Customer Reviews

First Love: A HIstoric Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

At first this appears to be a documentary of the Jesus Movement of the `60s and `70s. It's actually a late `90s reunion of 16 bands and artists interspersed with interview and commentary. This set contains 2 DVDs and 2 CDs. The producers have cleverly made the interviews segue in and out between the songs, so that the 2 CDs, which contain all the song performances, are crystal clear and beautifully produced. That means that while you get all 31 songs on the two CDs, you can also watch the performances with interviews on the DVDs. An included 25 page booklet gives bios on the artists.

Steve Camp and John Fischer offer especially incisive and trenchant observations. Along with reprises of some of the movement's most memorable songs, there are some killer newer ones, most notably Honeytree's "Pioneer" from 1990, which longs for airplay. Darrell Mansfield, formerly of Blues Image, is not the first artist to cast Lieber and Stoller's "Stand By Me" as a gospel song (Johnny Rivers did so on his album "Not a Through Street" for example), but he is equally at home with its blues riffs. Andrae Crouch emerges as a precursor of today's praise movement. Larry Norman never appears, but Randy Stonehill shows a picture of him and they quote one of his songs. This set dates from before the reconciliation of LN and RS, as reported by John W. Thompson in the May/ June 2003 issue of Christian Musician magazine, and now Larry is rereleasing Randy's CDs.

Hopefully this set will lead to the CD reissue of great albums like Randy Matthews' "Son of Dust," Barry McGuire's "Lighten Up," "Love Song" and Darrell Mansfield's "Higher Power." I'd love to hear these artists' rockier cuts, but for now, here's "First Love."

The CDs and DVDs both include these songs:

Love Song: "Welcome Back," "Two Hands."
Barry McGuire: "Happy Road," "Seeds of Love."
Jamie Owens Collins: "The Victor," "Seasons of the Soul."
2nd Chapter of Acts: "Easter Song," "Which Way the Wind Blows"
Terry Clark: "Let's Have a Good Time," "Jesus Mighty Fortress."
Chuck Girard (of Love Song): "Sometimes Alleluia."
Annie Herring (of 2nd Chapter): "My Redeemer."
Keith Green (tribute on the DVD): "There is a Redeemer,"
"O Lord You're Beautiful," "Born Again."
Randy Stonehill: "King of Hearts," "Abandon Your Heart."
Darrell Mansfield: "Million Dollar Feeling," "Stand By Me."
John Fischer: "All Day Song," "Jesus Loves Even Me."
Randy Matthews: "Didn't He," "Ti Chape."
Matthew Ward (from 2nd Chapter): "To the King."
Paul Clark: "Abide," "Where Did I Fall Down?"
Honeytree: "Clean Before My Lord," "Pioneer."
Andrae Crouch: "I Don't Know Why (Jesus Loved Me),"
"I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes," "Bless His Holy Name."

I wasn't raised on "Christian" music, and before watching First Love I had no knowledge of how the movement got started. My only exposure to Christian music has occurred in the last seven years. Frankly, it's been a disappointing experience. This whole "CCM" Hollywood mentality reaches deep into Christian music. And I wondered why I found it all so distasteful--until I watched First Love.

Wow.

I wasn't there when these pioneers hit the road in their beat up buses, just to play a few songs on their old guitars to crowds of starving, young Jesus freaks. But something in my heart tells me I must have been there in spirit, because I felt completely overwhelmed watching this video. I was so excited to see the old video footage and images. It was like going home. I was moved to tears when Honeytree sang "Pioneer" - as was everyone else in the room with her. "Pioneer" is the essence of everything they lived and breathed in those days.

These artists were truly pioneers. I see that this is what Christian music should be like today. And I'm going to stop feeling bad about disliking today's "CCM" mentality, because it really is utter degradation of what used to be the REAL reason why people sang their hearts out for Jesus.

