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Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman - Arriving
CD DetailsArtist: Chris Tomlin, Steven Curtis Chapman Edition: Music CD Published: 2004-09-01 CD Release Date: 2004-09-21 Music Label: Six Step Records Soundtracks: - Indescribable
- Holy Is The Lord
- How Great Is Our God
- Your Grace Is Enough
- Unfailing Love
- The Way I Was Made
- Mighty Is The Power Of The Cross
- All Bow Down
- On Our Side
- King Of Glory
- You Do All Things Well
Music reviews of ArrivingMusic Review: What a precious child of God there is in Chris Tomlin Rating: 5 Stars
God called David a man after his own heart (paraphrase, 1Sam 13:14) and when you listen to such classics like "Forever", "We Fall Down" and "Enough" I can't help but think about David dancing. Totally uninhibited worship. And the same goes for the album Arriving.
Arriving... present tense, active, as in, we have not yet arrived, we are each works in progress. Tomlin's work with the Passion movement and as a Worship leader are some of those steps, but not just in his own life. Tomlin shares his gift with all of us, and speaking for me personally, the Spirit moves when I listen (and friends wish I wouldn't sing along) to his music. Provoking worship in us all through powerful music... isn't that what music should be all about?
So... on to the, eh-hem, review, I think that was what I was doing here...
As a whole, Arriving is a fabulous "machine", that in, all parts are vital, all parts work together in harmony and while all songs share a common purpose, they are all separate gems of their own.
1. Indescribable ~ wow! You might hear this on the radio a million times a day; I sure do. It has worship song-style lyrics, but it's really more of a Christian rock song. And why not lead off an album with a song that can easily draw in those who are used to more secular music? Indescribable is a truly powerful, well crafted song along the lines of the 1996-to-now Steven Curtis Chapman works.
2. Holy is the Lord ~ I first heard this song at the All Things New tour and I was blown away! There is so much passion in the music itself before he even sings. The words are simple yet so moving. Talk about a worship song. The people in that arena were truly worshipping.
3. How Great is Our God ~ This is a great worship song that I would venture to say is a classic (such like "Heart of Worship", or "Here I am to Worship") in its early stages.
4. Your Grace is Enough ~ Songs like this just show Tomlin's excellent talent for the "rock-worship" genre that is flourishing right now. It's funny, I listen to this song and I think, wow, the construction of the song, the blending of voices and so on, is just right for a worship song and yet it rocks too! However, in no way do I feel like he uses a "recipe" for his songs like some artists do.
5. Unfailing Love ~ This song is very heartfelt, kneeling-at-the-alter-type song. We might "fail" but God still has an unfailing love for us. In the same way, we only want to reciprocate that gift with unfailing love for Him.
6. The Way I Was Made ~ This song is definitely a Christian Rock song, again very much influenced by Chapman. This song is like a prayer set to a rock tempo and electric guitars, if you can imagine that! (So buy the CD already!) "I wanna be the man I was meant to be, I wanna be the way I was made". It's a prayer to be what God desires of us.
7. Mighty is the Power of the Cross ~ Every time I hear this song I think, this sounds like a hymn, only in English (ok, bad joke). Well, that's because "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus" uses some of the same concepts from Scripture. The acoustic guitar is so clear and I'm a sucker for the cello in the background.
8. All Bow Down ~ Back to Christian Rock, this song is worship in nature simply because when you're singing about the Rapture and Second Coming, how can you not worship? Sure, I'm pretty blunt, but Tomlin's lyrics are not. These songs are versatile but at the same time, it's not like Tomlin is trying to hide singing about Jesus. There are many classified Christian artists today who are really singing about themselves and not God. It's not easy to do what Tomlin does.
9. On Our Side ~ This song has such a great message, "If God is on our side, who can be against us?" The song is a gospel song, but with an awesome electric guitar solo. Very much clap-along, dance-along, boogie, what have you, kind of song.
10. King of Glory ~ My first impression of this song was that it was pretty average, and then I got to the bridge. The bridge really pulls the song together as a worship song, and then the strength of the last chorus just lifts the song.
11. You Do All Things Well ~ This song is a quiet worship song that speaks of all the things that we are in awe of pertaining to the works of God. This song connects the album in a circle. The first track, "Indescribable" speaks of being in awe of God to the point of being speechless. "You Do All Things Well" is a song that reflects the same kind of awe yet with great gratitude. So, if you happen to have the disk on repeat (like I would know about that) then you continue the journey.
More Arriving free music reviews: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Description of ArrivingLeaders make the indescribable visible. Isaiah's words, for instance, brought comfort to a defeated nation and transformed a people's imagination, empowering them to mount up with wings like eagles. Those words bear fruits today, capturing a post-modern visionary's heart, urging Chris Tomlin to call together God's people for life-renewing worship. "I feel as though we're like this landing strip in the desert for our great, incredible God to arrive on; a way for Him to come into people's lives," Tomlin says of the album's metaphorical moniker inspired in part by Isaiah 40. Tomlin's third studio record and first in two years, Arriving demonstrates a Christian's glad surrender meeting God's welcoming arms. Tomlin's undeniable energy is charismatic and contagious. Avoiding the trappings of public performance, Chris stands beside the people he serves, raising his voice to God with them so that they share God's presence together. Credited with venerable church choruses such as "Forever," "We Fall Down," and "The Wonderful Cross," Tomlin is considered one of this era's top songwriters for the church with five songs in CCLI's Top 60 and four more in the service's Top 500. With millions singing his songs weekly, Chris is recognized as a pivotal voice of today's modern expression of Christian worship. Arriving rocks with inspiring, guitar-driven pop melodies reflecting the roots traditions of Austin, Texas, where it was recorded and home to the church Tomlin co-founded, Austin Stone Community Church. The project's raw, straightforward lyrics are knotted tight with hooks as big and broad as the Lone Star state sky. Producer Ed Cash (Caedmon's Call, Kathy Mattea, Bebo Norman) brings his signature touch to the tracks, revealing that the talent pool is deeper than even the artist knew.
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