Customer Reviews

Somewhere Down the Road

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Amy Grant returns with Somewhere Down The Road, a unique album full of brand new songs, previously unreleased songs, re-recordings of classics, and rounded out with 4 of her best loved story-songs. I've been listening to Amy Grant for over 25 years as I first heard "El-Shaddai," "Thy Word" and "Tennessee Christmas" when I was in high school in 1985. Like many avid Christian music collectors, I agree that 1988's Lead Me On was one of the most influential albums in the history of Christian music. Amy truly paved the way for all female artists and today I hear her influence in some of my favorite artists including Sara Groves and Bethany Dillon, who released two of my top 10 albums of 2009. So, where does that put Amy today in 2010? That's the main question I've been asking myself as I've been thoroughly enjoying her first new album since 2003's Simple Things.

For me, the beginning of the album completely reminds me why I'm such a long-time fan of Amy's music, as first song and single "Better Than A Hallelujah" addresses the topic of being honest with yourself & God. Her vocals are still stellar and the poignant message behind this song has me hooked again, similar to Amy's classic songs "Lead Me On" and "Saved By Love," both in catchiness and transparency. Next song "Overnight" really grabbed me as Amy's vocals are complemented by her first ever duet with her 17 year old daughter Sarah Chapman. The song is about learning to wait for answers to questions and is a wonderful song with great relevance in passing down advice from mother to daughter. Having 3 young daughters myself, who all love Amy's music, this is a great new song that really moves me.

There are a few previously recorded songs including "Every Road," "Somewhere Down The Road," MercyMe's "Imagine" and a new recording of the classic "Arms Of Love." All of the songs fit seamlessly into the fabric of the overall album, which has a folk music feel and is very enjoyable. If you're looking for circa 1991's Heart In Motion type songs like "Baby Baby" or "Every Heartbeat," you won't find them here.

The rest of the album includes some other new songs, highlighted by "Unafraid," which may be my favorite overall new song as Amy sings about her own children and her mother with a great reminder that "love can make, love will make, make you unafraid." It is a gorgeous song and really sets the tone for the album. The remaining new songs include "Hard Times," "Find What You're Looking For," written for Mary Elizabeth Chapman, the grandmother of Amy's 3 oldest children and "Third World Woman." Previously unreleased "What Is The Chance of That" and "Come Into My World," which is about learning to listen to people before `fixing' them, also fit nicely into the overall theme of the album: stories & journeys. Amy has always been a great storyteller and many of her most impactful songs have come from her own journey as she sings about the honesty of life, its joys and struggles, and ultimately the hope she has found in faith and love.

CLOSING THOUGHTS
I truly enjoy every song on the album, especially new recordings "Better Than A Hallelujah," "Overnight," "Unafraid" and "Come Into My World." If you were fond of Amy's 1997 recording Behind The Eyes, one of my all-time favorite albums, then you will certainly want to listen to Somewhere Down The Road. For me, the way that Amy's albums all reflect her stage in life is what continues to further establish her all-time legacy which includes over 25 million album sales, an incredible feat in any genre.

I have been a fan of Amy Grant ever since her album "My Father's eyes" on which she showed the world that Christian music could be well produced and contemporary sounding without compromising on the message of the Gospel.

"Somewhere down the road" is a meditative largely acoustic affair, far removed from her Pop/Rock sound of albums like "Unguarded", "Lead me on" or "Heart in motion", and comprising new songs, a few old ones re-worked, and an unreleased track (the beautiful "Come into my world" in which she invites us into her normal and cluttered life if we are brave enough, accompanied by guitar only).

Her dusky voice is as rich and great sounding as ever, as the re-worked "Arms of love" (with fuller instrumentation and harmonies here) shows when compared to the original from 1982's "Age to age".

"Overnight" finds her trading verses with her 17 year old daughter Sarah Chapman, while she sings of resilience on "Hard times" (as hard times come to everyone), while "What is the chance of that" is a gritty Rocker. These songs remind me of songs from "Behind the eyes".

Other standouts are the tender titletrack (originally on "Behind the eyes"), the Blues-tinged "Third world woman" (in which she imagines what it would be like be one, backed by some great guitar work; this is my favourite song), "Find what you're looking for" (with lovely quivery guitars, in which she tells us "there's so much good in the worst of us, so much bad in the best of us" so it doesn't make sense for any of us to criticize the rest of us), and the beautiful cover of MercyMe's "I can only imagine" done here as "Imagine" (with a few stanzas changed) as a medley with "Sing the wondrous love of Jesus". This medley appeared on her beautiful collection of hymns "Legacy... Hymns and Faith".

