Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: "Long Way Home" and a few other tracks
Cons: "Dive
(Deeper)." Not enough new music.
The Bottom Line:
Interesting tracks
But not Stephen's best release
Wait for it on sale
Re:Creation Doesn't Work as Well as It Could Have
I’ve been a Steven Curtis Chapman fan for close to 20 years now. His discs are on my automatic buy list. I’ll admit I don’t listen to all of them equally, but all of them have some songs on them I love. So when I found out that he was releasing Re:Creation, it went on my buy list sight unseen. Turns out I didn’t need to rush out to buy it.
This is not a disc of all new music. Instead, it features 6 completely new tracks,
one of which is a new arrangement of a classic hymn. The other 8 tracks are “re:created” versions
of some of his classics. And anyone who
knows Steven’s music can probably guess at many of the songs included
here. Unfortunately, both sets of songs
are mixed bags.
The disc starts out with two of the new tracks. “Do Everything” is one of the more upbeat
songs on the disc and ties in with Steven’s usual pop/light rock sound. It’s got a catchy tune that will easily get
stuck in your head. The lyrics remind us
to do everything for God’s glory. It’s
fine, but it’s a sentiment we’ve heard before from other artists.
“Long Way Home” is one of several songs that find Steven
playing the ukulele. (And why is this
suddenly the popular instrument of the year?)
It’s laid back feeling is more in keeping with much of the rest of the
disc. It’s also easily my favorite track
on the disc. First of all, it references
a few of his classics like “Great Adventure” and “Not Home Yet.” But more importantly, it shows a faith in God
to help through the mountains and valleys of life. Considering all Steven has gone through in
the last few years with the loss of his daughter (which provided the background
for his last release), I find the statement of faith here encouraging.
Also in the new song department, we’ve got “All That’s
Left.” This easily fits in the long line
of songs he’s written to his wife as he reminds us that ultimate love is all
that endures in this life and the next one.
It’s a mid-tempo track that is fine although not one that grabs my
attention.
“Meant to Be” picks up the tempo a little as it reminds us
that God has a purpose for us in every encounter in our lives. Like the first song, it’s nothing new or
shocking, but this reminder speaks to me.
The final two new tracks close out the disc. Steven has done a new acoustic arrangement of
the hymn “Morning has Broken,” and it leads nicely into the original praise
song “Sing Hallelujah.” Combined, these
two paint a nice picture of hope coming to life again after sorrow. And combined they are as one track flows into
the next, even with the choir background behind him. They both easily fit into his slower ballad
style, which really works here. What is
interesting is that his son Caleb sings one of the verses on “Morning has
Broken.”
Which leaves us with the covers of classic tracks. Gone are the pop versions we all know and
love. Instead, we’ve got more acoustic
versions. They certainly feel that way,
although they are more complex than just Steven and his guitar. Many of the songs include strings, which can
add a lush flavor to the track. They
take a few listens to get used to, but they mostly work.
For example, “The Great Adventure” is pretty much kept
intact. It’s still a guitar driven song,
but the addition of strings makes it sound fresh. He even keeps the tempo pretty much the same.
On several of the songs, he starts out slower and then
builds to the familiar tempo. That’s the
case with “Heaven in the Real World” and “Speechless.” The ukulele shows up again on “Live Out Loud”
which means that song takes a few listens to fully appreciate. It’s a very different sound, but after a
couple listens I’ve come to appreciate it.
“For the Sake of the Call” has been slowed down and becomes more of a
ballad than the anthem it originally was.
Again, after a couple times through the disc, I like it.
The classic song that has fared the best is “Magnificent
Obsession.” Already a slow song, he does
little to the tempo but really ramps up the strings, which add to the drama of
the music. It’s absolutely beautiful.
On the other hand, there’s “Dive.” Okay, I may be biased because this is one of
my favorite Steven Curtis Chapman songs of all time. The original is a classic with a hard, driving
rock beat. This version starts out with
flute. No, I’m not kidding. He’s slowed the tempo way down, too. It absolutely ruins the song for me. I’m ready to jump in to the fun rhythms, but
even when things speed up for the chorus, it’s still too mellow for this
song. It’s not quite a ballad, but it’s
close.
I think part of my disappointment with this disc is one of
expectations. I was expecting all new
songs, so the fact that this has so many classics was a disappointment. Yes, I know these classics are new
recordings, but it’s not quite the same.
The new songs aren’t among his best, and many of these changes don’t
quite live up to the originals.
Despite the inclusion of so many classics, I wouldn’t jump
in here as a new fan. And established
fans will want to get this disc sooner or later. I recommend waiting until it goes on sale
somewhere. Re:Creation has some good
tracks, but overall it’s just average.
CD Length: 54:33
Tracks:
1. Do Everything
2. Long Way Home
3. The Great Adventure (Re:Created)
4. Dive (Deeper)
5. All That’s Left
6. Heaven in the Real World (Re:Created)
7. Speechless (Re:Created)
8. Live Out Loud (Re:Created)
9. For the Sake of the Call (Re:Created)
10. Magnificent Obsession (Re:Created)
11. Meant to be
12. More to This Life (Re:Created)
13. Morning has Broken
14. Sing Hallelujah
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for stopping by. In order to combat spam, I moderate most comments. I'll get to your comment as soon as I can.