Search - Rich Mullins :: Here in America (Bonus Dvd)

A Good Collectible for Fans

Chip Webb | Fairfax Station, VA | 05/20/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"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."

A Must for Rich's Fans

Mark Baker | Santa Clarita, CA United States | 05/14/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

"THE BIGGEST WEIRDO OF THEM ALL..."

NotATameLion | Michigan | 05/04/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."