All Things New [Enhanced]

Steven Curtis Chapman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 21, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced
• Label: Sparrow
• ASIN: B0002VYQ84
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,287 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some Things New, Same Great Artist, September 29, 2004

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: All Things New (Audio CD)

I've been a Steven Curtis Chapman fan since I first discovered his music in the early 90's with "For the Sake of the Call." Since then, I have eagerly awaited each new release, and I continue to be rewarded. This CD is no exception.

The first few notes of this CD made me stop. They were piano! And that isn't the only time we get treated to piano on this disc. It's most obvious in "Angels Wish" and "Treasure of Jesus." We also get more ballads and some wonderful melodies. Not that there aren't some fun upbeat songs like "Only Getting Started" and "Coming Attractions." Through it all, the words are still wonderful.

Honestly, if I were going to list favorite songs, it would probably be easiest to list least favorite songs. "Big Story" is really the only one I haven't connected with yet. He tackles quite a range of subject here, from praise in "All Things New" and "Much of You" to the very serious subject of living for eternity in "Last Day on Earth," finding Jesus in the least of these in "What Now," and surrendering to Him in "Coming Attractions" and "Please Only You." While some of these are familiar themes for Mr. Chapman, he manages to breathe new life and provide a new challenge with them.

My favorite song on here is "Believe Me Now." This song is written from God's point of view and is a reminder that the God we worship, serve, and believe in is the same God that spoke the world into being and performed all the miracles we read about in the Bible. Seems to me no matter how often I think of this and say I know it, I still need reminders constantly of where my faith should be.

This is a disc that will appeal to the adult contemporary crowd. Fans will love it and be begging for more. If you wonder why Steven Curtis Chapman has such a big following after all these years, you need look no further then this CD to find your answer.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars His finest ever, July 12, 2005

By 

Greg Brady "columbusboy" (Capital City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: All Things New (Audio CD)

Steven Curtis Chapman has been at this for a long time (since 1987) so naming this "All Things New" takes a lot of nerve. In this case, though, it's more than fair.

For the first time, Chapman wrote a lot of songs on piano first rather than his acoustic guitar (He actually plays piano on 5 of these numbers). That, and using top notch mixers Jack Joseph Puig and Chris Lord Alge, have made this an SCC CD that sounds like no others.

Vocally, he's taking more chances, swooping into falsetto and doing arpeggios at times, and the production's using his voice in new ways: filtering it, making it alternately breathy and full-throated. Electronics (drums, scratching) are incorporated as never before to give him another angle to his sound.

I'm going to take issue with those as referring to this as "adult contemporary". That's music with all the edges sanded off to make it "inoffensive"...this is just the opposite. This is Chapman striving to make ART...if you come along, fine...if not, he's not going to dumb it down for you.

HIGHLIGHTS:
The title track begins quietly, just Chapman's piano, before slowly building in intensity and finally bursting into a swirling guitar encased chorus. It's fitting that Chapman's anthem to God's creativity and restorative impulses is married to a tune that speaks of his own willingness to take risks. "Last Day on Earth" is a nudge to "seize the day" from a Christian perspective. ("If this should be my last day on Earth/How then shall I live?") "What Now" reminds us of Jesus' call for us to "do unto the least of these" as He's embodied in first a foreign orphan then a homeless man. ("I know I may not look like what you expected/But if you'll remember/This is right where I said I would be/You found me....what now?") "Coming Attractions" anticipates Christ's coming kingdom, but asks to be a representative until then. ("Let your kingdom come in me/Let your will be done in me/Here on Earth as it is and as it will be in Heaven") A Greek bazouki adds some spice to the sound and a stuttering guitar in the mix recalls Evanescence. "Angels Wish" is a tender ballad that reminds me a bit of Five for Fighting. Here, SCC tries to explain the wonder of God's grace in terms of His kingdom at large by pointing out that despite angels' proximity to God, we as humans have a better experience: that of those who have felt what it's like to be chained and then set free inside by Christ. ("The grace of God has raised me up/To show me things the angels long to look into/And I know things the angels/only wish they knew...")

LOWS:
The lyric to "Please Only You" is fairly gimmicky and a coming of age song to his daughter ("I Believe in You") keep this out of 5 star territory. They're not bad, but they are somewhat cliched.

BOTTOM LINE:
He's created other fine efforts but I really feel this is raising the bar. The more I hear it, the more I want to hear it. I have the feeling in 3 or 4 years this will be acknowledged critically as his masterpiece. Highly recommended.

4 1/2 stars

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some Things New, September 23, 2004

By 

Craig (Martin,TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: All Things New (Audio CD)

As a fan of SCC from the beginning, I must say that anytime this guy releases a new disc, he has my full attention. "All Things New" is a solid release that shows Chapman musically, lyrically and vocally in fine form. In fact, his voice sounds better than ever. Over the years, I've particularly enjoyed the evolution of this songwriting and the sublte ways he's attempted to mix things up. This time around, he continues the use of more open sounding chord voicings and melodic detours that, in my opinion, have only made his stock as a songwriter go up. If you're a fan of his patented pop leanings then you won't be disappointed in tracks like "All Things New", "Much Of You" and "What Now". But I was particularly impressed with the ambitious arrangements of tunes like "Last Day on Earth" and the Beatle-esque "Big Story". Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't, but big points for being willing to experiment with a tried and true formula for success. Did I mention we get a Jonny Lang solo on "Only Getting Started"?

My only gripe in not so much with Chapman himself, but rather the continued use of Brown Bannister as co-producer. I think SCC is much better served on the more organic sounding songs that showcase his ample musicianship and vocal prowess, but Bannister's pop slick production tends to water down and date some otherwise awesome tunes. My advice? Please leave off the DJ scratches and tired loops and get back to basics. I'd love to see Steven take the reins all to himself next time around.

Still, all this is minor. This is a great disc and definitely worth the price of admission. Welcome back, SCC!