In the decades of the 1960s and '70s an iconoclastic counterculture emerged among the young. It was marked in their philosophies and in their music by a rejection of traditional values, especially those expressed as part of the Christian community. Eventually there came a kind of backlash as young men and woman began to experience a spiritual void in their "tune in, turn on, drop out" lifestyles. Many of them began to return to traditional Christian values and expressed their conversions in music. This return to basic Christian values and personal relationships with Jesus Christ was popularly referred to as the "Jesus Movement" and was evidenced by the emergence of a number of Christian bands, composers, and performers. For three historic days in a Southern California, Christian musicians gathered together to play their own special music. The two-disc DVD, "First Love: A Historic Gathering Of Jesus Music Pioneers is a record and a recording of that seminal celebration. "First Love" showcases 3 hours and 31 minutes of memorable and inspiring live performances, and in doing so reveals a rare look a the heart and motives of each artist as they each describe their personal transformations. "First Love" showcases engaging and entertaining performances by Randy Matthews; Barry McGuire; Annie Herring; Chuck Girard; Matthew Ward; John Fischer; Andrae Crouch; Jamie Owens Collins; 2nd Chapter of Acts; Terry Clark; Keith Green tribute with Melody Green; Randy Stonehill; Love Song; Paul Clark; Darrell Mansfield; and Honeytree. In addition to the two DVD discs, a double audio CD containing over 31 audio recordings of the performances is also included. "First Love" is enthusiastically recommended viewing and listening for all Christians, regardless of their denominational affiliations, backgrounds, or ages. It should also be noted that sample clips of some performances are freely available on the ExplorationFilms.com website.

The Jesus Movement, interesting name coined for that era. Calls to mind that line in the new Narnia movie, "Aslan is on the move." For those who, like myself, were teenagers who found faith in Him to be a very real and living thing in that time, it was a fitting term for what was happening. The door opened into another world where Jesus wasn't some distant figure, a "great teacher" saying quaint things. He was as real to you as the shaggy haired guy in jeans with a guitar sitting across from you singing catchy new songs about Him. I lived in Woodbridge, Virginia in those days and we had our own "Jesus Music" version of Woodstock annually in the hills of western Virginia then. It was called "Fishnet." Among the performers we heard there are some who appear on this video. But this was Woodstock without the recreational drug use and promiscuity. My teen years were good ones, without the confusion and rebellion for rebellions sake that teenagers are supposedly obliged to fall into. Hearing and seeing all these guys again, all together in one place (an unidentified mountain retreat somewhere in southern California) brought it all back. Just a couple of disappointments that prompt me to give it 4 stars rather than 5: The interview with Randy Stonehill in which he speaks of being lead to the Lord by Larry Norman in Larry's kitchen without once speaking Larry's name. I knew it was Larry Norman because I had heard this elsewhere. The previous reviewer points out how there was a rift between the two of them from which they recovered in recent days. That's good. It does put a cloud over the event for me because Larry Norman was a very significant "pioneer"of this new music who I have as much affection for as I do Randy Stonehill and should be a participant in this event (they both wrote moving, powerful songs). Also, it isn't in the spirit of love that Jesus taught and which is the essence of who and what God is. On the other hand, it brings out that these performers are human and as much in need of mercy and prayer as the rest of us. Additionally, there is a portion with Honeytree singing "Clean Before My Lord" where something appears in the lower right corner of the screen obscuring her guitar fretboard - an issue for me because I brought out my guitar to figure out what she was playing. As it turns out, there was someone else picking out the guitar part for her while she sang (there are brief clips of him playing) and I pretty much figured most of it out anyway.
I heard an interview once with George Harrison of the Beatles speaking of his disappointment with what he saw in San Francisco when he went there at the height of the whole hippie trend in the 60s. He told how he had romantic notions and had anticipated seeing something beautiful there but what he saw was the equivalent to the bowery, just wasted derelicts (or runaways) passing out on the streets. Hippies need not spit on their past though. I think the truth is often in the middle. Neil Young sings of how "there's a mansion on the hill, peace and love live there still." There isn't anything wrong with peace and love. Its just that many end up looking for it in all the wrong places (which made a good country song once). The 60s opened people up to question things and look for something real in the midst of all the empty materialism. A lot of them ended up becoming yuppies later. Some people actually found what they were looking for (a God who isn't living and relevant isn't worth the bother). Some of us found it and then let winter return to our hearts and became cold to God again. Seeing all these old gospel singers after watching C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia on the big screen kind of thawed me out a little bit. I've got some more thawing out to do though.

