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A priest, a teacher and a CD of songs
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A priest, a teacher and a CD of songs - it sounds like a punchline, but it is not. Instead, this is a review of an inspiring and highly listenable local music release.
There’s a certain formulaic sound to a lot of contemporary Christian music. That doesn’t make it bad, but it is refreshing to hear an album of spiritual and religious music that is more subtle and less clichéd. The songs on the self-produced CD by Father Scott Mansfield and Rob Martinez are also quite catchy. There is no mistaking the influence of the Beatles and other 60’s/70’s rock and popular music.
Mansfield is a Roman Catholic priest currently serving dual assignment with St. Thomas Aquinas parish and the St. John Vianney Mission Church, both in Rio Rancho. He’s been a priest for a number of years, but before he answered the call to his vocation he worked as a radio DJ, including a stint with KZRR 94 Rock. His lifestyle is much different now, but his love of the music he grew up with has stayed with him.
Martinez is a high school history teacher with Rio Rancho, but he’s played music for years and is also quite active in his Catholic faith. You can discover more about him at his web site, RobSong.com.
The two met when they were both in junior high in 1977. According to Mansfield it was just days before Elvis Presley died. Martinez remembers them being adversaries at first who came together over their love of music.
Ten songs make up the CD, titled simply Fr. Scott Mansfield – Rob Martinez. There really isn’t a bad tune on the release. The opening track, You Alone, is a bouncy and catchy worship song. The second track, Babe in the Backyard, is an ode to a boy’s dog who was happy and fun but deathly afraid of lightning. When he died they buried him in the backyard where he would no longer fear nature’s bright flashes.
Let Him Know encourages us to take it all to God, to trust in a loving Heavenly Father who wants the best for all his children. Fly Away To Jesus is melancholy and poignant in its heart-wrenching grief over a friend who’s passed away. And if you’ve ever had one of those days when everything seemed to go wrong you’ll readily relate to Hard Day.
Once In Awhile speaks of Jesus’ love for getting away for quiet time and contemplation. On the song The Amazing Disappearing Man a friend attempts to comfort another over a failed romance (“he promised to love, to hold you and keep / he said he’d make you his wife but he got on his bike and disappeared. It’s a bad dream – I know”). The CD even has a touch of psychedelia with Angels On The Wing. Clearly these two composers know something about song structure, melody and composition.
In speaking to both Mansfield and Martinez I learned that they collaborated over several months on the songwriting and recording.
“We usually make an acoustic vocal demo of my tunes then construct the other parts around it. For Father's tunes, he is pretty good about getting his ideas down and then I play bass on the track and do some vocals” says Martinez.
They used the Apple software program called Garage Band to record and mix the songs on computer. Both men play guitars and they used a Taylor and Alvarez acoustic along with a Fender Telecaster. Martinez added bass parts, mainly with his beloved Rickenbacker.
It was a conscious decision to not record an album of “in your face” Christian music. “It is really a preference” states Fr. Scott. “Rob and I discussed this at length one day and decided to take a more subtle approach. I think our music is a good balance between the more obvious stuff and more subtle stuff.”
Adds Rob, “I really wanted to do some subtle things, as opposed to bashing people over the head with real obvious messages. There is nothing wrong with that approach, but we were real conscious of not doing that.”
The bouncy rhythms and catchy chords of many of the songs would sound great live or fleshed out with a complete band and perhaps that will someday happen. In the meantime, they continue to write songs together and have plans for future releases.
“We are almost finished with the next CD. I really like what we have coming up” says Mansfield. “I feel it is more versatile, as regards styles of music, and Fr. Scott is singing more on this new project” adds Martinez. “On the current CD, I do like ninety percent of the vocals. Father will sing a lot more on the new CD.”
The proceeds from sales of the CD are going to Project Defending Life, a pro-life ministry both men avidly support. “They do great work defending the unborn and their mothers” says Fr. Mansfield.
This is an enjoyable collection of songs I’ve grown fonder of with repeated listening. I also must mention the tasteful photography included in the artwork of the release.
CDs can be purchased at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Rio Rancho, at Holy Family Religious Supply in Albuquerque, and at Corner Stone Religious Goods in Santa Fe.
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