Customer Reviews

Here in America (Bonus Dvd)

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

 

 

This review is painful to write, because I'm disappointed to give any recording of Rich Mullins such a low rating. Rich, for those of you who don't know him, probably deserves more than anyone else the mantle of Contemporary Christian Music poet laureate. At the same time, that award would be antithetical to his life of service to others. An absolutely incredible poet/lyricist who backed up his words with his life, a moving communicator of God's grace, and a broken vessel who God used in spite of his many foibles, Rich was taken from this earth back in the fall of 1997. His published legacy includes eight studio albums, one greatest hits collection, a musical, and an unfinished album that was completed by his band. His greater legacy, though, was his Franciscan spirit as expressed in his heart for people; his communication of God's love for everyone; and his anti-materialistic, almost poverty-level lifestyle spent in service to others (and particularly to a Navajo tribe in New Mexico).

We must be grateful to Reunion Records for putting together this collection of odds and ends, affording us perhaps the last opportunity to hear (and view) additional Rich material. The CD contains a mixture of 1987 concert offerings; unreleased demos; and, at the end, two brief smatterings of concert extras; the DVD contains selections from a March 1997 acoustic concert and March 1993 talks at a conference. On the positive side, you do get a glimpse of the beauty of Rich's lyrics and the wit, love, and wisdom he shared in his talks between songs and concerts.

Several tracks on the CD stand out. Rich's demo of "The Lord's Prayer," while short, is goosebump-inducing and may be worth the price of admission for many fans. "None Are Stronger" is also moving. Rich's talk before "Be With You" is priceless, and "It Don't Do" features a mean hammered dulcimer performance and is totally different from the studio version.

At the same time, there are disappointments. "Prisoner," "A Few Good Men," and "Hatching of a Heart" were all announced as being on this CD several months ago, but none made the final cut. Why does "Teaching Awesome God" suddenly stop before the actual singalong? If Steve Cudworth recorded entire concerts, as reported, why do tracks sometimes start in the middle of a talk (e.g., "None Are Stronger" begins with Rich taking a vote on four singles, and we're never told what the singles are)? Rich having the crowd "make rain" after "The Lord's Prayer" is nice but doesn't come across that well due to the sound quality; couldn't another talk have been substituted? The final talk at the end of the CD is noticeably better in sound quality and seems to come from the mid-to-late 1990s; is there anything else available from that event?

The DVD is of much better quality. It contains several wonderful short talks by Rich and a late-in-life concert. If I can't bring myself to get terribly enthused about the DVD, it's because you can find much better material of the same type on the earlier Pursuit of a Legacy, Homeless Man, and Live -- Lufkin Texas videos. (The first two were on VHS but are out of print; the third one is now available on DVD and possibly still available on VHS.) If you don't have any of those videos, this DVD probably will prove priceless to you and easily will justify the purchase of Here in America.

Ultimately, such a compilation may of necessity be of real benefit for only the fans. If you're not familiar with Rich Mullins or are only a casual fan, go out and buy either The World as Best as I Remember It Volume 1 or A Liturgy, a Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band. Those are Rich's two best albums and give you a better idea of what he's like than this collection. If you're instead like me, you will want this collection no matter what's on it. For completists, this album is recommended -- just be aware that it really doesn't add up to a project in the true sense of the word.

This CD/DVD set is a collection of rare, mostly live, moments from Rich Mullins that any of his fans will be thrilled to have.

The first disc is a CD that collects many fun moments from his concerts. Most of the recordings are from 1987 and include Rich introducing some of his early hits. One of the highlights is listening to Rich teach an audience to sing "Awesome God." The biggest disappointment here is that he doesn't actually sing it. Other highlights include "Verge of a Miracle" and "Be With You." Also included are some demos of songs that were never released as well as the title song.

The second disc is a DVD and is broken into two parts. The first is an hour long concert that Rich gave in March of 1997 that features many of the songs he was famous for. While its lots of fun watching him and the Ragamuffins perform, I really wish they hadn't cut away so much during "Screen Door." Unfortunately, Rich doesn't talk nearly as much as I'd hoped in this section. The second part features comments on various subjects from a series of Q&A times in 1993. There's some interesting stuff here that will make you stop and think. Plus you get to see a few shots of Beaker.

The biggest drawback to this collection is that it doesn't hold up to repeat listening/viewing. You can only hear these stories so many times before you're ready to move on. This will never replace my other CD's, but it does help provide a bigger picture of Rich.

Fans will enjoy this CD for a chance to see the man behind their favorite songs, even if it doesn't get the play his other CD's do. If you're just discovering Rich's music, I suggest you start with SONGS. Once you've discovered his music, you'll get so much more out of this set.

A good, good friend of mine sent me a copy of this wonderful CD/DVD collection. So before I give Here in America the most honest review I can muster, I must admit that: 1. My copy is a highly prized gift & 2. Rich Mullins is a hero of mine (see Rich's own definition of a hero on the DVD). That said, I honestly don't like much of the music on the CD (there are some blazing exceptions though)--but I LOVE the DVD!

