Flash Back to the 80 s for Rich Mullin s Debut - I ve had an interesting relationship with Rich Mullin s music. I didn t care for that much of it when he was alive, yet continue to discover how good it was after his death. Take this disc as a perfect example. I dismissed it after a few listens but decided to give it another shot and discovered just how great it is.Throughout his life, Rich was known for saying what he thought. And that is evident here from the very first disc. A Few Good Men is a challenge to live by your convictions. He continues that with a challenge to live with eternity in mind on Live Right. Probably the most challenging song on here is These Days, which really calls our culture on the carpet for the way we live our lives. The saddest thing is that is still applies 20 years later.Yes, this CD is over 20 years old now. And that s the biggest flaw to the disc. It is full of 80 s pop production, from drum machines to synthesizers and heavy electric guitar.The other flaw, for me, is Save Me. I know many people love the song, but I ve never truly been able to get into it. Frankly, I d call what Rich does here speaking in rhythm instead of singing. And the lyrics make for a good modern poem, but they don t work for me as a song.On the flip side, Elijah is absolutely outstanding. This track leaves most of the 80 s pop sound behind. It s got a piano and string backing that is beautiful. And the lyrics are pure Rich as he sings of his desire to be in Heaven. It s a true classic and wonderful song.While this CD didn t come close to the classic status of many of his later recordings, it still provides some great songs. So don t let the dated sound scare you away. Get it today.
Rich Mullins the early years - I have been researching Rich Mullins for about 3 years. I am new to contemporary Christian music. This premier CD is definitely a youthful sound, periodic, when you note the date of release, yet still loaded with trade mark Rich Mullins sounds. It is interesting to listen to this youthful Rich and then compare the same song as done on a mature Rich offering. I did not know Rich then, but he has influenced my life tremendously through his writings and music.
Unmistakably Rich Mullins, despite 80 s production values. - This was the first CCM album I bought site unseen. And I am so glad that I did! I used to play the original cassette over and over again on a weekend afternoon. Rich s writing was unlike anything else I had heard from other Christian artists. Songs like Save Me and Both Feet on the Ground featured a brutal yet refreshing honesty that would come to define Rich Mullins as the modern poet and iconoclast the church so desperately needed. A showcase for the over-produced, mid-80s CCM sound (READ: Always behind mainstream pop music by at least 2 years.), the disc does show its age. Still, this recording is a worthy addition to any music library for its inclusion of the original recording of Elijah, arguably his greatest composition. If your only exposure to this song is from Rich s live concert performances or the more pop sounding, radio-friendly version found on Songs, you really need to hear the original recording. The beautiful orchestration makes for a striking backdrop to the definitive Rich Mullins lyric. If this album had been released on CD back in 86, I would have burned a hole in the disc on that cut alone!Don t let other less-than-enthusiastic reviews keep you from this debut recording from one of CCMs most amazing artists. No Rich Mullins fan should be without this album. Highly recommended!
Thank heaven the 80s didn t last forever - There is one thing about this CD that nobody can dispute: it is absolutely dripping with the sounds of 80s pop music- electric drums, punchy electric guitar and cheesy synthesisers. So naturally if you re not accustomed to that sound, that will be all you hear at first. At its best, the instrumentation is merely outdated, at its worst, it is downright annoying. After my first time through, I couldn t detect hardly any resemblance to the more recent Rich Mullins songs I ve grown to love (except of course for Elijah). The tragedy is, there are some fantastic songs hidden underneath all that 80 s garb. Blame the record company for dousing the melodies in the preppy sound of that era. They should have just let Rich Mullins be Rich Mullins. It took me a few listens, but I am discovering that the songs on this CD contain the same great songwriting that Mullins would become famous for. Granted, most of the subject matter is more conventional CCM material compared to, say, the prairies calling out Your name but there are still plenty of brilliant lines that couldn t have been written by anyone else but Rich. The Ragamuffin Band or Mitch McVicker should really do a remake of this whole album to bring it to life for today s listeners.
Worth it for Rich s best song - I ll be blunt--most of these songs are what we dread when we think of 80s CCM. Save the lyrics, there is not much going for most of these songs. The one exception, and the one song that makes this CD worth having is Elijah. Rich s most heartfelt, soul bearing song was his personal favorite and, in my opinion, his best. Elijah was rereleased on the Songs CD, but it was over-produced and sounds like a studio exec asked him to make it hip or something. In any event get this CD, as it contains Rich s favorite song and his best.