Heart in Motion

Amy Grant

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 5, 1991)
• Original Release Date: March 5, 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B000002GJB
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #81,564 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Heart in Motion is the 1991 album that broke Amy Grant into the mainstream pop-music charts, yielding five top 20 singles and two No. 1 hits ("Baby Baby" and "Every Heartbeat"). But while the release is filled with upbeat beboppin' singles, it also displays a more serious side and a depth of songwriting ability from Christian music's first lady. The urgent "Ask Me" introduces you to a sexually abused girl who miraculously grips tightly to her faith while struggling through a difficult history, while "I Will Remember You" and "How Can We See That Far" are haunting ballads dripping with echo-laden guitars. Indeed, Grant showcases a wide variety of sounds and flavors on this, her multiplatinum introduction to the secular music world. --Michael Lyttle

From CCM Magazine -- Subscribe Now!
You have to admire Amy Grant. She has always resisted the temptation to exactly fulfill the expectations of a Christian music market which tends to prefer the safe, the jargonistic, and the predictable. Rather, she has continually pushed the boundaries of Christian artistry outward. In that regard her 12th album, Heart in Motion, does not disappoint.

Lets get right to the first question: Is this a Christian album? The immediate answer is no, it is not a contemporary gospel album. But if you ask if the lyrics express Christian values and whether its clear from listening to the album that Amy Grant believes in Jesus Christ (rather than in a capitalized pronoun), the answer is clearly yes.

There is no question, however, that this album was made with the mainstream pop market in mind. The first six cuts in particular sport memorable hooks and polished, radio-ready production. Brown Bannister, who produced all of Grants previous albums, is back again on four of the songs, but big time L.A. producer Michael Omartian was brought in for five others and rising star Keith Thomas for two.

In fact, it is the two Thomas productions which lead off the album "Good for Me" and "Baby Baby" (the latter dedicated, Grant says in the liner notes, "to Millie, whose six-week-old face was my inspiration"). These two sings, in which only Jerry McPherson's guitars augment Thomas synths, sound big and bright rather than brittle and mechanized. Next comes the rollicking "Every Heartbeat," produced by Bannister, which features the killer drum/bass duo if Chris McHugh and Tommy Sims with McPherson again on guitar and Charlie Peacock on keyboards, all backed by fun 50's style bgvs. (Peacock, who co-wrote the song with Grant and Wayne Kirkpatrick, also contributed to the horn arrangements.) What follows is the Big Ballad, and Omartian-produced masterpiece called "That's What Love is For" which has "hit" written all over it.

So far, we've heard basic, feel-good love songs nothing heavy. But now comes "Ask Me" a poignant song about sexual abuse. "Ask me how I think there's a God up in the heavens/Where did He go in the middle of her shame?/ She said His mercy is bringing her life again." Its one of the best cuts on the album, and since it portrays the redemptive power of God in a situation which is tragically all-too-common, probably the most important. "Galileo" wraps up the side (of the cassette version), and though it is substantially less weighty than "Ask Me," you'll hear the chorus in your head for days after just one listen.

If side one is the commercial, pop radio side of Amy Grant, side two is more reflective of the Amy we've seen in the past. "You're Not Alone" is the most muscular production of the set, with guitars by Dann Huff and Gordon Kennedy (need I say more?). "Hats" is a quirky, madcap kind of song about modern motherhood that will be the favorite of many women: "one day Im a mother. One day I'm a lover/What am I supposed to do? HATS!" "I Will Remember You" is a emotionally-charged ballad an ideal concert closer. "Our love is frozen in time/ Ill be your champion and you will be mine/I will remember you."

Unfortunately, "How Can We See That Far" seems out-of-place. Recalling moments in life viewed from the perspective of time, the song wonders, "How can we see that far?" However, its melancholy mood would have fit better on Lead Me On than this album. Another ballad ("Hope Set High") closes the album. It's a song which puts all that comes before it in perspective. "When it all comes down/If there's anything good that happens in life, it's from Jesus."