The album cover is designed to look like a photo album with a painting on the cover done by Amy. This is an intimate and heartfelt collection that uplifts.

Like a letter from an old friend...I couldn't wait until I got home to sit down and delve into this journey with Amy...I can't say enough good things about this record. The new songs, Better Than A Hallelujah, Overnight (a stunning duet with Amy's daughter Sarah Chapman...the first time Amy has dueted with any of her children), Hard Times, Third World Woman and Find What You're Looking For (co-written by folk singer Mindy Smith and the folksy feel of the song is perfectly suited for Amy's rasp and honest delivery) are such a natural progression of "Amy Grant" music...they fit into Amy's catolog so well, I find it hard to articulate. The "new to cd" songs, Unafraid, What Is The Chance Of That and Come Into My World are long-awaited and fit into the fabric of this tapestry that Amy has woven so beautifully...Arms Of Love, for any Amy fan a favorite from the early 80's, is by far the better of the two versions of this song. Gone is any tinge of the 80's sound and instead a beautiful almost prayer-like song that is now nestled in an acoustic bed by Vince Gill. Jenny Gill joins her father and sings a haunting harmony. Also included on this CD are 3 of Amy's best-loved songs from Behind The Eyes and Legacy. Every Road, Somewhere Down The Road and Imagine fit in with the rest of these songs, it's almost as if it were meant to be...I truly enjoyed every word in this letter from an old friend, I feel like I know her heart a little better and got a little much-needed insight into my heart at the same time. Don't hesitate...buy this record, if you ever were an Amy Grant fan...this is a glorious return to form.

I have been an Amy Grant fan since 1987, hearing first her greatest hits collection "The Collection", and then her ground-breaking release "Lead Me On". From there, I gradually got to know Amy though all of her other albums (including two wonderful live albums) before Heart in Motion was released. THe only two albums of her I don't own (besides the hymns projects) are her Greatest Hits and Simple Things.

Every album of Amy's is different from any other album of Amy's, which is something I've always loved about her work. This is no exception. And this collection has the special quality of letting us bask in the Amy we know (Somewhere Down the Road, Every Road) and remember (Arms of Love), and also shares the new Amy, a woman of great faith who has been though a lot of life. I loved her song Arms of Love when it was first released - it is a beautiful recording. But, just as I expected, this new version reflects the quiet confidence of a woman with tested, hard-earned faith. Gone is the sweet, naive sound of a very young girl who just loves God with all her heart, and now you hear a mature woman who sings with more strength, but at the same time is more understated...the less earnest delivery actually strikes me as a stronger statement of faith.

My three favorites among the new and never-before-released songs are "Better than a Hallelujah", "Unafraid" and "Third World Woman". The first of these, not written by Amy, very well could have. This seems a message that would resonate very strongly with her, given her recent trials of divorce, losing a dear friends, and watching her parents grow old. And it is a wonderful message - that what God loves most is when we cry out to Him for help and solace. "Unafraid" is just heart-breakingly beautiful. Amy reflects on the unconditional love she has found with her husband Vince Gill, the joys and fears that come with watching your children grow up, and the love and respect she has for her mother's unfaltering faith in the face of growing old and facing death. It is so easy to relate to these experiences, it is a tear-jerker. And "Third World Woman" reminds me some of "THe Power" in its delivery. It is wonderful when Grant comments on the wider world she is a citizen of. She did so on "Children of the World" and this time, she is reflecting on the blessings she has living affluently in an affluent country as both a woman and a mom. She brings to our attention, the plight of women around the globe who fear not only for themselves and their survival, but more importantly for that of their children.

"Come into My World" and "What YOu're LOoking FOr" remind us, quite intimately, that we never truly know what another's life is like, until we've lived in their world. It is honest and beautiful. "I can Only Imagine" and "Sing the Wondrous Love of Jesus" are lovely, and add a nice personal note in terms of what matters most to her, although they don't hit me at least, as powerfully as the reset of the album.

