Small label Mono Vs. Stereo releases their second label compilation which
includes songs from their artists as well as rarities. Find Andy Zipf
collaborating with John Davis (formerly of Superdrag) and a new song from
Matt Thiessen and the Earthquakes as well as songs from The Evan Anthem,
Forever Changed, and more.

STRONG TOWER - KUTLESS
The idea of rock artists doing a worship disc is such old news. Yet, Kutless
decides to go for it anyways. Most of the music are older Vineyard worship
tunes, but a couple new songs by Chris Tomlin, MercyMe, and others are
covered. All are done in Kutless' rock style for a refreshing sound.

TVU PRESENTS FLICKER ROCKS HARDER: THE VIDEOS DVD - VARIOUS ARTISTS
TVU Music Television has been around for about four years and through the
kindness of Flicker Records they now have their own DVD. Besides featuring
music videos of all the Flicker artists, from Kids In The Way to Everyday
Sunday to Pillar, the videos are hosted by TVU's Cole and Obadiah in an
off-the-wall fashion that the kids always enjoy.

WORSHIP PROJECT P40.3 - HIEBERT, LUBBEN, MORANT, PACKIAM
Artists Jason Morant, Dave Lubben, Glenn Packiam (Desperation Band), and
Lamont Hiebert (Ten Shekel Shirt) join forces to record worship songs in new
and refreshing ways. Songs by Katheryn Scott, delirious?, the Newsboys, and
U2's "40" join songs by the artists themselves for a new look at worship.


AVAILABLE SATURDAY, MARCH 5 (at cMusicWeb.com or your local music store)

DUKE AND THE GREAT PIE WAR DVD - VEGGIETALES
While it's not the funniest VeggieTales I've seen, here's another
heartwarming episode featuring Bob and Larry. The show starts with Laura
Carrot playing Moses' older sister Miriam and keeping her baby brother from
the Egyptians. Larry tries to sing the blues about his ice-cream but isn't
cut out for the job. And finally, we get the medieval story of the war
between the kingdoms of Rhubarb and Scone and the kind-hearted romance that
brings them together. I guess this'll work as our PICK OF THE WEEK.


Thanks for reading this week's cMusicMail, and we'll be back next week with
even more great content. If you have any comments or questions, please reply
to this e-mail or send them to webmaster@.... We'd love to hear
from you!

Dan Ficker
http://cMusicWeb.com/
a different approach to music
AOL IM - dMusicWeb