Reviews (7)

Her First is Her Best
I am a huge Amy Grant fan.She is one of the most talented artist musicians of our times.Her early albums are very uplifting and refreshing, especially this one.I love listening to her sing as a teen, with her talent already very pronounced and the spiritual component of her music so prominent in the lyrics.A must have for any Amy Grant fan, or anyone who enjoys Christian music.

awesome amy!
Amy's first Album, simply titled "Amy Grant" is so beatuiful. It truely captures the simplicity of a faith of a young person. Her vocals are that of a 17 year old,who in 1977, expressed how she felt through song. I really enjoy this album, Amy is also given a chance to display her PHENOMINAL (but early) songwriting skills on this album,as a few songs such as my favorite "Walking in the Light" display Amy's perspecive of a simply true and strong love for our Creator. Amy Grant has grown so much since this early recording- it's a great glimpse at the early work of chirstian music's ledgend!

Reviews (11)

I think the Father liked "My Father's Eyes"
Amy Grant's second release, MY FATHER'S EYES, became one of her best known albums. It spawned Amy her first #1 hit ("Father's Eyes"), and sold over 95,000 copies. Which was pretty good for a Christian artist in 1979. I personally like the words in "Father's Eyes" (And when I'm called to stand and tell just what you saw in me/More than anything I know/I want your words to be/She's got her Father's Eyes). It gives Amy Grant a sense of innocence. My favorites on this CD are "You Were There", "Giggle", and "Never Give You Up". Throughout the early '80s, MY FATHER'S EYES was labeled as one of the most popular albums in Christian history. Then in 1982, AGE TO AGE took the spotlight from this album. But overall, it's a pretty good album.

My Father's Eyes her second album
Amy Grants second album should have been part of the first album but I believe she wanted to savor the moments of her music by taking her time and releasing it separately. My father's Eyes reminds me of her first album. It's so beatiful her voice is still the same never changes even til today. Her songs are so uplifting and spiritually moving. I definitely recommend this album and her first album as well. But not to forget the other albums she did after this one are also something to brag about. In other words I recommend her other albums as well.

Reviews (8)

Young Amy Grant at her best
"Never Alone" was Amy Grant's third release, and Amy was only 20 years old when she released it, which was young for a Christian artist in the early 80s. But that doesn't make any difference to her songwriting abilities. This CD is one of Amy Grant's finest while she was still maturing on record. If you want to hear Amy at her best during the pre-Age To Age years, then buy this.

This one will never be alone!
I've been wanting to get NEVER ALONE for a long time. I finally did last month, along with MY FATHER'S EYES. But still, this CD will always be a companion to Amy's first 2 CDs (AMY GRANT and MY FATHER'S EYES). Starting with AGE TO AGE, Amy matures and vocalizes more. Still, this is a great album. I especially like the lion roar in the beginning of "Walking Away With You". This is #4 on my list.

Second to None
Sorry, "Chrisnu", your review is out to lunch (see review below).I know you are young and your musical tastes are different than mine, but I wonder if you even listened to this phenomenal album.

This is EASILY Amy's best work, and arguably the best CCM album ever made.The two albums before this one (Amy Grant and Father's Eyes) were "cutesy" but obviously from a young teenager.In this album, Amy comes of age (and in my opinion she peaked).The spiritual maturity is breathtaking; the sincerity has not ever been matched by another artist.Her two best albums since this one were also from the 80s, Age to Age and Lead Me On, but they lack the depth of this one.Her voice is also approaching it's peak here; in her more recent albums, the voice is forced and overproduced.

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Reviews (5)

Nice Intro to Early Amy Grant - With Live Performances
Despite the fact that Amy Grant would eventually crossover from a Christian Contemporary artist to a Pop artist, I've always found Amy's music to be reflective of the stages of her life she is going through. This was especially true of Amy's "Pop" era music from her 1990s releases: "Heart in Motion" (1991), "House of Love" (1994), and "Behind the Eyes" (1997). It was also true of her early years work. You will hear a stronger Christian influence on her early works than her later ones, but you will also hear the music of a young woman who is about to enter the world of adulthood.By 1981, Amy would have three solid albums released - "Amy Grant" (1977),"My Father's Eyes" (1979), and "Never Alone" (1980).Amy's fourth release (1981) would be a live album that would encompass selections from her first three albums. This album, 1981's "Amy Grant - In Concert" not only gives a nice portfolio of Amy's early works - it also provides it in a nice live setting.