First Love is an anthology of the early Jesus People movement of the 70s. Several of the pioneers relax and sing their songs together in the comfort of the Forest Falls retreat in the San Bernardino mountains. Their testimonies will move you to tears just as it did them so many decades later. Especially moving are those of Terry Clark, Annie Herring, Matthew Ward, Andráe Crouch and Darrell Mansfield. Testimonies that include severe psychosis, drugs, cancer, suicide, despondency, and hopelessness. All these are healed in an instant with the single bowing of the knees and surrender of the heart. There is a time in all of our lives when we need to "return to Bethel" just to remember where we came from in these 30-40 years. I refuse to "look back", but rather keep my eyes on the prize before me. But while I run the race, it's great to recall the journey and thank the Lord for all He has done these many decades. "First Love" is a great title. It not only helps us remember why we come to faith in the first place, and may also be an encouragement for recommitment for those who have left and wish to return. To this we would sing Love Song's first tune on the DVD--"Welcome Back".

I have watched these dvd's about sixty times!!
This DVD is about the famous ministeral Jesus Freaks of the sixties, that took only their guitars and bibles on the road.
It's about the love of Jesus that was in them and how they they brought it to their audience.
They replay their sixties hits and they have some newer ones too, all with sixties themes.

If you were a sixties child, you will love them too.
They are incredible.
Their witnessing was a big influence on my dithering faith, as I heard about the man who came to save.
I bought some for older friends who all love them.

The most famous musician among them, is Barry Mcguire.His hit, Green Green, I remember from the early sixties as a youngster in South Africa.
The other muscians all shine too.Big Time!

You'll get some real rocking as well as folk, blues and ballads. The more you watch and listen, the more you'll like it.

BUY IT TODAY FOR A FRIEND!!!

I always begin writing a review by reading the one-star reviews. I am sorry the person didn't actually see the documentary. Larry Norman is sitting with Jesus right now and would most likely be happy with what the message is.

I would like to remark on several aspects of this film: Production, the musicians, the message(s).

First, I'm happy the quality is there. The film is in touch with the times.

Second, The musicians are all in wonderful voice, and just as in love with Christ as ever. They, and their music, all seem to have been enriched by the years walking with Jesus.

This documentary reminded me of my first love. It reminded me that they were all on uncharted waters. What they did, they did for the glory of the Lord they love. I remember those free concerts and how Keith Green WANTED his music copied and sent to anyone who wanted it for free.

This was not a genre that was "made". I think that is the part our fellow with the one star may not remember. These all were just seeking God and desiring to see hungry hearts come to know the God who loves them so.

I saw Larry Norman in concert with Randy Stonehill and others. It was also powerful, profound. We must remember who actually thought of this in the first place. I strongly believe Larry would heartily agree, it was God's idea. These are all just vessles.

May Christian music return to the pureness of this time. Or move ahead to a new pureness that reflects the innocence of people just wanting to see God's love shed abroad.

I found myself clapping in my living room, to the music. No one is home. It made me smile, cry, clap and be grateful. It challenged me to ever return to my First Love: Jesus.

This DVD is a must own for anyone who has been transported into the Heavenly Throne Room of God on the wings of contemporary worship. All the pioneers are here, including The Voice, Matthew Ward. I cried through much of it due to the powerful presence of Lord. He still inhabits the praise of his people!

I listened to all of these artists as a young christian, and through the years. They are great examples and leaders in the Jesus Music period.
The only person who I think they should include on this recording would be Phil Keaggy. Not sure if they asked & he refused, but he certainly was as influential as these folks.
Not to lessen the impact of these artists, but Phil is still recording great music.

To god be the glory!
Every one that has viewed this video has been greatly blessed by Gods presence.
If you do not own it... You are missing out!
If you have a desire to hear and see Gods anointing, you will see it and feel it through the testimony and music of these precious Pioneers of Jesus Music.