Tim Miner

Description

The fourth – and second self-titled – album by the American singer, songwriter, and producer Tim Miner was released on Motown in 1992. Also distributed by Frontline Records.

Tim Miner now has the kind of recording deal many Christian music fans must wish upon their favorite artists. Motown has picked him up for his butterscotch velvet vocal warmth and songwriting sophistication. They allow him to pen his usual gospel proclamations and the strictly human love songs Christian companies may not be wont to market. They pair him up with some hot producers (Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Brian McKnight, et al) for added diversity, and a Christian label still gets the right to take it to your local Bible emporium!

Divided roughly into uptempo and ballad-heavy halves, Tim Miner showcases his voice in the best light yet. «Come and Go With Me» opens the set up with a swing beat invitation to follow Miner on the road to the Pearly Gates. Following that are a couple of strongly danceable R&B slices, «Wouldn’t Change a Thing» and «Promise of Love», the latter with a distinct early ’80s soul radio flavor. «Make It Rain» kicks into a chanting overdrive that brings to mind God’s power to refresh. Immediately afterwards comes the romantic symphonics of «Heart», reprised a bit later as an instrumental interlude.

Most of the rest of Miner’s balladry focuses vertically. His ode to mom and Lord, «Yesterday», and «Forgive Me» (on CD only) are taken from his last album, ‘A True Story‘, intact. «You Must Know» and «Love All the Hurt Away» speak of a firmly, gently loving God, though to the ears of non-believers, a broader context could be heard as easily. Speeding up to mid-tempo, «This World Can Wait», sensuously suggests time be taken for that special loved one (wife Cindy Cruse, in Miner’s case).

If it’s Jon Gibson who sounds most like Stevie Wonder in Christendom, it’s Miner who has picked up other influences from the young soul genius. Wonderphiles will recognize the influence of «Boggie on Reggae Woman» in Miner’s «Where Did They Go», though he adds more ’90s stomp to his blissful kiss-off to detractors of his love.

While Wonder, Michael McDonald, and other of Miner’s inspirations are recalled occasionally throughout the album, he distills them into his own original voice. Because it also fits smoothly into the mix of current R&B and pop trends, Miner’s music is the kind that deserves a hearing beyond Christian circles. Here’s hopin… [Jamie Lee Rake, CCM, December 1992]

> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/tim-miner/389060218)

CD tracklist:

01. Come And Go With Me – 5:29
02. Wouldn’t Change A Thing – 5:11
03. Promises Of Love – 3:43
04. Make It Rain – 4:50
05. Heart – 3:30
06. Where Did They Go? – 3:13
07. This World Can Wait Heart (Interlude) – 5:18
08. Yesterday – 4:05
09. You Must Know – 4:29
10. Love All The Hurt Away – 5:27
11. Forgive Me – 4:45

Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Motown Records.