Day 495 - Michael Omartian - Here He Comes

495. Michael Omartian - Here He Comes
From the album Adam Again
(Atlantic, 2000)

"[Michael Omartian] may be responsible for the sale of more music than any artist in CCM. Between producing, performing and creating, [he] has been involved directly with albums that have sold a combined half a billion units!

Unlike many artists and producers in CCM, Omartian has been equally involved with both worlds of music consistently throughout his career. He was working with mainstream artists in the early 70′s as well as working with Barry McGuire and Second Chapter of Acts at the same time.

Omartian got his musical start as a part of Campus Crusade for Christ’s traveling musical group, The New Folk. But it wouldn’t be long before he was working with Steely Dan, Loggins and Messina and Rod Stewart. All the while he would earn a living as a top paid keyboardist performing with the best in the industry on both sides of the musical fence.
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The album is meticulously produced with some of the finest musicians on the planet directly involved. The credit lists reads like a who’s who in both Christian and mainstream music worlds. It’s important to remember that this was released in 1976 and was not 'behind the times' like many 'pop music' releases in the Christian market, and was actually right in line with what was happening musically with the funk and soul influences combined with pop and the early strains of disco influenced white dance music and string arrangements.

Themes are just as 'Christian' as anything in Jesus Music at the time, but Omartian avoided the normal 'buzz words' associated with the genre. His goal was to create music with a Christian worldview that would be challenging and exhorting to Christians without alienating any listening audience.

The album features the work of Dean Parks, Larry Carlton, Ernie Watts and Lee Ritenour. Serious music aficionados would be impressed with just a guest appearance from any of those listed let along all of them appearing on one project. For those not as informed about studio and jazz musicians, these guys are the bomb; the very, very best in the world. And it shows on the project. Add to that the fact that Omartian belongs right with them on the list and it is no wonder why this project is so highly regarded.
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The album closes with the six-minute epic, progressive rock number dealing with the coming of Christ, Here He Comes. As dealt with exhaustively throughout this blog, the topic of the second Coming and Rapture (especially the dominant  Dispositional view) was the single most popular topic for musicians in the Jesus Music era. But few expressed the topic in such a wonderful and artistic way.

Classical and progressive, with a dull compliment of instrumentation, time signature changes and huge choral vocals. Very uplifting and powerful. The chorus is reminiscent of a Second Chapter of Acts melody. Few have duplicated this song for taking a musical expression and having it perfectly match the content while remaining completely current.

There is not a throw away on the entire project, and it withstands the test of time significantly better than most albums from that time period. The production is brilliant and miles ahead of its contemporaries. Simply brilliant!" (source: CCM's 500 Best Albums)

Here is the original studio released music video for the song: