The Collection

Had I bought this in 1985 I wouldn't have considered this dated. When released, each song sounded very refreshing, and is still in totality a pleasure to listen to. A modern listener, especially if they possess no 1980's nostalgia or are hearing this for the first time, may simply laugh at the music, though. No offense to anyone who worked on the albums, including Amy- but some of the lyrics are a little sappy at times, and it's not exactly a group of tunes for the hardcore amongst us. It still stands up well enough, though, when one reviews the Contemporary Christian songbook in entirety. Expect to hear plenty of synthesizers & 80's-style arrangements. But in comparing the music to, say, Sandi Patty's work from the same era, Amy's is WAYYYYYYYYYY more hip. Sandi, while possessing a lovely voice (and technically better than Grant's), sang songs reminiscent of those heard on television evangelists' shows. In other words, seriously laughable at times unless you REALLY took those shows/type of music seriously. Amy, by contrast, sounds like a pop singer who just happens to focus some of her lyrics on her faith, Jesus & God. This is the CD I often give to newly-converted Christian friends, because (with a couple of exceptions) the tunes here aren't based on condemning the listener or making them feel bad for their flaws. It's an upbeat mix, by & large, and pretty easy to swallow for the pop music-loving crowd."Stay for Awhile" isn't a must-have track to me, but it's okay as background music. "Find a Way" is a song that could easily have been played on Top 40 stations, or Adult Contemporary, and no one would've noticed the Christian influence at all. Actually, I think the song did just that! The tune tends to be very well-liked by those not crazy about the "praise & worship" craze CC music has fallen into in the years since then. "Everywhere I Go" is another easygoing piece, nothing earth-shattering, but a truly Christian work. "Angels", "I'm Gonna Fly", "Where Do You Hide Your Heart" & "All I Ever Have to Be" do nothing for me, personally, so I'll refrain from comment on them- nothing terrible, just not influential to me. "Thy Word" is a vocally-repetitive but quite beautiful song, and Amy's slightly raspy but strong alto voice was at it's best when recording it. I find it the most Puritanical of music here, but it's disarmingly pretty. "Sing Your Praise to the Lord" is the stadium-ready, wall-of-sound track that first convinced many they wanted to buy Amy's work in the first place. The rousing intro leads to a well-written, if lyrically-simplistic, song. "El Shaddai", perhaps the most sacred work of Grant's entire catalog, is sure to get your heartstrings pulled if you possess even an ounce of love for God. "Emmanuel" is a track that has a little rock influence, and is a song even those who normally dislike the CC genre can listen to with less animosity. "I Have Decided" engages in an out-of-character manner for Grant, as it is clearly on the judgmental side & is a little legalistic, but is nonetheless speaking about something we all need to hear- as a Christian, you can't be a fence-sitter, and you can't just do whatever you want & expect God to cover your tush if you give Him no time, love or attention. "Father's Eyes" is probably appealing to the needier amongst us, but is a little saccharine to me. It seems to drip w/ a sweetness & innocence that sounds a little forced even from the very youthful & sincere Amy Grant of that time period. But "Ageless Medley" is my hidden-on-the-iPod, guilty-pleasure track, as it screams "I came out in the mid-80's!"...but I love it! It combines the songs here in a fun, new way, little tidbits of each having been completely reworked & re-recorded by Amy. I listen to it a lot, as it's got a bunch of energy & is sort of it's own little "greatest hits" song in itself.The biggest, most puzzling omission from this- and one of the best songs Grant ever recorded- is the very good "The Now and the Not Yet". For that song alone, buy her "Straight Ahead" album, which was released two years before this collection came out. Well-received by both critics & fans, I'm not sure why the song wasn't included, unless it was done purely for financial reasons by the record company. The song & album of the same name, "Lead Me On", came out two years after this collection did, hence it's exclusion from the album. But that is also another good track, and a must-have for an AG fan.

The music was a bit tangy for my liking. I love the songs - but I guess music has changed over the years

I bought this album years ago without knowing many of the songs on it, except perhaps "El Shaddai" and "Thy Word." I was not disappointed with the rest of the collection. I still enjoy listening to the entire album. All of the songs have a beautiful, inspirational message. Some of my favorites (apart from the ones mentioned above) are "I have decided", "In A Little While", "Sing Your Praise to the Lord", "Father's Eyes", and "Find A Way". For Christmas 2007, I will be purchasing a copy for one of my friends as a gift.

A much-needed remastering of this essential Amy album, containing all the essential tracks from her output prior to 1987. Sound is now crystal-clear, not murky like the original release. The only downside is that the remastering can reveal the limitations of synthesized musical instruments in the '80s - the kind of stuff I call "music untouched by human hands". The later 80's songs in particular suffer a bit from the glaring digital spotlight; but there's no denying their craftsmanship or infectious charm. Earlier tracks that actually used acoustic instruments benefit the most from the remastering - My Father's Eyes, El Shaddai, All I Ever Have To Be, etc. Still a must-have album.

I love Amy Grant's music particularly from her early days in her career. I hadn't had her CD for many years and a friend reminded me how great she was recently. Would have loved it if all the lyrics were available as the music played instead of just some of the songs. Though I have to admit I didn't expect to have any lyrics available since it's not sold as karaoke.

The the classic Amy Grant and on a record player even better!

I really like Amy Grant and thoroughly enjoyed her songs when they burst on the scene many years ago. This album has many of my favorites but I'm not liking it as much as they are different renditions from what I first remember hearing. They're good so give them a listen just not the originals I'm looking for.

She was a pioneer and her music was just so great when it came out as well as now.