Overall, although Heart in Motion suffers from some pacing problems (it comes in like a lion with three hot pop songs and goes out like a lamb with three ballads), from a technical standpoint it is Amy Grants best effort, with well-crafted songs and some outstanding vocal performances.

It is also a pivotal album for Grant. On the one hand, the album seems designed primarily to cultivate radio hits. Thus, she has set herself up for criticism that she has "sold out" for commercial success.

On the other hand, these songs seem to represent life as Grant sees it at the point in time. In that regard, they get high marks for artistic integrity. To say they are mere contrivances to fit a particular market, while perhaps true in once sense, is prejudicial from a Christian standpoint. One thing is certain: Amy Grant knows what she's doing. As she says in "Every Heartbeat:" "I'm simple but I'm no fool." -- John W. Styll (c) 1991 CCM Communications, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "DON'T STOP GIVING LOVE.", February 13, 2003

By	Soaring Heart - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Amy is so terrific, and I haven't listened to pop in a long time. She has a lovely, soft, airy voice but uses it powerfully and the music makes her sound even better. What great musicians she has with her, and you can feel their connection in the music. HEART IN MOTION is titled appropriately because Amy has tons of heart and she boldly and bravely shares it. I respect that in an artist. I also would like to thank her for taking the time to come to my high school (this was awhile back, heh) and speaking to us about many inspirational things, including God and singing acapella to us sitting on a stool; dressed casually, relaxed, with her legs crossed singing from her heart.

What mainly made me write this review today is the song, "Baby, Baby" which is EXACTLY how I feel about my daughter on Valentine's Day and every day into forever:
"Baby, baby, I'm taken with the notion
To love you with the sweetest of devotion/
...and ever since the day you put my heart in motion

Baby I realize there's just no getting over you/
Baby, baby, in any kind of weather
I'm here for you always and forever...
Don't stop giving love..."
I sing it to her and hold her; other times we laugh and dance. I will never forget this song--ever.

Other favorite songs are: the upbeat, "Good For Me," and the gorgeous melody, "That's What Love is For" both of which I dedicate to my devoted husband; faith in trying times, "Ask Me;" the emotional, inspiring, "You're Not Alone;" and the sincere, riveting "I Will Remember You;" and, in my opinion, the rationale for the entire cd and why I love Amy so much, "Hope Set High."

"Here's to good times to come." I'm with you, Amy.

Soar!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amy's Best Release (Ever)., June 6, 2003

By	Josh Andrews (El Paso, TX USA) - See all my reviews

When I was barely getting into music, Amy Grant was probably the first singer that I heard. I remember back in the early 90s, falling in love with "Baby Baby" and "Good For Me". For Amy's 1991 release, she exploded onto the Billboard charts, scoring 5 Top Twenty songs - "Baby Baby", "Every Heartbeat", "That's What Love Is For", "Good For Me", and "I Will Remember You". I believe it was around 1992 or 1993 when I had first seen and heart Amy Grant. I loved tuning into VH1 to see her music videos, and I would even stay up for hours just to see all of them played on an old VH1 show called "A to Z." My absolute favorite song on Heart In Motion is "Baby Baby" - I bet pretty much everyone has heard this song. It's still on today after 10 years. For a Christian singer, Amy Grant sure did hit the mainstream with her irresistible songs. Even though they were pop songs, she still showed she was a true Christian with the songs "Ask Me" and "Hope Set High".

Although she may have been on the Pop side for a few more albums, she was able to show that she could crossover music genres and become a major hit. Heart In Motion is a great collection of songs. With its upbeat rhythms, its positive messages, and its ballads, it's a winner.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This album is a winner!, August 13, 2000

By	jak-uv-ol-traids (Carmichael, California United States) - See all my reviews

This is the first album I ever purchased from Amy Grant. I have to say that the first time I heard it back in 1991, I loved it right away. Every song is put together very well. I read from one of the previous reviews that someone didn't like the song, Galileo but Galileo actually is a very, very good song. Baby Baby, Every Heartbeat, I Will Remember You and Good For Me are only some of the reknown songs on the album. I think the strongest song on the album is You're Not Alone, which is a rock ballad and has actually comforted me in my times of loneliness. I would highly recommend this album.