Are you listening Hey, are you listening? This
is a podcast exploring the past, present, and
future of Christian music. My name is Joel and
I'm here with my good friend Brandon. And we
connected over mutual love of some particular
artists, but have pretty different tastes when
it comes to things. And so we get to experience
some new stuff from each other while inviting
some friends along for the ride with us. And
we actually have a guest with us today. And this
one is pretty special for me. Today, we are honored
to have with us my big sister, Lisa. Lisa, we're
excited to have you with us today. I'm excited
to be here. Yeah, we're so excited that you're
here. This will be fun. Just sneak peek. So today
we're going to be talking about another Christmas.
Album home for Christmas by Amy Grant and I was
trying to think through who would be a good person
to have on to talk about Amy Grant Christmas
music and you're the first person that popped
in my head so I'm excited excited to kind of
dig into this today And it's Christmas season.
How have you guys? Started or been celebrating
Christmas. Like what are you doing to enjoy the
season so far? I think Go ahead. No, you go ahead.
OK, well, you know, I I work at a worship ministry
at a church and so I'm actually in charge of
decorating the church for Christmas. So we had
that last Sunday. It's a very hands on. I have
many teams who are doing different things, project.
We got it done in four hours, which is phenomenal.
That's amazing. So I've had that and somehow
in the midst of that, I actually did get my house
done as well. So that's awesome. That's about
all I've had time to do. I feel like decorating,
if you're not careful, it can become something
where you're like. Christmas Eve still putting
up stuff like just how lights and that kind of
suddenly I know for us we Me and my wife Jordan.
We really enjoy there's a book we bought years
ago and it's like a yearly journal so you go
through like December 1st to the 25th and It's
just every day. It'll ask like, you know, if
you can invite someone to for Christmas this
year Who would it be or like what are three things
that you're thankful for this year? And so it's
pretty cool that you get to Slow down and take
that little bit of time to kind of like enjoy
like Christmas for that day Yeah, and also just
going back and seeing how There's things that
like we were praying for and then you see oh
that was answered or you just see how some some
answers change and all so I feel like it's just
a Like, it's just the little way to really enjoy
and take that little bit of time to enjoy Christmas
each day. That's awesome. Well, I'll admit, we
were traveling for Thanksgiving, and so we haven't
really, aside from starting to listen to Christmas
music, really done much yet. I'm excited to kind
of get the ball rolling and decorate and do all
the things because I love, I love Christmas.
And so I love that we get to talk about what
we're talking about today. But before we get
into that, let's talk for a second about what's
in the news. So I don't know if you guys have
heard this. In the news, there is a pretty controversial
topic happening in the world of Christian music.
Um, there's an artist that is at the top of the
charts in the CCM world, um, by the name of Solomon
Ray. Um, but Solomon Ray is an AI artist. Um,
and so, um, this is music that's not, I don't
know all the details of it, but this is music
that's not being made by a real person. Um, at
least to some degree. that is AI produced. And
so we knew this was coming, right? It's definitely
hitting in the general market, but for it to
begin to show up in the Christian market is kind
of an interesting thing. So how does that news
hit you guys? Like, what are your thoughts on
that? I feel like I'm in an episode of Star Trek
The Next Generation where we're exploring is
data a real entity or not? Right. I have an issue
with a Christian artist being AI because AI cannot
be saved. Right. So where is the heart in that
music coming from? Yeah, it's. Yeah, that's where
I am. Yeah, it's it just doesn't really seem
real to me. It's definitely a complex topic.
And I feel like. I feel like there's part of
it as we begin to engage in some of these new
technologies where I have to consider the fact
of I'm a lot older than I used to be. And so
everything hits me a little different than it
would if I was younger. And then when the internet
appeared, people were frightened and afraid of
it in a lot of ways. But it does seem just interesting.
to take what's happening and being able to experience
it at some level in the general marketplace,
but then apply that to songs that explore faith
and what happens in our human nature and our
hearts, but from not a real person, not a real
heart that's been transformed. And to be honest
like Brandon you and I both like messed around
with with this AI music thing And so in fact
our theme song for our podcast is an AI generated
theme song And so we're not making any money
off of it or anything like that which is a whole
other like part of all of this whole thing is
Are we just generating this art and in? to make
money or to gain whatever. And so it really brings
to mind some of these ethical questions. And
I want to be careful to not rush to opinions.
And so I don't know if I'm ready, but I do have,
I feel like a lot of caution in my heart over
some of this stuff. And so I don't know, what
do you think? So we went to a conference, I think
it was two years ago. and a couple of the breakout
sessions were about AI. And it was really cool
because there was one place that they talked
about how AI is your friend. Like it can't be
the star of the show, it can't replace people.
So like for us, we use this AI tool each week
with each sermon in our church, we feed the sermon
through And in five minutes, it gives us a full
transcript. It gives us all the verses that are
used. It gives us 20 clips we can use on social
media and all that. So it's like, it's so helpful
on that end, because it takes what would take,
you know, 12 hours maybe to do and does it in
a matter of minutes. But at the same time, at
that same conference, there was a place that
was selling like AI cards. So they were like,
yeah, whenever you get a new visitor, you could
have us automatically just send a card. And I
remember the time like one of our pastors will
being like, you know, how would you feel if you
did something and you received a card but you
found out that your pastor didn't take the time
to write that? It was more of just they got our
computer to say, here's a generic thank you for
cleaning this off. And I think that there's a
place for it because, I mean, there's a lot of
times where now if I'm trying to bounce ideas
off of something, I'll say, hey, read the script
and tell me like ideas where I could change this
or something, or give me like maybe ideas for
like this topic. But I think that there's a difference
in that versus when it's doing all the work.
