First Love: A Historic Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers
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A Historic Gathering of Jesus Music PioneersFirst Love: A Historic Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers is a video tracing the history and people of the Jesus Movement of the 1960's and 1970's. The late 60's and early '70's were a time of tremendous upheaval in American culture as the hippie generation abandoned the values of their parents, turned to drugs and away from materialism, and went on a search for love and peace. For these young people, "the establishment" which included the church, seemed irrelevant. At times it felt like the very fabric of our nation might tear apart. It was out of this tumultuous era that young, musical voices began to surface. These newly converted musicians began singing about the new hope they had found through Jesus Christ. First Love examines the life and music of the people who birthed the sounds of a revolution that swept American culture. It became know as the Jesus Movement. For three historic days, these artists gathered for the first time in a mountain retreat in Southern California and First Love Volumes I & II captures almost 4 hours of each of their incredible live performances and reveals a rare look a the heart and motives of each artist as they describe in intimate detail the drama of their personal transformation. With performances by:
TELLY AWARD WINNER COMMUNICATOR AWARD WINNER Order from their web site http://www.explorationfilms.com/exploration-films-first-love.html
Reviewd by Devlin Donaldson"Each artist has just a few short minutes in which they are able to talk about what it was that brought them into the field of Christian music, some memory of their early days in Christian music, and the driving forces behind their music. Their simple stories, oft repeated, highlight what motivated their involvement in music-a desire to reach people with the gospel. They say it different ways, they played different styles of music, but the common thread contained in their brief reflections is that they wanted the music to carry the message of what they had experienced; simply stated, Jesus. There are moving testimonies, Randy Matthews recounting a good deed done him by Andrae, Andrae Crouch sharing about his calling, Randy Stonehill recalling his conversion, vulnerable personal sharing by Terry Clark, and the list could go on and on. These artists genuinely enjoy being together sharing themselves with the group. The environment is so warm and so familiar between the artists that a viewer sometimes feels like they are eavesdropping on another family's reunion. Interspersed with the memories and the reflections are these artists playing their songs, some old, some new. But all of them shining with the luster of high quality furniture hand rubbed to an exquisite finish. Unexpectedly, perhaps one of the most moving things about the video is to see the unabashed enthusiasm the artists have for the music, the sheer joy at seeing and hearing their friends perform, caught up in the message and the spontaneous worship evoked from the songs. Anyone who was aware of Christian music during the 1970s will be reminded what it was about the music and the artists that drew them in. Anyone who didn't live through the birth and childhood of Christian music can catch a glimpse of what it was that made Christian music special. They have never shirked from being a role model, but have always defined their role as pointing to Jesus. Their hurts and shortcomings, rather than detract from their message, emphasize the redemptive power of this Jesus to whom they gave their lives and their music. These videos are educational, fun and inspirational. I recommend them highly to anyone with any interest in Christian music. Entertaining, encouraging and uplifting. For me, it rekindled a fire that had perhaps been banked and left too long ago. As the title implies, the music took me back to my first love, Jesus. It pulled me back to remember my youth and my enthusiasm. It re-ignited in me the excitement of days past, but days still possible. The message of First Love: A Historic Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers is pure, simple and direct. It is Jesus who put the Christ in Christian music."
Reviewd by John Taylor" In the decades of the 1960s and '70s an iconoclastic counterculture emerged among the young. It was marked in their philosophies and in their music by a rejection of traditional values, especially those expressed as part of the Christian community. Eventually there came a kind of backlash as young men and woman began to experience a spiritual void in their "tune in, turn on, drop out" lifestyles. Many of them began to return to traditional Christian values and expressed their conversions in music. This return to basic Christian values and personal relationships with Jesus Christ was popularly referred to as the "Jesus Movement" and was evidenced by the emergence of a number of Christian bands, composers, and performers. For three historic days in a Southern California, Christian musicians gathered together to play their own special music. The two-disc DVD, "First Love: A Historic Gathering Of Jesus Music Pioneers is a record and a recording of that seminal celebration. "First Love" showcases 3 hours and 31 minutes of memorable and inspiring live performances, and in doing so reveals a rare look a the heart and motives of each artist as they each describe their personal transformations. "First Love" showcases engaging and entertaining performances by Randy Matthews; Barry McGuire; Annie Herring; Chuck Girard; Matthew Ward; John Fischer; Andrae Crouch; Jamie Owens Collins; 2nd Chapter of Acts; Terry Clark; Keith Green tribute with Melody Green; Randy Stonehill; Love Song; Paul Clark; Darrell Mansfield; and Honeytree. In addition to the two DVD discs, a double audio CD containing over 31 audio recordings of the performances is also included. "First Love: A Historic Gathering of Jesus Music Pioneers" is enthusiastically recommended viewing and listening for all Christians, regardless of their denominational affiliations, backgrounds, or ages. It should also be noted that sample clips of some performances are freely available on the ExplorationFilms.com website."" |
