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Cincinnati Post
May 25, 2000

by Stephen Huba

OVER THE RHINE HAS SPOT ON 'ROARING LAMBS'

The Cincinnati band Over the Rhine is one of 16 contributors to the much-anticipated CD ''Roaring Lambs'' (Squint Entertainment), a collection of original songs from national artists who broadly identify themselves as Christian but with audiences outside any narrowly defined religious subculture.

The Over the Rhine cut, ''Goodbye,'' is the first new song from Over the Rhine since 1999's ''Amateur Shortwave Radio.'' The group, currently on a mini-tour with Cowboy Junkies, is working on a new album for Virgin/Backporch Records.

On ''Roaring Lambs,'' Over the Rhine shares space with Burlap to Cashmere, Jars of Clay, Sixpence None the Richer and Charlie Peacock, among others.

Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman, two of contemporary Christian music's biggest stars, contribute a first-ever duet.

The CD, due in stores on Tuesday, has been getting heavy attention in the Christian-music press.

The inclusion of Over the Rhine is a bit of a surprise.

''Over the Rhine has never been part of the Christian-music market,'' said group leader and founder Linford Detweiler in a recent interview. But, he noted, ''when you do something you love to do, life is full of surprising twists and unexpected rabbit trails.''

Detweiler said he agreed to be a part of ''Roaring Lambs'' through the invitation of producer extraordinaire Steve Taylor, president of Nashville-based Squint Entertainment and the guiding force behind the project.

''Roaring Lambs'' gets its name and inspiration from a 1993 book by Bob Briner, a leading TV sports executive from Dallas who succumbed to cancer last year.

In the book, Briner argues that Christians have abdicated their role as culture-shapers and suggests ways they can become ''roaring lambs'' - gentle influencers through the arts, media, education and business. The book has become a source of inspiration to artists and recording executives.

Detweiler said he was unaware of the book until he was given a copy by Taylor. ''I began flipping through the book and realized that it was addressing some issues that I had thought about a fair bit over the years,'' he said.

The product of an Amish upbringing in eastern Ohio and the son of a minister, Detweiler has played around with Christian themes in his songwriting for years. But institutional Christianity is something with which he's never been too comfortable.

''People like C.S. Lewis, Frederick Buechner, Thomas Merton, Flannery O'Connor, Annie Dillard and others were almost missionary-like in their ability to instruct, delight and carry me at times,'' he said.

''They certainly helped keep me interested in spiritual issues and dilemmas.''

Detweiler believes the duty of an artist with spiritual commitments is first and foremost to produce good art that speaks for itself.

''Art is not about advancing a system of beliefs. It's purer than that,'' he said.

''Artists should allow themselves to be swept upstream in a creative tradition that is greater than any individual or creed.''