So I think that it's like in music in general,
there's questions. And then you get deeper when
you're looking at you're in like the world of
Christian music, you're producing it. But then
also like, where's that money going to? And I
think that you know there's so many artists out
there that you know like for someone like us
we this podcast we're not making like money off
of it so we really can't go out and pay an artist
you know the the money they deserve to write
a theme song yeah but if we're like a record
label then no we have the money to go out and
pay an artist to produce music for us um so I
don't know. I feel like there's a place for AI,
but I think that, to echo what y 'all have said,
there's this caution when all of a sudden it's
writing worship songs for us. As someone who
works at a church and uses AI, I'll be the first
to say ChatGBT is very confused by the idea of
Jesus and God sometimes, because the stuff that
it generates is like... No, that doesn't really
match. And so it's like trying to explain to
a computer, like I'm trying to share the gospel
to a computer, which I feel like 100 years ago
was never something the church probably would
have been burned if someone was like, why is
he talking to this device? Brandon, I hate to
tell you, but that computer can't be saved. You're
wasting your time. I feel like 10, 20 years from
now, that's going to be like these sermons out
there where it's like... These will be the debates
we're having then is have the computers reached
consciousness. It'll be like, you know, whenever
you see now where like a celebrity gets saved,
it'll be that both AI or you'll see like on Facebook
where it's like chat GBT comes out, like it's
a super complicated stuff. And so obviously,
um, um, I think AI is becoming something that
the average American is using. on a pretty regular
basis. I mean, if you do a Google search, basically
you're using AI now. Um, this is the world that
we live in. Um, but I think with any technology,
um, we have to be careful to know its limits.
And so it'll be interesting to kind of figure
out what those are as, as time goes on. So, um,
I'm sure that this is a conversation that we'll
probably keep having because this isn't the first
time this is going to, or the last time this
is going to happen. And so, um, yeah, it'll be
interesting to figure out how all that stuff
shakes out. All right, so I have a game for you
guys today, and it's one that I've been looking
forward to playing since before we ever even
launched this podcast. And we're going to play
a game of CCM 20 questions. And so the way that
this works is I have an album released by an
artist in my mind and you get to ask me yes or
no questions. 20 of them in order to find out
who this artist is and so I Would encourage you
you can talk back and forth with each other As
we go through this But don't make a guess until
you're pretty sure that you know who or what
this album is Because once you make your guess
like it's over And so ask questions around it
To get to get to that point, but any yes or no
question that you can think of You can ask and
I will give you the answer I might use my computer
in case you ask me some questions that I don't
know the answer to along the way, so All right
You guys ready? Mm -hmm. All right. Let's do
this ask away Do you want to take the first question
Lisa? Oh Is this an individual artist or is that
known as an individual or is it a band? All right,
so I'll answer the first one because that's a
yes or no. Is this an individual artist? Got
you. Yeah. No. That's a good question. Was it
released in the 90s? Yes, I'm pretty sure. Do
you have one now? Did they have a mainstream
following? Good question, yes. Was it released
on Forefront Records? Feel like in the 90s if
if you could get the record label you get to
narrow it down to later. It's a great way to
To to work through that Yeah, I should have just
had this page pulled up hang on just a second
I'm really glad that like Lisa's here because
if she wasn't here my questions would range from
these very deep light Did they play in an arena
of 20 ,000 or be is there red on the cover? No,
this was not released on Forefront. Okay. All
right. Can you think of one, Brandon? Because
I'm kind of stumped right now. Is there a female
in the band? No. I'm glad I asked that because
I was really leaning towards it being like a
six pence like album So to recap so far is released
in the 90s They did have a following We're not
on forefront No girls in the band And it's a
band or not an individual Were they known for
any activity that they did outside of music?
Yes. Do they surf? Are they known for surfing?
They are not known for surfing. Okay. I was going
down the wrong rabbit hole. At any point in their
lives have they touched water? Let me calm them
up really quick. Are they still making, are they
actively making music now? Will say that they're
They're not as active as they used to be but
I don't know that they're like broken up if that
makes sense Is there an animal on the album cover
If you need me more specific I can ask you the
no, okay. No, I was just making sure Is the name
of the band one word no, that's ten questions
Have there been any scandals with this band?
No Okay Is it is the name of the band three words
Yes Okay And I'll just say remember once you
hone in on the artist then you get a hone in
on the album yeah I'm trying to think of artists
from there, but also what they released then.
Have we covered this band on our podcast? Yes.
Okay. I think what the album cover are we allowed
to like look up like the album? Is um I will
say if you want to um I'll if it's helpful. I'll
allow you to ask Like ask me who the artist is
and I can confirm or uh -huh not confirm that
Is the artist Jars of Clay? Yes, that's 14. Okay,
yellow's on the right. Do they talk about water
a lot on this album? Yes, that's 15. I don't
remember the name of this album though. Is the
name? Let's see. Let me think. That's the wrong
question. I know that when I hear the name of
it, I'm going to be like, why did I not guess
that? Is the album named after the band? Yes.
Okay. I feel pretty confident with this now.
Do you have any more questions before we lock
this in? Okay. I think we got it. Was it released
in 1995? Yes, that's 16. Okay, we got it. Is
the album, Jars of Clay, by Jars of Clay? You
got it. 16 questions. Good. I'm glad you guys
got there. I was a little nervous you were going
to get there in like... five questions so i'm
glad it took a little longer that's the fear
i have whenever i play a game is i immediately
think oh they're gonna know it's this one it'll
uh it'll be more complicated as we pick like
a harder one in the future so um that was fun
i hope you guys enjoyed working through that
um i need to look up the one that i was thinking
of i think it might have been real because i
was thinking if i left the zoo yeah yeah That's
where I was thinking you were thinking of when
you asked me about animals Okay, that was 1999
I was yeah, I did come out in the 90s. Okay,
awesome All right. Well, let's talk a little
bit about what we've been listening to Lately
Brandon what about you? What have you been listening
to lately? I've been going back through I've
mentioned them a few times, but this band the
last bison. Mm -hmm. They have um a pretty diverse
christmas um catalog because they have when they
were originally just big like family band in
this this like folky acoustic um and then they
have one where it's like i always tell people
like they plug the instruments in so it's more
of this like maybe poppy alternative type thing
then last year they released this very um like
just it's like a guitar and I think maybe like
a cello maybe, I don't know, of Winter Wonderland.
