There are moments in life that changes our lives forever. Such is when there are the happiest moment and also the saddest moments of our lives. I heard this album when it came out early because as usual it was none other then the renowned Steven Curtis Chapman. After so many years in the Christian Music industry and winning loads of awards, selling millions of albums and tonnes of achievements when it comes to music, you can expect nothing less than an excellent album from him. His specialty is pop music and of course he has his own style. Very guitar based pop sometimes rock like styles. Plenty of amazing acoustic sounding stuff plus a blend of amazing up tempo fast songs and just heart melting ballads.

I must say this in bold. I have never ever been disappointed in buying an album by Steven Curtis Chapman. Never! That speaks a lot of his talent and growth in music. What I admire more is the spiritual growth you can see through each album.

This would not be my favorite album by him because in my heart the album Speechless by him is probably one of the best albums in the world. It is so well done that I think it set a bar soooo high that is quite hard to ever achieve such things all the time.

Still this album is the most moving album in my life. If you don’t know the story behind this album, let me be honored enough to share it with you through my own words. When I heard this album, one song stuck out like magic. I was literally dancing the first time I heard it. It was a magical song. I was literally living my dream as a father at that very moment. It was so powerful. It was a song speaking of how we should spend each moment with our loved ones (in particular his daughter hence the title Cinderella) because we never know when the clock will strike midnight and they’ll be gone. I am sooooooooo emotional as I type this.

Then it happened….the clock struck and she was gone….Steven Curtis Chapman’s daughter was killed in an accident not too long after this album was out. The song immediately found a greater sense of meaning for both his family and for families around the world. Hence the change of the albums name from This Moment to Cinderella (special edition). It was so moving. Not only because of the story but because of the message itself that came out from a beautifully written and produced song.

That overshadowed the rest of the album which in my opinion was superb in itself. Many other wonderful songs are contained in this album. The special edition comes with some extra bonuses like acoustic versions of the Cinderella song. But it don’t matter, I was in love with the album before that. I’m more in love with it now. Come to think about it, I think I realize that even the post before this was about Lea Salonga in Cinderella. I think this is no coincidence.

To help you understand why I say so, I have decided to stream the song for you. Please click and pause until it loads completely….then sit down, relax, put on good headphones, earphones, or speakers. Make sure you don’t get distracted for just 5 mins. Click on the play button again and close your eyes. After hearing it, you can comment whether I’m mistaken to give this album a full rating.

Album : 10/10

Cinderella - Steven Curtis Chapman

She spins and she sways to whatever song plays,
Without a care in the world.
And I’m sittin’ here wearin’ the weight of the world on my shoulders.
It’s been a long day and there’s still work to do,
She’s pulling at me saying “Dad I need you!
There’s a ball at the castle and I’ve been invited and I need to practice my dancin’”
“Oh please, daddy, please!”

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t wanna miss even one song,
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone

She says he’s a nice guy and I’d be impressed
She wants to know if I approve of the dress
She says “Dad, the prom is just one week away,
And I need to practice my dancin’”
“Oh please, daddy, please!”

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Ohh-oh ohh-oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t wanna miss even one song,
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone
She will be gone.

Well, she came home today
With a ring on her hand
Just glowin’ and tellin’ us all they had planned
She says “Dad, the wedding’s still six months away
but I need to practice my dancin’”
“Oh please, daddy please!”

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Ohh-oh ohh-oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t wanna miss even one song,
(even one song)
Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone

Cinderella plus inspiration of the song

The family and the tragedy

Avalon, Avalon, Avalon. What can I say….. I love that word. Ever since I was hooked on to King Arthur when I was a little boy. Thing is, I have been a fan of Avalon for both the wrong reasons and right reasons. I have this little huge admiration towards this particular female singer in this group. She’s really pretty to me. And when she sings…..sigh….I become weak. I think this is some sort of voice crush. Sad thing is that she left Avalon. And ever since then its not been the same for me. I still bought two other albums that came out after she and another guy left but I must say I didn’t get the wow feeling out of those.

This is Cherie Adams. Isn’t she pretty? So sad she left. So So sad

So when I saw this album on the rack….I was like….should I really spend the money on something I may not like? Well I turned to the back to read first before I decided. First thing you should look for is the producer. This usually determines how good the album will be. What kind of style it would be. What kind of sound it will have. Most of the time this works. Not all the time though. So start looking out for producers. You will hear what I mean.

Then I saw the song list. I was like man! These are my favorite songs. I mean I have been listening for years and there are songs that become your favorites. This album contained so many songs I love. So I decided to buy it praying that they didn’t ruin my favorite songs. Hahaha. It’s already done how to change that fact….hahaha pray also no use.

