HYPE / November 1997 / Amy Grant: Behind the Talk
Behind the Talk
Shocking. Romantic. Optimistic. None of these terms apply to Amy's
latest album, Behind the Eyes. Instead, it is placid and
contemplative. There are its wild moments; there are times when she
rambles on. But let's take a deeper look into her life.
"Stuff you hear is seldom true." It's true that Amy Grant and her
husband, Gary Chapman, had marriage problems. So now rumors have
multiplied and people cry out, "Is it true that Amy is going through a
divorce right now?" They tend to get dramatic and point to the Heart
in Motion video for solid evidence. She was kissing someone other
than her husband! Sigh. I saw the video. Yeah, you might have a case,
but this is six years later. Things have changed.
Behind the Eyes is a simple album to describe: teary, assuring,
anticipating, reaching. The tone is that everything is different, and it
hits you all of a sudden.
Nobody Home "Knowing what once was here just makes me want to cry."
Isn't it weird how things change? This first track was written by Glen
Ballard and Siedah Garrett. No, Amy never met them. Lisa Cochran sings
background vocals. She blends in nicely.
I Will Be Your Friend "I'll
help you to find your smile again." Great follow up to the first track.
This is the sad album, yet "I Will Be Your Friend" is so much more
promising and uplifting than "I Will Remember You" or "Lucky One." The
production done by Keith Thomas is superb.
Like I Love You "What sad memory of yesterday; what terrible scar
keeps you gathering pieces of your shattering heart?" Mistakes happen
and human love sometimes "fades away," as Amy puts it. But you're going
to love this song. It's probably my favorite.
Takes a Little Time "Baby you're not going down." The first single.
My mom likes this song and she doesn't like Amy Grant in general. It has
been described as something Alanis Morisette would sing. Okay, so she
says "baby" on this album too. At least I admitted it. Listen to the
honest words. It took quite a while for them to get the Titanic turned
back around.
Cry a River "I hope you'll think of me when tender winds blow; sit on
the shores of love and just let it go." Short and sweet. It's on the
sad side.
Turn This World Around "The shelter of each other in the storm." "I
don't want some naïve, 'Come on let's all get in there and we can do
something [type of song],' " Amy said to her producer. But she recorded
it and really believed in it. In April, I heard her perform this song in
Nashville. People literally started to walk away. I'll confess that it
was a free concert, but "Turn This World Around" really has to grow on
you. It's very serious.
Curious Thing "You never know just what tomorrow may bring." The
odds are against you and you can overcome them. Everything goes your way
and suddenly, the world you know falls around you. A country feel. Amy
actually likes country music and this particular song mirrors her
interest in this genre.
Every Road "Here I go mixing mortar for another wall to build." This
is song is really cool and serene.
Leave It All Behind "I'm not saying what is right or what is wrong."
So don't pay to close attention to the lyrics. I think she is trying to
make a point, though. Sometimes we get too caught up in our busy lives
and need to relax. Change. And Tommy Sims, the guy who came up with the
idea of Eric Clapton's song, "Change the World," plays bass and acoustic
guitar. All these elements really make this song whole.
Missing You "I'm living out the life that I've been given." Slow and
reflective. It's-hard-to-have-the-life-of-a-singer type of song.
Christine Dentè sings the background vocals.
The Feeling I Had "Words are cheap and sometimes cruel." This is a
very simple song. It's okay.
Somewhere Down the Road "The one thing that you held so dear is
slipping from your hands...You will find Mighty Arms reaching for you."
Pessimistic verses. Hopeful chorus. We keep learning things from life.
It wraps up the album nicely.
So don't believe everything you hear. Take a listen to Behind the
Eyes. Oh and if you're thinking of buying it, go ahead. It's not
even slightly controversial as was Heart in Motion or House of
Love. No one will be offended. If you get it at Target, you will
receive an extra two track CD. It features "Say" and "What Kind of
Love." "What Kind of Love" is gorgeous, straight out of the Bible.
Check out 1 Corinthians 13. I'm serious. It tops anything she did in
the entire decade.

Links
AMYGRANT.COM
Amy Grant Sites Throughout the Web
Dyan's Amy Grant Homepage
Amy Grant FAQ
Can's Dedication to Amy and Chat
Amy Grant's Portugese Page! also available in English.
Amy Grant's Geocities Page/Nashville
Dutch Amy Grant Homepage
A&M Records