For the Sake of the Call

Steven Curtis Chapman | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 18, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sparrow
• ASIN: B000005KW5
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #116,623 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's joy in this journey!, August 18, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Athens, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: For the Sake of the Call (Audio CD)

To borrow from the title of one of Michael Card's albums, Steven shows with "For the Sake of the Call" that there is joy in the Christian journey. Not surprisingly, the title of this album's successor, "The Great Adventure," continues to describe the Christian life as an exciting adventure. Out of Steven's 9 albums (not including collections), "For the Sake of the Call" and "The Great Adventure" were included in a list of the best 100 Christian albums from the past twenty years in CCM magazine's 20th Anniversary Edition. "For the Sake of the Call" is the first of Steven's albums that is consistently excellent from beginning to end, though every album prior to this one contains at least one priceless gem. After honing his craft with this album, Steven continued to take artistic leaps with each new album, and improved each time. Definitely purchase his most recent two albums, "Signs of Life" and "Heaven in the Real World," but don't forget about this one! Even though his most recent collection, "Greatest Hits", includes some of his best ballads, it doesn't contain "When You Are a Soldier" (a song of love and devotion to his wife) that must not be missed!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Vulnerable Side to S.C.CHAPMAN, June 12, 2000

By 

David Trout "A Sleep Deprived Dad" (Oak Lawn, IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: For the Sake of the Call (Audio CD)

"For the Sake of the Call" ranks on my personal list of the 100 Greatest Christian Albums of All-Time. Although the final numbers are not in, this album may rank in my Top 10. For those who are new SCC fans, you may want to listen up before buying this album. "FTSOTC" lacks any of the driving rock songs that he has been releasing lately (e.g. Dive, I Do Believe, Lord of the Dance). Expect a more "mellow" side to Steven if you buy this album. If you love his ballads (e.g. Be Still and Know, Free, Heart's Cry), you will LOVE this CD. It is the most vulnerable Steven has ever gotten -- and it is one of the greatest songwriting achievements in all of CCM. You will find an introspective look at a man who longs to be closer to God. This isn't the kind of CD that you pop in and roll the windows down. This is one that play as you curl up by a fireplace -- and listen from start to finish. The album starts with the title cut -- which is a modern day classic. 3 of the next 4 songs (What Kind of Joy, Lost in the Shadow, Higher Ways)show's SCC's songwriting at it's best. The album contains a great love song in "When you are a Soldier." And you'll find a couple of tow-tappers (Busy Man, No Better Place). If you love deep, moving lyrics that make you think as you listen... then don't pass up "For the Sake of the Call"!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Chapman's Finest, April 6, 2001

By 

mjanke - See all my reviews

This review is from: For the Sake of the Call (Audio CD)

Enlisting long-time producer Phil Naish for another trip and handling all of the writing duties himself (or with a partner), FOR THE SAKE OF THE CALL'S release proved to the world that Steven Curtis Chapman was here to stay.

The opening track, "For the Sake Of the Call," is aesthetically one of the more beautiful songs he has ever recorded. Excellent sonics and production values, including a perfectly adjusted background choir, team up with a more polished pop style that still featured Chapman's acoustic roots but was clearly more accessible and glossy than anything found on MORE TO THIS LIFE. Lyrically, the song contained one of Chapman's more radical messages, telling us that devotion and obedience to Christ was to be done "not for the sake of a creed or a cause / not for a dream or a promise / simply because it is Jesus who calls / and if we believe we'll obey." CCM Magazine's reviewer at the time questioned whether Chapman was over-simplifying and romanticizing the Christian walk, but I tend to think the message was dead-on, as its point dealt with our motivation and reasoning, not the other aspects of our walk.

"Lost In the Shadow" remains perhaps my favorite Steven Curtis song to this day. With its simple bass groove, creating a lush and almost 80's-ish atmosphere slightly reminiscent of Richard Marx, Chapman sings a lyric that could go hand-in-hand with the title track: "whatever it costs, to find myself lost / in the shadow of the cross." The track "When You Are A Soldier" was a follow-up to "I Will Be Here," as it equated marriage to a battle and declared that "I'll be your friend if you win / or if you're defeated / whenever you need me I will be here." Another highlight, that has now become a concert favorite, is "No Better Place."

The underlying strength of this project is in the songwriting. Every track stands out as exceptional in depth and lack of over-simplicity or cliche. One of the strongest moments is in "Blind Lead the Blind," which recognizes the cycle of a God-less Gospel, and Truth-less curriculum, being fed to and repeated by those who will not or cannot discover the real Truth on their own. It closes with a warning: "This is a dangerous time / and the truth can be hard to find / so let His word light your way / and guard every step you take." Perhaps the closest to Keith Green or Steve Camp territory that Chapman has ever approached.

MORE TO THIS LIFE was a triumph, but on FOR THE SAKE OF THE CALL he stepped it up both with his pen and in the studio. His music sounded more professional and slick than ever, and while some may have lamented the absence of a more overtly acoustic sound the roots were still firmly planted. This album, and its closing reprise, set the stage for what would be his greatest musical "adventure" yet, on his next project. Yet on its own merits it is a clear high point in Chapman's pinnacle-filled career, and a must-own for any of his fans. Four and a half stars.