"Amy Grant - In Concert" features 10 songs from the first three albums.The songs are distributed pretty much evenly from the three albums: "Amy Grant" (3 songs), "My Father's Eyes" (4 songs), and "Never Alone" (3 songs). There are also new original songs that had not been released before that are included in the collection.These songs are "Mimi's House" and "Singing a Love Song"."Mimi's House" was a song that was actually written by Amy that is meant to give tribute to her great grandmother (sadly, after the release of the album Amy's Great Grandmother would pass away). These aren't two of Amy's best songs, but they aren't bad either

An important thing is that while this may be "Christian" music, the "Contemporary" aspects of the music are alive and well. The melody sound of many of the songs will be right in line with the "contemporary sounds" of the soft music artists of the late 1970s and 1980s. You will also hear many touches of Country Music in her music. This is reflective of Amy's Tennessee roots.It's not geeky music - it's fun music that you will enjoy listening to.

Normally when there is a live release, I prefer the album to be a live recording from a single concert performance.I prefer it to be delivered in the order in which the songs were actually delivered.By having things from a single night and in order - I feel there is continuity and the magic of the concert is captured perfectly.For "Amy Grant - In Concert", the recordings were actually done over two nights in Oklahoma - one night at at Mabee Hall in Tulsa Oklahoma and one night at the Lloyd Noble Center at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Despite the two nights, the collection does an outstanding job at giving a feeling of continuity over a single night. One thing that really helps preserve this feeling of continuity is that Amy does an will talk and keep "in touch" with her audience. The only drawback of that is that they could have raised the recording level to be a little higher to hear Amy's voice.

The concert starts off with Amy's first song from her first album - "Beautiful Music". However, there is an interesting twist - this song is actually part of a four song medley.The medley starts off with "Beautiful Music" and then continues with "Giggle", "Old Man's Rubble" and wraps up with "Never Give You Up". This provides for 9+ minutes of music and is a terrific way to start off the concert. The medley does a nice job at bridging two songs from Amy's first two albums - "Beautiful Music" and "Old Man's Rubble" are from her debut album while the other two songs from from.

I like how Amy performs "Father's Eyes" and "Faith Walkin People" back to back. These songs appeared back to back on the "My Father's Eyes" album and I always felt that these were two songs that were meant to be sequenced back to back. While "Father's Eyes" might have been used as a title track for her second album, "Faith Walkin People" is the stronger track. "Faith Walkin People" is a song that has seems to have an slight Rhythm and Blues influence, but at the beginning it almost starts out like a country-western song.

If you listen to Amy's first three albums, you will hear how she has grown musically as an artist.This is evidenced by the live songs contributed from her third album "Never Alone". Amy delivers some very passionate performances with the songs:"Walking Away With You","All I Ever Have to Be", and "Don't Give Up On Me"."Walking Away From You" also has a slight R&B influence to it and seems very appropriate for a 1980 sound. "All I Ever Have To Be" is a strong song lyrically.It's a slow song and it does have touches of country in it. On this track, Amy also does an a cappella follow-up of something she wrote as a 15 year old. The best song on the collection is the last one - "Don't Give Up On Me".It is a similar sounding country music intro that the opening medley started out with.The style of this song shows a lot of what was to come from Amy in the future.This is a real feel-good song.It's a great way to end the collection.

The liner notes are pretty much of what you would expect from a 1981 release (thin).Lyrics are included for the two original songs - "Mimi's Song" and "Singing a Love Song" (There is a footnote from Amy about her Great Grandmother passing away).This is a nice collection and a great way to get introduced to Amy's early music.Some tracks may still be weak, butI recommend it.

A first for Amy
Originally released 1981 by Myrrh/Word Records.I have the 1986 secular edition on A&M Records.This was her first full-fledged tour, supported by Christian duo DeGarmo and Key with their band."Mimi's House" is about Amy's great-grandmother whose farmhouse she and her sisters frequented as little girls."Singing a Love Song" is another song that only appears here.

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Reviews (4)

Part 1 of 2
I found this by chance at the thrift store (sometimes I have to be "Progressive" about where to buy!) today on tape.I have the first volume on CD.I now have about 90% of her material.I knew about this album forever, but bnever bothered to get it till now.Some of the songs only appear here and were never cut in the studio, making this an essential purchase for loyal fans like us (case in point: "You Gave Me Love/Fill Me with Your Love" and "Nobody Loves Me Like You Do".Same location and personnel as Volume 1.Originally released 1981 by Myrrh/Word Records for the Christian market; released on the secular market in 1984 by A&M, 1990 by Reunion/Uni, then as stated above.