This is a wonderful way to reminisce about the music of Amy Grant we've loved for a long time, and enjoy it anew, *and* to hear new sounds and messages from her. It is just beautiful. No fan of Amy Grant's will be disappointed, and I would expect it will gain her new fans as well.

Ground breaking Christian artist Amy Grant gives us another beautiful and classic album of beautiful stories sung in a storyteller way, which hallmarks Amy Grant's talent. I have heard alot of her music, but this is my first purchase of her music. I enjoyed all the songs and the first single Better than a Hallelujah. The pictures she describes in her music really relate to me and my life as a young woman and now a middle aged mother. I really appreciate her faith and courage in the music she writes, and continues to write! HIghly recommend this cd to anyone for encouragement or general listening!

I love this album.
I have been a fan of Amy Grant's since 1985 when her "Age to Age" album changed my life. I've seen this amazing artist grow and evolve from an innocent, well-meaning, enthusiastic young woman into an incredibly deep, thoughtful, and still well-meaning (and no worse for the wear) wise woman who has been brave enough to take the road less traveled in several areas of her life.
"Somewhere Down the Road" is such a breath of fresh air and resonates with those of us who are also in the "mid-life" demographic and who can relate to each of these songs on the deeper levels required by "spiritual beings going through a human experience."
Each of the songs is wonderful, but a few of them will absolutely blow you away. As a forty-eight year old woman, the honesty and authenticity of "Come Into My World" and its message resonates deeper for me than any other song on this album. And the updated version of "Arms of Love" is a whole new way to listen to its message, now sung by an older and wiser Amy. You can feel and hear the new perspective of what this song means for someone who has been (and still is going) through the many challenges life has presented. "Find What You're Looking For" is a great reminder that what we perceive in others, we are only strengthening and magnifying in ourselves. "Overnight" is a terrific surprise as Amy's daughter, Sarah, sings this duet with her mom and their blend is flawless.
"Better Than a Hallelujah" is a song that I cannot stop listening to - its message is universal and something accessible to everyone. The timing of this song is perfect for our world.
The most wonderful thing about Amy Grant is that she is "one of us" and she isn't afraid to express her frailties and flaws through her amazing grace and music. She also has the courage to grow and evolve as an artist, and for anyone who has loved her work for the last three decades, it is a privilege and honor to travel on this journey with such an incredible inspiration of a woman.

Just downloaded Amy's new album onto my iPhone. It is a blessing to hear and take with in my car, at home, and when out and about. I travel a bit for work and it is great to have such wonderful, inspiring music wherever I am. I have been a fan of Amy's for many, many years. This is one of her best albums ever...especially BETTER THAN A HALELLUJAH!

This time around, Amy seems to be revealing more of her spiritual side and giving her listeners a chance to experience some of the journey that she has taken in life. I particularly appreciate her words in Third World Woman where Amy essentially admits that her privileged world needs to be aware of the humanity of other people not so abundantly blessed. Her duet with her daughter, Overnight, is so sweet and Sarah Chapman's voice is a gorgeous one, a great blend of her mother and father's talents. I really like the 2010 edition of Arms of Love (one of my faves from way back when). Amy's voice has changed somewhat over the years, but her lyrics still touch me and I'm really enjoying this new CD.

I was so happy to get this CD. As others have stated, it was like hearing from an old friend, because Amy has touched our lives through her music in such a way. Her music has helped me when I'm down, inspired me, and celebrated with me life's many moments. In this album, she opens her heart to us, to the world, again. She shares with us her insights and her appreciation of life. Each song is special, but I must say it was nice to hear all the new stuff especially. I loved "Unafraid," "Better than a Hallelujah," "Overnight," and "Come Into My World." She sings "Overnight" with her daughter Sarah and boy is that girl talented! Like mother, like daughter! Sarah did a marvelous job, could this be a career in the making? I would LOVE to hear more. So much more talented and heartfelt than half the crap we hear on the radio. Anyway, what I want to say is here about the album is GO AMY!!! Keep it coming!!! Your music is much loved and appreciated! Keep it coming girl!!! Also, can't wait to see you when you are next in Houston, TX!

Amy Grant is such a talented storyteller and her voice wraps around each story to deliver it exquisitely to the listener. Hearing these songs for the first time is like a warm visit from and old friend. Sarah Chapman's debut is amazing as well. I was a bit afraid that I wouldn't like this CD, but am thrilled to own it. I have a feeling that I will have it on repeat for quite some time!