Customer Reviews

The Other Side of Something

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Don't let the mixed reviews here turn you away from checking this out. This is the sort of CD that tests who an artist's core fans are. This CD's appeal is somewhat less UNIVERSAL than Sara's first three (and let's face it: she set a high standard for herself) so, less devoted fans are not going to put the effort into giving it a chance. But I find that some of the best music requires an effort - and rewards it, too.

First, the claims that these lyrics are not up to her normal par are not correct. There is some true depth here, and some true poetry, as in all her albums. Second, the arrangements may be adventurous, but they are well played and they make sense artistically. The claim that there are no "standouts" here is just groundless in my opinion. Let's go through the tracks...

"The One Thing I Know" is classic Sara pop, like the title track from her previous CD. And she sings the message that "You won't let me go" with such thankful conviction. The arrangement is very cool - a radio track equal with anything she's done before! It's just a great song.

"Jeremiah" is not one of her stronger songs, but it's still GOOD, and it grows on a person. The lyrics are in the confessional vein she has made her trademark.

"Compelled" may be a bit harder-edged than her previous stuff, but it's still not THAT different for people to complain so much (???). And the lyrics are simple but meaningful. She sings with conviction - and power! I like the arrangement. No, it's not "over the top" in my opinion. A truly good track.

"Roll to the Middle" is the type of "from the gut" honesty we've come to associate with Sara. It's just exquisitely beautiful if you ask me, and the arrangement is perfect in it's simplicity. This song is a 10, for sure.

For me, "What I Thought I Wanted" is the most touching song on this CD. The first time I heard it was in concert, and it brought tears to my eyes, especially after hearing the testimony surrounding her writing of it. It just blew me away. I can't say enough about it. It's another truly unique expression of Sara's artistry. Just perfect in every way.

"Esther" is an example of a song that requires a willingness to expand your horizons. The arrangement is well influnced by the polyrythms of African pop - fitting, since the song is a true story of her aunt's missionary work with orphaned children in Africa. The vocal line may seem awkward at first, but that's because of the non-western rythmic structure. She pulls this off very well. Give her credit for being adventurous. Again, this song has a very personal testimony she shares in concert. It moved me to sponsor a child in Africa through World Vision, which Sara is a spokesperson for.

"The Boxer" is indeed a challenging tune. The instrumental part is what's known as a "jam," for those who are unfamiliar with such things. Pretty adventurous if you ask me. She explained in concert that she improvised the lyrics while the band just jammed. This is her first time attempting anything like this. Again, give her credit for "pushing the envelope!" I like that she tries something different with each album.

"Undone" is a nice song, and as poetic as anything she's written. A beautiful use of metaphor. It may not grab you at first, but let it into your heart.

"All I Need" is just wonderful! Very, very good! The people who are saying nothing stood out for them on this CD... how did they miss this GEM??? I consider this a sequel to "One More Thing" on the last CD. It's a wry comment on creeping materialism, and it's just so funny and true! Listen to the background singers sing "little wooden animals" - it will crack you up! :D

"Like A Skin" is very personal and confessional again. The arrangement is sublime. Again, you need to give it a chance.

"Come Thou Fount" is, of course, a great hymn. You could blame her for running short of original material, but why? It's a nice arrangement.

So there you have it. This CD has a couple of challenging tracks, but the rest of the songs are classic Sara, even if their appeal may sometimes be more sublime than her past stuff, or the arrangements a bit more adventurous. I'm glad she's willing to push the envelope and try different things!

The split reviews this CD is receiveing is due to the following:

The Album is new in sound as Sara explores areas she never did for the excellent All Right here and Conversations.

Bad reviews are coming from fans who loved her sound from either All Right Here/Conversation. The new sound is more upbeat, edgy and pop than either of her previous 2 Cds and hence will not be as appealing to hear as the other albums for such fans.

The fair reviews are probably coming from fans who were akin to her sound AND down to earth and honest lyrics. The lyrics are still as great as ever and probably the best so far at least IMO. Sara explores her faith deeper than ever... songs like 'Compelled', 'Boxer' and 'One thing I know' inspire me to move on with my faith and never back off. Excellent Stuff.

