One of contemporary Christian music's most beloved songwriters and performers, Rich Mullins left behind an important body of work. His untimely death in late 1997 shocked fans and brought peers to their knees, knowing that... more » while Mullins now resides in a better place, his presence would be profoundly and deeply missed. Awesome God is infused with the emotion and heartbreak felt by his contemporaries as they strive to honor him on this special tribute. Carolyn Arends's direct delivery of "Jacob and Two Women" is wrenching, while Kevin Max turns "Save Me" into an intriguing ambient postrock anthem. Michael W. Smith gives a powerful and uncharacteristically gritty take on Mullins's signature "Awesome God" and Billy Sprague's chunky, distorted loops on "A Place to Stand" recall the production of Daniel Lanois. Younger bands Jars of Clay and Caedman's Call hold forth with acoustic versions of "If I Stand" and "Step by Step," the latter being the closing tribute to a dear friend and mentor. --Paige La Grone« less
One of contemporary Christian music's most beloved songwriters and performers, Rich Mullins left behind an important body of work. His untimely death in late 1997 shocked fans and brought peers to their knees, knowing that while Mullins now resides in a better place, his presence would be profoundly and deeply missed. Awesome God is infused with the emotion and heartbreak felt by his contemporaries as they strive to honor him on this special tribute. Carolyn Arends's direct delivery of "Jacob and Two Women" is wrenching, while Kevin Max turns "Save Me" into an intriguing ambient postrock anthem. Michael W. Smith gives a powerful and uncharacteristically gritty take on Mullins's signature "Awesome God" and Billy Sprague's chunky, distorted loops on "A Place to Stand" recall the production of Daniel Lanois. Younger bands Jars of Clay and Caedman's Call hold forth with acoustic versions of "If I Stand" and "Step by Step," the latter being the closing tribute to a dear friend and mentor. --Paige La Grone
Tahja B. from DE PERE, WI Reviewed on 11/6/2006...
beautiful christian cd
CD Reviews
Uneven Tribute
Mark Baker | Santa Clarita, CA United States | 02/21/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This CD came as a result of the death of one of Christian music's best artists, Rich Mullins. His friends put this together as a tribute. Each artist picked a song that had ministered to them, then covered it, incorporating their own personal touches along the way.Some of the covers are wonderful. The piano arrangement that starts the CD is a wonderful intro to "Awesome God." Carolyn Arrends does a great job on "Jacob and 2 Women," and Chris Rice is the perfect fit for "Calling Out Your Name." Even Jars of Clay and Caedmon's Call, two bands I'm not a fan of, do a good job on their songs. However, Kevin Max and Ashley Cleveland changed their songs two much. Rich Mullins was not a rock singer, and trying to make his songs sound rock ruins them.Rich Mullins' fans will enjoy seeing how some of the top CCM artists envisioned these songs. Even with the couple missteps mentioned above, it's the next best thing to having a new album from Rich himself."
Truly an Awesome, Spirit Moving album
08/29/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This was my 'official' introduction to Rich Mullins. Though I had been in love with the tune 'Awesome God' since discovering the chorus in a songbook and singing it in worship with youth at a Christian work camp several summers ago. 'Hold Me Jesus' really spoke to my heart as well. The entire collection is an incredible tribute to an awesome artist who never let the spotlight be shone on him alone, but gave the credit to GOD. Listening to this CD gets my heart and mind in the right place to do his work and will when I need to. "Awesome God" is a worthy addition to anyone's music library, it is simply beautiful music."
Great songs weakly performed
Greg Brady | Capital City | 01/13/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"For a tribute album to be good art on its own, it should consist of artists pretending other songs are their own...living and breathing the lyric through their own sensibilities. It should NOT be a carbon-copy of the original artist down to the arrangement, way it's sung, style, etc...otherwise, why not just listen to the original? (Perhaps Reed Arvin, longtime producer for Rich, and producer of this comp says it best: "This recording is not about Rich Mullins; it's about his songs.") Unfortunately, it appears that was lost in the making of this CD.
Michael W. Smith began promisingly, by stripping back "Awesome God" to its piano base and keeping it spare. But he missteps by swelling it to the anthemic "big choir" sound that Mullins has already used. The song would be better served by keeping it "small" musically, and letting the lyrics be the "big" part of the song...
These types of things occur again and again throughout the CD...fairly unimaginative arrangements hewing way too close to Rich's to be interesting. In large part, most of this fails because of the artist's fear or inability to reinterpret Rich's material.
Most successful is Kevin Max, who takes a song I considered one of Mullins' weaker efforts ("Save Me" from his major label debut...) and COMPLETELY reinvents it sonically as a multilayered Bono-esque diatribe against superficiality. It gave me new appreciation for the song.
Gary Chapman recrafts "Elijah" as a country tune and invests passion into his vocals. (And for the reviewer who mentioned the 'rambling' story by Chapman in the liners...it's him saying in a nutshell that the opinions of God, not other frail human beings, are what counts...and that Rich lived his life in a way that showed Gary he understood that...I found his words touching.)
Other nice touches are Carolyn Arends' phrasing on one of Rich's best songs "Jacob and 2 Women"...lending extra weight to the portions told from the women's point of view...I love how this song pastes together the majesty and the mystery in God's Word. Also good are Billy Sprague's arrangement on "A Place to Stand" providing a view of a man beaten down and choosing to hope in spite of it and Ashley Cleveland's "I See You" depicting Moses as resigned to a tough calling leading the Jews to the promised land. But these moments are too few to call this a quality tribute. Sorry, Rich...maybe someone else will do this better."
Although it's not Rich singing, it's worth listening to.
Mark Baker | 11/28/1998
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I had high expectations about this album ever since I heard of it's release. So when I finally purchased the long-awaited CD-I was taken back quite a bit. Awesome God: Tribute to Rich Mullins was not what I expected. Smitty's version of "Awesome God" will send chills up your spine and this version includes a beautiful piano ballad at the beginning. As the album continues, the artists offer a very appropriate and well-done version of the song they picked. Notables include Chris Rice's "Calling Out Your Name" and Kevin Max's "Save Me". Amazingly, 3 songs appear from Rich's very first CD(Billy Sprague &Gary Chapman&Kevin Max). With the exception of Amy Grant's "Hold Me Jesus", each track reminds you who the author of these remarkable songs was!"
Honoring the Message of a Man After God's Heart
Mark Baker | 11/21/1998
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was impressed by the artists who got a chance to put their own spin and their hearts into the songs that have in some way touched their lives. Instead of simply putting different voices to Rich's music, the songs allow listeners to hear the way the artists were moved by them. To feel them the way they felt them. Michael W. Smith's interpretation of Awesome God is nothing short of stunning. Truly worthy of a tribute. Amy Grant and Ashley Cleveland, both owners of incredible voices, do great justice to their covers: "Hold Me Jesus" (Amy), "I See You" (Ashley). My personal favorite is Chris Rice's cover of "Calling Out Your Name". His voice and feeling are reminiscent of Rich's style, and remind us of God's splendor as seen through the eyes of a complex, yet simple man. A moon spilling laughter; a single hawk bursting into flight; a horizon in flames; thunder in the sky. We are again urged to run wild with the hope that this thirst will not last long. That this soon will drown in the song not sung in vain.""