So I enjoy listening to them because I feel like
you get a little bit of everything with their
Christmas releases. Yeah, that's fun. Lisa, what
about you? Well, actually, okay, my favorite
Christmas album of all time is not from a Christian
artist. Ella Fitzgerald's, Ella wishes you a
swinging Christmas. It's fabulous. I listen to
it frequently. It's the one Christmas album that
every single song from it is on my Christmas
playlist. Yeah, I love that. That's a lot of
fun. Mine's not Christmas, but The band, Brandon,
have you listened to them? Some of the Rocky
Valentine's? Yeah. Yeah. So they put out a single,
a two song single called Happy Thanksgiving,
which has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, but,
but it's cool. I was listening to that on my
trip home from Thanksgiving and surprisingly
like, very like upfront about their faith, which
they haven't really done in any of their music
yet. um so it's um but yeah both those songs
are really great so i've enjoyed listening to
those um but all right well let's transition
into talking about this record home for christmas
All right, so I'll give us a little bio that
I pulled from online. So, Home for Christmas
is the 10th studio album by Christian music and
pop music singer Amy Grant, released on October
6th, 1992. It is Grant's second holiday album,
the first being 1983's A Christmas Album. So
this is like nine years after her first Christmas
album. On November 17th, 1997, Home for Christmas
was certified triple platinum by the Recording
Industry Association of Americas for shipment
of three million copies in the U .S. And so that's
back in 97, three million. Home for Christmas
is the 18th best selling Christmas album in the
U .S., which is pretty wild. So this is actually
a pretty big pretty big Christmas record out
there. So before we start talking about track
by track we kind of give some of our opening
thoughts and history with this one a little bit
and maybe even history with Amy Grant. So Lisa,
why don't you start us off there? When did you
start listening to Amy Grant and where did some
of these songs start to come in for you? Okay,
so Amy Grant's first album released in 77. And
mom gave me that album for Christmas that year.
And that started my obsession with Amy Grant.
I related to her because she didn't put on any
pretense. She was human. She made mistakes. She
was very open about that. I appreciated that
in her. She's just always been who she is. Like,
this is who I am. Love me or hate me. I'm putting
myself out there. She never hid any of her. issues
that she's had throughout her life. But I grew
up with her. And her 92, or 92, 82 album, I think
it was, Age to Age, was transforming for me.
That hit when I was in high school. And just
was transformative in my Christian walk. Yeah.
Still remains my favorite Christian album ever.
Just because of what it meant to me at a time
in my life where I needed it. Yeah. So I feel
like Amy and I kind of grew up together. in a
sense. She's six years older than I am, but you
know, still. Her, and specifically to this album,
her first Christmas album was the first time
a Christian artist had done a Christmas album.
So it was huge. Yeah. And this particular album,
Home for Christmas, released right after her
Baby Baby album, when there was all the controversy
of Amy going secular. I think it was a grounding
album. Like, hey, I'm still Amy. I haven't gone
to the dark side. I think there was a lot of
purpose behind this album and the timing of its
release. I think it brought her back to the Christian
fan base that was questioning at that time. Yeah,
yeah, that is interesting I Love I love what
you said just about her music and obviously I
grew up a few years later than you so I wasn't
even alive when her first album came out but
But But I feel like over time Especially the
older that I get the more that I've resonated
with with her music Um, but I feel like her Christmas
music for me especially was like the gateway
to that. Um, because, um, I think for a lot of
my younger years, I would have never probably
listened to Amy Grant or said I would listen
to Amy Grant. Um, and, and I was stuck in my
whole world of rock music, which when you, when
you think about the fact that Amy Grant was to
The Christian music industry what switch foot
was 15 20 years later I think you have to think
some in those categories and realize just who
she was at her time was a huge deal just like
an artist like switch fit or POD or whoever it
may be was later on and we have a hard time sometimes
getting out of our Getting out of our experience
in our world to realize like what was happening
earlier on and that it could have only been an
emigrant at that point in time that could have
accomplished what she did and so I think I've
been able to understand that more the older that
I get and connect with our music more The older
that I get and and her Christmas music. Like
I said, it's kind of been the gateway for that
for me of Jess, like she has a few Christmas
songs that I just love, love, love. And two of
them are on this album. And so those have been
on Christmas playlist for a long time. And I
feel like I've just grown to love them even more
over time. And so I'm excited to kind of dig
into this. I don't know that I've ever listened
to this album. Maybe I have from start to finish,
but I feel like in her day, Amy Grant and Michael
to be Smith, who I think started out on tour
with her as like a keyboardist or whatever, and
then kind of like wrote her coattails a little
bit and then became his own thing and put out
his own Christmas albums that were a huge deal.
But she was kind of the trailblazer and all that.
And so it's kind of fun to absolutely. I mean,
before Amy. You had the Jesus music phenomenon.
You know, Larry Norman and all of that, which
had a lot of controversy surrounding it. Amy
brought CCM to the mainstream of, you know, where
everybody was listening to Amy Grant. Just the
fact that mom bought me an Amy Grant album for
Christmas is huge. She trusted it. Yeah. So I
love that. I love that. All right, Brandon, for
you, a little different story, maybe. Yeah, it's
kind of awkward to follow all of that, because
to be honest, I grew up thinking that Amy Grant
was just Natalie Grant's aunt or something, but
also saying I think for me, though, that I I
think I got really big into like Christian music
in probably 2006, 2007. So I think by that point
that was kind of out of maybe like the heyday
of Amy Grant. Because I think at that point it's
like you would see her appear maybe like at the
Dove Awards or if there was something like special,
like a tribute album. But like I don't remember.
I don't really remember hearing her a lot on
the radio, or I mean like at Winter Jam, like
you didn't have her. So for me, going into this,
it's exciting because I couldn't tell you an
Amy Grant song, but there's people out there
like yourself that are like, not only was she
important to me, but just the industry as a whole.
And I think that you know, you guys talk about,
like, a switch foot, or you look at, like, a
DC talk. And it's hard to kind of, like, explain
to people that, hey, without this band, the whole
landscape looks different. And that's the vibe
I've always gotten from Amy Grant, is that if
you remove her from the history of Christian
music, like, it looks different. Oh, definitely.
