It’s funny how Bart Millard charted as the top selling new Christian artist in the year that his first solo album, Hymned No. 1, was released. The man better known as the voice of multi-platinum band MercyMe (“I Can Only Imagine”) was foremost aiming to fulfill a promise made to his late grandmother to record the church songs she’d led him to love as a boy. Popular success as a singular act was an afterthought, though much appreciated.
Christianity Today gave the unexpectedly soulful, Deep South gospel-meets-pop, rock, and country set a five-star review, calling it “one of the most enjoyable and varied hymns albums ever recorded. You may have heard it all before, but you haven’t heard Hymned.”
Having had such a great experience all around with that first effort, Millard is back with Hymned Again, this time specifically honoring the wishes of his three children who enjoyed their dad’s record so much they wanted another one.
“Our six-year-old son, Sam, would fall asleep listening to it and then be singing ‘In the Sweet By and By’ at breakfast the next morning,” says Bart. “There were more songs that my wife and I wanted him and Gracie and Charlie to know. Now they’re singing along to these new takes on ‘I Stand Amazed’ and ‘Victory in Jesus’ at the top of their lungs, and we’re so happy about how that affirms the decision to do this again.”
Hymned Again re-teams Millard with award winning producer Brown Bannister. Together they handpicked hymns of an evangelistic nature mostly from the 1800s, setting an outward-then-upward spiritual tone for the album.
“I’ve learned the lyrics of that era were more horizontal than vertical,” explains Bart. “A lot of songs from the 1700s were direct praises to Jesus, and that’s reflected on the first Hymned record. But in the 1800s the message was often person-to-person, an ‘I’ve got to get my brother or sister saved’ way of expressing faith.”
Such a unified theme perfectly balances the increasingly diversified styles that make Hymned Again, indeed again, a true rarity among modern Christian music albums. Acute listeners have rightfully lauded gamut-running efforts before (David Crowder*Band’s A Collision for example), but it’s safe to say they haven’t encountered many projects—from a contemporary pop-based artist—that open with a Dixieland banjo, proceed deeper into New Orleans flavored horn-led marches and stomping Texas guitar blues, or let a ukulele do the driving at one point without altogether ignoring commercial sensibilities.
“Brown and I decided to go to extremes,” admits Bart. “If the song was upbeat, we’d get out a funky Harry Connick, Jr. album, some Louis Prima big band, or a Bob Wills swing record for inspiration and swing for the fence, hoping to get that ‘soundtrack to your life’ vibe. And if it was a slow song, we’d go the other way and really make it worshipful.”
There’s certainly a contagious jubilance running through the faster paced selections on Hymned Again. “Stand Up for Jesus” will have soldiers of the cross clapping and dancing along with a banjo that manages to pluck and slide through heavy jazz and swing grooves. “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms” finds an ever brighter path in its 1970s funk-soul arrangement. “I Saw the Light” shakes off all darkness with the swampy strut of steel-stringed boondocks rock. “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” is a full-tilt Crescent City musical tribute with brass jams that sound like joyful laughter.
The gentle side of Hymned Again is equally effective. The lesser known “Brethren We Have Met to Worship” becomes a meditative bluegrass shuffle. “Grace That Is Greater” highlights the simple charm of Millard’s voice accompanied only by the ukulele’s nylon chords in a way that compares nicely to late Hawaiian singer Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s popularized rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” The album’s first single, “I Stand Amazed,” explores a deeply emotive modern worship setting with help from Passion and Watermark vocalist Christy Nockels.
Also joining Bart on Hymned Again is Grammy winner Vince Gill whose high lonesome delivery briefly graced Hymned No. 1 and more substantially helps turn the rising and falling melody of new song “Jesus Cares for Me” into an unforgettable duet.
“He’s the nicest guy on the planet, but it still makes me nervous to call him up,” says Bart. “I asked his wife, Amy Grant—who I know better—if she’d ask him to sing with me again. But she made me do it. I got his voicemail and acted shy and apologetic. He called back and said, ‘Man, I’ll do anything you want. You don’t have to be the way.’”
Such anecdotes are a testament to Bart Millard’s everyman personality. For all of his success in and out of MercyMe, there’s nothing really “famous” about him. He makes music to honor God and his family, still gets star struck, and hopes that all who hear Hymned Again will find his cross-genre performances to be, quote, “authentic.”
