It seems that whenever a veteran Christian musician or band puts out a themed album these days, it's a "worship" album. While I have no inherent issues with songs that are written specifically about the act of giving glory to God (in fact, I think it's essential for the church), it's always nice to see an established artist step outside of that mentality and realize that all of the life of a Christian has the potential to be worshipful. More than just singing songs, this includes how we conduct ourselves in the workplace, how we raise our children, how we use our artistic talents... and how we love our significant others.

Steven Curtis Chapman is among those who realize this fact, and has resisted jumping on the "worship album" bandwagon. Instead, a surprisingly short year and four months after his previous album, Declaration, he's unleashed a collection of lovey-dovey songs entitled All About Love. Consider it one heck of a cool Valentine's Day present for his wife Mary Beth - she had been prodding him to go through with it ever since the idea originally struck him many years ago. As for the rest of SCC's fans - well if we like it, then that's just a bonus. But I will say that Steven has put a remarkable amount of effort into making an album that is both personal and commercially viable in a very short period of time.

To those who are familiar with Steven's older material, this maneuver shouldn't be too surprising. After all, Steven was responsible for what might just be the most popular love song in all of Christian music - a sweet ballad entitled "I Will Be Here". He's written a few others over the years, too, but that particular song has become a wedding staple. It even makes its appearance here, redone for the new millennium. And while it would have been easy for Chapman to turn out a few more sappy ballads cut from the same cloth, and tack on a few upbeat songs to fulfill the 10-track requirement, he clearly wanted to describe as many facets of his relationship with Mary Beth as time (and decency) would allow. Hence, All About Love clocks in at an impressive 16 tracks. That's not easy to do when all of your songs revolve around similar subject matter. In fact, 16 tracks might almost be too much. But it beats 10 any day.

Now, let me take off my PR hat for a second and put my reviewer hat on. While All About Love is an admirable attempt, there are also a few ways in which it falls short of expectations. While I wouldn't say that this album ever gets "boring" - it has a good mix of both upbeat and slow tunes - there comes a point when the songs become difficult to tell apart. This difficulty is compounded by this album's overall failure to deviate from the usual Steven Curtis Chapman style, which is fairly typical, Christian-radio-friendly pop/rock, driven by catchy choruses and occasionally thrilling guitar segues. Chapman is a master at his instrument, but it's hardly ever the prominent force behind his songwriting. Save for a few oddball cover tunes, those who have Declaration and Speechless memorized aren't gonna hear anything new here. They're not even gonna hear anything as rocking as "Bring It On", "The Change", or "See the Glory", though there are a few pop/rock anthems in the vein of "Dive" and "Live Out Loud". Of course, the focus on romance saves us from the obligatory weak, generic inspirational track, so pick your poison. It's probably Chapman's most consistent record, but it's consistently decent or good instead of having those few truly great songs to make me listen to the album over and over like I did with the last two.

Anyhow, it's still worth checking out if you're an SCC fan and not opposed to an album full of songs that explore the wonderful gift of relationships that God has given us, and offer praise to God specifically for that gift. This is assuming, of course, that you're happily in love yourself, or at the very least not bitter over a recent breakup. With those prerequisites out of the way, let's "dive in":

All About Love
Now they're fighting in the Middle East
And they're fighting down on 7th Street
And there are fights in my own house on given days...
From the driving acoustic intro to the repetitive chorus, you're gonna notice one thing real quick about SCC's latest radio hit: It sounds exactly like the first track on his last two albums. Okay, well not "exactly", but the cheesy refrain "It's all about love, love, love, love, love" sure reminds me of "La, la, la, live out loud". And "Live Out Loud" was a lot like "Dive" to begin with. Sure, it's a fun song to introduce us to the album's theme, but I kind of feel like Chapman made a concession to his label here by writing a song about generic love and how it's more powerful than the fears we have and technologies that preoccupy us and the to-do list that keeps us bogged down in our daily life. Let's just say I've heard Sara Groves expound on this more eloquently.