First song….ok ok la. They didn’t do too much to change it. It has the same feel as the original for those of you who heard it before. But of course with better quality. As I went on, hearing these old time favorites sparked something in me I cannot describe. As I heard the album as a whole I must say I like this album so much more than the past two ones. One reason being the vocals seem to be giving me the old Avalon feel again which I loved. I’m glad for that. I must say nothing particularly stood out as impressive to me. But I liked the album very much. Still somehow the song ‘El-shaddai’ still gives me a kick every time.

They brought a guest artist Russ Taff in to do an old song and that was so nice. So if you want to hear some of the old favorites but don’t appreciate the old sound. I think this album did those songs justice. It is also very pleasurable to hear the Avalon sound again. I’ve heard this album through 5 times now. I haven’t got bored with it so that must be a good sign. Though I must say I have fallen asleep on the train while listening to it too. It is either I’m too tired or it is too soothing hahaha.

So what do I think of this album? Get it. It is one of the better album’s I’ve heard among the new ones. Also I want listeners to hear these marvelously written songs with tremendous meaning. These songs itself make the album well worth it.

Rating : 8/10

If any of you wonder whether you are young or old….I have come up with a formula that works! The type of music that drives you will tell. Hehe. This album can be a good judge of that! So those of you who dare takes the risk get this album.

When I put it into my player and turned up the volume the first thought was this sounds so alike to Parachute Band’s - Roadmap and Revelations album. Rock based music that is more of the popular music side than hardcore rock. I like it a lot. Tracks like ‘All because of Jesus’, ‘Faithful’ and ‘You are the Light’ are my favorites and I hope to see them being used in my church someday for worship. Young people will love the energy!!

Oh I forgot to mention that this supposed to be a worship song album. My personal opinion is that not all songs here can work in a church unless they are all young people. Even so I may not agree as a Pastor to some of them being sung in our congregation. That being said, I like the songs as they drive so much power into the theme of the song making it somewhat like powerful anthems.VERY NICE!

Musically, this album was well produced but I kinda felt like it was an anti climax at the end. Still I was not wowed at anything in particular except the energy. I also wished that they included the sheet music like other worship albums.

But this album is getting rather popular…so maybe I am wrong. Still I was not caught like I was with Parachute’s Album. I must say though that there aren’t many rock worship song albums that are good out there and indeed this is one of the better ones. So if you like rock and are tired with the worship style albums that don’t suit you. Get this one.

Album Rating: 6.8/10

Back in my younger days, that which some would say was a long long time ago, I was a huge fan of a pretty latino gal by the name of Jaci Velasquez. My heart would melt each time I hear her voice. ALso she is very pretty hahaha. Songs from her album especially ‘Crystal Clear’ were songs I would always hear to lift me up until this very day.

So when I got to the stores here I was! Yes! They have the album! I mean it’s just so hard to get Christian Albums in Malaysia, here it is slightly better, only for the popular artists.

So here I am so very excited to hear this album after a very disappointing last album by her during the period of her divorce. I was rather upset by that because that was wrong. Still who am I to judge her. She made mistakes like all of us do. She admitted her wrongs and now I just thought it was time for her to move on as an artist.

This album came out after her apparent remarriage to another artist from the band Salvador. She is expecting a baby too if I am not wrong at this stage of doing this album. So I put all things aside and just focused on hearing the music.

The first song got me feeling like the world was so beautiful. I was literrally dancing to the music ‘Leon style’. As the album progressed I was glad to hear her back to her pop style with a little latin twist to it. Sounds like her early days but so much more alive!

The album though if I may comment lacks the depth I got from my favorite album by her. Nothing really moved me besides the first song. There was a spanish duet with probably her new husband who plays wonderful guitar and played for her album that was rather nice still it just didn’t move me. This was rather disappointing.

Put aside all my expectations and biasness to her previous album, I would say that this album is indeed one of her better albums. If you are a fan this indeed is the Jaci we fell in love with. I’m glad to hear great music by her again at last. Hope things get better from now onwards. I would certainly say this is a good album to get if you like pop music that sound like a little mixture of Celine Dion, a little Gloria Estefan, Natalie Imbruglia and Vanessa Carlton. Hahaha yes she has a sound of her own that is hard to define so hear it for yourself ok?

Album Rating: 6.5/10

Ratings are explained here

I am sorry but I missed last week because I totally haven’t got the time to concentrate on listening to music.  I didn’t want to ruin my mood.  I am about to hear one of the albums I have been really waiting to hear.

Presenting to you…..Overdressed! Clap! Clap! Clap!

Have you ever had moments where you waited and longed for something so much but in the ended got really disappointed with the result of it?  I have experienced that many times.  Somewhere in the back of my head I was really worried that I had too high expectations for this album.

I mean I have been looking for albums that blow me away.  Honestly there aren’t many.  Although you may see that many of the recommendations I’ve made I have been blown away by the albums, these are the few of the hundreds of albums I have.

