Reed Arvin, in a written introduction states perfectly that, "This recording is not about Rich Mullins: it's about his songs. I like that. I don't want to worship Rich or idolize him or pretend he didn't have defects. I just want to hear his music because I love it so much and because that's all there is now...."
And that is how this project should be listened to. Unfortunately, in an attempt to keep from being compared to Mullins, it appears that some of the musicians went too much out of their way to put their own thing or style into it and somehow missed the emotion that people associate with Rich's lyrics.
This star studded record begins with the most ear catching version of "Awesome God" I may have ever heard, but it goes downhill quickly. The version that seems to capture the feeling of the lyrics best is Carolyn Arends's singing of "Jacob and Two Women." In it, she does an extraordinary job of capturing the innocence of the song. Amy Grant and Chris Rice both do remarkable jobs of seizing the emotion with their versions of the songs "Hold Me Jesus" and "Calling Out Your Name," respectively.
Ironically, the two songs which completely fall short of capturing my emotion are by two of my favorite artists on the project, Kevin Max and Ashley Cleveland. Each of these songs, "Save Me," and "I See You," also have a member of The Ragamuffin Band (Mullins's band) playing or singing along.
The final song, "Step By Step," wasn't written by Rich Mullins. Instead, it is a chorus written by his friend Beaker and recorded by Mullins. Mullins later wrote verses to go along with the chorus, but they were not included on this project.
So, in short, if you are looking for something that sounds like Rich Mullins, do not buy this. You'll cry for hours about how some of the songs have been re-done. On the other hand, if you are looking for songs with his lyric quality and a tad different feel, this could be a project for you.
3.5 tocks
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 1998Reviewed by James StewartMuch has been written of Rich Mullins since the tragic day last year which took him from this earth. His lasting legacy seems to have been twofold, with his impact on those around him being as important as his musical output. That musical output is what is being recognized in this release as some of his most prominent fans have been pulled together to play a selection of Mullins's best loved…