Amy Grant rocks in concert!
I think Amy Grant really wanted to express her passion for not only wanting to spread Christian music, but also her passion for spreading it with an electric guitar. That's what IN CONCERT VOLUME TWO is about. There are 4 original songs ("I'm Gonna Fly", "You Gave Me Love", "Fill Me With Your Love", and "Nobody Loves Me Like You") that Amy did wonderful on. The rest of te songs, Amy Grant made signature rock songs out of. I think that this is a must have for Amy Grant's UNGUARDED and HEART IN MOTION fans.

Reviews (24)

AGE TO AGE: not just a side companion for LEAD ME ON
AGE TO AGE is definitely a Christian music masterpiece, and should be treated that way. It's songs offer what contemporary Christian music fans wanted to hear in 1982. It has great praise-rockers ("Sing Your Praise To The Lord", "I Have Decided"), humorous songs ("Fat Baby"), songs that really touch your heart ("El Shaddai", "In A Little While", "Raining On The Inside", "Arms Of Love"), and songs that you can listen to anytime ("I Love A Lonely Day", "Don't Run Away", "Got To Let It Go"). Amy Grant really gave her absolute best on this album. Of course, nothing can beat LEAD ME ON, but AGE TO AGE is a masterpiece in its own right as well. If you want to travel to the beginnings of CCM, want some cheering up, or just can't find a CD to listen to, then get AGE TO AGE.

Non-Christians:Don't dismiss this album!!
All pop music lovers should own "Age To Age."

This album has "skins on the wall."It was the first CCM album in history to go platinum.CCM Magazine, using two different sets of criteria and reviewers, ranked it once as the #3 CCM album of all time and then again as the fifth best LP/CD in history.The supporting artists involved with the album became practically a Who's Who of CCM.

But ultimately it's not about the accolades, it's about the music."Age To Age" is sometimes reverent ("El Shaddai"), somtimes rejoicing ("Sing Your Praise To The Lord"), and sometimes just plain fun ("Fat Baby").But every track, whatever it's personality, contains perfectly crafted pop music.

If you're a Christian, this album will speak to you in a special way.If you're not, just think of this as an album of love songs (which it is).If you like 80's Adult Contemporary music, you will love "Age To Age."

Editorial Review

Reviews (15)

STRAIGHT AHEAD, track by track
"Where Do You Hide Your Heart": a great song, and a musically advanced CCM song for its day

"Jehovah": this is probably the best song on this CD; has a great message and some addicting music

"Angels": if you need to hear mid-80s pop CCM music, listen to this song

"Straight Ahead": nothing I can say about this one, it's just a great song

"Thy Word": a very powerful message; the music fits just right

"It's Not A Song": probably the only non-religious song on this album, still a great song

"Open Arms": I don't know why this song was written because it really doesn't say anything

"Doubly Good To You": truly a masterpiece, just as powerful as "Jehovah"

"Tomorrow": if this song was a poem, it would be a great poem

"The Now And The Not Yet": I never really understood this song; nevertheless it's a great song

Overall: STRAIGHT AHEAD is the best thing to buy if you want to hear how CCM sounded in the mid-80s. Had this been released instead of UNGUARDED, it could've been just as successful.

Get back to where you once belonged
This was the first Amy Grant album I ever listened to and, I think, still the best.All of the songs were enjoyable and theologically deep.She sang like one who believed in what she was singing and the messages behind the songs were a true blessing to everyone who heard.And they still are today.

I have two personal favorites on here.One is "The Now and the Not Yet" (written by Pam Mark Hall), about the waiting period we are now in while we anxiously await being with Christ for all eternity.The song echoes Paul's lament from I Corinthians 13."Now we see in a mirror dimly...then we shall see face to face...Now we know in part...Then we shall know fully."(I'm paraphrasing here since I don't have the Bible open in front of me.)

My other favorite song is "Doubly Good To You" (written by the late, great Rich Mullins).This song is perfect for when you've had a rough day.The lyrics are classic Rich Mullins:

When you look in the mirror at the end of a hard day
And you know in your heart you have not lied
If you gave love freely and you earned an honest wage
And if you've got Jesus by your side

You can thank the Father for the things that He has done
And thank Him for the things He's yet to do
And if you find a love that's tender
If you find someone who's true
Then thank the Lord
He's been doubly good to you!

