CRIER (2012) by Bill Mallonee

(Album photo by: Muriah Rose
Christmas. Most of mankind's grandest hopes are wrapped up in flesh & blood of Him who they call Jesus, the Savior of the world. He came at a time when the ancient world was starving for love. Caste systems were inviolable and military might "made right."
Into that world appears Christ. With a Sermon on some Mountain guaranteed to blow your mind.
People tend to forget just how "disowned" he was. Right off the top. We forget that He was disowned by the authorities both political & religious. God "scandalizes" us by deciding to "appear" among the meek, the lowly, the poor, the marginalized. He "scandalizes" our sensibilities still to this day.
I know at an early age all the joys and expectations of Advent & Christmas narratives (whether they are history or memories nuanced with touches of zealous imagination) somehow seeped into this small child's imagination and have been inspiring him ever since.

Jesus. The Mystery we are compelled to love.
It often happens that the people who are supposed to "represent" Him here do the worst and bloodiest damage throughout mankind's dismal history, I have all sympathy with those for feel they must "turn away" from such representations of Christ, the man of Peace.
Christ seems to "take us where we're at."

I'm convinced He's more concerned about each of us 'learning His heart." And then trying to live it out, however stumbling we may be in our "first steps." We begin, by accepting our acceptance. We begin by recognizing our deep need and broken-ness. An empty cup he seems to be all-too-ready to fill.

Then the simple exchanges of just talking to Him daily & listening become a way of transformation from within and into the world in which we live. We get use to our own skin. And we learn to love the spirits of our fellow travelers. Our brothers & sisters.The world is starving for such manifestations of that Love.
That's some of what these songs are about....
Joy & courage on your journey,
bill mallonee
Advent/Christmas 2012
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Album notes:
I have this very old nondescript nylon string Spanish guitar. It figured deeply and beautifully in the writing of these songs and in the making of "CRIER." (I paid maybe $60 at a pawn shop in Athens, Ga years ago.) It has a neck on it like a baseball bat. Meaning it's just so THICK and unwieldy to grasp that there are just some chords I can't play on it.
You have to wrestle the hell out of it to make music on it.
Call it a friendly "skirmish."
BUT, it is without a doubt, a oddly inspiring instrument. I have used it on numerous WPA recordings. The guitar possesses a wonderful," throaty" tone. Good guitars are mysterious and this one truly is. Not much on beauty, but it's character" bids a closer look.
It's natural 'voice," to my ears anyway, seems to have a sort of acoustic "wisdom" in it. Songwriters live for these sorts of "finds."
It sounds "authentic," worn and humble....
Like it came with the "stories" & songs waiting to be un-packed.

Tracklist

1.	TO REACH OUT TO ME	6:03

2.	GATHER THE LITTLE LAMBS IN	5:27

3.	CHRISTMAS IN BABYLON BOURBON ON BREATH	4:54

4.	SHEPHERD'S REMINISCE	5:27

5.	BLUE SHADOW CANYON	1:15

6.	TO REACH OUT TO ME (acoustic/alt. version)	5:13

Credits

released December 20, 2012

Bill Mallonee:
guitars, acoustic steel 6 string, Spanish nylon string, string & harp arrangements, drum programming, harmonica.

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