Still – Steven Curtis Chapman
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Still is Steven Curtis Chapman’s first all new full-length release since 2016’s Worship and Believe. The new album features twelve new songs of hope and encouragement from the most awarded artist in Christian music history. In his 35-year career, the soon to be 60-year-old Chapman, has won 5 Grammy Awards, 59 Dove Awards, had 49 number 1 songs, while selling more than 11 million albums with 10 RIAA-Certified Platinum and Gold albums. Still is a solid addition to Chapman’s catalog as he works with respected producers Bryan Fowler, Micah Kuiper and Ben Shive.
Below are a few comments about each song:
Welcome Back to Wonder – This short song was written by Chapman and Dave Barnes and produced by Chapman, Bryan Fowler and Micah Kuiper. The song features keys, guitar, backing vocals, bass, and drums. The song is about experiencing the majesty of the world God has created.
Key lyric:
With every beat of my heart, I hear You callin’
“Welcome back, welcome back to wonder”
Click on ‘Continue reading’ for:
- More of this review and a review of Revolver (Super Deluxe) by the Beatles
- Music News
- Song of the Week Lyrics ~ The Praise Is Yours by Matt Redman
Still – This song was written by Chapman, Micah Kuiper and Bryan Fowler and produced by Fowler. The song features guitar, drums, bass, piano, and backing vocals. The song is about trusting God wherever our journey takes us because He is faithful.
Key lyric:
Still, I’m gonna praise
The Only One who always stays the same
Oh, I know He is good, I know He is faithful
Still
Don’t Lose Heart – This upbeat song was written by Chapman, Micah Kuiper and Bryan Fowler and produced by Kuiper and Fowler. The song features guitar, bass, drums, and backing vocals. The song is about walking through the valley with a friend. It was inspired by Chapman’s own journey through the valley of grief and loss that he and his family have traveled.
Key lyric:
Let me walk with you through this valley
And tell you all that I’ve learned to be true
I’m Alive – This upbeat song was written by Chapman and Tom Douglas, and produced by Chapman, Micah Kuiper and Bryan Fowler. The song features guitar, bass, drums, keys, and backing vocals. The song is about embracing the fear, pain and tears of life knowing a day is coming when the tears will all be gone.
Key lyric:
I wanna taste every tear that falls
I wanna face every fear that calls my name
I’m gonna stand and say I’m alive
Kindness – This song, about living with a heart of kindness, was written by Chapman, Bryan Fowler, Ethan Hulse and Micah Kuiper, and was produced by Chapman, Fowler and Kuiper. The song, which gently builds, features guitar, keys, drums, bass and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
So when they stand and tell the stories
Of who we are and what we’ve done
Of a thousand things that we could leave behind us
If they say just one word, well, let that word be kindness
Running After You – This song, about God’s amazing love, was written by Chapman and Brent Milligan, and was produced Chapman, Milligan, Ben Shive, Caleb Chapman and Will Chapman. The song features drums, bass, keys, backing vocals and a memorable chorus.
Key lyric:
And once you’ve been captured by the Father’s heart
You can finally rest in knowin’
His love is never gonna let you go
Unfixables – This upbeat song, about living between these ruins that we don’t understand and the future restoration, was written by Chapman, Jacob Sooter and Micah Kuiper, and was produced by Chapman, Kuiper and Bryan Fowler. The song features guitar, backing vocals, drums, bass and a memorable chorus.
Key lyric:
I’m gonna trust You with all these unfixables
Until the day when I finally see the way
You make masterpieces out of these unfixables
Love Now – This song, a reminder about loving now because we don’t know how much time we have, was written by Chapman, Bryan Fowler, Micah Kuiper and Mary Chapman, and was produced by Chapman, Fowler and Kuiper. The song features piano, guitar, bass, drums, and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
And we’re reminded again, only the Father knows when
He’s gonna call His children home
Where Else Could I Go – This song was written by Chapman, Caleb Chapman and Will Chapman and was produced by Chapman, Caleb Chapman, Brent Milligan, Will Chapman and Ben Shive. The song, which echoes John 6:68 when Peter told Jesus “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”, features piano, guitar, keys, bass, drums, and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
Where else could I go?
All my hope is in You and You alone
A Desperate Benediction (Peace On Earth) – This song, a prayer for peace, was written by Chapman and Tom Douglas, and produced by Chapman, Brent Milligan and Ben Shive. The song features piano, keys, bass, guitar and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
We’re all brothers and sister cryin’ to the Father
For peace on Earth
Living Color – This song, about Chapman’s best friend in seventh grade Carlton who had a good heart, was written by Chapman and was produced by Chapman, Brent Milligan and Ben Shive. The song features piano and strings.