Your Side of the World
So tell me the color of your sky above
Paint me a picture of the things that make you smile...
Here's where things start to perk up. Hardly missing a beat from the slicing ending of the last track, this breezy number contemplates what things are like from Mary Beth's point of view. It's a way of bridging the gap between Venus and Mars (Steven and Mary Beth's running commentary in the liner note helps to grab the little nuggets of wisdom that are sometimes buried in the fairly pedestrian lyrics), as Steven tries his best to encourage his wife to open up and tell him how she sees things, even if she's afraid it will sound like total nonsense to him. Reminds me a lot of Charlie Peacock"s "What's It Like in Your World?" from the similarly-themed Love Life disc.

How Do I Love Her
Out of all the gifts You've given, besides the very gift of life
There is none as precious to me as the treasure of my wife...
I think this is the standout track on the project, because it's a good example of Steven basing a song around a different sound than his usual and managing to pull it off. The song rests on a firm but lovely bed of piano chords, which offer a little syncopation and give the song a touch of class without making it totally out of character for Steven. The song is an earnest prayer to God - Steven can't seem to comprehend how on Earth he deserves to be with the woman who's been so faithful to him all these years. He still feels like he doesn't have a clue how to love her, and knows he needs God's help in that area. It works because it successfully intertwines Steven's romantic life with his spiritual life - a lot of Christians seem to act as if they need to separate the two.

11-6-64
At 1:09 P.M., both hands of time stopped turning
And you came waltzing in to change my world for good...
Now here's a cute little number, though some may find it too cute for its own good. Amidst a wonderfully folksy backdrop, Steven describes the day his wife was born, and muses about how his life was forever changed even though he was 2 years old at the time and had no clue what was going on. Now of course this sounds totally stupid when taken literally, but it works for sentimental types like me who believe there's a person God has destined you to be with, that He created them specifically to knock you off your feet and vice versa. He's darn lucky she was born in a year that ends in "4", because it sure makes his life easier trying to make everything rhyme. I get the feeling this song will be maligned by some fans, but honestly, I can't find anything wrong with it... other than the fact that Steven has to have committed a cardinal sin by revealing his wife's exact age to the entire world! (Apparently Mary Beth didn't mind.)

You've Got Me
One night you've got candles burning
One night your head is aching...
For some reason, the beginning of this song reminds me of "Next 5 Minutes" from Speechless, even though it's not as edgy or rhythmically challenging. At first this one seems to be kind of a "duh" statement about how Mary Beth has got him right there "On a Monday, on a Tuesday", etc., but I've realized that the song is really about how he's not just gonna be there for her in the happy times - he'll be supportive when she's having a rough day and even when she's having a hard time loving him back. I think a lot of men expect women to be always "on", and if they show any sadness or anger or any other hint of a negative emotion, they get called not-so-nice things. And that's really unfair when men have jut as much of an array of mentions (how in touch with it they are may be another story). This is Steven's way of saying that he still thinks the world of her at the worst of her times, as promised in his wedding vows.

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
If I grow old, well, I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who grows old with you...
Now this one really came out of left field! Remember that irritating runaway hit by The Proclaimers from the early 90's? You know, "I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more..." Yeah, that one. Now, don't run screaming or anything, Steven's version packs a bit more punch and isn't nearly as irritating, even if lyrically it's a bit of a step down for Steven. It's one of "their songs" and I applaud Steven for having the guts to record it, even if it made a lot of fans scratch their heads. After all, SCC probably has a lot of older, conservative fans who love his music unequivocally but wouldn't dare listen to "secular" songs like this one. This'll pose exactly the dilemma that they need to be dealing with. Anyway, just in case you were hiding under a rock in the 90's, this is a simple, repetitive song of devotion, saying that whatever he does in life, he wants to do it for her and with her - even to the point of wearing himself out. One thing that will please conservative fans (but upset purists) is the fact that Steven repeats the first verse instead of singing a potentially troublesome verse with a line about getting drunk.

Echoes of Eden
What is it about this dance, the sweetness of our romance
That makes me feel this way...
At this point, the album settles into a more relaxed pace with this delicate acoustic song. It's really one of the key songs on the album, as it drives home the purpose for Steven recording this album - that romantic relationships were given to us by God to be reflection of His love for us. That gives this whole collection a depth that goes beyond just being a bunch of silly love songs. The music plays out like a sweet, intimate dance between the two lovebirds, as Steven describes how whenever he feels Mary Beth's touch or hears her voice, he gets a vague but thrilling reminder of what awaits them both in Heaven. Mary Beth gets cool points, by the way, for mentioning in the liner notes that physical intimacy, specifically making love, was designed by God and is a wonderful thing for a married couple to enjoy to its fullest.

