"Well my home is far away, but it won’t take long to get there.

My home is far away, but it won’t take long to arrive.

Well my home is far away, but it won’t take long to get there.

And I will walk, and I will run, until I fly."
 
 

It won’t take long

Mitch McVicker: Chasing the Horizons

Although this is not my absolute favorite cut on the new Mitch McVicker album, Chasing the Horizon, the lyric brings a smile to my face when I hear it.

Mitch has done it again. This new album features 12 songs all penned by Mitch himself with the exception for "When you Love", which is a new spin off of an old Rich Mullins song. Maybe you can’t credit the lyrics to McVicker but the song sounds nothing like the original and is much better than the original, in my opinion. This is also the first single that was sent to the radio stations. Please do your part and take a minute to call your local Christian station and ask that they play the new single.

"Emmanuel" kicks off the album in superb fashion. Emmanuel, which translates to ‘God With Us’ is the emphasis of the song. "You are right here with us, I guess that’s why you’re called Emmanuel". So simple yet so profound, like most of the lyrics found on a Mitch McVicker album.

Most fans of Mitch were able to purchase the Chasing The Horizons EP several months ago. It previewed the album by featuring four tracks which basically left most of us even more anxious to get our hands on the new album which will finally officially debut on March 6^th, 2001. Of the four early-release songs on the EP, "Burning the Fields" probably drew the most attention. It’s based on a story Mitch shares during concerts of how he went home once and they were burning the fields in Kansas. All the fields were black and charred. But new seedlings had popped up after the burning. It reminded Mitch of how new life springs from nothing and how God does that and how painful it can be to be burned.

"Upside Down" is definitely a favorite of mine. I’m not alone though because my five-year-old son begs me to play it every time we get in truck to go somewhere. "I don’t have the right haircut, but at least I’ve got nice hats". I laughed hysterically when I first heard this line probably two years ago. It’s just one of many amusing notations in this clever song. To me, this song is all about materialism. Hanging with the "right" people and driving the fastest sports cars and living in the biggest houses. Nice big houses are just nice and big. My only complaint is that the studio version of this song is noticeably slower then the concert version I had become accustomed to hearing. With that said, I have noticed that sometimes Mitch changes his songs every week so the fact that this one sounds a little different on the studio version doesn’t surprise me much. Nevertheless, it’s a great song!

"Watch Over Me" is another favorite of mine and one of only two songs I hadn’t heard already by the time I got the album. What can I say? I feel like most of the songs on here are favorites of mine. How often can you honestly say that you can listen to an entire album and love every song? I only own three albums that hold that distinction and Mitch McVicker happens to be the artist on two of the three. "Watch Over Me" has wonderful harmonica and I love the lyrics, especially how the last verse ties in with the first two. It’s brilliant!

"Rich’s Song" gives us a final tribute to Rich Mullins. The opening lyric of the song also provides for the title of the album. The song is very touching and even features the hammered dulcimer that so often accompanied Rich’s music. In fact the dulcimer is used on "Burning the Fields" as well, played wonderfully by close friend and band-mate, Brad Layher.

Things of this Earth will fade. They will not last. This is what Mitch is driving home in "Where did it go?" All those things will fade but Faith, Hope, and Love remain. The message is consistent to the overall theme of the album. In a nutshell the message reminds us that the love of God is all we need. It seems I have simplified it but how complicated does it need to be. As Rich Mullins once said, "If we could learn to just let go and let God love us, I’d think we’d pretty nearly be in heaven."

I strongly recommend you pick up a copy of Mitch’s new album. You can get it from several places including Christian Bookstores, his concerts, some Wal-marts and other retail outlets, and even online. To make it easier, I am providing a link to a website where you can order his CD.

Review by Rick Moore