Mark Heard has had a profound impact on many people's life. His lyrics have a way of capturing the essence of how a person feels at a particular moment in life. On this album, "Hammers and Nails" is particularly memorable, with a haunting harmony from the mandolin.
January 14, 2008 |  | By far one of my favorite artists, and a great compilation.. |  |
Mark Heard's music has never lost its freshness or relevance. I have been listening to it since the early eighties, when I first heard "Castaway" on the radio. I find his lyrics coming unbidden to mind in many of the situations life has brought...they are that honest. He was true to his faith in Christ, and true to life, and the world is a lonelier place without him. I believe there are four preeminent Christian artists in the rather short history of "Christian" music...Mark Heard, Phil Keaggy, Rich Mullins, and Fernando Ortega. Mark heads my list, for his lyrical ability (I am a "words" kind of person) as well as his musicianship.
I particularly love the songs, "Nod Over Coffee" (reminiscent of J. Alfred Prufrock!) and "Just Wanna Get Warm." They are so expressive of everyday human experience, Christian or no. "House of Broken Dreams" with its simple chords breaks my heart every time I hear it. I also loved his "Dry Bones Dance" album, with its Louisiana flavor. His lyrics on that album are alternately playful and deftly incisive. However, "High Noon" is a very good introduction to his music. I can't speak highly enough of this artist and the profound effect he's had on my life. January 1, 2004
If you haven't yet graced your ears with Mark Heard's music then this is the perfect place to start. Being a young Christian I had never even heard of Mark until years after his passing. This was the first of his many albums that I got to hear. The opening track "Strong Hand of Love" was unlike anything I had ever heard before. I was so mesmerised by it that I think I rewinded it fifteen times before I got to hear the rest of the tape. All I can say is that if you buy this album, you will be doing yourself an incredible service and then once you have done that, buy every other Mark Heard album you can find. A lot of his old stuff is available. Check out the Fingerprint records website for some of Mark's really early recordings. No other Christian artist I have listened to can match the talent, honesty, and richness of Mark Heard. May his music live on.
October 7, 1999| | | This is real Jesus for Boomers! | |
The context is Jesus, the words are simple, and the backbeat is pure Babyboomer. Mark Heard has clearly left a legacy of music that is an E-ticket to the gospel for our generation. I plan to share it with my siblings, and pray they will be moved to Christ in the hearing.
June 9, 1999While many may not have heard of Mark (no pun intended), I think everyone should get the opportunity to hear him. Mark passed away in 1992, leaving behind a diverse and utterly brilliant body of work. Mark was poet. Hiw words took his music to new heights, painting pictures and images that defy description. I am a huge Dylan fan as well, but I agree that Mark is more honest in his music. He realizes the sorry state of the world, but even so he sees the hope underneath it all. This album is a good place to start, but I recommnend you get his last three albums (Dry Bones Dance, Second Hand, Satellite Sky). Every track on this CD is indispensible, some of Mark's finest work. The piano version of "What Kind of Friend" is a nice addition. Even though the song is basically the same as the guitar version on "Second Hand", it retains the same emotion that the other version carried. "Orphans of God" is another track that is indescribable. It is a slow, moving song unlike anything I've ever heard. When he sings the opening lines ("I arise from my bed / With a question again / As I work to inherit the restless wind") the sadness is prevalent in those words, but we can see the bright light beneath it all. Mark has a unique way of giving the listener a glimpse of God and his creation. He writes about the human experience, the failures and shortcomings that come along with being the creation of a holy and faultless God. Another album cut, "Treasure of the Broken Land", is one of Mark's most beautiful songs. It carries the idea of hope amidst this tortured world. It is like a beautiful waterfall among the ravaged earth. Many of Mark Heard's songs and poetry are beyond words and emotions. He had the unique gift that enabled him to capture all aspects of life in his music. He was a genius, and he is sorely missed. This disc is a great place to start. It will give you a glimpse into the heart, soul, and mind of a man who struggled with his life and mourned the blackness of the world, but he never lost sight of the light ahead. Mark made some of the most beautifully honest music ever put to record, and most of all, he allowed us a clearer picture of God.
"Treasure of the broken land / Parched earth give up your captive ones / Waiting wind of Gabriel / Blow soon upon these hollow bones"
-Mark Heard March 31, 1999
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