Customer Reviews

The Medicine

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Medicine by John Mark McMillan is a great album. I first heard of McMillan after hearing the song How He Loves being picked up by different artists. After listening to this album, McMillan's lyrics seem so honest and real. The melodic lines and his arrangements are very intriguing. You can't help but get caught up in the music. A lot of the songs on this album came out of a troubling time for McMillan and it's those raw lyrics that make this album so great. Personally, I'm not sure how many of these songs would work in my church for corporate worship, but I'm sure there's a place for them somewhere in a worship service depending on the elements of the service.

Death In His Grave: I love the picture that this song paints about what our Savior did for us on the cross. I also love the way he uses the word death in the lyrics. Even though are Savior was condemned to death, in this song there was victory over death and it was placed in the grave that was meant for our Lord, the grave that couldn't contain Him. On Friday a thief, on Sunday a King, laid down in grief, but awoke with keys, of Hell on that day, the first born of the slain, the Man Jesus Christ, laid death in his grave.

How He Loves: This is a song the church that has become an anthem in the church today. I introduced it to my church for the first time this morning. I love the lyrics he chooses to get across the true force of the love of God and how overwhelming His grace is. What a great song for the church to be able to sing when we feel like all is lost. We have a song that can help us remember how much He loves us. He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy. If grace is an ocean we're all sinking. How he loves us so.

Love the album and the musicality found on this project. I'm still early in my time with the CD, but one thing that I'm finding as a musician is that the album is challenging me to rethink the arrangements of some of the songs that I use in church on a week to week basis. I say that because the arrangements take common instruments (guitar, bass, etc.) and makes them sound fresh and interesting. The lyrics are not surface level and easy to grasp however. Like a great work of art you have to dig, wrestle, and meditate on what's being said lyrically and musically.

Whether you're religious or not, don't miss out on what this guy has to offer as an artist.

That being said, it's also a great "feeling" album for playing something in the background while I work or chill out on the back porch with my family.

Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.

Perhaps you're tired of most Christian pop music--as a genre, the accusation goes, it tends towards formulaic and unoriginal, copying the same hooks and chords of the secular pop anthems of the moment, "sanctifying" them with references to Jesus and a saccharine, plastic life of artificial perfection as a Christian. Where is the art? Where is the breathtaking draught of life that challenges yet satisfies? For those of you that delight in Christ but despair at the state of popular Christian music, look no further than John Mark McMillan.

JMM has recently gained some measure of fame as the author of the song "How He Loves," which has since been made famous by the David Crowder Band. But that justifiably regarded song is merely the capstone on an album soaked with profound artistry. His songs combine southern rock vibrancy with a rare degree of poetic lyrical brilliance. His work is praised as being "Christian music that doesn't sound like Christian music," which is accurate in that you may like his work even if you don't like most other works in this genre.

A song-by-song breakdown of The Medicine:
- Reckoning Day - JMM's voice scrapes along the bottom of his register as the chords in minor key and heavy drumbeat illuminate the character of JMM's style. This is one of the darker songs on the album, though it builds to a hopeful chorus: "Lift up your heads, all you gates, lift up your eyes, you who wait . . ."
- The Medicine - A hard-rocking electric-guitar melody supports a prodigal son-type story.
- Skeleton Bones - Along with "How He Loves," this is the track that has legs as a single. The rhythmic acoustic guitar builds powerfully as JMM interweaves imagery from the Ezekiel 37 story of the dry bones in the valley come to life with a raw desire for Christ to animate our lives. The song builds to a powerful, percussive chorus that draws you into a compelling worship experience.
- Carbon Ribs - After repeated listenings I've come to deeply love this song, because it captures the perplexity of a man who feels broken and unworthy, yet is invited into the presence of God. "One day when I'm free I will sit crippled at Your table, crippled by Your side . . . yet, I sit beside you"
- Dress Us Up - Building on strong a solo electric guitar that illustrates the song like brushstrokes on a painting, the song muses on the imputation of God's righteousness, and glories in the realization that "the love of God is stronger than the power of death."
- Death in His Grave - Keyboard and drums are the musical backdrop for a poetic contemplation of Christ's victory over death. It almost becomes an anthem at the end.
- Belly of the Lion - The track begins as a stripped-down acoustic guitar with hand-claps, then breaks out into a more conventional rock song. The uptempo rhythm belies the despair of the words, written for difficult times.
- Philadelphia - Tambourine and interweaving acoustic and electric guitars score a song whose meaning is elusive. And yet, it's still a pretty song.
- Out of the Ground - An uptempo song about resurrection that nevertheless feels dark and moody
- Ten Thousand - A strong contender for my favorite song on the album, and a prime example of what a fantastic songwriter JMM is. It's a beautiful acoustic poem about the savior who overcomes the world.
- Carolina Tide - The track combines the imagery of Naaman's cleansing in the Jordan River with the New Testament theme of baptism, all wrapped up in a slightly hard-edged southern rock sound.
- My Only - Electric guitar mixes with what I think is hammered dulcimer for a deceptively soft song that thematically sounds like something out of the Psalms--"I lift my eyes up to the hills . . . you're my only hope"
- Between the Cracks - More southern Rock, layered with vivid imagery of a world that has grown calloused to pain and suffering, and the redemptive power of a Savior who brings hope to the brokeness.
- How He Loves - This song was written from a place of great pain and anger, after a friend was killed in a car accident. In a video available elsewhere online, JMM describes writing this and getting a powerful sense of God loving him through his anger and hurt, and coming to understand more deeply the power of God's love. It's an absolutely incredible song. If you can find it, I also recommend the JMM's music video of this song, which snatches you up into worship most powerfully.