Great reviews(like mine) are from fans (or newbies) that absolutely adore Sara's bold new move forward in music and lyrics. There is still some trademark Sara sound here as 'One thing I know', 'Roll to the Middle' and 'Like a Skin' remind me of songs from All Right Here and Conversations. The Lyrics are even more emphasized than the sweet and innocent ones of All right here and more generalized than Conversations as Sara is torn between doubts, fears, faith and perseverance with all this applied in real life situations. Its a spiritually fulfilling album that covers so many of the real christian life issues we experience and is an album i'd recommend for struggling christians, non-christians and Christians alike. It may not be my top Sara album (that goes to ALL RIGHT HERE) but it stands proudly against all her other records. Highly Recommended.

I have to admit, I was a little nervous perchasing this CD because of the mixed reviews I have read here and other places. I was very happily surprised. This CD maintains all the original integrity and depth of her previous CD's.
The Other Side of Something earns 5 stars from me. The lyrics are bold and honest, the music is very catchy yet genuine. It is rare that I find a CD that I instantly like, but this is one of them. This CD is absolutely worth a listen.

I LOVE Sara Groves music!! God has drawn me close to Himself SO many times through her lyrics. He has brought me to tears and revealed sin in my life through her music. God is good, and He has blessed Sara Groves.

This is definitely my least favorite of the 3 cds. It's not BAD, definitely better then most of the Christian Pop out there. *grin* But... it just feels like it's lacking something. I haven't heard a song that has moved me, and I have owned the CD for months. I like a lot of the songs as fun songs to sing, but there just seemed to be some of the usual honesty and clarity missing. I will buy the next Sara CD that comes out because I DO love her music and ministry, but I kind of felt like this latest one was...trying to appeal to the general populus rather then be honest.

Maybe Ms. Groves LIKES this new style and then I'd say GO HER! :) The lyrics more then anything else seemed watered down to me though.

I am a huge fan of Sara's, as I think many are who listen to her music. I have all her albums, and have seen her in concert. God definitly speaks through her.

That said, this album was a bit of a disapointment. The music overpowers Sara's beautiful voice and I miss the purety of the piano or aucoustic guitar. The messages that she imparts are still there you just have to wade through the mud. I gave it 4 stars for the messages otherwise I would have given it 3 stars.

But, really the music is secondary to the messages and the main melodies and that is true for all her albums. The highlight of this album are the demo tracks on the second disc. Pure Sara.
Back to the main disc, despite the fact that Sara's voice is barely decernable, Jeremiah draws me. I want to feel the fire in my bones as he did.

I also like The One Thing I Know, not because of the music but because of the refrain. This is the one thing I know/ you said you won't let me go/ you've done a good work in me/ and you won't quit till I'm free. This spoke to me as I was wondering where was God? He was there all along and He's not going to give up on me.(Even if I sometimes give up on him.)

I also really like Come Thou Fount which is a hymn that Sara has done a new arrangement for. Beautiful Celtic sounding.

I also like Compelled. The title of the album is taken from this song. The lyrics really make me think. Especially, what a relief it is to know/that I'm a slave to Christ/ of all the masters I have known. I was thinking it would be hard to be a slave to someone. But then we are slaves to alot of things(money, shopping, TV etc.) that are not worthwhile. Christ is a much better master.

On this album, as on All Right Here she sings songs about her husband. They are truely beautiful ballads and help show that a marriage that has God in it is a wonderful thing even when things are not going well. Or maybe especially then.

Well I hope this helps. I do HIGHLY recommend getting this CD(and all her others). Overall, I don't think you will be sorry, her words speak for themselves.

I wasn't sure I would like the Charlie Peacock version of Sara, but it is amazing. There is not a weak song on this album. Sara sounds just as natural and hoest on upbeat, funky, & soulful tracks like Jeremiah, the Boxer, What I Thought I Wanted, etc. as she does on her traditional ballad-style tunes.

Roll to the Middle is an icredible love song that speaks the truth about the simplicity of reconciliation in marriage. All I Need is an increadibly bright and witty look at how we chase after just a little bit more thinking it will make us happy.

Do you self a favor and buy this now!

Sara Groves is one of my favorite music artists and songwriters. There is always at least one song on each album that just hits me where I'm at and encourages and challenges me. And there's always at least one song that takes a little time for me to get used to. But I can't say that I've ever heard a song by Sara Groves that I flat out didn't like, and I have all 4 of her albums. Nothing's changed with this new CD. Songs that hit me are Like a Skin, Undone, and What I Thought I Wanted. Songs that I love now but took a little getting used to: Boxer and Jeremiah. I agree with the reviewer who said that Sara Groves is growing in her music and we should applaud not discourage this. I can't believe that anyone would come even close to comparing her with Amy Grant let alone the Heart In Motion album! Ugh! If Amy Grant had even an ounce of comparable talent, she still wouldn't be in the running with Sara Groves. And what I love about Sara the most is that some of her musical stylings might take some getting used to on my part, but her lyrics never change. They are always heart-searchingly honest, truthful, challenging, and unique. They're never cliche unlike songs by the other artist mentioned previously.
This album is awesome! And I highly recommend it to anyone who loves good Christian music and appreciates artists who write their own stuff.

