Description
Heaven in the Real World is the sixth album by the American singer and songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman, released on Sparrow Records in July 1994. The album was recorded by Ed Cherney at various studios – Bill Schnee Studios; Studio At Mole End; The Hit Factory; Capitol Studios; Quad Studios; Midtown Tone & Volume; and North Beach Studio – with Phil Naish and Steven Curtis Chapman producing. Mixed by Bill Schnee at Bill Schnee Studios.
If ‘The Great Adventure‘ proved as golden in listeners’ stereos as it did for Chapman as copies flew out of stores in the summer of 1992, then his latest endeavor should simply overtake Fort Knox. ‘Heaven in the Real World’ takes Chapman’s inimitable talent for tying an entire record around a specific theme, and then uses that theme as the web within which to spell out everything from kickin’ electric guitar-driven melodies to the tender acoustics his fans have come to know and love.
Though the acoustic style is great (and is present more than once on this project), it’s great to hear Chapman try some new stuff rather than simply settling for what has always worked in the past. Vocally, he seems to be stretching his wings, too, as he doesn’t always follow a predictable interpretation – Steven lets loose and sounds great, bringing a more fun and exciting feel to the whole album. From the listener’s point of view, it sounds like Chapman, the players and Phil Naish (co-producer with Chapman) simply had a great time and felt a lot of confidence in recording this project.
The title song, «Heaven in the Real World» has already made more than a few friends at Christian radio, as it was well on its way to the top of the charts as we went to press, a good sign for a record that won’t even be in stores until the second week of this month. Though the ‘real world’ is not always the nicest place to be, Chapman reminds us all that heaven has already come in the shape of “…a tiny baby’s birth/ God heard creation crying and He sent heaven to earth…/ He is the hope, He is the peace/ Jesus is heaven, heaven in the real world.”
«King of the Jungle», «Dancing with the Dinosaur» and «Treasure of You» are three way-catchy tunes that are all the better for the fast-paced grooves set by Dann Huff’s electric guitar lines and Leland Sklar’s bass. On first listen, they may sound a little lyrically simplistic, but a closer examination shows a strong biblical base and timely message for the young and young-at-heart.
Acoustic stylings find a home in the tender ballad of «The Mountain», a song that points to all of those spiritual highs which prepare us for the valleys below, and «Love and Learn», another in the series of classic love songs written for Mrs. Chapman. A definite favorite, though, has to be the gentle whisper of «Still Listening», which reminds us all of the childlike faith that is so trusting, so honest, so open, so innocent and so dependent on a God that is greater than all our needs.
The high-energy «Facts are Facts» (somewhat reminiscent of «No Better Place») gives the project one more high note before slowing down to close with the lovely classical guitar and strings of «Miracle of Mercy» and a short reprise of «Heartbeat of Heaven», a songs which sets the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5 to music that’ll be sure to stay in your head. There are a total of 12 brand new and well-written songs from the six-time winner of the Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year (who co-wrote three songs with Geoff Moore and one with James Isaac Elliott on this album). It’s great to see such a successful artist not simply resting on past accomplishments, but truly reaching for new ideas and fresh sounds. With its themes of hope and living out the Christian faith combined with terrific tunes, ‘Heaven is the Real World’ is a bonafied hit. [April Hefner, CCM, July 1994]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/heaven-in-the-real-world/724393663)
CD tracklist:
01. Heaven In The Real World – 4:49
02. King Of The Jungle – 4:55
03. Dancing With The Dinosaur – 4:46
04. The Mountain – 4:54
05. Treasure Of You – 4:39
06. Love And Learn – 4:07
07. Burn The Ships – 4:56
08. Remember Your Chains – 5:23
09. Heartbeat Of Heaven – 5:05
10. Still Listening – 4:31
11. Facts Are Facts – 3:29
12. Miracle Of Mercy – 2:39
13. Heartbeat Of Heaven (Reprise) – 0:57
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Sparrow Records.
The August 1994 issue of CCM Magazine featured a cover story on Steven Curtis Chapman.
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