Yeah. So, for me, it's always exciting to not
you know to not only dive into a band that I've
never listened to but to dive into a band and
just get a little bit of a feel for like okay
like this band they said it was very revolutionary
so it's like you know what what about it's different
and I think even like this Christmas album like
it is kind of different because some of the stuff
it might sound like classic or like dated to
me, but it's also remembering that like, well,
back in the day, maybe it was crazy that someone
is a Christian artist and singing about like
Santa Claus, you know, or something like that.
So yeah, I was, I was excited to listen and to
tell people I finally have listened to Amy Grant.
I think I'll say too, to that, that I don't know
that a Christmas album is necessarily the best
like introduction to an artist. Yeah. Because
you actually you don't you don't get a sense
of like her music music through this because
it for for whatever it is like it is a pretty
straightforward classic. Christmas album and
it's much more influenced by Christmas than it
is influenced by Amy Grant. And so you're not
getting a sense of her style or much like through
this. Um, even as we talk about age to age for
that. Yeah. Go, go listen to some of her like
really, really famous pop records and you'll
get a better sense of like who she was as an
artist than you will from this. But, um, so another
thing that that's just come up in some of our
conversation that I did just kind of want to
talk about, and I'm sure this will come up as
we talk through the album too, is Brandon we've
talked about before how you kind of enjoy a little
bit more of the like out there different kind
of takes on Christmas music than you do traditional
Christmas music. How do you think that makes
you feel like going into like listening to this
album? I think it kind of makes me like afraid
because like so like we're reviewing another
album during Christmas and it's an album that
I gravitated towards because it was very different
from what I grew up as. So I think that for me
there's some songs that I've been able to go
back and appreciate and then there's some songs
that like you're just you're put into such a
box with Christmas music because I feel like
the stuff that I love Most people are not going
to enjoy because there's people that they sit
down like like my mom Like she enjoys like relying
case. She enjoys Toby Max Christmas, but like
little drummer boy She just wants the classic.
She does not want you to add in a drum machine
or like scream in it She just wants that so I
think that For me, even if I don't like enjoy
an album. I can appreciate it that Okay, yeah,
they're not making an album for me because if
they made an album number one, I'm cheap So I'm
probably not you're gonna pay like $15 for it.
So it's like you're better off just make an album
for People who are gonna pay For the three million
people that bought this album before 1997. Yeah,
so I Highly doubt that whatever I say on here
that Amy's going to need to address it All right,
well With that, let's kind of get into our track
by track discussion on this. So Home for Christmas
starts off with Amy's version of Have Yourself
a Merry Little Christmas. What did you guys think
about this one? I can go first. I think that
it sets the tone. It gave it gave me this idea
that I'm gonna get a lot of kind of the the same
old same old but it's gonna be high quality and
I think that's what you found on the album is
that all of the covers like there's really nothing
going on that's like that game changing but there's
also not like at no point is it like oh the vocals
are off or I don't feel like the backing is bad.
So I feel like it did a good job of kind of just
setting that tone of you're going to get more
of what you're hearing now, if that makes sense?
Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. Well, number one,
this is my favorite secular Christmas song. So
I love that she started off with this song. But
it lays well with her voice and the the orchestration
in the arrangement is not too over the top to,
you know, where you have this orchestra with
Amy's down -home voice. You know, it lays well.
And I think, yeah, I agree. This was, I think,
a perfect start to the album. Very traditional,
but nice. Yeah, I always enjoy when an album
starts off like Not at a high point, but we'll
start start kind of in a different, more chill
way. And I'm with you. I really like have yourself
a merry little Christmas. And I thought this
was a really fun take on it because I love that
it's basically just strings with some harp mixed
in. And it's it's not super dramatic. It's a
little melancholy. Yeah, I liked I liked this
one a lot more than I thought I was gonna like
this one when it hit just because it didn't over
it didn't overdo it but it really like sat in
a place that I felt like like you said Lisa was
good for for her vocally and It just kind of
let itself be Where where it worked really? Well,
so I thought that was good Next we move into
it's the most wonderful time Lisa, how do you
feel about this album or this song? I like this
one, too. Again, it's there's no surprises here.
It's a very traditional arrangement. In fact,
if you if you placed it next to Andy Williams
version of of the song, this cover, there's not
a whole lot of difference. She she sings it well.
This is also kind of an introduction. It's just
taking it up a little notch because there's more
energy in this song. She's getting us ready for
what's to come. Yeah, I thought this was good.
I don't actually know. Like the the version of
this that I knew really well is the Andy Williams
version because we grew up listening to this
in our house And I don't even know if that's
the original Version of the song or not. I don't
know. It's just the one that we grew up with
but in my head that's like the standard and And
so it didn't quite hit the level of that for
me Well, no, but there's probably a lot of nostalgia
mixed up in that too. And so it's hard to know
Um, but yeah, I like the strings are back. There's
a little more orchestra, like a broader orchestra
behind what's happening with this one. Um, and
so it picks up the pace a little bit and, um,
yeah, I don't know. Did you know this song, Brandon?
Um, yeah, yeah, I've heard it before. Yeah. Yeah.
Um, yeah, I liked it. I feel like her voice,
um, it shined a little bit more than have yourself
a Merry Christmas. so i think this one what stood
out to me was kind of getting a glimpse at like
oh i feel like she's a really good like singer
her voice is very like strong and all um so that's
what kind of stood out to me with the track yeah
yeah yeah that's good uh track three joy to the
world um four unto us a child is born um this
this is like um this is the um This is the whole
like church pageants were loving this because
they took this version. If they had an orchestra
and were singing this, their choir was singing
like, I feel like this was, this was sung in
churches probably for decades after this came
out. Well, okay. So Amy is trying to sing this
one with the boy choir. Yeah. Okay. It doesn't
work for me. Amy Grant sings The Messiah? No.
