Pursuit of God, Tommy Walker – CD Review

The new album Pursuit of God by Tommy Walker is a unique project in two ways: First, the sound is different than we have previously heard from Tommy. Secondly, this project has a specific goal in mind, a specific purpose. While this is true for most albums, the focus on this album is new in concept. This album was created specifically for and was inspired by AW Tozer’s classic “The Pursuit of God.”

As a part of that focus, the overall flow and format of this album is different than some may expect. Each song corresponds to the chapters in the book, and after each song track there is a narrative track, with the narrators (Kathy Christopher, a pastor at Tommy’s church; and Kevin White, an actor best known as the voice in the movie Rudy) reading portions from the book itself, as well as offering prayers that help lead into the next track.

The hope is that this will be an album that is truly listened to, reflecting on the lyrics of the music and the words from the narration. I found myself most impacted by the prayers, which were set up nicely by the narrative reading, and allowed me to prayerfully enter into worship with the following track.

The biggest difference, musically, between this album and past Tommy projects is the very prominent orchestration. The Azusa Pacific Orchestra, largely led by concertmaster Ingrid Chun, contributes the rich and lush sounds that only a 60 piece orchestra can provide. We also hear a primary focus on acoustic guitar, with only a couple tracks showcasing the classic Tommy electric guitar tones we’ve all grown accustomed to.

The album opens with ‘Who Are You’, a softer track that introduces the listener to a soft touch from strings and simple acoustic picking. Some may consider this a somewhat “slow” opener, especially compared to some of the “kick in the pants” openers we’ve all heard on other albums. However, this particular approach seems particularly appropriate considering the reflective and prayerful tone of the project as a whole.

‘Earnestly (We Want to Know)’ follows and is one of my favorite tracks on the album. This is another simple arrangement, with the acoustic guitar at the forefront and orchestra adding texture. The bridge of the song is by far the most dynamic portion of the song, with the vocals singing in an anthemic and rhythmic way “we want to know,” “we want to see” and “we want to find.”

The third track, ‘Just You’, introduces us to Tommy playing the harmonica, which he only recently picked up as a tribute to his father.

The fifth track, ‘Taste and See’, is by far my favorite. We get a more interesting dynamic from the get go with this tune. The bridge has some great syncopation which lifts the dynamic of the song, and we see the electric guitar take on a more prominent role as the song progresses – this contribution adds a great layer of color to the overall sound.

If you don’t find yourself involuntarily moving your head to the pulse of the bass on ‘You Are Here’, then you may want to see a doctor. I should also note that the harmonies from the backing vocals on this track almost sound too perfect. If you have a thing for nice harmonies, you will dig this.

The rest of the album continues with the theme of orchestration and acoustic guitar, with some nice touches here and there. For example, the Latin-style guitar flares during ‘Take Your Place’. In fact, the guitar solo during ‘Take Your Place’ is by far my favorite. The strings coming out of the first chorus and at the end, providing a flurry to end this song with a punch, are also by far the most effective and dynamic applications of the orchestra on the entire album.

The only criticisms that some may find with this project are twofold: First, some will find this album to sound a bit old fashioned, particularly due to the emphasis on the orchestration. Secondly, the instrumental during the ‘Create in Me Prelude’ doesn’t seem to naturally flow into the following track, ‘Create in Me’, potentially leaving the listener a little confused as to its purpose.

Aside from those two items, any listener who either appreciates A.W. Tozer’s “Pursuit of God” or enjoys listening to reflective, prayerful and meditative music with an open heart should enjoy this project.

I encourage you: Set time aside for this album when you first listen to it. Sure, this will be great to listen to in the car on your way to work or anywhere else. But the real joy in this album will come when you, the listener, are able to drown everything else out and really zone in on the lyrics in the songs, and words and prayers during the narration. Start there, and I promise that the music will come alive – from the stunningly beautiful instrumentation during the narrations, to the orchestral touches and acoustic guitar textures that carry you through the album.

