Don't know if you're interested, but by coincidence I reviewed Amy's "Lead me on" about this time last year. The Christian flavour to it was a little evident, but didn't turn me off. Great, great album, really loved it. Wasn't so blown away by "Heart in motion" though, seemed a little more poppy/commercial?
The link, in case you want it:
http://www.musicbanter.com/members-j...ml#post1093248
Quote:
Originally Posted by Geekoid
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One of my favorite albums of all time, Amy Grant's Heart in Motion was a legendary and controversial album for Christian music. Released in the summer of 1991, Amy Grant dominated the airwaves; most notably with her hit songs like "Baby Baby," which marked the first time a Christian Contemporary artist ever claimed the top spot on the Billboard charts; "Every Heartbeat" which came in at the #2 spot; and the less successful, yet memorable ballad "That's What Love Is For."
Heart in Motion was one of Amy's favorites to record, and she had a blast writing the songs and appearing in music videos (deemed a little too provocative for a Christian artist). This was before Amy's infamous divorce from her husband, fellow CCM singer Gary Chapman, and represented a kind of high point in her career. The smiling vocals and cheerful melodies she shared on this album have made for some great memories from both Christian and secular audiences.
And that was really the intention of the album to begin with; to put out an few songs that would inspire the masses with optimistic messages and melodies meant to last through the ages. Whether Heart in Motion has passed the test of time or not really depends on who you ask. While it sounds somewhat dated; marked with the undeniable trends of early 90s pop, to many it remains a classic. The messages are simple and approachable, and share Amy's views on love, faith and devotion.
Regardless of those issues, I consider this album to be a timeless classic, even though musically it isn't anything earthshaking. But it showed the world that Amy Grant is a woman of incredible compassion. While this may not be one of her strongest releases (I personally believe "Lead Me On" was her crowning achievement), it manages to fulfill its purpose as a fun pop album. There are few songs I know that are as catchy and delightfully sweet as Every Heartbeat, co-written and produced by the quirky and creative songwriter Charlie Peacock. In all its sugar-coated cheesiness, it still manages to remain one of my favorite songs, among others. I personally think it's much better than "Baby Baby" by a long shot. And judging by the fact that everyone was still head over heels for Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 1814" at the time (think "Love Will Never Do [Without You]"), it makes sense that this was a hit.
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