Love Amy, of course, but, you know, this is not
her wheelhouse. And to be fair, they did try
to mask her voice a bit by bringing the boy choir
out more. Then I'm like, well, why even put it
on the album because Amy's not shining. I didn't
get this one at all. Yeah, I thought her vocals
were a little buried and obviously there's a
really long, the really long Joy to the World
instrumental before For Unto Us, a Child is Born
actually comes in. So that was an interesting
mix. Again, you've got the strings in the orchestra
and then you have the breakout into the Messiah.
You almost feel like because they hired a London
orchestra to do the orchestra music on this album
that they wanted to showcase that. Right. And
not Amy. Yeah. Well, and there's a decent amount
of that on this album in a couple of places for
sure. Yeah. But I think that was kind of the
way back then is, yeah, I don't know. in the
90s, lush orchestrations were the thing for Christmas
music. It was just so for the time, maybe, but
just doesn't really work for me. Yeah. I think
for me, I really love whenever there's like mashups
and I think it just goes back to like, I enjoy
when someone does something a little bit different.
So for me, I think I just enjoyed the fact there
was this I felt like it was and it's kind of
a pattern on this is that I think that original
and Her doing her own thing. I think that I found
myself enjoying those tracks more. Yeah, so I
think that for me like I guess that maybe like
hit a little bit of like the problems with like
oh, this is this is work or not and I just got
excited that, oh, I've never heard these two
songs, like, mashed up together. So I think that's
what kind of, like, was a highlight for me, is
just seeing this, okay, here's something, finally,
that's a little bit, like, we're taking a chance
on there. Yeah. Yeah. I didn't dislike it, but
it wasn't a highlight for me on it. We move now
on to Breath of Heaven. Is that the next one?
Yep. Yeah. That's the best. This is the best
track on the album for me. Amy Grant helped to
write this song. So it's her song and she does
it well. I don't think it, I mean, it's perfect
for her and it's just a really intimate portrait
of Mary. I absolutely love this track. Yeah,
I can't think of a negative thing to say about
this one. It's a five for me. I love the piano
in the beginning, in the sense there's like a,
you feel the tension of Mary responding in the
moment and seeing her own inadequacy and needing
needing the strength that only God can give her.
The synthesizers are like so good. I don't know,
I was listening on headphones and just, they're
not doing anything crazy, but these just really
deep synthesizers that are serving as like the
foundation of the song are so good. And that
with the slight piano, just give a really...
great space for her vocals to shine and to stand
out. And so, man, yeah, the vocals are amazing.
The melody is amazing. I love the vibe and the
feel that the song gives off. And I love the
lyrics where she says, help me be strong. Yes,
yes, yes. Help me It's it's just so the lyrics
there are incredible just the dropping of a word
on every repeat Help me be strong. Help me be
help me It's such a good such such good writing
Yeah, yes, I just love love love this song Yeah,
I I always appreciate when I can be on the same
page because in my in my experience usually what
happens is I'll have two people be like, this
is life -changing. And I'm like, if there was
a skip, track off. But no, like I was saying
a while ago, I think that if I could just have
a whole album of just the originals, I think
this is one that I might have heard but never
knew it was her. But yeah, I love the tension.
I hate whenever people will take like a story
like that and it turns it into a song where it's
like oh we're sad in the first verse but then
by the chorus everything's like fixed like it's
almost like this wink of like everything's gonna
be good but it you just have that constant tension
where it is this like i'm like i don't know what's
gonna happen this is sad and i think you know
even at like christmas or easter Like I said,
those stories get so condensed that there's no
time to feel this despair like we forget Like
even when we've read history, sometimes I think
like World War two It's like in school you you
spend five days and you've covered everything
whereas back in the day it was No, people went
months thinking oh when's when's there gonna
be a bomb that hits, you know here or whatever?
So I really appreciate that this song there is
that like hope but it gives the listener this,
this, this like, Oh, what, what is going to happen?
You know, like this is what I'm feeling and all.
So I really, um, really love this track. Yeah.
Yeah. It's such a good one. It's such an Amy
track. It's an Amy song. And this is why I love
Amy Grant because there is this, Oh Lord, I am
so imperfect. And You know, but I'm yours and
do what you will. I mean, that's that's Amy Grant.
That's all of her music. I mean, that's the heart
of her music. And so it's just this is an Amy
song. It's just it's why I love it so much. Yeah.
Yeah. It's my definitely my favorite track from
this from this record as well. So I love it.
All right, track five, Oh Come All Ye Faithful.
What'd you guys think about this one? Little
change up here. I love this one. I love it. Amy
with a guitar. And this is Phil Keagy guitar.
So it's amazing. I mean, he's just incredible.
But yeah, again, this is Amy in her wheelhouse.
It suits her. It's. I love it. It's gorgeous
and it's a creative arrangement. Just love it.
Yeah, I so have a little bit of a different take.
I think it's such a different like. It's just
a different feel from everything that we've experienced
so far that it felt like a little jarring for
me. And I like the guitar work. And I could tell,
I didn't know it was Phil Keagy, but I could
tell it's definitely a very good guitarist that's
playing this right now. But yeah, I noted that
she does these vocal pauses that aren't traditional.
And I kind of just wanted to sing along to the
song, but it was hard to sing to because of the
rhythm changes. don't know um it wasn't my favorite
one on the album but um but yeah i think it's
good i think um for me i enjoyed the um like
the change of pace with it going a little more
like acoustic if you will um but i think it thing
just goes back to i find myself i found myself
feeling like okay this what what about this version
I guess like kind of like changes it. And I mean,
I think the problem too is that this is a song
that I've heard. I think it's like a band in
Kansas has done one, like Toby Mack. So I think
that that's the problem sometimes is when you
are covering one is that you have these other
people that have covered it. So it's like, you're
trying to compete now with, like if it's an original,
no one's ever heard this one. So, you have that.
But when you're trying to compete, like, that
can be good and bad, because there's been songs
that an artist comes along and it wasn't until
that person sang it that I started paying attention
and thinking, oh, I really love what this song
is saying, right? I never thought this was a
Christian song, but then a Christian artist sings
it and it takes a whole new meaning or whatever.