Holding a Mystery
How many songs will be sung, and how many words will be said
How many stories of love lie deep within you, waiting to be read...
Here's another track that echoes past hits - Steven pulls off a combination of light percussion and quick guitar strumming that hearkens back to "God Is God" and "Great Expectations". It works really well, even if this song isn't as powerful as either of those. Here he is holding up the perplexing little complexities that his wife exhibits as good things, celebrating the adventure of just trying to figure her out. That's a good attitude to have when most men see the intricate nature of women's personalities as something to complain about.

We Will Dance
Some days the dance is slow and sweet
Some days we're bouncing off the walls...
This slow, acoustic guitar and orchestra driven track picks up just as "Holding a Mystery" fades away, and once again I'm given that image of Steven and Mary Beth holding each other in the dim light of their living room and dancing. This time it's intentional, given the title - he wants to promise her that regardless of fair or harsh weather, they will always find a reason to celebrate and enjoy each other. It's lovely and I'm sure it will become a sentimental favorite, but I think it's a bit too similar to "I Will Be Here" to avoid being overshadowed by that song (though one could argue that every song on this disc Is overshadowed by that song).

We Belong Together (Tarzan and Jane)
The trouble started when you smiled at me
And our two worlds came crashing together
And a true love story began...
I'll admit, I've developed a bit of an attachment to this song despite its cheesy lyrics and slightly embarrassing keyboard effects at the beginning. Steven draws a parallel between himself and the famous jungle hero, explaining how he was basically a barbarian living on pizza before she came along, and despite all of their differences, God's created something pretty awesome between them. I feel that way sometimes, and my girlfriend's been known to come up with cute little stories depicting us as Tarzan and Jane, Robin and Marian, etc. just to whet my appetite for our next reunion. This is also probably the song on the CD where Steven lets loose the most on the guitar - nothing earth-shattering, but he gets a few cool runs on his electric a la "Jesus Is Life".

With Every Little Kiss
It hit me like a bolt of lightning
I said, "I never will recover from this"
And like the words from the mouth of a prophet
I have lived to see those words come true...
Now you remember what happened the last time a prominent Christian artist wrote a song about kissing, right? Sixpence None the Richer blew up all over mainstream radio while getting their hands slapped by a lot of stick-in-the-mud Christians who insisted that we shouldn't be singing songs about physical intimacy. Anyway, I don't expect Steven to see either result from this song - it's presented in a safe enough context to make sure his intent is clear to his audience, and mainstream radio won't be picking up any SCC tunes any time soon. While you might expect this to be a mushy ballad, it's actually another fun pop/rocker, not too dissimilar from his take on "500 Miles" (it's actually easy to confuse the intros of the two songs with each other). I love the unexpected time signature changes during the bridge - it reminds me of a sped-up version of what he did during Speechless's solitary love song, "What I Really Want to Say".

Miracle of You
How I wish that I could say I've never let you down
But I know I'm one of those who made you cry...
This is where the similarities between the tracks really start to bug me. I commend Steven for keeping the tempo up this late in the album - we've had three upbeat tracks in a row and this one's a bouncy number with both guitars and pianos keeping it afloat - but nothing about these lyrics really grabs me. It's your basic "I'll be the only one to love you forever" type of song. A little too generic for Steven, even though I'm sure Mary Beth loves it very much. Perhaps if it were isolated on a non-themed album, I'd notice it more.

I'll Take Care of You
I want you to know that I love you so
I'm proud to tell the world you're mine...
This is the one point on the album where younger fans are going to get the urge to barf. Steven turns in another cover, this time of a jazz/lounge type of tune originally recorded by Ronnie Milsap In the 80's. I know nothing of the original, although I'm sure Steven didn't deviate too much stylistically, because this is pretty much elevator music, with sappy (pun intended) keyboards and all. I fully realize that this is totally "their song" and she's been wanting him to record it for years, and you've gotta respect a guy who's willing to do something totally out of character to show love for a woman. It just isn't a style of music I can really get into, and I'm sure the younger fans will agree with me here. As long as Mary Beth thinks he can sing circles around Harry Connick Jr., then I guess anyone else's opinion shouldn't really matter.

