Kevin Max’s newest project, SERVE SOMEBODY, will officially be released on July 7th. This is the third in a series of MEANDERS MUSIC posts counting down to the release. Prior posts: The Hard Way – Existence
TODAY is the day that CCM Magazine is hosting the world premiere of Kevin Max’s cover of “Creed,” a classic anthem originally performed by the late Rich Mullins and released on his album A LITURGY, A LEGACY, AND A RAGAMUFFIN BAND in 1993. As noted in my review of SERVE SOMEBODY (slated for release on July 7):
“Creed,” is a load-bearing song on the Rich Mullins album it first appeared on. Max scored a major victory in his cover version by retaining the song’s characteristic identity. In terms of musical style, Max’s cover stands alone against the music landscape of 2017, much like the original, and comparable to the way Johnny Cash’s songs stood apart from the general rock and country music markets of his time. This is not a pop radio song. It’s bigger than that — in sound, in weight, and sincerity of sentiment — while still retaining a universal, appeal.
Personally, I’m particularly intrigued by this cover because of the triangulated rolls that the late Rich Mullins, the late Brennan Manning, and Kevin Max played in breaking through and invigorating my understanding of who I am in relation to God, my Abba. As noted in the first pages of THE RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL by Brennan Manning, Manning’s proclamation of the power of God’s grace had a notable influence on the perspective, life, and subsequent creative output of Rich Mullins. Likewise, Manning had a tangible impact on DC Talk as evidenced by the inclusion of Manning’s words into the beginning of, “What If I Stumble,” on DC Talk’s seminal 1995 release JESUS FREAK. A few years later, I stumbled upon a social media post by Kevin Max about Manning which piqued my interest and led me to purchase THE RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL for myself. Since that time it has been the rubber-meets-the-road, sincere, broken, transparency of a ragamuffin, often embodied by the likes of Mullins, Manning, and Max, that I’ve identified most personally with as a follower of Jesus. So, Max’s decision to cover “Creed” is of no small consequence to me as it symbolizes a culminated representation of my own story and the life that I’ve found through Christ despite my brokenness. The clip below features an introduction by Rich Mullins that is loaded with wisdom and followed by the original version of “Creed.” Check it out and, also, check out the new version by Kevin Max as featured by CCM Magazine and on SERVE SOMEBODY EP by Kevin Max, to be released on July 7th.
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