So, I think for me, it's almost just a problem
of when you're Just thinking of every version
you've heard of this song right like it sometimes
can't suffer um, you know, I think it's the other
way I think if someone tried to cover like breath
of heaven, you're gonna have a really hard time
Like topping or like equaling what she does on
there So yeah, no, I get that for sure Yeah,
I think it's I think it's good I just I think
my thing with it is it it doesn't feel like the
rest of the album And so I struggle a little
bit to have it fit in. It just feels like maybe
it doesn't fit. I get that. I think for me, because
this is so much Amy's normal wheelhouse, it worked
for me. Especially if you listen to what she's
putting out now. you know it's um it's pretty
much mostly acoustic guitars it's very it's very
amy yeah yeah so uh but uh i could listen to
this to feel keggy play this all day long it's
beautiful so yeah um next we move to grown up
christmas list um what are your thoughts on this
song lisa Okay, this is another favorite. This
is a cover too. But Amy actually wrote some original
lyrics for this piece. And I saw an interview
she did a couple of years ago, where she said,
you know, she had asked the original songwriter,
what's his name, David Foster, if she could.
And he liked what she did so much that he offered
to give her songwriting credit, which she turned
down. But she added a verse, let's see, I wrote
down what she, oh, as children we believe the
grandest sight to see was something lovely wrapped
beneath the tree, but heaven only knows that
packages and bows can never heal a hurting human
soul. It was what she added to it. This song's
been covered by so many, I mean, big artists.
But Amy's, this one is the first time I'd ever
heard the song. So it remains my favorite. Probably
just because of that. Yeah, I don't, so. I don't
know if I've ever heard another version of it
thinking about it. And I think I always thought
this was an original until I was listening through
for this and noticed that her name wasn't in
the in the credits. And so this has been covered
by Aretha Franklin, Barbara Streisand, Pentatonix.
There's tons of. Covers of this song. Yeah, i'm
sure. Yeah, i'm sure there are now do you was
hers like the one that kind of broke it out?
First was the first cover Okay Did it ever been
done of it? Uh, it was originally done. I think
for a tv show in canada Gotcha where the songwriter
did a duet with nathalie cole. Okay. Um but amy's
was the first cover gotcha of many many many
yeah i so i love this song too um and i think
that there was a time in my life when i probably
thought this song was cheesy um earlier in in
my life um but i think that the older that i
get um and the crazier that our world gets um
the more that the lyrics just resonate with the
way that i feel um that no, that's what I do
want is just for our world to be different. And
so I just feel like it works so well. And I know
musically, like in the beginning, you've got
the like the 80s, 90s, like electric piano kind
of feel that You don't really see on other places
on this record And so maybe musically it stands
out a little bit to you, but I love that about
it, too Like it it takes it back in time a little
bit in a way that that feels warm for me I also
just think this song works so well for her vocals
Yes, that it really lets her singing shine and
her voice is just perfect for it like when she
goes up on some of those parts towards the end
with kind of the big end of it, like just the
tone of her voice fits this song so well. And
so yeah, yeah, I love this one. Yeah, so I was
surprised too because I thought it was an original
too, but I think that's also like it goes back
to when you're covering something that like not
a lot of people like at that time had done, you
kind of get to make it your own. um yeah i'm
i'm with you i think it's right on that line
of being like you you could be like this is way
too cheesy and i think even a couple years ago
like i would have been like oh okay we're like
this is too silly um but i remember when the
the line came on where it's like everyone would
have a friend it is just like the more the more
i look at like the world like it just it blows
my mind um just people that walk in the doors
of our church, or the senior center I work at,
like, the people that don't have a friend. And
it's hard for me to sometimes comprehend that,
because I think to myself that, like, man, if
I needed a place to stay, I'm like, there's 20
people I could call right now, and there's no
questions asked. They would find a spot. And
I mean, there's another couple of dozen that
might say, what's your situation? Or let me check,
you know, or whatever to see if we have space.
So, like, even just hearing that line, I'm like,
yeah, I feel like it can come across as cheesy,
but then you start thinking to yourself, like,
yeah, but if you haven't had a friend, you would
think. So, I think it's right on that line, but
I think that the verses do a good job of kind
of adding that depth that keeps it from... sounding
like this cheesy or just like, I want, you know,
because I mean, I don't know, like it's people
go around. I remember thinking like, pray for
peace or whatever. It was a very like silly thing
to get older and you're like, well, yeah, we
shouldn't be rooting for like war. Like that
doesn't mean that you, you know, like you need
to be against peace or whatever. So yeah, I feel
like it's, it's on that line, but it does a really
good job of not going into, like, cheesy, eye
-rolling category. Well, and I feel like she
sings it with, like, her voice has an innocent
quality to it. That, like, when she sings it,
there's so much earnestness to it that there's
no tongue -in -cheek to it at all. Like, it just
feels really... Um, really true for her and I
think that helps a lot. So Well, I mean this
is the message of christmas. I mean For god's
kingdom to come honestly, yeah and I think yeah,
this is like I think She's been building up to
this You know, uh, it's almost a prayer. Yeah,
it is And just as Christians, like you said,
a realization that we'll never have this, this
side of eternity of heaven. And so it really
is like a yearning and a longing for like what's
to come. And I do love that. And I don't think
that there's anything cheesy about longing and
wanting that. Track seven is rocking around the
Christmas tree. What were y 'all's thoughts on
this one? That's bringing us back down to earth.