I Will Be Here
Just as sure as seasons were made for change
Our lifetimes were made for these years...
Here it is - SCC's bona fide classic all dressed up in a new musical outfit. Those who have seen SCC in concert recently won't be surprised that he decided to base the song around the piano this time, and I guess which version you like better will be directly related to which instrument you like better. The piano and strings are lovely enough, and perhaps an even more ideal soundtracks for the countless weddings the song has been sung at, but I just can't let this one replace the original. There's something so delicious about the strings melting away into a sole acoustic guitar intro that any CCM fan could recognize in an instant... you know, if it ain't broke... Anyway, for those who don't know about the origins of the song, it emerged from a very dark time when Steven found out his parents would be getting a divorce, and he wanted to assure Mary Beth that he'd be there for her even through the most difficult fights and the times when she felt totally ugly. Obviously, he did a stellar job.

Moment Made for Worshiping
When I'm feeling loved and happy, when I'm feeling all alone
When I'm failing to remember all the love that I've been shown...
To hear the transition from a redone classic to this sweeping anthem is enough to trick one into thinking you're nearing the end of a greatest hits record. Actually, this song has a good shot of ending up on SCC's next best-of disc, seeing as it's the other track on the record that's not specifically about romantic love and is therefore suspect to be a future hit single. Now I'm not trying to knock this song in any way - it's a great summation of Steven's gratitude for all the love God has shown to him through his wife, his children... all the things he loves about life, really. He's struggling to cling to those things during the mundane moments of life when he's having trouble feeling anything. Though it's been said in deeper ways, I like Steven's approach - he even throws in a choir for a fuller sound. That might cost him some originality points, since as the song closes you realize that he's aping the title track from Speechless, and the result may not be as powerful, but I still think it's a great note to end on.

When Love Takes You In
And somewhere while you're sleeping, someone else is dreaming too
Counting down the days until they hold you close and say "I love you"...
I think this song was added to the album at the last minute - Steven says in the liner notes that an album without love couldn't exclude this lovely ballad dedicated to his adopted daughter Shaohannah, but I also suspect that the record company thought it'd be a good idea to tack on a familiar song to sweeten the package for the sentimental types who hadn't bought Declaration because they feared too many of the songs were downers. (Silly people.) Anyway, this is the exact same recording that was used on Declaration, and it doesn't seem quite right placed at the end of the record (which is why I consider "Moment" to be the official closing track), since I keep expecting that last hanging piano note to lead into "Magnificent Obsession". Having said that, the style of the song fits a lot better on this album, whereas on Declaration it kind of broke up the mood. Oh well, no big complaints - it's the icing on the cake on a 15-track album.

It should be fairly obvious that only a certain subset of Steven's audience is really going to get into this record. Many will buy it because it's SCC and they're devoted fans, but I think only a few will fully appreciate it. Heck, I'm madly in love right now and I only sort of like the album. I respect it immensely, though - it just isn't my favorite side of his musical personality. And I suspect it'll be well worth having around for date nights with my girlfriend and so forth, so I consider it a worthwhile purchase. Judging by pure quantity, you're getting more out of your money than you would be buying any other SCC album (including his sorely lacking Greatest Hits disc). But it's up to you to discern whether you'll enjoy the subject matter, because that's the main draw here.

ALBUM WORTH:
All About Love $.50
Your Side of the World $.50
How Do I Love Her $2
11-6-64 $1
You've Got Me $.50
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) $1
Echoes of Eden $1
Holding a Mystery $.50
We Will Dance $1
We Belong Together (Tarzan & Jane)$1
With Every Little Kiss $1
Miracle of You $.50
I'll Take Care of You -$.50
I Will Be Here $1
Moment Made for Worshiping$1.50
When Love Takes You In$1
TOTAL: $13.50

Website: http://www.scchapman.com

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Romancing