And they should. Bart was born and raised and still lives in the east Texas town of Greenville where his father’s radio played western swing and old country favorites; and places thriving on delta blues, gospel, and jazz were always within easy driving distance.
“I grew up in the church, and hymns influence the way I write lyrics. But this is the music that made a lasting impression on me outside the church,” he says.
Bart is also humorously genuine about his solo efforts in relation to his main gig, humbly knowing his side projects have their time and place in relation to MercyMe’s formidable success. (Each of the band’s albums has achieved gold or platinum sales status).
“To do a record like this with MercyMe—to break out the banjoes and horns and dobroes—would be a bust. That’s not what we do. But this gives me another creative outlet that in turn helps me have more to offer going back into whatever we do next.”
As for here and now, it’s clearly time to be Hymned Again.
Hello, friend. Would you please consider coming to our show this weekend at the Watershed Cafe in Frankfort, IL? It is our first show as a band and my first show in more than five years!!! It would be an honor to have you there for what will be an incredible night of praise, love, and worship. We would love to have you, so what do you say?
Michael McClead LIVE @ Watershed Cafe 11 White Street, Frankfort, IL 7:30PM
Bart!! I remember years and years ago going to Shepher Ministries/PlanetWisdom conference and you guys bein' the music!! Those days stick in my memory. You guys have come a long way as a band and I've always enjoyed your music. I got to meet you in Mobile, Alabama and in Roanoke, VA, but i'm sure thats far from your memory haha. God Bless!!
Thx for dropping by and listening to my tunes! Please let your friends know both my worship rock CD's are for sale on my site, and now on iTUNES!! These CD’s were co-produced by Ron Davis the engineer on the Grammy/Dove award winning CD, “Shout to the Lord!” I've also got some FREE DOWNLOADS!
“Here I Stand” just charted in the Top 20! Be sure to ask to hear it at your local radio station! Everyone please come see the video and leave me a comment! May God bless you and draw you closer as you surrender to Him!
If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth but didn’t love others, I would only be making meaningless noise like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I had the gift of prophecy, and I knew all the mysteries of the future and knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would I be? And if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain make it move, without love I would be no good to anybody.
If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would be of no value whatsoever.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged.
It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Love will last forever, but prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will all disappear.
Now we know only a little, and even the gift of prophecy reveals little! But when the end comes, these special gifts will all disappear.
It’s like this: When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child does. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.
There are three things that will endure – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.
Thanks for being my friend. If you or someone you know doesn't know Jesus as their personal Savior then I plead with you to ask them to invite Him into their life today my friend. Just trust in Him. He is waiting. Taste the Living Water and Never Thirst Again.
And if you do know Jesus...We'll then get busy !It's too important not to tell. It's a matter of Life & Death. Tell just one today...Just one Remember Jesus said..John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. I ask you to share Jesus with someone today. Share His love, His Kindness, His mercy and His Message. Because in the end, that's all that will matter. What you did for Him. When we stand before Him, He will not ask how much money we made, how many houses we had, how high on the corporate ladder we rose or how much fun we had. All He will want to know is what we did for Him. How many people are in Heaven because you shared Him with someone. We all know someone. So why don't you tell your friends, neighbors, co-workers or anybody today about the Saving Grace that can be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ? Thats the last thing Jesus told us to do in Matthew 28:19 - Make Disciples! Tell the World!
Join me today friend in my official.. "Tell someone about Jesus Drive"! It actually started over 2000 years ago and is still going. Tell One My Friend. Atleast one person. Take up your Cross and Follow Him! I am praying for you today my friend. God Bless and have a Christ-filled week!
Hi Bart, Thank you for friendship, Merryl/Bethelhouse/Australia Sharing: "Hope in depression" and a free Prayer Podcast at http://prayerpodcastbethelhouse.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the add.The picture i tagged you with is my grandaughter i'm raising.we saw you guys at winter jam in Charlotte last January.She was so excited about taking her picture with you.God bless.
What up Mr. B. I am glad to see you doing a solo gig. I really respect MercyMe. I am soooooo thankful that you guys have never compromised like I seen some other Christian musicians do (not to put any pressure on you). I know its got to get hard sometime and the fact that you (all) have manage to maintain a clear representation of Christ in your lyrics, performance and overall brand, is fantastic and highly commendable. TO GOD BE THE GLORY :~). God bless you, the group and your families. Keep looking up (for that is where your help is coming from) Agape' SupaNova