I strongly recommend this CD, even if you're not a fan of most Christian music. It's quite compelling . . .

John Mark McMillan always surpasses CCM standards. This is plain and simply good music with deep lyrics. The first time I heard How He Loves, it moved me to tears. The remake by David Crowder is a sad understatement of the original. I Love, Love, Love JMM's music and style. Can't wait for more.

I really don't have enough good things to say about this album. John Mark Mcmillan is such a pleasure to listen to, his music blends different styles into something truly unique and inspiring. Highly recommended for the artistic quality and creative sound this album has to offer.

It's 2:04 AM so I need to get to bed and prepare for a busy week this week, but I was laying in bed and couldn't get "death in His grave" out of my head so I came downstairs to figure out the lead part and fine tune all the changes on my chord charts so I could surprise the youth group with it this Wednesday... All that blabbering said (like I said, it's 2 in the morning), this album is AMAZING, and I haven't even listened to every song yet. The heart behind the music is something that can't be manufactured and kicks me right in the stomach. Christ centered, worshipful, lyrically beautiful and deep/complex, incredible musicianship, and doctrinally sound. Just absolutely amazing...

John Mark - God bless you sir. I was praying for you tonight as I can imagine you covet prayers. I don't thank God for your awesomeness. I thank God for how awesome He is and his willingness to use a servant to create music as good as this. Stay humble brother and remain faithful.

John Mark McMillan is said to be as popular in clubs around town as he is in churches. His sound on The Medicine is genuine and authentic, worshipful and energetic, and, perhaps surprisingly, fun. Undoubtedly, many will purchase this album because it includes a new version of what has become the worship song of the decade, "How He Loves" - although the song was written in 2004, it has become increasingly popular since 2008, so that it is omnipresent in evangelical circles. However, the real power of this album are the other tracks, "Skeleton Bones" and "Carbon Ribs" and "Belly of the Lion" among others, which highlight McMillan's incredibly profound lyrical sense. Case in point:

I've got resurrection down inside my skin
But for all my revelating
I just can't make sense
Of this gravity we're in
[Carbon Ribs]

Some may blow this release off because all the songs aren't appealing for the masses. Don't worry about the masses - this album is for you, and a ray of hope for the next decade of worship records.

This is the kind of music that makes me sad.

It will never get the acclamation it deserves. Well not until heaven i suppose. Because we will definitely be singing this in heaven.

I love that this is not the usual Christian music: I love the imagery, the context, and that it just sounds different than the same 20 songs the Christian radio stations play. I heard it first at a church called Gateway in Cleveland, OH, and have been in love with John Mark McMillan ever since! I'd give it more stars if I could.

I've had this on repeat since I bought in a few months ago. This is perfect windows down sing-along music.

If you dig the samples at all, you will LOVE the album. John Mark, along with bands like Gungor and David Crowder, brings a fresh take on what Christian music can be.