Customer Reviews

Recollection

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Leslie Phillips put out four great Contemporary Christian albums, but she couldn't resolve herself with the expectations of the CCM industry - it was becoming much more about slick packaging, sex appeal, and an image than about ministry and thoughtful, truthful lyrics - unfortunately, this is usually what the public has responded to. Being only 21 (and probably quite optimistic, naive, and vulnerable) when her first album was released, Phillips quickly discovered this duality of the Contemporary "Christian" Music market. Leslie's last album, The Turning, was a scathing diatribe against the double standards of this industry (like "You wrap me up with your expectations...") - otherwise artists like Bob Bennett and Mark Heard would have been held in much higher esteem in the CCM market.

Leslie then changed her name to Sam Phillips (no relation to the Sun Records mogul) and started putting out secular albums. As of this writing, she's had a new album released every 2-3 years, and is currently at work on a new one.

Recollections, her greatest hits package, showcases Leslie's four albums, and is excellent quality music throughout - some upbeat, some gentle ballads, vocally in the vein of Leigh Nash (Sixpence None the Richer) or Cyndi Lauper. The "booklet" / liner notes are disappointing - a single double-fold piece of paper with track listing (with source by album) and brief production credits.

Since there is not a track listing here on Amazon, I will include one:

Recollections (1987)
1. #Your Kindness (alternate version on ***)
2. #No One But You
3. *Heart of Hearts (cover of Mark Heard)
4. #Walls of Silence (Home Demo)
5. ****Libera Me
6. ****Love is Not Lost (earlier version on *** CD as bonus)
7. ****Answers Don't Come Easy
8. #You're the Same (alternate version on ***)
9. *I'm Finding
10.*** When the World is New
11. **By My Spirit
12. **Strength of My Life (duet with Russ Taff)
13. #Your Kindness (Reprise - alternate version on ***)

*From Beyond Saturday Night (1983)
**From Dancing With Danger (1984)
***From Black and White in a Grey World (1985)
****From The Turning (1987)
#previously unreleased

I love this album...the songs although simple lyrically, they are very to the point with real life struggles and praises. Her style is truly unique and stood out from the crowd during that time (which unfortunately got some negative reviews from conservative viewpoints at the time). Through my good times and bad times, her songs have always helped me focus back to God. I thank God and her for being herself. I'm not sure where she is with God at this point in time especailly with her weird acting role in the movie 'Die Hard 3'...I hope she still keeps her devotion to Him and still loves Him. PS...I still love her truly avant-garde music performed under the name Sam Phillips.

Even though I grew up in the 1980's, I didn't seriously start listening to Christian music until the early 90's, so I completely missed this wonderful artist. It was in college that a friend introduced me to "Strength of My Life" as a praise chorus. I immediately fell in love with the heartfelt cry of dependence on God. Almost immediately, I discovered a cover of her song "By My Spirit." This song's promise from God of help and encouragement in life's trials also struck a chord with me. Even so, it was years later before I tracked down any more of Leslie's music.

When I finally decided to get this CD, I immediately fell in love with it. It covers a range from the upbeat fun of "No One But You" and "Love is Not Lost" to the more contemplative "Answers Don't Come Easy" and the encouraging "Your Kindness." It also includes the originals of the two songs I mentioned above, including the "real" verses to "Strength of My Life." (Turns out what I thought were verses are part of the chorus.)

What I love most about all the lyrics on this CD is their honesty. They range from knowing God and His promises to the doubt that comes when we face trials. But everything is explored in an unflinching manner that makes sense even if it doesn't fall back on the pat answers that Christians sometimes rely on too much.

Unfortunately, the albums this CD came from are long out of print. But the songs collected here are certainly worth tracking down to encourage and uplift you no matter what you're going through.

I definitely think that this album gives the audience a good taste of the kind of music that Leslie Phillips made....I don't know what her new stuff is like under her new name, Sam. But I know that the lyrics always helped me understand God more, and helped me to tune in to where I was at with God. The music is offbeat at times, at other times like a lullaby, gentle and comforting. For the time it was written, I'd consider it to be definitely off the beaten path, but that is what I loved about it, esp. in the Christian community where everything else was pretty staid and starched. I wish she'd come back and do some more like this.

