Music Review: i 2 (EYE) by Michael W. Smith

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Great lyrics and fun music

Cons: The music screams 80's

The Bottom Line:

One of Smitty's best

Gotta love the 80's sound

Lyrics still connect

A Great Release that Never Goes Out of Style.  Really!

Michael W. Smith has never let one style define him.  He's mostly a pop artist, but he's had some heavier rock releases.  Of course, his most recent successes are his worship oriented releases.  1988 saw him coming off a release that was pure 80's rock.  That release has never been one of my favorites.  But he followed it up with i 2 (EYE), which is still one of my favorite Michael W. Smith discs.

Since Michael went all into the 80's style, there is no denying that the music here is dated.  It is heavy on the synthesizer and the rockier moments scream 80's rock to me.  It probably helps my love of this disc that I started listening to it when it was only a couple years old, so it wasn't nearly as dated as it is now.  Combine my nostalgia with the great lyrics, and I'm happy.

The disc opens with "Hand of Providence."  While it does have the synthesizer, guitar, and drums the rest of the disc would have, it also has something they don't, harmonica.  It's used quite effectively throughout the song to truly make it stand out from the rest of the disc.  The song itself is a great reminder that God is in control no matter what is going on in our lives.

Up next is "Secret Ambition."  This rock anthem is one of three songs that is over six minutes on the disc.  The song really paints a picture of Jesus' ministry and the conflict He had with the religious leaders of His day.  Of course, the title comes from Jesus' ultimate goal in life, to die for our sins.  And I can't listen to it without thinking about the music video that went with it.  It was quite ambitious with great costumes playing out a few of the images hinted at in the lines, ultimate ending with Jesus on the cross.  It was quite effective at the time.

Michael heads for pop territory with "On the Other Side."  This fun, upbeat song actually has a pretty serious theme.  It's written from the point of view of a Christian talking to his non-Christian friend about the changes in their relationship.  The title of the disc comes from this song as Michael sings "Now we don't see eye to eye."  Just don't ask me about the bizarre spelling on the disc title because I don't know where that came from.  Anyway, the music is synthesizer based, so it is one of those dated but still fun and powerful songs I talked about earlier.

Electric guitar and drum greet you on "All You're Missing is a Heartache."  It's not the first time that Michael has talked about the consequences of giving into temptation, but this one seems more effective because of the driving rhythms.  It demands you pay attention to what he is saying.

Things quiet down for the first time on the disc with "I Miss the Way."  Michael has traded in the synthesizer for piano here, something that makes it one of the few songs that doesn't feel dated today.  There is a string quartet on this song as well, highlighting the sad themes.  The song is written as a plea to a Christian who has turned his back on the faith to return.  It's a very effective ballad that always makes me think about people in my life who has done just that.

True confessions time - I have always found the opening of "Live and Learn" to be creepy.  It starts with a group reciting the Lord's Prayer and then cuts in with someone reciting a bit from the poem "Mortality."  He's got a deep voice that sounds a little menacing and behind him is a heavy drum beat.  To this day, I get a shiver when I hear it.  Frankly, I do love the song.  It's upbeat soft rock heavy on the electric guitar and synthesizer again.  We've returned to the consequences of sin, but this time it's written from the point of view of someone who has repented, wants to do better, but is lamenting the fact that he is weak and will fall again.

"I Hear Leesha" is a song of encouragement in the midst of pain.  While there is a tribute to Leesha in the notes, I don't really know who this 16-year-old was.  But the song reminds us of the promise of the joys of Heaven and the hope of seeing our loved ones there again.  It's slower, with an emphasis on the keyboard.

But we can't stay slow for very long.  Things speed up again for "Help You Find Your Way."  The drums really kick the chorus of this rock anthem into high gear, as the singer of the song promises to be there through pain and doubt.  It's a fun song, and I never had a problem getting into it.

There is one completely instrumental song on the disc, "Ashton."  It was inspired by Frank Peretti's book This Present Darkness.  At the time the song came out, that book was just beginning to get the buzz that would propel it to the Christian best seller list for years.  Using mainly keyboards, guitar, and drums, Michael attempts to paint a picture of the spiritual warfare described in that book.  And to my mind, he does a good job.  I can hear themes for the angels and demons in there.  The majority of it is fast paced, making you feel like what is happening is urgent.

While some of his recent releases have exclusively focused on worship, it's something Michael has always included on his discs.  "The Throne" is a song of pure worship, painting a picture of the eternal worship service in Heaven.  At over six and a half minutes, it does go on a little long for my taste, but that's a minor complaint.

The disc ends with an attempt to recreate his first hit.  "Pray for Me" as always been considered a clone of his first mega-hit, "Friends."  However, I like this one better.  Once again, you've got friends parting, and you can feel the pain in the lyrics.  But the chorus is a plea to remember each other in prayer. For my money, this is a better song than "Friends" because it expresses a maturity the other song didn't have.  I can remember singing the chorus more than once at the end of summer camp.  Maybe that's why I love it so much.  It's a slower song once again dated by the synthesizer.  But the lyrics always grab me.

There are several tent pole releases in Michael W. Smith's career that most people consider his best work.  i 2 (EYE) is definitely one of those.  Yes, the style is very dated over 20 years later. But the lyrics still resonate.  I know I still love it.  It's one of two or three of his I pull out at least once a year.

CD Length: 56:20

Tracks:

1. Hand of Providence

2. Secret Ambition

3. On the Other Side

4. All You're Missing is a Heartache

5. I Miss the Way

6. Live and Learn

7. I Hear Leesha

8. Help You Find Your Way

9. Ashton

10. The Throne

11. Pray for Me