Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Music Review


Mark D. Conklin, 'The Gospel According to Mark'
CLICK COVER TO ENLARGE

Mark D. Conklin
The Gospel According to Mark



Genre(s): Roots Gospel / Southern Gospel
Album length: 24 tracks: 61 minutes
Street Date: May 17, 2024


READER RATING:   


A trend that has been popping up in the Christian scene over the past couple years has been to take one of the four gospels (or the overall Gospel story) and craft an epic album based on Jesus' life. Joining the table from an unlikely direction is roots gospel artist (or rock 'n' soul, as he terms it) Mark D. Conklin. A music executive turned singer/songwriter, Conklin decided to follow up his 2020 EP Starting Over with a more ambitious project. The Gospel According to Mark is, on one hand, a clever play on words, but also a literal walkthrough of the shortest gospel. Grammy-winning artist Gloria Gaynor serves as narrator, reading selected passages from Mark before the other Mark launches into a song inspired by that passage, often joined by a wide array of artists who also have their own Grammy success stories. The result is a 24-track album that only clocks in at a little over an hour, serving as a snappy journey through what some theologians call the "action gospel."

The way this reviewer has heard most people tackle the life of Jesus is to retell the story in music-form. Conklin goes in a slightly different direction. While Gaynor's readings serve to let the listener know where they're at in the gospel, the songs themselves don't always hold to the narrative. Probably half of the tunes try to condense an application from the passage into a 3-4 minute song. A track like "Into the River" takes its cue from Jesus' baptism, while the song itself personalizes it as a metaphor of letting go of worries to embrace Christ. "Through the Storm" is another standout, taking Jesus calming the raging sea and noting how He brings us through our storms today. "Devil in the Temple" actually takes the story of Jesus casting out the money changers in the temple and puts an apocalyptic spin on it. Other songs, like "Make Way" or "Rise (Faith of Jairus)," are more closely linked to their corresponding verses. The overall more applicational approach of Conklin to these passages works in the album's favor. Straight retellings are harder to pull off, but focusing on what we can learn from each passage makes The Gospel more accessible.

The music is potentially where some people might turn away from this project. Southern Gospel as a style isn't everyone's cup of tea, but give credit to Conklin for finding ways to keep the sound fresh and engaging throughout the record. The first couple of musical tracks ("Make Way" and "Into the River") follow the typical Southern Gospel trajectory, but with "The Calling," Conklin introduces some flavor to the mix. Rather than starting off with full bombastic force, Conklin lets the track slowly build from a reverberating electric guitar and choir to a fuller sound. "Through the Storm," meanwhile, introduces some funk influence in the grooves of the drums and horn section. Other standouts include the darker "Devil in the Temple" (which does have the lead vocalist declaring, "Damn you, devil!" in the chorus), and the contemplative and vulnerable "Take This Cup." Going back to the comment that started this paragraph, I'm the type of listener who would put Gospel music on the edge of what I tolerate. That said, Conklin won me over in appreciating the genre by using such a wide mix of elements. The hosts of guest vocalists also help to give the record more electric energy than it would've had otherwise.

In one sense, using the Southern Gospel genre to retell the Gospel story feels like a natural choice. Yet, it seems that a longer concept album like The Gospel According to Mark is not par for the course. Mark D. Conklin's ambitious effort pays off, though, as his deft songwriting and organization help put together a memorable experience. Gloria Gaynor's narration also plays a huge role in making the overall pieces fit together. I don't typically think of this genre as one for innovation, and yet Conklin's The Gospel According to Mark proves to be a standout among other recent gospel-centered long form projects. Even if the genre isn't your normal cup of tea, this is still a journey worth considering.

- Review date: 8/20/24, written by John Underdown of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

 

. Record Label: StowTown Records
. Album length: 24 tracks: 61 minutes
. Street Date: May 17, 2024
. Buy It: Apple Music
. Buy It: Amazon Music (MP3)

