Description
Amusing is the fifth studio album by the American singer and songwriter Chris Rice, released on INO Records in 2005, in cooperation with Eb+Flo Records. Also distributed by Epic, a division of Sony Music. The album was recorded and mixed by Jim Dineen with Monroe Jones producing. Guitarist Duane Eddy is featured on the opening track, “Prelude”.
As no doubt you’ll know, Chris is one of the most popular acts on the Nashville CCM scene. Existing fans of the artist won’t be disappointed with this, Chris’ seventh release, and those unfamiliar with Chris should find subtle depths to delight in his rare balance of the light hearted and profound. Guest guitarist Duane Eddy kicks off the album in Hawaii Five 0 style before the lyrics of the impassioned anthem «Love Like Crazy» come thick and fast, like a rhyming dictionary put through a blender. Chris is at times the silky troubadour and at others more reminiscent of Huey from the Fun Loving Criminals (no other comparisons to this band, I promise!). Chris has a poetic streak a mile wide, able to capture the beauty of moments perfectly in tune with the music he chooses to back them up, ably assisted by his producer, Monroe Jones. At the heart of it one senses someone who truly wonders at the universe – intrigued by the things he sees in the world («The Final Move») and the hope he longs for («Breakfast Table»). From the fanciful to the starkly earthy and approachable, yet again Chris brings some truly beautiful music and poetry to birth. [Matt Crossman, Cross Rhythms, November 2005]
Chris Rice has left the CCM world – sort of. After years spent on Rocketown Records, Rice and longtime producer Monroe Jones formed a new label called eb+flo, with a distribution deal with INO Records, long known for being an artist friendly group. As a result, Rice is free to do songs that aren’t necessarily crafted for his typical radio audience.
Amusing shows Rice to be much more relaxed than on previous outputs, possibly even too relaxed. The usual themes are here, of faith, and finding God in nature, and trying to get a rein on time, and falling in love. «When Did You Fall» has a familiar sound (think James Taylor) to it, to the point that it would have fit in on any Rice album to date.
«Love Like Crazy», featuring legendary guitarist Duane Eddy, takes a whimsical but pointed look at Christ from the very beginning:
I heard a rumor that love will make you crazy
Well, is it true?
Well, that’s no rumor, look at the crazy things that love made Jesus do«Breakfast Table» is about the loss of a loved one, and the hope that the two will see each other again:
My lucky doll, you’re in heaven before me
You were my taste of Heaven here.«The Final Move» portrays life as a chess match, with Love making the move that decides the game. «Tick-tock» asks Rice’s questions re eternity, and examines the random nature of time related to our lives. «Lemonade» is an optimistic look at taking chances in life and the joy that can result.
Amusing is the right title for the record. Rice has built a career in pondering the same questions many have of God, and in a tongue in cheek approach to life, realizing that it is better to laugh at its absurdities, rather than become bogged down in the pitfalls. At times, it is almost as if he and God have their own private jokes behind the scenes. This disc doesn’t grab you immediately like previous Rice albums, but it continues to reveal its depth with repeated listens. [Brian A. Smith, The Phantom Tollbooth, 10 September 2005]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/amusing/208263102)
CD tracklist:
01. Prelude – 0:46
02. Love Like Crazy – 3:30
03. When Did You Fall – 5:03
04. Breakfast Table – 4:59
05. The Final Move – 5:21
06. Lemonade – 3:10
07. Sleepyhead Sun – 3:45
08. Tick-Tock – 4:08
09. I See The Moon – 4:53
10. The Best Song Ever – 3:53
11. Amusing – 4:09
Note: On the reverse side of the disc is DVD programming that includes the entire album in enhanced stereo, a documentary, and a live performance of “Tick Tock”.
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