Cons: The songs may seem "basic", but maybe that's why it's complex.
The Bottom Line: This was the album that launched Avalon to the height that they are in right now. The songs are tight, the message very true, and the sound very good.
LifeStar's Full Review: A Maze of Grace by Avalon (Christian)
Sorry, I love quirky titles....
Anyhows onto the review:
I already was an advent listener of Avalon from their first release. As I mentioned in that review, Sparrow records seem to not have put too much attention to this group. It looked like Avalon was created to fill in some gap that Sparrow had, and maybe they had a little cash left over...
Well, after a "few" albums having been sold, and the fact that their songs were hitting #1s on the CCM charts like cops to a donut factory, it's no wonder Sparrow finally spent a little more cash for a descent CD jewel case.
Besides the new clothes and Jewel case, their 2nd album is a continuing journey of this group's vocal and musical abilities. Under the instruction of their producer, Charlie Peacock, Avalon went onto making a great followup to their successful 1st album.
One of the most well known songs on the album is "Testify to Love." It speaks about the resolve of a person who, no matter what will happen to him/her, s/he will tell people of the love s/he has received from our Lord Jesus. What is interesting about this one songs is that, to many people, this was how they were introduced to Avalon. Though they had many #1 hits on CCM charts, it wasn't until this song, that people started noticing nationally. It has been played on several TV shows, such as "Touched by an Angel." From what I've heard, that's what has helped propel Avalon even higher as a musical group. People already knew who they were, but once they were getting national attention from the 700 club, touched by an angel, it's amazing to me that the group has stayed focused enough on the point of their ministry!
There is definitely traits about this album that makes it different from the 1st album. The major trait that stands out is the energy and just the harmonization of the group this time. In the 1st album, one can tell that they were learning how to complement each other's vocal strengths, and compensating for certain weaknesses. In A Maze of Grace, the voices are coming together, and they even are putting more emphasis on having certain singers be the main vocals on some songs, b/c their strength is perfect for that one song.
Anyways, this is a long review, but I really do love this album. What I've found interesting about Avalon is that all 3 albums (besides the Christmas one, which I'm not sure I'll buy), all 3 have an overall message. The 1st one generally speaks about a Christian who desires to give up everything to follow Jesus. The 2nd one's message appears to be a reckless abandon to live for Him and to testify of Him in our lives.
I don't know if Avalon planned this, but if they did, just another sign of how deep this group can get.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.