2/5
Music to Paint By is a four disc set of albums. Each album has its own subtitle: Splash, Brushstrokes, Electric Blue and Still Life. Distributed by an imprint of Christian label Word, the albums are recorded, engineered and produced by Keaggy and he really needed someone else to be more involved. There is perhaps an album’s worth of good material that deserves salvaging. Word records would later reduce the set down into 2 CDs of material (with bonus tracks) as 2001’s Cinemascapes and In the Quiet Hours.
Still Life is very hit or miss. Like all the records in the Music to Paint By series, it feels rushed and underproduced. There are some highlights. “Allegria” is an acoustic standout here. It will appear the following year on Keaggy’s Lights of Madrid album. “Old Friends” is a sweet, mellow acoustic track while ”Waterfall” feels like an outtake from Master and Musician. “Way of the Painter C” an enjoyable, lively, acoustic number. “Blue Planet,” is an acoustic/electric track that builds into a nice bridge. The rest of the album’s 14 tracks are forgettable. Allmusic Guide gave the record 1.5/5 - tied for the lowest review of his career.
Keaggy released the album to his Bandcamp with an bonus song in 2019.