The Medicine

It's 2:04 AM so I need to get to bed and prepare for a busy week this week, but I was laying in bed and couldn't get "death in His grave" out of my head so I came downstairs to figure out the lead part and fine tune all the changes on my chord charts so I could surprise the youth group with it this Wednesday... All that blabbering said (like I said, it's 2 in the morning), this album is AMAZING, and I haven't even listened to every song yet. The heart behind the music is something that can't be manufactured and kicks me right in the stomach. Christ centered, worshipful, lyrically beautiful and deep/complex, incredible musicianship, and doctrinally sound. Just absolutely amazing...John Mark - God bless you sir. I was praying for you tonight as I can imagine you covet prayers. I don't thank God for your awesomeness. I thank God for how awesome He is and his willingness to use a servant to create music as good as this. Stay humble brother and remain faithful.

John Mark has really blown me away by The Medicine. I was skeptical, but since it was on sale for $5 I figured it wouldn't hurt to check it out. If you like acoustic folk rock (Bob Dylan, early Springsteen, some of Dave Matthews' simpler stuff), you'll love this.Raw and honest. JM's blend of front porch sing-along and edgy arena rock is a unique and rarely-used approach to music.Lyrically, this is one of the most inventive and Biblically-based albums I've listened to. JM moves seamlessly between allusions of the Church, the woman spilling perfume on Jesus' feet and the prodigal son to talking about trucker stops, the interstate and gang-related violence. Fantastic.Although there are a few standouts (Reckoning Day, Skeleton Bones, Carolina Tide), I suggest you get the whole album. There is a very obvious theme of redemption throughout this gritty, reality-weighted album and it would be a shame to miss it to save a few bucks.

I can't say enough about this album. I've been particularly blessed by the lyrical artistry and the way the gospel message is conveyed on songs like "death in his grave" and "skeleton bones," I first heard a rendition of "skeleton bones" at church and went on a mad google search trying to find the song to download and it led me to John Mark mcmillan, I listened to a bunch of his songs on youtube and had to come to amazon and download the whole album. I'm in love! Every song speaks to me, there are some songs that are more folky and others that are straight worship and then others that are more anthem, but it's an album that's definitely worth the money, which is rare these days.

JMM does not disappoint with this album. I can listen to it over and over again. This music is for those people who enjoy music with a strong root in faith and worship, but at the same time do not need to be beaten over the head with the same old catch phrases. JMM finds a great balance between making music everyone can enjoy while staying true to his ideals.

Though best known for "How He Loves," John Mark McMillian's ability to craft theologically solid music with such unassuming genuineness is an art sorely underrated in the Christian music genre. However, this artist proclaims the Gospel and God's love and pursuit of an imperfect people with every raw note and lyric. A poet in his own right, JMM unashamedly packs more truth into one line than many artists can in an entire album. There is not a song on this album you'll want to skip.

I used to listen to New Wave and post-punk when I was younger and this album reminds me of that. It has a sort of Echo and the Bunnymen or Jesus and Mary Chain feel to it. I have been searching for many years to find Christian music like this. Music with conviction, passion, stirring melodies, but with also poignant worship at it's heart. Thank you Lord for your gift of John Mark McMillan.

I love this album! I've listened many times but I wanted to own it. I love John Mark McMillan's lyrics. I'm not typically a fan of the "Christian" music genre...I prefer the indie sounds of bands like The Black Keys, The Shins, and White Stripes. This album breaks the mold...It points to God unmistakably but with a sound that catches my attention and unique lyrics that don't sound pre-fab.

I love that this is not the usual Christian music: I love the imagery, the context, and that it just sounds different than the same 20 songs the Christian radio stations play. I heard it first at a church called Gateway in Cleveland, OH, and have been in love with John Mark McMillan ever since! I'd give it more stars if I could.

Ich bin auf den Musiker aufmerksam geworden, nach dem ich sein Lied im Internet gehört habe. Spontan habe ich das CD gekauft und bedauere ich es nicht. Es lohnt sich auf jeden fall, die Songs mal im Internet zu hören. Eine Nebenwirkung hat das aber schon. Man möchte das CD zu Hause haben so schnell wie möglich. ;-)Viel Spass beim Hören!

But there are several songs I don't like, so I don't play them. BUT, 'How He Loves' more than makes up for that! Fabulous song I sing a lot, and a few other good ones.