Description
There’s More to Living Than I Know So Far is the debut album by the American folk singer and songwriter Linda Rich, released on InterVarsity Records in 1969, a division of Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship, a student movement active on campuses and hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of nursing in the USA. Rich began writing songs while a student at Wichita State University and recorded her debut album before graduating. Accompaniment by Ron Steele and associates.
After Ralph Carmichael’s sound track for the movie The Restless Ones came Linda Rich. Christian youth music was heading in a new direction. Rich brought Christian Folk music to a whole new level that was more intellectual and more poetic. Her influence in Christian groups on college campuses was huge in the late 60’s. Much of what happened in the music of the Jesus People movement can be traced back to her. The songs from this album could be heard in college churches and gatherings well into the 70’s. Linda Rich released two more album, Patterns and Apple Tree. (“Lord of Reality: Christian Songs for Today’s Youth”, a Tyndale House Publishers songbook published in 1973, featured about a dozen Linda Rich songs, with piano, words and guitar chords.)
I doubt you’ll find a prettier voice than in the early simple folk offerings of Linda Rich. The producers wisely chose to use an austere approach. Often all we hear backing Linda’s resonant alto voice is here classical guitar (the title song, «One Day», «The Shadows Sing», «The Edges Of His Ways»). When she’s backed by cello, flute, or clarinet (as on «Sunlight, Shadow», «Clouds Above», «Come Unto Me»), the effect is more classical, not pop or easy listening. Linda’s compositions may be lyrically-simple praise offerings or poetically rich, almost Cockburn-esque descriptions. As the album title suggests, this is not just a “hey-folks-I’ve-got-all-the-answers” Christian record. Consider these lyrics from «Song Without Words»: “sorrowful – yet not sad, happy – and yet not glad; searching – yet I know the Way; Father, teach and lead me day by day”. Her guitar playing is uncomplicated but proficient. Some tunes like «Man Of Galilee» and «Walking With Jesus» became youth group favorites. My personal pick is «Tomorrow’s Mountain», a briskly strummed minor-key song enhanced by flute accompaniment. Especially with the recent resurgence of interest in folk music, people would do well to discover Linda Rich. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th Edition]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “There’s More” – 2:20
A2. “Sunlight, Shadow” – 2:14
A3. “Things” – 2:45
A4. “Clouds Above” – 2:07
A5. “One Day” – 1:58
A6. “Tomorrow’s Mountain” – 3:05
Side Two
B1. “Man Of Galilee” – 2:05
B2. “Song Without Words” – 2:05
B3. “The Shadows Sing” – 2:02
B4. “Walking With Jesus” – 2:23
B5. “The Edges Of His Ways” – 2:45
B6. “Come Unto Me” – 1:33
Note: Limited Edition CD re-issue of There’s More To Living Than I Know So Far and Patterns in Korea.
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