Customer Reviews

Listen

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

In LISTEN, long gone are the dance/pop days of Cindy's REAL LIFE debut, and even the smooth R&B laced pop of UNDER THE WATERFALL is absent. In their place we find what can only be described as a stunning marriage of the earthy groove of producer Brent Bourgeois and Cindy's trademark songwriting, vocals, and piano roots. People, pop music doesn't get much more intelligent than this. While in the past her upbeat cuts were well performed, her brightest moments have always been her most simple ballads. LISTEN takes that strength as its foundation and upon it builds an architectural masterpiece, musically speaking. Piano-driven for the most part, you will also find some beautiful orchestration in many of the songs. Cindy wrote/co-wrote every song on the record, and is the sole piano player on the project.

What stands out after hearing the CD is just how beautifully each song flows into the next. Clearly, a conscious effort was made to craft a cohesive album, for every song is a natural, perfect progression to the next. So instead of a CD full of 12 singles, LISTEN is more like a 12 part oratorio. Many times you don't even realize the track has changed, the transition is so pure. While Cindy has always been noted for her songwriting, the departure of long-time collaborator Mark Hammond has seemed to provide the push that has taken her writing to the next level. Never have her lyrics been more engaging. Un-content to spout rhetoric or pat answers, Cindy instead deals honestly with problems and life in a manner that is both revealing and poetic. And it is in large part because of her writing that LISTEN stands out as Cindy's finest work, and one of the best Christian albums of the 90's. She'd have to dig far and deep to someday top this record. Five+ stars.

I listen to a very wide range of music, from metal, to classical, to pop, to alternative - so for me to make the above statement is saying something.

Cindy Morgan began her career as a run-of-the-mill Pop Princess for the Christian set. But it was her early song, "I WILL BE FREE" that first showed her potential as a true siren of song. Two albums later, LISTEN would become an early pinnacle of her career and, as much as I love THE LOVING KIND and POSTCARDS,
one that would prove hard to top.

But, with LISTEN, you really almost need no further work from her. It is hard to imagine that she could ever put together another album so succintly clear, mature, and outspoken with purpose and meaning. Early in the album, the song NEED sets Cindy MILES apart from all of her former work, and proves that Christian music can hold its own among the world of recorded music. But it is the penultimate track, GRAVITY that may be Cindy's single best effort to date. The importance of the words is perfectly matched by the weight of the orchestration, and I often find myself playing this track over and over.

Just listening to these tracks again recently, I am struck anew at how outstanding this album is musically, completely blowing away any of her peers in Christian music!

All told, this was a phenomenal, and unfortunately, unique album from Cindy. While THE LOVING KIND was a fantastic concept-album follow up, I am still waiting for her to get back to the brilliance of LISTEN.

Wow. This album leaves everything Cindy did before in the dust. "Listen" is so packed with memorable songs, I wouldn't be surprised if it accounts for half the songs on her upcoming Greatest Hits CD (due this fall). But perhaps the greatest triumph of this album is the title track. The lyric was written decades earlier by Cindy's father, who gave up his dream of recording professionally to keep his family in North Carolina. The music execs probably laughed in his face. Cova had the last laugh on the music execs, however, as Cindy turned his inspirational song into a jazz-flavored #1 hit on the Christian charts.

This is my first Cindy Morgan CD to own and I have thoroughly enjoyed every song!!! I especially like "The Promise". She is a very talented artist! A 'must have' for every contemporary christian music fan!

As an avid lover of Cindy Morgan's music, I would have to say that "Listen" is her best album, tying with "The Loving Kind". Her voice is pure emotion on this album and the music and lyrics are simply beautiful. My particuliar favorite song is "Need" which shows our innermost fears of really being ourselves and risking rejection from those around us. Also "Gravity" which not only admonishes us to "be careful for what to pray for" but also says that through it all, God is always there. I find "The Promise" particularly emotional. The song deals with the pain of divorce, but I feel that anyone who has been abandoned in their life can relate to it. In fact, I'm quite sure that anyone could relate to at least one of the 12 songs on this cd, which include "The Masters Hand" {the acknowlegement of God, our loving father through prayer}, "God Is Love", {God is the Ultimate expression of the purest love}, "Jamie" {about the search for peace in our lives}, "Listen" {actually written by Cindy's father 20 some years ago. Great, upbeat song!}, Moon Days {knowing that even on your "down days", God is always there}, "To Fly" {how God wants us to give our pain to Him} and "Will You Be There?" {an earnest plea to "Be There" in Heaven someday}. to listen to Listen is quite an emotional expirence. Listen to it when you're happy, listen to it when you're sad. I promise you it will lift your spirits and it will strengthen your connection with God.

I am so glad I found this CD! I bought the tape 15 years ago when it first came out. I was in the "infancy" of my Christianity, and it brings back so many memories. I had worn out the cassette tape, and of course, you can't find this in stores any more. So thankful I found it on Amazon! I can't quit listening to it!

Not the cookie cutter CCM I was led to believe this might be. The first five songs on this cd shine like crazy. Excellent music that can go head to head with anyone out there. I was shocked when I heard this cd because I thought it was going to be very schmaltzy, but it's actually very creative. Go Cindy!

Though "Listen" was Cindy's fourth album, it might as well be her debut. Cindy talents shine like never before on this album. "Listen" is her first album under Brent Bourgois' production, and I think that made all the difference. Cindy's songs are more confident, more passionate, and more poetic. With "Listen," Cindy exposed her thoughts and feelings, and found an audience able to relate with them. If I represent Cindy's listeners, then it would be accurate to say that "Listen" is the album we were waiting for.

With this album Cindy Morgan improved her perfomance of Under the Waterfall. This album is even better. The lyrics are thoughtful and give you inspiration. The music every now and then has this familiar ring to it. Only the best composers can give you the fealing you've heard new music before. Very good.