But I love this one. This one's fun. I think
she does a good job on it and it's it. Yeah,
it's a good basic arrangement of it. Again, you're
not going to find any surprises here, but it's
a good track. I like it. Yeah, I think it um
Like as much as you like love the more serious
songs like you also can't have every track be
breath of heaven and then jumping to like growing
up Christmas list so I my thought on this and
without context it sounds like it's like attacking
the song but My note was that I appreciated that
it was short So without explanation it sounds,
but what I mean by that is is that I think I've
heard versions of this that like to me I've heard
there's a band it's like James Reunion that I
think they have my they have what's my favorite
version of this song I think they released it
on one of the Happy Christmas albums but I think
a lot of times bands kind of like they just drag
it out and I appreciated that like it I think
it clocked in like right over two minutes so
it felt like it wasn't a we have to keep this
going just to be going so it felt like it was
a fun break um but I appreciate that it wasn't
like let's turn this into four minutes and add
another verse or add some solos or something
yeah um so I appreciated that it was this little
break and it felt it almost felt more like in
like interlude or something than an actual like
track Which like I've come to realize that I
really appreciate albums that have those little
like 40 second like skits or like intros or like
outros or whatever and I've noticed I missed
that a lot about today's music so I appreciate
it whenever there's like a little shorter track
that kind of like helps Get get out of the the
track we were just in Yeah, yeah, I think that's
something this this album does pretty well is
That the songs on here don't overstay their welcome
Just in general that they're a couple of tracks
that clock in right around two minutes Yeah,
and that's all that that they need and I think
that there's a lot of wisdom and like Like you
said not overplaying something Yeah, I'll just
be honest this is probably my least favorite
song on the album um again i feel like it just
maybe doesn't fit um um it's not one of my favorite
christmas songs to begin with so i think that
probably doesn't help it either um but um i do
i like the like the kind of doo -wop stuff that's
going on and there's a key change that happens
um but yeah it's just not it's not my favorite
um so i don't know We'll move into Winter Wonderland
next. Lisa, what were your thoughts? I think
this is a fairly good arrangement. I like that
it's got a little bit of jazz added to it from
the traditional, but not enough to change the
feel of the song. Yeah. I like this one. I agree
with that. I like the feel of this. Again, we're
kind of back to the jazzy, orchestral kind of
sound. And I think it just feels better for this
album than the kind of trying to rock a little
bit. And so this one's nothing flashy to it,
but I think it works. I think it works really
well and fits on the... fits on the album. Brandon,
what would you think? I think for me, it's, um,
it just goes back to it. It doesn't really stray
from the original. So I felt like it's, you know,
there's nothing wrong with it, but I just kind
of find myself being like, okay, it's like, it's
here. Um, so yeah, it's just a very, I think
I find myself with a, just a lot of the Covers
just being like it's like it's good. Like there's
nothing Bad or like I'm not upset with it. It's
just maybe like not Giving that chance to shine
because I think it's as someone who? Had never
listened to Amy Grant that was one of my takeaways
was that oh when she's given the opportunity
I feel like I'm really enjoying kind of seeing
her like Yeah, kind of like hard or her talent
shine through But I mean it just goes back to
like Like for me, I remember reliant k was a
big band that they did their own thing And before
that I knew that stuff was out there But I feel
like it wasn't as popular as it is now to do
your own thing like now people will take Silent
night and turn it into like a rap song or something.
Whereas I feel like if you did that in the 90s
You were not gonna get any traction like so I
think that you know, sometimes um even even tracks
like this it's like what i might look at and
think oh that's just what they were singing in
the 90s it's also trying to realize like well
some of the stuff that i think is silly you know
like like i said earlier i could see it being
a big deal the first time a christian artist
saying like here comes santa claus and it being
like oh this person is like whoa hold on a second
like that they can't sing that you know or something
So, yeah. Yeah, I feel that. All right, track
nine, I'll be home for Christmas. I feel like
this one sits still in kind of the jazzy world,
but it feels right. It's a little more melancholy.
You got the strings and the piano and so I liked
I like the vibe of this one I did think feel
like this was an interesting choice just for
a song for her to sing on on this Because I feel
like this is you Traditionally, isn't this like
the whole like I've gone off to war kind of thing,
but i'll be home for christmas Yeah, and so it
just kind of felt like weird for an avid grandson.
Well, I mean I like I liked it It's the name
of the album, so... Yeah, I guess you have to
do that. This is not my favorite. Out of all
of the traditional Christmas song covers, this
is probably my least favorite. I don't think
it suited her as well as the others did. But,
I mean, it's okay. I think the orchestration
gets a little too lush at times, but that's the
90s too, you know? Yeah, I think that at this
point, it's just every time I hear an original,
I think, hey, can we go back or a cover? I'm
like, can we go back to the other stuff? Yeah.
I mean, I think it made me think of something
like if you were in like a hotel. like you know
when you're sometimes in a hotel and there's
someone over there like playing like piano or
whatever or maybe a restaurant because now i'm
thinking about it i don't know how many times
i've been to a hotel and people are playing like
music at damped and ends or whatever but like
it just made me kind of feel like okay it's it's
what you expect it just it goes back to there's
nothing that's making me like angry on the album
um it's just kind of like okay yeah there's nothing
there's nothing I love or hate about it. I guess
so moving on to the next one, we have Night Before
Christmas. I guess before we jump into it, is
this an original or is this like a cover? This
is a cover. Okay. Carly Simon wrote this song.
Okay. And I'll just say right here, Carly Simon's
version is So much better So much better. Oh
Yeah, I'm I remain uninspired by this cover I
don't Yeah, it's not my favorite Yeah, if you
want to listen to a good version of this song
listen to Carly's Mm -hmm. Yeah, I think there's
a Maybe a reason they kind of stuck it towards
the end of the album I don't maybe this was just
me but as the song started like all all of the
like instrumental parts before the vocals Started
I was getting a real Eagles like take it to the
limit vibe Like it almost musically sounded exactly
like that song and I'm like a recovery an eagle
song here like what's going on? But so I like
the intro but the yeah the rest of it just it
doesn't really stand out to me so i mean it's
it's a song that i'm not used to hearing that
often and so in that sense it it it does kind
of stand out but um but i feel like it doesn't
work as well as some of the other ones like that
i i think it fit for me um i think maybe it's
just like it i to me separating the album into
the ones that are like I guess maybe very well
known and then the ones that are either original
slash not as popular um I think it fits more
in that one that it's kind of this little like
fun thing that's going on on the side yeah um
so I think for me um seeing it like that I I
found myself enjoying it or at least I was enjoying
it more than the two songs that came before it.