The songs worth hearing on the CD are few, but deep in quality. The live versions of Hello Old Friends, What Trouble Are Giants? and None Are Stronger are all excellent. What Trouble Are Giants? has actually become my son's favorite song.

Yet that's not why we're here--is it? One gets the sense that the music was just a pretext for getting the DVD a wider audience. I'm glad they marketed it that way; I doubt I would have seen the DVD otherwise.

The DVD is top notch. We get an excellent live studio performance by Rich and the Ragamuffins. Added to that (and this is the real show-stopper for me) is the film of Rich and Beaker lecturing at the same place a few years earlier. Who knew Rich was such an awesome and insightful teacher?

I love his idea of the Bible being a book of stories about a bunch of weirdos and God being the biggest weirdo of them all--as Brennan Manning would say--"The Wild Man." This is teaching from a man who knew first-hand the reckless raging fury that they call the Love of God. Amen.

I'll stop babbling. It is time for you to get your own copy. You won't be disappointed.

I give Here in America a hearfelt recommendation.

I find it hard to believe that I had only discovered the music of Rich Mullins just one week prior to his untimely death in an auto accident. Even harder to believe is the fact that is was nearly six years ago. I was completely overjoyed when I heard that some unheard demos, live recordings and unseen video footage were recently discovered and going be released. Therefore, we now have have "Here In America", a truly remarkable package that shows just what a true man of God Rich Mullins really was.
The studio demos consist only of Mullins singing and playing piano. It is tremendous to hear him in this context. His composition "O Come All Ye Faithful" (not the Christmas carol) is a standout of beauty and praise.
The live tracks were recorded in 1987. Here, we can hear Rich explaining the origins and stories behind the songs that he performs. A stunning highlight is a recording of him teaching audience members a freshly written "Awesome God", a song that has now become a praise and worship staple.
The video footage is extraordinary and includes an hour long performance by Rich and The Raggamuffin Band filmed just months before Rich's death. There is also footage of him from 1993 telling various stories and biblical principles.
"Here In America" is truly a must for any Rich Mullins fan. This man's music is legendary and timeless. I'm sure that a song like "Awesome God" will continue to be sung 100 years from now. This collection is worth every penny and definitely proves that the legacy and ministry of Rich Mullins will live on for generations.

About the title of this review . . . it may seem a bit strange for me to reccomend that you not buy a CD or DVD of one of Christian music's top (if not the top) singer and songwriters for the music. However, the Here in America set is not really about the music, though there is plenty of music to enjoy. Indeed, there are a great number of Rich's greatest songs on the CD and (especially) the DVD for your listening pleasure, even a few rarities like Rich's demo on the CD for the song Debby Boone would eventually record, "O Come All Ye Faithful" (no, not the Christmas hymn). The DVD also features great renditions of Rich's top songs performed live with the Ragamuffin Band, refreshingly escaping the over-production most of them recieved on their recorded versions.

The highlights come not in the wonderful songs, though. Let's face it, all of the "live" songs on the CD itself were recorded on cassette tape and are of no better sound quality (actually sometimes worse) than the tape demos on the Jesus Record, though the handful of song demos on this CD are of good quality. No, the highlights come in-between the songs on the CD and DVD, when Rich Mullins shows us his heart and his uncanny, if simple, wisdom. From his sometimes quirky, sometimes heart-rending, and always thought-provoking anecdotes to his blunt, straight-to-the-punch one-liners and mini-sermons, this set shows us just what kind of prophet God sent us in the unlikely form of an unglamorized 80s-90s Christian pop icon. Of course, Rich was much different than the others in his genre. He made no secret of his many faults. He prefered to live on a very meager budget and help those in need than to make the possible millions he could have made off of his every hit record and over twenty chart-topping singles. He was not afraid, either, as this rare audio and video footage clearly shows, to express his opinion of any issue, sensitive or not, which he felt strongly about concerning God or the Church.

Rich Mullins was a great songwriter, and a person of unlikely wisdom and courage in a day and age where the truth of God is being constantly watered down by a much astray Church. Rich has inspired a legacy, though, and the spiritual seeds God planted through him now have made their way into the churches and into even the Christian music mainstream. If you want to see and hear a bit from the heart of Rich Mullins, I encourage you to get this CD and DVD set. You will be enlightened, inspired, maybe a little ruffled, but you will certainly not be disappointed.