Even if one is not a Christian, I'd recommend taking a listen to see what it's like.

The openness and honesty in the songs, both lyrically and vocally, really drew me in, and connected with me immediately. She definitely has talent to spare, and sometimes sounds along the lines of Cyndy Lauper, although the styles are quite different.

A good choice for something new.

OK, That may be taken any way, personally I thought that it was a great CD, if you like Pop from the 80's with a Christian message this is the CD to get (remember that is my personal opinion.)! I sang some of these songs during my music lessons at school and grew to really like her style. I borrowed the CD from a friend and took a long time too before finally desiding that it was time to give it back and get my own copy!

Leslie Phillips has always been one of my favorites and this album shows why. She has a lovely voice, full of emotion and her love for God. The lyrics are real and powerful, bringing anyone who listens to a deeper realization of what it means to walk with Jesus. It's an awesome CD that will touch your heart.

This compilation samples material from Phillips' first four albums (Dancing with Danger, Black and White in a Grey World, Beyond Saturday Night, and The Turning), including previously unavailable versions and one "home demo". Most fans probably think of The Turning as her first "Sam Phillips" album, even though it was originally credited to "Leslie Phillips". Three tracks from that album ("Love is Not Lost", "Answers Don't Come Easy", and "Libera Me") are included here, and indeed these compare well with her later work; but the other tracks (all originals, except the cover of Mark Heard's "Heart of Hearts") show that The Turning and her later work are cut from the same cloth as her early songwriting.

The acoustic versions of "Your Kindness" and "No One But You" would have fit in perfectly on Cruel Inventions, and their inclusion here makes this collection worth buying even for those of us who own the early Leslie Phillips albums. The demo of "Walls of Silence" is interesting, though unexceptional. The version of "You're the Same" also appears to differ from the original album version.

The remainder of the tracks ("I'm Finding", "When the World Is New", "By My Spirit", and the Russ Taff duet "Strength of My Life") are mostly-forgettable CCM pop ballads. I would happily trade these for the Lauperesque cheese of "Dancing with Danger" or the trite-but-endearing message of "Powder Room Politics", which were sadly not included. Overall, though, this collection presents most of the material that might interest a "Sam Phillips" fan and very little of the material we'd probably rather forget.

Leslie Phillips is the best! This CD is a sampling of her four previous christian releases. My only disapointment is that I want more!

FOR A SUPER-FAN OF LESLIE PHILLIPS TO SAY THIS IS HER BEST MEANS JUST THAT! THIS IS HER "BEST OF" WITH SOME NEW ITEMS AS WELL AS RE-RECORDED FAVORITES. HOWEVER, LESLIE LEAVES OUT "BEYOND SATURDAY NIGHT", MY PERSONAL FAVORITE. HER MUSIC ON THE RE-DONE STUFF IS ALREADY TAKING ON THE QUALITY OF HER SAM PHILLIPS MUSIC. LESLIE'S NEW STYLE IS MORE MATURE BUT LACKS THE ENTHUSIASM AND RELIGIOUS ZEAL OF HER OLD STYLE! THIS IS A MUST FOR ALL LESLIE (AND SAM) PHILLIPS FANS.

BILL TOBIN, Ph.D. Praise the LORD!!!

It's obvious by the song selection and re-recorded songs that this was done after she married T-Bone Burnett & became SAM Phillips. Focusing on the balad & folkier side of Leslie's music. It just isn't a complete collection of "hits" without the two major title cut hits, "Dancing With Danger" (the song that made me a fan), and "Black and White in a Grey World".
The funny thing is...I didn't like The Turning when it came out because it wasn't the Leslie I loved. Now, as I've grown older, The Turning is my favorite Leslie/Sam album!! I think Sam Phillips is one of the most under-rated artists ever! We love you, Sam! Keep rockin'!