  1. Mk 1:1-3 (0:25)
  2. Make Way (feat. Ernie Haase & Signature Sound) (3:46)
  3. Mk 1:4-8 (0:56)
  4. Into the River (feat. Fisk Jubilee Singers) (3:13)
  5. Mk 1:16-20 (0:49)
  6. The Calling (feat. The McCrary Sisters) (3:59)
  7. Mk 4:35-41 (1:13)
  8. Through the Storm (feat. Rita Wilson) (4:04)
  9. Mk 5:21-43 (2:06)
  10. Rise (Faith of Jairus) (3:47)
  11. Mk 9:14-24 (1:51)
  12. Unbelief (feat. T. Graham Brown) (3:54)
  13. Mk 11:15-19 (0:56)
  14. Devil in the Temple (feat. Mike Farris) (3:52)
  15. Mk 11:22-25 (0:54)
  16. Believe (feat. Joseph Rice) (3:17)
  17. Mk 12:28-34 (1:23)
  18. The Greatest is Love (feat. Wendy Moten) (3:09)
  19. Mk 14:32-42 (1:53)
  20. Take This Cup (feat. Fairfield Four) (3:33)
  21. Mk 15:25-39 (2:14)
  22. Oh, Lonely Day (feat. John Berry & Rhonda Vincent) (4:37)
  23. Mk 16:1-8 (1:52)
  24. Good News (feat. Lenesha Randolph, Joseph Rice & Fisk Jubilee Singers) (3:07)

 

 

 



Leave a Comment

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 


(JFH Sponsor Spot)

 

 

                 
Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

Search JFH



This Sunday, February 2, 2025
SINGLES
His Kingdom Suffers Lord Open My Eyes - Single [The Charon Collective]

This Friday, February 7, 2025
ALBUMS
Ryan Ellis It's Gonna Be Alright, Better Days Are Coming - EP [Provident]
Impending Doom Towards the Light - EP (independent)
JOHNNYSWIM When The War is Over (independent)
Living Fire Christ Supremacy [Thumper Punk Records]
Leigh Nash The Tide, Vol. 2 - EP [Visionary]
Pyramid Park Cyclones & Silence (independent)
Wilder Woods Curioso [Dualtone]

SINGLES
Alexxander Tres Deseos - Single [Reach]
Anchor Hymns Where Can I Go That My Maker Won't Be? - Single [Integrity]
Luke Barbosa Cinnamon - Single (independent)
The Belonging Co A New Eden (Live) [feat. Lauren Sloat] - Single [Capitol CMG]
bodie whisper and the wind (feat. Gracie Binion) - Single [Provident]
Brennley Brown Sanctuary - Single [Provident]
Steven Curtis Chapman Forever the Love of My Life - Single [The Fuel]
for KING & COUNTRY 40 - Single [Capitol CMG]
Forrest Frank SUNRISE - Single (independent)
Free Worship Una Y Otra Vez - Single [BEC]
FYR FYTR Father Time - Single (independent)
Gather Worship The Image - Single [Integrity]
GRAND MOTEL I Have Come To Set The World On Fire, And I Wish It Were Already Burning! - Single (independent)
Jason Gray Sparrows Acoustic - Single [Centricity]
Matt Hammitt No Matter the Cost - Single (independent)
Benjamin William Hastings If It Wasn't for Jesus (from the Studio) - Single [Capitol CMG]
ICF Worship New Heights - Single [Integrity]
KB We Still Believe (HLY Forever) - Single [Provident]
The Kingsmen I'm Saved - Single [Horizon]
Brandon Lake Hard Fought Hallelujah (feat. Jelly Roll) - Single [Provident]
Tasha Layton Faithful Still - Single [BEC]
LIFE Worship He's My God - Single [Integrity]
Vic Lucas P31 - Single [Syntax]
MIAJAIRIAN Help Me God - Single [Syntax]
Kevi Morse Hyper Focus - Single [Syntax]
Tenielle Neda Wisdom of the Cross - Single (independent)
Tommee Profitt Lost (feat. Sam Tinnesz, Billy Ray Cyrus) - Single [Capitol CMG]
River Valley AGES Best Thing - Single [BEC]
Tommy Royale Bandera - Single [Capitol CMG]
Rusty Shipp All Aboard! - Single (independent)
Xander Sallows Highlight - Single [DREAM]
Matt Sassano Not Unreachable - Single (independent)
Small Voice The Ring - Single (independent)
Solachi Voz Double Helix - Single [Syntax]
TAYA One and Only - Single [Capitol CMG]
TobyMac Can't Stop Me - Single [Capitol CMG]
Visitor Pass Hope We Die - Single (independent)
We Are Messengers Somewhere In Her Dreams - Single [Curb]

Next Friday, February 14, 2025
ALBUMS
Marvin Sapp If I Were an R&B Singer - EP [Elev8]
Sidewalk Prophets Looking Up [Curb]
Denison Witmer Anything At All [Asthmatic Kitty]

SINGLES
7eventh Time Down His Mercy is More - Single [BEC]
Diatheke The Creator - Single [Rottweiler]
Fine China Fraught With Danger - Single [Velvet Blue]
Olivia Lane Who God Says You Are - Single [BEC]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Check out the newest JFH Metal compilation - FREE!
Get JFH's 13th free indie compilation now!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images