Music Review: Let the Worshipers Arise by Phillips, Craig, & Dean

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Several good praise and worship songs

Cons: Some repetitive lyrics; the title track

The Bottom Line:

Weakest from trio

Of trio's worship music

It's good but not great

Phillips, Craig, & Dean's Third Worship Project Slips Just Slightly

n the early part of this decade, trio Phillips, Craig, and Dean released a trio of worship projects.  Let the Worshipers Arise is the final one of these.  While I do enjoy it for the most part, it isn't quite up to the first two.

My problem with the disc is several songs where the lyrics are repetitive.  I'm not a fan of mindless repetition, so you can imagine how annoying this repetition gets.  (And yes, I am being repetitive in this paragraph on purpose.)

For example, the disc opens with "Friend of God."  The song is a good, upbeat opener.  It actually starts with some strings before keyboard and guitar take over.  The part that gets annoying is the chorus.  It repeats "I am a friend of God" three times before saying "He calls me friend."  Mind you, I love the verses that marvel that the God of the universe calls wants to know us.  But the chorus gets repeated so many times I kind of kills the song for me.

Also falling into that trap is "My Redeemer Lives."  The title is repeated quite a bit before the song is over.  It is another upbeat number that is fun to sing along with.  But I find my mind tuning away and not really focusing due to the repetition.

Fortunately, the majority of the songs keep the repetition down to a minimum.

As with the previous entries, the guys recorded some familiar worship choruses.  There aren't quite as many here as in the past.  When this came out in 2004, "In Christ Alone" was really hitting churches hard.  They include all four verses of this modern hymn along with the chorus of the Michael English classic "In Christ Alone" spliced in before the final verse.  It works quite well.  They stick with a middle of the road tempo and bring in enough instruments for a full sound of keyboard, drums, and guitar.  It's a great arrangement.  And here's some trivia for you.  Member Shawn Criag co-wrote the Michael English song "In Christ Alone" back in 1990.  Who knew?

The other big classic here is "Wonderful Merciful Savior."  This is a piano and strings heavy disc closer that is perfect.  It's just about the tempo I used to lead it myself.

Considering Matt Redman wrote it, I suspect I should have heard of "Making Melody."  But this disc is the only place I know it from.  But I like what I've heard.  It's a nice upbeat song heavy on the keyboard and percussion.

The other tradition kept for this disc is at least one new song co-written by each of the guys.  Actually, Shawn Craig contributes two songs he co-wrote to the effort.  The first is "Because I'm Forgiven."  Strings and guitar form the basis of the upbeat worship anthem praising God for his forgiveness.  His other contribution was co-written with Chris Tomlin.  "Mighty is the Power of the Cross" is a much slower, more reverent song focusing on the cross of Jesus.  Interestingly, it features guest vocals by Christy Nockels, then of Watermark, now a solo artist.

Dan Dean's contribution is "Be the Praise of My Heart."  It's more a prayer as they ask for their lives to match the words they sing so that their actions will reflect their praise to God.  Yikes!  It's at the upper side of the mid-tempo range with a strong guitar presence.

Randy Phillips; song is "Awake My Soul (Christ is Formed in Me)."  Another prayer, this song asks for God's presence in our lives.  It starts slow, but it picks up speed as they hit the chorus.  And it has plenty of guitar and piano.

I must say the title track is a bit of a disappointment on this disc.  "Let the Worshippers Arise" is just generally a bland song.  It's not especially good or bad.  It's just kind of there.

ON the other hand, I love "You are God Along (not a god)."  I will admit it skirts the repetitive lyrics I was complaining about earlier, but the praise to the only true God is so genuine, I just love it.  It's one of the slower tracks with steady guitar on the verses and an orchestra joining them on the chorus.

For the most part, Let the Worshipers Arise is a strong praise CD.  It's just not quite as good as Phillips, Craig, and Dean have done in the past.

CD Length: 48:46

Tracks:

1. Friend of God

2. Because I'm Forgiven

3. You are God Along (not a god)

4. In Christ Alone (medley)

5. Let the Worshippers Arise

6. My Redeemer Lives

7. Be the Praise of My Heart

8. Awake My Soul (Christ is Formed in Me)

9. Making Melody

10. Might is the Power of the Cross

11. Wonderful Merciful Savior