Key lyric:
And his skin was dark, and my skin was light
But all we saw was a friend in each other’s eyes
And our blood ran red in both our hearts
And we were lookin’ at the world in living color
Trying To Get Back Home – This song was written by Chapman and Ben Shive, and was produced by Chapman, Shive, Brent Milligan, Caleb Chapman and Will Chapman. The song, about our journey to get home to heaven, features guitar, strings, and backing vocals.
Key lyric:
So be kind to yourself and everyone else
On this long and windin’ road
And don’t you believe it if you start feelin’ alone
We’re all just tryin’ to get back home
Favorite songs:
Still
Don’t Lose Heart
Running After You
Unfixables
Where Else Could I Go
Revolver (Super Deluxe) – Beatles
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Giles Martin, son of the Beatles long-time producer Sir George Martin, continues his work of overseeing the re-release of special edition Beatles albums. He started with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 2017, The Beatles (White Album) in 2018, Abbey Road in 2019 and Let it Be in 2021. Now comes the re-release of the Beatles 1966 groundbreaking album Revolver. The release is available in a variety of configurations. I listened to the Super Deluxe edition which contains 63 songs.
The original Revolver album had 14 songs, though in the U.S. it had only 11 songs, as “I’m Only Sleeping”, “And Your Bird Can Sing”, and “Doctor Robert” were included on the Yesterday and Today album. The album was recorded between early April and the end of June 1966. John Lennon and Ringo Starr were 25 years old, while Paul McCartney and George Harrison were only 23 at the time.
Revolver was very different from its predecessor, 1965’s Rubber Soul. Revolver is experimental, fueled by the band’s drug use and increasing use of studio effects.
The Super Deluxe edition features the original album in a new 2022 stereo mix, as well as a mono mix, alternate takes of all songs except “Good Day Sunshine”, and early demos. In addition, the two-sided single “Paperback Writer”/“Rain”, recorded during these sessions, but not included on the album, is included in stereo and mono mixes.
Just like Peter Jackson’s 2021 excellent documentary The Beatles: Get Back allowed us to watch how McCartney’s song “Get Back” developed, on this project we get to hear how songs like “Yellow Submarine”, “And Your Bird Can Sing”, “Tomorrow Never Knows”, Got to Get You Into My Life” and “Love You To” evolve significantly into the versions that we are so familiar with.
- CityAlight to Lead Worship at the 2023 Gospel Coalition National Conference. I was excited to hear that CityAlight would be leading the corporate singing before the keynote sessions at the 2023 Gospel Coalition Conference to be held in Indianapolis September 25-27. The theme will be Hope in the Wilderness: Encouragement for Pilgrims from the Book of Exodus. Featured speakers include John Piper, David Platt, and Ligon Duncan.
- The In Between. The latest from Matt Maher is “The In Between” from the series The Chosen.
The Praise Is Yours by Matt Redman
This week’s song of the week is “The Praise is Yours” by Matt Redman. The song was written by Redman, Andi Rozier, Travis Ryan and Joshua Sellar. It is the second single from his forthcoming live album which was recorded at the Mission San Juan Capistrano. Watch the performance video for the song here.
Here are the lyrics to the song:
Infinite
Self-existent
Beyond the end
Before beginning
Eternal One, Creator God
You made the world and it was good
Self-sufficient
So high above
But never distant
Made for Your love
Fashioned from dust
You gave us breath and it was good
All the glory and honor
Blessing and power
Because Your name alone is worthy,
Worthy forever
The praise is Yours
We hid our face,
Separated
Betrayed Your heart
Our glory faded
Went our own way
Gave up on love
But You would not for You are good
You sent Your Son
For our forgiveness
You ran to us
You kept Your promise
Light of the world
There on a cross
You drank the cup for You are good
All the glory and honor
Blessing and power
Because Your name alone is worthy,
Worthy forever
The praise is Yours
It’s all the glory and honor
Blessing and power
Because Your name alone is worthy,
Worthy forever
The praise is Yours
O o o o
O o o o
Glory to God
For You are good
And all the glory and honor
Blessing and power
Because Your name alone is worthy,
Worthy forever
The praise is Yours
It’s all the glory and honor
Blessing and power
Because Your name alone is worthy,
Worthy forever
The praise is Yours
O o o o
O o o o
Glory to God
For You are good