As I read the negative reviews of this CD, I am surprised and curious.

This is Sara Grove's 3rd CD (4th, if you count "Past the Wishing"). To me, this album is the next logical step in her career as an artist. Charlie Peacock and Nate Sabin are a compliment to her artistry. The production, although more than previous albums, is hardly overbearing. In fact, I find it subtly fitting, for her songs.

But it seems that many of the listeners here cannot look past the musical changes to see the same soul that is in all the other CDs.

If Sara had released another stripped-down, bare-bones CD, with just her and the piano, many of the same people would be leaving bad reviews, saying that she hasn't grown as an artist... that she's releasing more of the same ol' same ol'.

This is a good CD. It's different than before. But, I'm sure Sara's different than before too. It's kind-of like the clothes we wear. I may like cotton shirts, but the cotton shirts I wear now look different than the cotton shirts I wore 10 years ago. Although styles change, the material remains the same. And at the core of these songs, I see the same depth, with maybe a few different designs. She's growing as an artist. Maybe she's growing faster than many of you would like, but the growth is evident.

Sure, "Conversations" is probably still my favorite SG CD. But, this CD was great out of the box, and continues to grow on me, as I let it.

Favorite songs: "What I Thought I Wanted", "Like a Skin", "Boxer"

This is the first Sara Groves project I listened to. I'm one who sometimes reads the reviews after listening to or reading or viewing the subject and compare notes, and I discovered that this may not be her best project. This project was enough to make me a Sara Groves fan, and put to shame over 90% of what is called Christian music today, and it isn't even her best project? Wow!

One thing I've been doing recently with various Christian projects is look at the lyrics. There are some that you know are talking to God because the 2nd person pronouns are capitalized, but "God", "Jesus", "Christ", "Lord", "Savior" and the like are rarely if ever used. On this project, Groves chose not to capitalize references to God, but it is more obvious who she is talking to than other modern recordings, and there is enough usage of the above words to move her lyrics from vague to clear.

Some songs nowadays are actually secular songs from a Christian perspective, looking at a life situation from the viewpoint of a person who just happens to be a Christian. Sara's personal songs come rather from realizing that the secular event is really as sacred as a "Christian" activity, and treats them as such.

One sign of an artist succeeding is, believe it or not, mixed reviews. If an artist is doing their job, they will not please everybody. They will surprise and maybe even disappoint some fringe fans who want the artist to re-do what they've always done. But while some may not like that work of art, others will appreciate the same work, whether they be new-comers to the artist, those who like the new direction better than the old, those who are eclectic in their tastes (that's me), fellow artists (I also resemble that remark) or those who are true fans of the heart in the artist as opposed to specific individual works.

I enjoyed several songs, such as "Jeremiah", "Compelled" and "Boxer". I also loved her arrangement of one of my favorite hymns, "Come Thou Fount". I know Christians who want artists to stick to the familiar (e.g. hymns, songs recorded by other artists that are over-played on the radio) instead of the lesser known or original compositions. As a result, some artists counsel others to mix songs by others or maybe a hymn to their original songs. This may be where Groves is coming from in including "Come Thou Fount". Or she may have just included one of her favorite hymns just because she loved that song. Either way, she makes the hymn her own.

I love this album because it reflects so much of my Christian walk. The doubts, the struggles with God, the joy and the sense of peace that all Christians face at some point or another. Sara is not afraid to write about real life and that is something I really applaud. There is really so much happy Christian music out there, that does not explore the darker issues of being a child of Christ - sure life is sweet in Christ but there are dark nights of the soul and I believe Christian music should reflect the whole spectrum. Jeremiah is a brilliant song in its simplicity and I love how the arrangement seems to build up in intensity as you listen to it, it's like a meditation on scripture. Sara manages to write melodies that aren't always conventional,like songs in a minor key for example, Jeremiah. The Other Side of Something is a beautiful upbeat song that lifts me up everytime I listen to it. I love this album a little more than Add To The Beauty. But both are excellent. Thank you Sara!