Reviews (20)

UNGUARDED, track by track
"Love Of Another Kind": a light, but smooth, Christian rock song; one of my all-time favorites; should've been included on "The Collection."

"Find A Way": a good combination of crossover appeal and Christian ideals

"Everywhere I Go": a poor shot at reggae, but nonetheless a lyrically good song

"I Love You": a love song that encompasses rock appeals

"Stepping In Your Shoes": a good song, but it has nearly no message, Christian or secular

"Fight": this is one of "Unguarded"'s signature songs; it's a great pop/rock song; could've been more successful than "Find A Way"

"Wise Up": the only good pop/contemporary song on this album

"Who To Listen To": good message, good beat, good music

"Sharayah": the liner notes for this song are kind of cheesy, but still a great song

"The Prodigal (I'll Be Waiting)": a tear-jerker, one of the finest

Overall: UNGUARDED is a great CD, one of my favorites. But it has aged quite a bit.

Everywhere I Go - or went.
Wow.This album rocked my world.I heard it my first year at Camp Koinonia.I didn't know there was anything besides hymns!I loved it.I did take this tape almost everywhere.Twenty years and about a hundred Christian CDs later, this is still in my top five.Great high energy pop.

Reviews (38)

Good music even if not a fan of Christian Rock.
I'm not a fan of Christian Rock, but Amy Grant's early material is absolutely classic soft rock.It is very uplifting, positive, & easy listening musically.Amy Grant, who's always had a great voice shows it off very well here.Her knack for penning classic tunes is also revealed here.
It opens up with 2 new tunes Stay for A While, a great soft rocker with a good feeling to it.Love Can Do, the other new tune is more mellow & very well done.Emmannuel & I Will Fly are the best tunes on the album & represent Amy's true style as both a Christian rocker & soft rocker.All of the other tunes are really good & in their release time were huge hits, both with Christian rock & mainstream media.
Amy's career has always been rock solid & she proves why she was one of the first successful Christian rockers around here in a very big way.She & Michael W. Smith are both the legendary bands of Christian rock, both of which are very well-established & have earned that right.
Amy Grant has a lot of compilations around, no doubt about it, but this collection is truly the best place to start out if you want the major early hits.

One of my all-time favorite albums
I've worn out numerous copies of this cassette tape over the years. I am buying my third copy of the CD, because I keep giving it away to friends who fall in love with it. This music still *speaks* to me after all these years. Suggested to buy this along with the newer greatest hits CD.

Reviews (45)

Her last great CCM album -- the end of an era
This is my second favorite Amy Grant album.(My top favorite is STRAIGHT AHEAD.)And I'm not a huge Amy Grant fan or anything like that, but 20 years ago she did help shape what we now call contemporary Christian music.Regardless of whatever controversy may befall her, or whatever controversy she herself may create, she is and will always be one of the original pioneers of CCM.

LEAD ME ON is almost her own personal testimony.Songs like "1974" give much away in terms of personal history.It may be hers or based on hers.Another very poignant song is "What About the Love" in which the singer accuses people from all walks of life of not loving with the love of the Lord.And last of all she accuses herself!

The best song on here is the title track, "Lead Me On".Although it boasts an upbeat tempo and edgy rock melody, the words are undeniably poetic and moving.Songs with these kinds of lyrics are usually more likely to be found on a Rich Mullins CD, or Michael Card.But Amy Grant still sings this song as if she was the only one ever meant to.And perhaps she was.

If you're one of the tiny minority of people who love the CCM of the 80s and early 90s (we're definitely a dying breed), then this CD is essential.If you're an Amy Grant fan, then this CD is essential.If you just like soft Christian rock with sharp, intelligent lyrics, then this CD is essential.

Amy Grant's Best
In my mind, this album by Amy Grant is the best she ever made!I used to listen to this album to get pumped before football games in College, and it worked!!!Her voice, her aranging, and particularly the message behind her songs were AWESOME!!!!!The Title Cut, LEAD ME ON, IF THESE WALLS COULD SPEAK and many others in this one just spoke volumes of faith in Jesus Christ that were unmistakable.If I couold bring myself to buy an Amy Grant Album again, this one would be the one.However, after her dumping of her first husband, Gary Chapman, especially considering how she walked out of cpouselling that they were both involved in, then her revelation in a TV interview that she had been attracted to Vince Gill LONG before she had divorced Chapman, I threw this album and every other Amy Grant Album I ever owned into the trash can.As with reviews I've made concerning Jaci Velasquez and Stacie Orrico, Amy Grant's message has been tarnished and compromised, and it is no surprise to me that every album from HEART IN MOTION to the most recent SIMPLE THINGS have no Gospel Message in them.That's the reason for this one getting two stars from me...

