Transform

Rebecca St. James

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 24, 2000)
• Original Release Date: October 24, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Forefront
• ASIN: B00004ZDMO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (81 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #76,419 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Let's start with the adjectives: energetic, powerful, creative, refreshing, excellent. That pretty much captures the essence of "Transform," the latest and--yes--greatest from Rebecca St. James, who never ceases to amaze. With more songwriting input than ever before, this blessed young Aussie gathers sounds from today's pop world and meshes them together oh-so-well. It would have been easy for RSJ to build on the groove that was established with her previous Grammy-winning release, Pray, but she's never one to sit still. And she playfully reminds us, in the Euro-disco sounding "Reborn," singing, "if you see a change in me and wonder." The riveting rocker "All Around Me" takes a page or two from the Garbage catalog, yet RSJ gives enough mojo to make it her own. The powerfully majestic "Stand" is another tour de force for RSJ, who showcases her mighty vocal talents in this pop masterpiece. Producers Matt Bronlewee and Dan Huff also should be commended for blending a lot of energy into a tightly focused and great-sounding release. --Michael Lyttle

From CCM Magazine -- Subscribe Now!

With creations like Pray, God and Christmas under her belt, Rebecca St. James has fast become the princess of the one-word album title. And her latest release, Transform, doesn't disappoint-but not merely due to its singular moniker. If indeed St. James-already a veteran artist at 23-endeavored to grow up and push her musical boundaries this time out, Transform is quite the apt title. This collection of tunes-co-produced by Matt Bronleewe (Jars of Clay, Natalie Imbruglia) and Dann Huff (Lonestar)-is an at once compelling and catchy mix of dance rhythms, otherworldly sounds, classical orchestral instrumentation and St. James' familiar pop-rock orientation.

Still, if the first track, "For the Love of God," is any indicator (and it is), longtime St. James fans are in for a raved-out wake-up call. The first few seconds reveal a powerful undercurrent of rhythm, along with guitar and bass reminiscent of '80s and '90s U2, respectively. There's also a harmonic chorus that subtly carries the partly cloudy verses-complete with atypical distorted, thin vocals from St. James-into bright, smiling, orchestral sunlight. This is an effective production move that rears its head throughout Transform. The hip shaking doesn't stop there. "Lean On" is a full-on techno fest, straight outta Manhattan's mid-'80s dance-club heyday; "Merciful" is an unabashed confession to God (adapted from the Book of Common Prayer), highlighted by all manner of wild sound effects and St. James' admirable Bjork imitation on the tail end of the verses. Throughout the record, St. James' voice sounds more mature on this release, richer, more confident.

"Reborn" ups the dance-floor ante even higher, its quickly paced BPMs and decidedly Euro-styled keyboard programming and odd noises driving a track that could easily fit into any DJ's playlist. But strobe light groovers beware-St. James' lyrics point to God, who gave them legs to dance with in the first place.

No surprise. St. James has never been one to lyrically obscure her faith. But on Transform-perhaps more than any of her previous releases-evangelism is a prime focus and urgent concern, especially for the young people of her generation. Given that, her newest musical direction makes sense in light of the ever-growing, worldwide explosion of dance music among teens and young 20-somethings. With the exception of the slightly cheesy, spoken-word rap-rhyming on "Don't Worry," St. James nails every element of Transform-a style leap, to be sure... but one that's full of enough diversity to command interest for years. -- Dave Urbanski (c) 2000 CCM Communications, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rebecca's best yet, April 4, 2001

By A Customer

I'll be the first to admit that I've never really been a big fan of Rebecca St. James's music. Don't get me wrong; I've always admired her boldness in proclaiming her faith through her music -- her unabashed conviction in Christ is something that we need more of in the music industry. It's just that I've never really been impressed with the music itself. Her mediocre attempts to sound "alternative" only left her sounding like a bad Tori Amos ripoff. (I know a lot of RSJ fans will probably hate me for saying that, but I call 'em as I see 'em.) That all changed when I heard her latest album, TRANSFORM. The music is amazing; it's different from her past albums in that it has more of a techno pop sound, and Rebecca's voice fits the new style perfectly. Songs like "For the Love of God", "Reborn", and "Lean On" have infectious beats that will have you hooked and dancing in no time. The introspective "Don't Worry" is a pure pop gem that will have you smiling as you realize how true the message is. "In Me" is another pop gem driven by acoustic guitar. Orchestra arrangements add a special touch to songs like "Merciful" and "Stand". Kudos go to the album's producers, the most prominent of which is former Plumb producer Matt Bronleewe. The spiritual boldness that is typical of RSJ's lyrics has not faded with this album. "Wait For Me" deals with the topic of chastity and sexual purity, "Merciful" is a powerful cry for God's forgiveness, and "Stand" encourages us all to be bold and stand up for what we believe in. There's not a bad song on this album; it will have you listening from start to finish. So for those of you have never really cared for RSJ's music in the past, give her a chance by listening to this album. You may be in for a pleasant surprise.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Undeniably Rebecca's Best Work, January 14, 2001

By A Customer

From when she first popped onto the music scene in 1994, I've always seen Rebecca St. James as being a 'good' artist, but this remarkable album has transformed her into a great one. Featuring a brilliant mix of rock, dance, and pop, Transform is filled with energy-packed songs that lay claim to what drives Rebecca in her life. There are no duds in these 12 songs as each one has something unique to offer. Among the best tracks on Transform are For The Love Of God and All Around Me, two powerful rockers with extremely catchy choruses. Other highlights include Don't Worry, the radio smash hit featuring another killer chorus, One, a song with a great dance beat that is sure to sound fantastic at her concerts, and Reborn, another standout dance hit. The song Wait For Me, though perhaps not one of the album's best songs musically, offers a memorable and poignant lyric about maintaining the gift of sexual purity for one's husband or wife, a message this world clearly needs to hear more of. In fact, thought-provoking and uncompromising lyrics punctuate Transform. But make no mistake: this album would easily reach the status of excellence even without its exemplary Christian lyrics. It is simply a great listen that cannot be missed.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great CD....., April 29, 2001

By	James Fox - See all my reviews

This is a great Christian CD to own. It has a great techno-pop feel to it without being souless or sugary. It is filled with great tracks with wonderful messages behind them. Here are my opinions of the songs on this CD-

1. Intro-even though its real short, it is a passioned, dramatic classical peice. nice. 2. For the love of God-GREAT song. Nice techno-rave feel to it and its just the thing to get you dancing. 3. Reborn-a cheesy euro-style dance peice...i didn't find this one so great 4. Don't worry-it sounds a little corny at first with its rap-rhyming, but it will get you singing along with it and loving it after another listen. 5. Merciful- SWEEEET! Great classical instrumentation and heaby drum beats, and deep spirituality in the lyrics...this is one of my faves on the album spiritually *and* musically. 6. One- a Britney Spears-ish pop song, i don't really like this one but it has a good message. 7. Universe-an okay track, kind of like "merciful" but not as good. 8. Wait for me- great message of staying sexually pure until marriage and a nice beautiful rhythm to it, great for slow dancing. I could imagine this one being played on Dawson's Creek or Party of Five during an on-screen kiss or something. 9. In me- this one is very much a country song-sounding a lot like Reba Macintire or Leann Rimes. I am not a big fan of country but I like this one. 10. Lean on- another track along the lines of "reborn" 11. All around me- a delicious rock track. 12. Stand- the one with the most spiritually challenging lyrics on the CD (in my opinion), really encourages Christians to take a stand for God in today's world/ 13. My hope- one of my faves. a slow, classical/techno thing...very good.