Paul Clark - Hand To The Plow album - #50 all time CCM 500 Best Album list

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50. Hand to the Plow – Paul Clark

HAND TO THE PLOW (1977)

YouTube: Hand To The Plow song

Paul Clark

When conversation inevitably move to discussions revolving 

around the formation of CCM and the Jesus Movements 

“Jesus Music” world, many names take center stage. 

Larry Norman, Barry McGuire, Annie Herring and Randy Stonehill 

tend to be the focal point of conversations with the list of 

artists that were birthed at Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa

like Love Songs, Mustard Seed Faith and Daniel Amos.

But when conversing with the artists mentioned above, 

the name most often brought up is that of musician extraordinaire, 

Paul Clark. Noted as one of the finest (possibly the finest) 

songwriter of the time and a world class musician of his own, 

Clark was instrumental in bring CCM to a whole new level of 

quality and acceptance.

After four very well received and reviewed projects, 

Clark nearly single-handedly raised the bar to a whole 

new stratosphere with “Hand to the Plow.” Putting down 

his acoustic guitar and worship framed lyrical and musical

focus, Clark joined forces with some of the finest musicians

 to ever grace a CCM project and invented the first real 

“classic rock” Christian album.

Seven minute jams featuring precise piano, swinging sax and 

grooving guitars, the album is brilliant from the opening piano 

interlude to the fading final string note. While the rest of the 

Jesus Music world was still peddling relatively safe and “dated” 

country rock and folk, Clark was piercing the speakers with 

R&B/Soul rhythms and progressive rock prowess 

unforeseen at time.

From the grainy cover of a wrinkled, weathered and worn 

hand of old man grasping a wooden plow to the stellar 

production quality, there is very little that was not groundbreaking. 

Clark’s voice was never this edgy or passionate in his 

previous releases. There is more Moody Blues, Pink Floyd 

and Steely Dan here than in the rest of CCM at the time combined.

Even listening to this album as I write this review I am in 

awe of just how much I feel like I am listening to any other 

classic rock album of note during the same time period. 

Bobby Cotton’s production is so rich and textured and 

the songs are not watered down for Sunday Morning 

consumption. This was real, contemporary and utterly 

relevant; well before those words lost their meaning in 

the modern Church movement.

The album features what would later become the bedrock 

of the amazing jazz group, Koinonia. Hadley Hockensmith, 

Harlan Rogers and Bill Maxwell were joined by unheralded 

and uber-guitarist Curt Bartlett. But it would be Jim Hochanadel’s 

amazing saxophone work that would stick with listeners 

over three decades later.

The album kicks off with the seven minute title track that 

simply rocks. It would easily rank among the great Christian 

classic rock tunes if there were any that were even in its 

category. Borrowing from the Biblical image of the need to 

keep moving forward in our work for the Lord and not 

looking back to our former lives, Clark pounds his way 

through this epic. Here the guitar and saxophone work 

simply steal the show. But it is all based around Clark’s 

killer piano work.

Before this time the thought of an seven minute epic rock 

song that featured more instrumental time than lyrical time 

was simply unheard of. This was entering into the domain 

of bands like the Moody Blues and even the Allman Brothers 

with long instrumental breaks and, for lack of a better term , 

“jamming.” This was done live by the likes of Phil Keaggy, 

but was a real rarity on a studio recording. Clark’s ability to 

keep the musical interest with such a long instrumental song 

(especially to lead the album) is proof of his musical genius 

and great songwriting and arranging.

Things slow down immediately with the classical guitar tinged, 

“Spring of Life.” nearly liturgical in its feel and arrangement, 

this beautiful songs works as a perfect interlude between the

 two rock numbers that make up two of the first three songs 

on the project. This style would soon become the centerpiece 

musical expressions for artists like John Michael and terry Talbot.

“All I Need” is pure Jazz/R&B genius. The funk driven female 

backing vocals would sound like Riki Michelle of Adam Again 

20 years before. In fact, every listen to this song reminds me of 

just how much Gene Eugene was influenced by the same music 

that Clark delivers here. Everything from the funky keyboard 

rhythm (think early Stevie Wonder) and great Hammond 

organ solo to the funky guitar solo and thumping bass are 

pure funk/soul magic.

Another brilliant and more progressive rock sounding classic 

is “Shipwrecked.” Introduced by a beautiful orchestral arrangement, 

the song soon moves into something akin to the best from 

Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.” Slow and passionate 

like “Comfortably Numb,” Clark’s strong higher register is 

accompanied by, of all things, the harmonica. what would 

seem out of place, works perfectly here as the song turn 

more inspirational than dirge-like.

The smooth jazz many remember Clark for is most evident 

on “Love You So.” Clark’s voice rangers from a Phil Keaggy 

quality to almost a Stephen Bishop quality. The organ again 

finds itself the central driving force to this beautiful ballad 

before the amazing sax work takes center stage as the more 

jazz influence is delivered.

“Help Me to See” would have fit on any Glass Harp album 

and is the most Keaggy-like on the project. The song is a 

slow build rocker that features some of the finer blues-influenced 

guitar solo work for the time. Moody and darker than most 

CCM at the time, the song is a Psalmists plea for direction 

and security.

Before the world of CCM discovered that automatic radio 

airplay that “wedding songs” provided an artist, Paul Clark 

wrote one of the finest wedding songs ever written. Ever.

The medley, “Woman…The Man That I Love” is six minutes

 long and features two separate songs that are merged to 

create a cohesive single expression. The duet, sung with 

Kelly Willard, is written from the perspective of both the 

woman and the man as the song changes musical expressions 

as each sings their glorious parts. The songs do blend in the 

final chorus as both sing simultaneously this stunning song.

“Now and Forevermore” shows Clark’s growth in the use 

of orchestral arrangements. here, not only does the orchestra 

support the melody, it carries the entire song. More classical 

than most ballads, the song is a worshipful reminder for 

communion and an expression of the covenantal faithfulness 

of God that is remembered in the sacrament.

The album closes with “One Final Word,” introduced with a 

harp and orchestra. the sound would later be more consistently 

applied by the like of Jeff Johnson.

This is as nearly flawless an album as any from the Jesus Music 

era. It is also gives reason why many of Clark’s peers hold 

him in such high regard. Not constrained to the parameters 

of common Jesus Music or CCM at the time, Clark’s innovative 

and original musical expressions made him a favorite among 

fans and artists.

He, for some reason, never received the long-term recognition 

he so richly deserved, as this album plainly presents. If there is 

an expression greater than “An Album You Should Own,” 

this album would deserve that classification. Though other 

Jesus Music albums will be ranked higher based on historical 

significance, very few can compete with this album.

Paul Clark - 2009

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Paul Clark (Christian musician)

• Songs from the Savior, Vol. 1 1972
• Songs from the Savior, Vol. 2 1972
• Come Into His Presence (Paul Clark and Friends) 1974
• Good To Be Home (Paul Clark and Friends) 1975
• Hand to the Plow 1976
• Change in the Wind 1978
• Aim for the Heart 1980
• New Horizon 1981
• Drawn to the Light 1982
• Out of the Shadow 1983
• Awakening from the Western Dream 1988
• When the Moon is Behind the Clouds 1992
• Private World 1995
• Resonate 1996
• Christmas 1998
• Call of the Canyon 2001
• Approaching Jerusalem 2009
• "The Shorter The Trailer The Longer The Road" or "Songs From The Trailer VOL.IV" 2012
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Click here: Paul Clark's website