All in all, I hope you are propelled to engage on your own personal pursuit of God. (Quick note, Lead Sheet Plus charts are available for all songs at www.lifewayworship.com)

-Review by Chris Olson

Shownotes for 3/24/10: Interview with Dwayne Moore

On this episode, Wisdom takes a trip to Alabama for a face to face talk with Pure Praise author and Worship Pastor, Dwayne Moore. We touch base on the All About Worship retreat coming in May along with a toolbox segment featuring Jonathan Riggs with LifewayWorship.com. And a strange story from Ben about his daughter’s prayer on Easter.

All About Worship Retreat

Now is the time! Register today!  Log on to www.WorshipeRetreat.org On this episode, Wisdom reveals some of our food selections for dinner.  And yes…vegetarians are welcome and encouraged to attend! We also reveal that on Friday, May 21, there will be an acoustic night of worship with Jared Anderson, Darrell Evans, Tommy Walker and more.  This worship night will be open to the public.

Check out the line up for the retreat and register now…seriously….go here and do it.

Worship Leader Toolbox

Check out this great resource by our friends at Lifeway.  Jonathan Riggs stops by the show to talk about LifewayWorship.com and its’ resources to help the congregational worship leader.  Check out the Worship Charts and Worship Tracks. GREAT resources for worship leaders “on the go”.  Worship Map is also a fantastic way to help the worship leader plan services.  A great tool for any worship team. Check them out at www.LifewayWorship.com.  You can follow Lifeway Worship on Twitter and also follow Jonathan on Twitter. You can also stop by Jonathan’s blog.  And of course…don’t forget the amazing SUPERCHARTS resource.

HUGE thanks to LifwayWorship for offering our listeners a promo code for 5 free downloads. In the checkout type out: allaboutworship-032010

Show Links

• AllAboutWorshipRetreat.org. You know what to do…why wait? Dwayne’s the key speaker.
• LifewayWorship.com. Check out this great resource. Don’t forget the promo code for our listeners for 5 free downloads: allaboutworhsip-032010
• NextLevelWorship.com. Stop by Dwayne’s great site for worship leaders and church leaders.
• NextLevelWorship Giveaway. Check out what Dwayne’s giving away.
• Blog.NextLevelWorship.com. Leave a comment for Dwayne and say hi from the All About Worship podcast!
• Pure Praise Study. We canNOT preach the importance of this book for worship teams everywhere. A MUST HAVE.
• Dwayne on Twitter. Follow Dwayne!
• Dwayne on Facebook. Go be his friend…Dwayne loves friends.
• Contact us. Visit Wisdom’s site here. Visit Ben’s site here.  Email us at podcast@allaboutworship.com or call us and leave a voicemail at 913-735-4229.  You can also follow @AllAboutWorship on Twitter.  Follow Ben on Twitter. Follow Wisdom on Twitter.

All About Worship Premium Update

It’s coming in April.  Get ready.  Wisdom has been working hard and we’re getting some fantastic giveaways, discounts and partnerships with some of our friends like IntegrityDirect.com, MusicAdemy.com, WorshipPlanning.com and more! Stay tuned for more announcements as we gear up to offering All About Worship Premium.

Listener Assignment

We have a new feature to the podcast.  We want to hear from you.  We’ve all heard from some of the most influential worship leaders, songwriters and artists from around the world…and now…it’s YOUR turn.  Your assignment should you choose to accept, is to call us and leave a voicemail answering this question:

Who has been the most influential worship leader in your life and why?

Call us with your answer at 913.735.4229. State your name, local church or city and state then tell us who has influenced you the most and why.

Thank you to Jonathan and Dwayne for being a part of the show this week. Thanks also to LifewayWorship.com for the special discount for the BEST listeners in the world!!! And as always…THANK YOU for listening and for your support.  Go tell a friend a neighbor and others about the podcast.  Thanks for the love everyone!!!

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