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

Reviews (35)

Superb !
I remember i bought this album way back in 1995 and had been my favorite. Recently one of my Japanese friend recomended me a Japanese album Jupiter the song is "Everyday i listen to my heart" and the song blew me away and reminded me of Amy Grant's "Children of the World". Since we share similar taste in music. If you like Amy grant then you will certainly like the Japanese album Jupiter too. The "House of love" by Amy Grant is one of the the best album. I have listened to this album so many times and still haven't got over it. "Lucky one", "Big Yellow Taxi" "Power" all are just sublime. Get hold of this album fast. Its truly awesome.

More Focused Collection; Not the Great Follow-up Album
Prior to 1991, Amy Grant had established herself as one of the most successful Christian Contemporary artists from both a commercial and critical standpoint. 1991 marked a big change in Amy's career.In that year Amy would release "Heart in Motion" which would establish her as a major force in mainstream music.One thing that made "Heart in Motion" a special album was that it tackled many different themes: family, relationships, the trials or fhe working woman, sexual abuse, and some Christian themesThree years following this release, Amy would embark on a long anticipated follow-up. This follow-up "House of Love" would continue down the mainstream music path, but would be a different album than "Heart in Motion". "Heart in Motion" was a very "peppy" album that focused on many themes. "House of Love" is an album that has much more of a "soft touch" and for the most part, focuses on the theme of love.Like "Heart in Motion", Amy doesn't completely abandon her Christian music roots, but clearly this isn't the focus of her effort. While this album is a good album, it doesn't live up to the level of quality we have seen on Amy's previous works.

I can look at Amy Grant's career as encompassing three main phases.The first phase covers 1977 through 1981 (her debut self-title album "Amy Grant" through the "In Concert Volume 2").In this phase, Amy definitely showed her youthful side (her first album was released while she still was in high school).For the most part, Amy did some nice songs and was able to establish herself as a Contemporary Christian Artist.In Phase 2 (this would cover 1982-1988, starting with "Age to Age" and going to this album "Amy Grant - The Collection"), Amy ascended to legendary status in the Contemporary Christian music-world both commercially and criticially. This is where her husband to be Gary Chapman would begin to have an influence in her music. In this phase, Amy would show the most depth with her Christian music.When Phase 3 (1988 to present, starting with "Lead Me On" to present), Amy went into her full-fledged crossover into the mainstream (pop) music arena."House of Love" falls right in the middle of Phase 3.

Amy's long-time producer Brown Bannister is back as the Executive Producer.Michael Omartian, who had taken over that role on "Heart in Motion".Omartian actually splits the song by song production duties with Keith Thomas. Perhaps Bannister is out of his element a bit (by producing Amy Grant as mainstream) and this is why this album isn't as strong.As on all Amy Grant albums, a staple throughout Amy's career is that she does some of the songwriting (either solo or collaborative) as well as uses songs by other songwriters. For "Heart in Motion", there was only one third party song.For "House of Love", there are four.Wayne Kirkpatrick and Keith Thomas are also back as two of Amy's key songwriting partners. Tommy Sims is also brought in as a key songwriting contributer.

One big surprise is the title track ("House of Love") is a third party song. Normally I would think an artist would want his/her own song to be a title song, but I guess when you look at things, "House of Love" makes a lot of sense.This is because of the 11 tracks, just about every track (with the exception of "Big Yellow Taxi") deal with the subject of love.Another interesting fact is that this is the one album that features Amy's first and second husband: First husband, Gary Chapman is a songwriting partner on "Whatever it Takes" and does background vocals on "Big Yellow Taxi" (clearly trouble was on the horizon since Gary now had a small role on this album). Second husband,Vince Gill performs the duet on the title track.

The problem with this album is that it just doesn't hit the homerun like many of Amy's previous albums. The best songs are "The Power", "Oh How the Years Go By", "Big Yellow Taxi", and "Helping Hand".Amy does a terrific job on covering Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" while Amy's version of "Oh How the Years Go By" is much stronger than Vanessa Williams' cover.With the exception of "Helping Hand", the other three songs mentioned above are third party songs. Overall, I think Amy's collaborations are much weaker than I have seen in the past. Songs like "Lucky One" and "House of Love" might have been released singles, but I just don't think these are the best songs. I don't think there are any bad tunes on this album, but most of them seem average.