Over the years I’ve learnt to know how to pick good albums and honestly you still get disappointed many times. So here it is, I pop the CD in and it starts off with a clean, crisp acoustic guitar sound…..I’m so jealous because I’m dying to own one now…..

Let me give you a brief introduction to Caedmon’s Call.  They are the band that I probably love musically the most in the Christian Music Industry.  I have almost all their albums and I have loved everyone of them.  Their style is that of Folk-Pop genre.  Why?  They mostly use acoustic instruments.  Lyrically they are the best! Honestly the best.  Their folk influence drives them to have great lyrics because of their story-like texture to writing and using words.  The lyrics are so real and honest.  So alike the psalms in the bible in modern language speaking to God.  The lyrics are not out of the world but just honest and human that makes it so easy to relate to.

Their vocal harmonies and blends are just heavenly.  The arrangements extremely creative and original.  The quality of the music is magnificent.  I mean this is what art is.  I respect them as singers, musicians, artists but most of all Christians.

They live their talk.  I mean they go for missions.  Are heavily involved in it. The song ‘Two Week in Africa’ speaks of their experience doing missions.  I mean they are just so creative to write a song that is just perfect to speak of what they saw. They did this in their album ‘Share the Well’.  Show so much their heart for people.  I mean they are not just Christians by name but they are serious Christians.  I have wished to see artist like that in abundance but honestly there aren’t many.

What is exciting about this album is the fact that Derek Webb who left the band is going to reunite with them again!  I’m hearing the album as I write this and I can tell you this.  They are back at their absolute best.  I mean this sounds so like who Caedmon’s Call is!  They have their sound that is just so them.  I’m in love with the song ‘Love Grows Love’.  Their harmony made of two melodic lines are so beautiful. Somehow they are the only band that I have ever heard that does it perfectly all these years.   I could just never compose a song like that.  One day maybe I pray.

I’m so happy.  The sound of the music itself is bringing me to tears.  God, such sweet melodies can only come from You!  Thank you for music!

Please buy this album!  Don’t pirate. It’s worth every cent even if I have to pay USD 100 to get it.  So if you are looking for a nice album that is not a single bit heavy and rock sounding but really really good to hear.  Get this one.  I can guarantee you somewhere in side everyone they will love this album more so, this album ‘accumulates’ on you (my next post, coming soon).  Oh by the way, CCM has rated this as the No.2 album of 2007!!!

Rating : 10/10

I was unable to procure a new album here in Singapore when I wrote this. So at the moment, maybe a little retro-album ok?

I wanted to introduce to you all one of the most lyrically meaningful album I have come across. Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace) - Bob Carlisle. His life testimony and how God has led him is pretty spectacular. He formally was from the band ‘Allies’ that was typically not where you would think a singer like him came from. It was heavy rock during the era.

God had led him to the point where he wrote this song ‘Butterfly Kisses’ which was inspired by his daughter Brooke. This album is now 14-15 years old and I still hear it many times. Someone believed in him and produced his album, not knowing that it would lead to him having won a Grammy Award in 1997 for the Best Country Song and a Dove Award. Since then he has been nominated for 8 Dove awards and has sold more than 3 million albums! Read the rest of this entry »

There are some artists that you like hearing. There are others that you absolutely adore. This is one band I ADORE. Their lyrics are the most artistic things I know. Even more, their melodic lines are superb. I got hook on this album since the day it came out. I am still hearing it and having it in my hand phone.

This album came out in 2000 and that is very very long ago hahaha. But imagine that I have never got bored with it for 8 years. How loud does that speak of how good this album? Loads!!!

They are more of a folk pop music group. That provides for their very personal lyrics. Caedmon’s Call has lost a vital member since that time but I’m still a huge fan. This album got it started. I was mesmerized by the lyrics of the song ‘Prove me Wrong’. It is so deeeeeeepppp.

‘What you want’ got me hooked on like magic…..

So if you ask me, get this album, it is musically challenging, arranged magnificently, and just wonderful. You may not get hooked on the first time (although I did get hooked instantly) but listen closely and you will indeed get lost into the magic of this group of artist. Their latest albums are still magnificent.

This album has my recommendation for satisfaction guaranteed album.

Rating: 10/10

Keeping up with what is current in our stores though it has been out for quite a while is this album. Many people I know already have this so if you don’t already have this it’s a must have. It is entirely a different genre from the earlier one I recommended. This is very gospel style but again it’s a fusion of so many styles.

The interesting part is Read the rest of this entry »

I think I am going to recommend an album for you music lovers each week. I will give a brief review not too detailed. Anything I recommend will be Good! Haha. This may change to be album of the month if I have less time to blog hahahaha.

First on the list

Point of Grace - How you Live

Probably gets my recommendation as one of the best Christian album of the YEAR! Read the rest of this entry »