"Here In America" is a collection that no fan of Rich Mullins, arguably the greatest Contemporary Christian songwriter of all time, should do without. Both discs of this 2-disc set offer a glimpse at the heart of this remarkable, humble person who has touched millions of hearts with his poetic songs and his humble and charitable way of life. The first disc is an audio CD featuring a collection of live performances and rare, never-heard-before demos. Although the sound quality in some of these tracks is lacking, there is a rawness about them which seem to suit the songs well. Many of the live performances on the CD also include Rich sharing his testimony with the audience, revealing not only Rich's insight and wisdom, but also his humility and delightful sense of humor. The highlight of this disc is probably the second track, where Rich teaches an audience the words to "Awesome God," apparently recorded shortly after he originally wrote the song. You can hear the sheer excitement in his voice about the song, as if he has the feeling this song is going to be something big. Indeed his premonition was right, as it has gone on to become a favorite among worship circles around the world. The second disc is a DVD which features "12 Short Stories", a collection of excerpts from one of Rich's seminars where he shares his insights on topics such as sex, failures, sensationalism, and God's sovereignty. The DVD also features "Live from Studio B", an intimate 14-song live performance given by Rich and his Ragamuffin Band to a small audience just months before the tragic car accident which claimed Rich's life. This performance contains most of Rich's greatest hits along with Rich sharing a few stories about the songs. One of my favorite parts of this performance is the song "Screen Door", where Rich and his bandmates provide the percussion using plastic cups on a table (This can also be heard on the audio CD). I remember learning and playing this same "cup game" with some friends of mine in college, and it was cool watching them use it in this performance. The audience clearly enjoyed it. Overall, this 2-disc set is truly something special that every fan of Rich Mullins should have in their collection.

Reunion Records gets very high marks from me with "Here in America." The new songs are great, but what makes this collection priceless are the DVD sections where Rich speaks to the audience, or rather to their hearts. I can't stop watching the DVD, and my CD goes EVERYWHERE I do.

If I was stranded on a desert island (albeit, one with electricity, a TV and a DVD player) and could only choose 10 items, this would be one of them. I disagree with the reviewer who thinks this doesn't stand up to repeated viewing/listening. Both the CD and DVD in this set have been played often at my house. My only wish is that someone would unearth some other videos of Rich Mullins concerts to share with the world.

Rich Mullins was an amazing man who had a powerful message that we do good to hear. Unfortunately, these tracks on this CD don't always hit the best of him. They are taken from mostly early performances that he was involved in and the sound quality is not the greatest. There are a couple songs that I had not heard before from him that were neat to hear. O Come All Ye Faithful was incredible, though it reminded me of early Billy Joel songs from the late 70s. The Lord's Prayer is great. What was greater was hearing Rich's thoughts and introductions to songs.
The CD was somewhat underwhelming probably because I have lifted Rich Mullins up in my mind so high that nothing could compare... But the DVD that is included is absolutely incredible. It is great to hear and see him with a number of his last songs (from Liturgy... on) and playing with the Ragamuffins. I particularly liked the rock feel of "Creed" with a U2 style guitar part. Also, some of his solo numbers were moving. Also on the DVD are a number of thoughts of Rich that were presented in some seminar he did in 93. The ideas behind them were familiar to anyone who has seen Rich in concert, but it is neat to hear him in his own words again.
The CD is okay and something that fans would probably like but the DVD included makes this something that is truly worthwhile. I encourage you to get it, listen to the CD a couple times... and enjoy the DVD often.

The music ministry of Rich Mullins was a blessing during his short life, and is still finding its way into our hearts, souls, and minds. Rich is a modern day poet in the same vain as St. Francis. His lyrics not only reflect his Love and joy of the Lord, but so did his life. Rich, unlike several in contemporary Christian music, practiced what he preached. He could also write songs as well as the Dylans, Lennons, and Simons of the world.

The DVD features a side of Rich that many have not seen. His concerts were not simply an event, but they were the scene of revival. His music is honest, not only in His Love for Jesus, but also in his own humanness. He had struggles, and what made his ministry so effective was that he didn't put on a mask, and pretend to be a perfect Christian, thus making us all feel as though we're not only falling short of Jesus, but of other Christians as well. He instead recognized that he is as vulnerable to sin as any of us, and has succumbed to it. His music demonstrates this, and so does the thoughtful commentary he gives between songs in his concerts.

Likewise, the "short stories" section of the DVD is a wonderful opportunity to hear Rich, the master story teller, teach through his Faith, his Biblical knowledge, experience, reading, and personal testimony. He's never condescending towards the Faith or his audience, but rather, it's like You just heard some great advice, or words of wisdom from a Friend at a coffeehouse.

CCM has become a big industry, outselling both classical and jazz combined. Much of it is very superficial, and often times does not reflect the life of the artists. Then there are the true giants of CCM. The Phil Keaggys, the Michael W. Smiths, and the Rich Mullins. Rich always reminded us that it was more important to memorize Scripture than his or anyone else's songs. He reminded us that CCM isn't bad, but it is entertainment. If You need spiritual nourishment, go to Church and read Your Bible. Like Keaggy, his humility is astonishing, and this CD/DVD set is just a small sample of his legacy.

Enjoy it, and I pray that it touches You as it has so many others around the world.