As mentioned above, the album takes a much softer approach than "Heart in Motion".Although guitarist Jerry McPherson - who did some incredible guitar work on "Lead Me On"'s "Waiting For the Healing" and "Heart in Motion"'s "Good for Me" is back.He performs on five tracks, but doesn't get that great "breakout" performance like he did on those songs.There also seems to be more use of acoustic guitars on this album (this is a positive).Acoustic guitars are seen on "Lucky One", "The Power", "Big Yellow Taxi", and "Children of the World".

As for Christian Contemporary songs, songs like "The Power", "Helping Hand", "Love Has a Hold on Me", and "Children of the World" are probably the ones that fall into this realm. Overall, while Amy doesn't abandon her Christian Contemporary roots - this isn't her strongest effort in that genre.As for the liner notes, all of the lyrics to all of the songs are included.In addition all production and musician credits are listed song by song.This isn't a bad album, I just wouldn't categorize it as one of Amy's stronger collections. Overall, this album will probably satsify the Amy Grant fan - the jury is out on the casual fan.

Reviews (79)

It might be a "Personal" Effort, but not a good Amy effort
Amy Grant's 1991 release "Heart in Motion" proved to be a blockbuster.Amy had already established herself as one of the all-time great Christian Contemporary artists and now was beginning to make a splash on the Pop Scene. Amy was able to do things her way - without the use of vulgarity or sexually explicit themes. While "Heart in Motion" was a pop album, there still was a Christian Contemporary influence on things. Amy's follow-up would be 1994's "House of Love".This release continued down the Pop music path (and also had a Christian Contemporary influence), but did things a little differenty:"Heart in Motion" would focus on a variety of things while "House of Love" focused on the theme of love.Despite the fact "House of Love" still sold well, "it just wasn't as good a collection as "Heart in Motion".By the time 1997 rolled around, I was looking toward Amy's next release "Behind the Eyes" to be sort of a bounce-back album. Unfortunately, I would be sadly disappointed in this effort.

I can look at Amy Grant's career as encompassing three main phases.The first phase covers 1977 through 1981 (her debut self-title album "Amy Grant" through the "In Concert Volume 2").In this phase, Amy definitely showed her youthful side (her first album was released while she still was in high school).For the most part, Amy did some nice songs and was able to establish herself as a Contemporary Christian Artist.In Phase 2 (this would cover 1982-1988, starting with "Age to Age" and going to this album "Amy Grant - The Collection"), Amy ascended to legendary status in the Contemporary Christian music-world both commercially and criticially. This is where her husband to be Gary Chapman would begin to have an influence in her music. In this phase, Amy would show the most depth with her Christian music.When Phase 3 (1988 to present, starting with "Lead Me On" to present), Amy went into her full-fledged crossover into the mainstream (pop) music arena. "Behind the Eyes" is perhaps the most startling example of Amy's crossover.Overall, I would safely say that this is a Pop album and has little to no Christian Contemporary influences.

There are three factors that play into "Behind the Eyes".These factors are all key into my assessment of this collection:

First, it is well documented that the release of this album coincided with the breakup of Amy's marriage to Gary Chapman.Therefore Amy's struggles with dealing with this breakup became the theme of this album.In a lot of ways, it is almost the polar opposite of "Heart in Motion".In general, despair is a theme of this album.Although much of the despair is Amy's personal despair, you will hear the theme of despair in a song like "Nobody Home" which approaches the theme "Main Street USA boarded up and dry.."

Second, the Pop music scene had undergone a major metamorphosis in the 1990s.Synth Pop was now being replaced by more guitar-laden natural sounds. While Amy's previous works through "House of Love" did have a guitar presence, the foundation of much of these works could still be considered Synth Pop/Synth Christian Contemporary."Behind the Eyes" represents puts the guitar as the focal point.You'll hear a lot more guitar than in recent releases - especially on the acoustic side.You'll also hear some country music influences such as on "Take a Little Time" and "Curious Thing".

The final factor is the songwriting and producing.From a songwriting standpoint,a staple throughout Amy's career is that she does some of the songwriting (either solo or collaborative) as well as uses songs by other songwriters."Behind the Eyes" stays consistent with this as Amy collaborates with several songwriters as well as uses third party songs.Longtime Collaborators Wayne Kirkpatrick, Keith Thomas, and Tommy Sims are back.Amy co-writes 10 of the songs while the remaining two are third party.I would have expected a better sounding album with these talented songwriters, but possibly the missing element is that longtime producer Brown Bannister is not on this collection.Bannister was a secondary producer on "Heart in Motion", but was brought back as the primary one on "House of Love".I felt Bannister was always out of his element working with Amy on mainstream music, but at the same time he always knew how to get the best out of Amy.

I think what it comes down to is this.Just because Amy Grant decided to make a very personal album - with a new style doesn't automatically make this a great album. While I give Amy credit for the new directions and making a very personal story, the end product just isn't that good. There are some songs that still are very good. Songs such as "Nobody Home", "Like I Love You", and "Curious Thing" are the better tunes. The "hit single" released "Takes a Little Time" is an average song.The remainder of the album I found very boring and I had a tough time on getting into it.

"Nobody Home" deals with the changes that happen to one's hometown Smalltown, USA. It's not a Grant penned tune, but I enjoy it. "Like I Love You" is the one personal song on this collection that does grab me.It seems very emotional, but it also is a very good song. "Curious Thing" is a very well written song with a cross of country and folk.It deals with how people change and provides examples of different people.

The liner notes do contain all of the lyrics, songwriting credits, and production credits.Amy puts a thank you on the album that gives a little perspective on why she made this album.Overall,I think this album was a real disappointment.While many Amy Grant albums I find myself playing over and over again, this is the one album that tends to sit in my CD rack the longest.

Straight from Amy's Heart to Mine
In this cd, Amy reveals some of her deepest, sadest, most human feelings and weaknesses.Behind the Eyes let's the listener know "you are not alone in feeling this way."Everyone has their up times and their down times and it takes a truly amazing artist to share the down times so openly with her audience.That is exactly what Amy Grant does, she shares her life through song with her audience.She has done it for over 27 years now.For years Lead Me On was my favorite Amy Grant cd, but then Behind the Eyes came along and knocked Lead Me On into second place.I have all of Amy's albums including the 2002 Legacy and the 2003 Simple Things.I enjoy them all, but Behind the Eyes will always hold a special place in my heart, just like Lead Me On does.

This album has a more acoustic, rock, raw sound that House of Love or Heart In Motion, which shows Amy's style has a wide range.The song writing on this cd is frank, real, honest, and yes sometimes painful, yet still hopeful.Behind the Eyes can be summed up in one word: bittersweet.The journey of life is often bittersweet over the years and that is exactly what this cd collection shows.The tracks Turn this World Around and The Felling I Had are favorites of mine.They are so honest.I hope God blesses you with this album as he has me.

Editorial Review

Reviews (14)

i like this album
This is the type of album that leaves me singing the tunes after I finished listening to it.

She forgot to put "El Shaddai" on here, but...
Still, not a bad lineup at all! If you're only familiar with the bouncy pop and Mrs. Vince Gill era stuff (not that there is anything wrong with that), this is a side of Amy Grant you'll be pleased to discover. The CD borrows a lot from Amy's early albums which, like many artists' early releases, contains a raw, hungry, stripped down, enthusiastic, I-can't-beleive-I'm-making-a-record-I'm-having-so-much-fun spirit that makes every song worth discovering or discovering again.

Editorial Review

Reviews (122)

Not worthy of the Amy Grant I thought I knew
I've never been the type of person to butt into other people's business or to sit in judgment of them.I've frankly never bought into the idea that a Christian is his "brother's keeper."I try to keep Jesus' words, "Judge not that ye be not judged" in mind when I begin to feel the temptation to nose into someone else's personal life.

So, I was faced with a bit of a dilemma as I sat down to review this album.The influences from Amy's personal life are in evidence everywhere.Should I just ignore them and focus strictly on the work itself or on Amy's public persona?

Normally, I'd say "Yes."But the problem with doing that this time is that Amy has admitted herself that her personal life is hopelessly intertwined with her work.She's made no attempt to keep them separate and has admitted as much on several occasions.For example, she recently told an interviewer that she wrote a song about Vince Gill while still married to Gary Chapman.She has said that she loved Gill from the minute she first saw him, again while she was married to Chapman.And anyone who saw her Christmas specials of the late 90s on which Gill guest starred knew that something was going on between them.To top it all off, she left Chapman and took up publicly with Gill before the ink was dry on her divorce papers.No, I'd say Amy hasn't done much at all to keep her personal life private.If anything, it's the other way around.If I didn't know better I might think she was intentionally out to hurt Gary.

So, I hope you'll pardon the fact that I occasionally stray into Grant's personal life in this review.For me, they are inextricably intertwined.The life she has lived and is living is as much an influence on this album as anything she has ever done.

Now to the review.

I think the biggest problem with this album is that its soul is missing.As with most of Grant's work, the vocals are good, even great sometimes.The melodies themselves are okay, but fall far short of inspiring.What's completely missing, though, is the soul of the work itself.And the introduction of Vince Gill into the mix doesn't help anything.He's no Gary Chapman, and even Amy doesn't seem to be Amy on this one, at least not the Amy I thought I knew.

Before buying this album, I had been away from Amy's music for awhile.A long time fan, I returned recently to discover that she had left Gary Chapman, married Vince Gill, and had had another baby.Boy, things change in a hurry don't they?You turn around twice, and everyone is married to everyone else!Relationships you thought would stand the test of time don't.It's a sad world we live in sometimes.In my grandparents' day, it was understood that there would be ups and downs in a marriage and that "for better or for worse" meant exactly that.Mid-life crises weren't invented in the late twentieth century, it's just that people in the old days didn't divorce over them as often.Even now, I'd like to think that Grant's behavior is not the norm.Amy isn't the first woman to wake up in her forties and realize that she wasn't exactly head-over-heels in love with her husband, it's just that most women stay the course and some even find a deeper love for their spouse than they ever realized existed - they find something far more profound and more lasting than the initial euphoria that comes with a new relationship.To put it succinctly, they make different choices than Amy has made, and, as Meryl Streep's Francesca said in The Bridges of Madison County, "We are the choices we make."

But regardless of whether you buy into the thinking that Grant's divorce from Chapman and subsequent marriage to Gill was a sin against God, you can't help but notice the complete lack of inspiration in this material.It's a pretentious, contrived mess.Amy, if you want to leave your husband and take up with another man in full view of the whole world, I suppose that's your business.But please don't put out any more stale claptrap like this.Your work is missing the ineffable quality Gary gave it.I can't quite put my finger on it; all I can tell you is that it's gone.Stay home with Gill, have some more kids and enjoy the money you've made.But please don't foist this type of uninspired drivel on the world of pop music - it's in bad enough shape already.

I read an interview the other day where Grant opined that if two people are in a marriage which is not "healthy" for either one of them, they should throw the marriage out and start over.Fortunately, not everyone feels that way, Amy.Some know that there are ups and downs in any marriage, sometimes more downs than ups.Some find happiness and peace in keeping their promises.And many find comfort and direction in their sessions with that Wonderful Counselor you used to sing about.

I've always found it funny that anyone would consider Vince Gill a songwriter of any repute.I'm pretty sure that history will view him quite differently.But I do have to give him one thing:he came up with one heckuva line to lay on the then-married Grant (according to an interview I read not long ago):"How are you progressing in your songwriting?"See, this portrays him as some sort of songwriting guru, innocently inquiring of a young understudy how she is progressing on the path of life.I'll have to remember that one the next time I want to seduce a married woman.

Amy, please get back to where you once belonged.And, please, no more old pop song remakes.Those are fun to sing, but you shouldn't record them - someone else already did that, and you aren't likely to top it.Do something original, just once.I know you have it in you.At least pretend to be an artist.

This should've been Amy Grant's comeback!
I'm honestly not at all sure what happened with this release.Somewhere... someone dropped the ball BIG TIME in making sure American radio heard this CD.After a few years off to sort out some personal things, Amy returned in 2003 with this release and it is truly phenomenal.

The disc starts off with "Happy," a song that, musically, easily rivals anything on pop radio today.Honestly.You have to hear it to believe it.Lyrically, it's an in-depth look at how to "show" someone you love them... it's not just about the words.

"Eye to Eye" is another progressively sounding tune.Beautiful lyrics about reconciliation and forgiveness.The words "'Cause one day we will find a road to peace for you and me... and our children in their innocence will follow what they see.Oh, we've got to find a way to live our life, though we don't see eye to eye."Classic Amy.

"Simple Things" and "Looking for You" are simple, fun pop tunes.

"Touch" is a very sensual song that will make you long to be close to the one you love.

"Innocence Lost" has become one of my favorite Amy songs of all time.Such a simple song in its arrangement and very lyrically moving.This one alone is worth the price you will pay for this CD.

Overall, SIMPLE THINGS is a very well-rounded CD that should be getting much more attention.

Thanks for reading!
Chad