Yeah, sure. So... I get that. I put in my notes,
I like the verses with the da -da -da, but I
forget what I mean by that now. So I know that
at the time it made like a da -da -da, but now
it's just da -da -da. So there's something about
the verse that I enjoy that there's something
with a da -da -da. I love that. So track 11,
Emmanuel, God With Us. Um, so I think this is
an original to this album. Yes. Yes. She co -wrote
this song. Yeah. What'd you think about this
one, Lisa? Um, this is my least favorite song
on the whole thing. Uh, I love the message. It's
a great message. Other than that, I just don't
like it. Uh, yeah. I think she's trying too hard.
Her vocal is not great on this and I don't get
it. I just don't get it. It sounds like it would
be a song that I would like, but I do think it's
the weakest original on the album. by a pretty
good measure. And so I'm thankful that it's not
another cover song. And so I know you got to
just take a shot and see. But yeah, it doesn't
work as well for me as the others. I wrote down
that it felt like I was listening to like Pocahontas.
That's what it reminded me of. Like, I could
picture this being like, I don't know, like a
Pocahontas Christmas or something, where they're
in the... I think it's like the tree or something
sings to Pocahontas or gives her wisdom. So,
I enjoyed it. I think it goes back to anything
that's original. Like, I'm gonna gravitate more
towards. So, for me, like, it was really different,
but I think that I... I appreciate like a swing
and a miss more than a all right here we can
put this one out and yeah we'll have just me
and a piano or something so I think I appreciated
that about it yeah I understand that for sure
and so I agree with you in that sense I'm thankful
that it's here yeah even if it doesn't land as
well So we move it into our final track now.
J. Sue's Joy of Man's Desires. Yes, Sue. Yes,
Sue. Yes, Sue. Yeah, this is Bach, which is kind
of out of place on this album. I think it was
it was a very 90s thing to end a Christmas album
with an instrumental. And so I get that, but
I don't. And it was nice. It's a nice arrangement,
but maybe not suited to the album itself. Yeah,
I felt like it got a little I like the simplicity
of it in the start. Maybe it gets a little much
for me towards the end. And so, but I do have
to say, so my wife, Emily, walked down the aisle.
to this song yes she did i remember that and
so it uh it will always hold a special place
in my heart and so i can't i can't say too many
negative things about it i mean it wasn't her
arrangement of the song again i mean i i love
the i love the song right i i just didn't think
it really fit the album yeah i agree i agree
with that yeah yeah i feel like it's um like
with the rest of the album it being like okay
here's these covers here's these originals it
was it was weird to add like to end it with a
just a really long instrumental yeah and it you
know i talk about how albums i see them as concerts
this almost felt like i was watching a movie
like this is something i'm seeing the ending
credits um and it's like i think it's kind of
like with the covers there i didn't like hate
it but i also just found myself wondering is
this the best way to like wrap up like am i happy
with this or i don't know like almost like if
you would have shortened it and then have an
intro to some song or maybe add some lyrics or
something to it yeah um yeah um yeah i don't
know I think we're kind of all on the same page.
It's just, I know this was a popular thing to
do, but it doesn't really hit the way that we
probably would have hoped or wanted it to. So,
all right. So let's kind of talk then about our
kind of ending final thoughts of the album and
then what we would give it as a ranking out of
five. And you guys have any kind of closing thoughts?
I mean I go first I felt like it was I enjoyed
it more than I like expected to Because going
into it I'm thinking it's that mix of early 90s.
It's Christmas. I guess the perfect storm for
an album I Wouldn't wouldn't care for But it's
always it's always a nice treat. I think sometimes
maybe when expectations are low, that you walk
away from it being happier versus being like
something you love and then you go back and you
don't care for it. For sure. Yeah. Yeah, I think
for me, like it's listening to the whole thing.
I probably have, honestly, a little bit of a
difficult time listening to just a Christmas
album from start to finish. Because I feel like
I feel like what we've done, and maybe this is
not everybody, but I feel like what I've done
throughout history and our family's done, we
grew up listening to mixtapes of Christmas songs,
and now we listen to playlists of Christmas songs.
We have a ton of variety and we're just used
to that. So listening to one person's Christmas
album from start to finish is a little more difficult.
But I think for the most part, there's a cohesiveness
to the record outside of a few parts that felt
like outliers to me that That make make the album
work pretty well together and it has two of my
favorite original original esque Christmas songs
By Amy on it and so for that alone, it's it has
a warm place in my heart Yeah, Lisa, what about
you? Oh, yeah, I mean there are I mean the three
songs. There's several songs from this album
that are on my Christmas playlist. But the, you
know, Breath of Heaven and the three songs in
the middle that to me are the highlight of the
album is those three are permanent favorites.
Yeah, and you know I Think timeless. Mm -hmm.
Yeah. Oh, yeah. I love that. So I ended up giving
home for Christmas 3 .5 out of 5 What about you
guys? Would you give it Lisa? Yeah, I would say
I'm about there too. Yeah, the highs were really
great, but the lows were a little cringe. So
yeah, I'd say I'd say the same 3 .5. I think
it's the first time in history I'm getting a
3 .5 too. That's amazing. Yeah, first time ever
on Hey, are you listening? So that's pretty fun.
That's pretty fun. Well, this has been fun to
dig into this record. Real quick, let's talk
about our lyric of the week. I've already mentioned
the lyric of the week on this one, but for me
it has to come from Breath of Heaven. the line,
help me be strong, help me be, help me. I just,
I love that. I think it's so simple, but it's
so well done. So really stands out. So, well,
Lisa, we are so thankful that you joined us to
talk about this today. It's fun to have a perspective
from you who was there in the moment. I was probably
in... fifth grade, maybe when this came out.
But you were there, I'm sure, listening to it
right then. For reference, I'm 12 years older
than Joel. This was definitely... Now, actually,
by the time this album came out, I was married.
You know, I grew up with Amy when I was growing
up CCM was Amy Grant and Rich Mullins and You
too, I mean honestly That was what we had and
Michael W Smith came in there too, but You know,
I kind of Was listening in from the ground. Yeah,
I love that and I'm glad It feels weird to be
as old as I am now, but I'm really glad that
I was able to listen at the beginning when things
were just getting started. It's a great time.
Yeah, that's really exciting. Well, thank you
so much for hanging out with us today and talking
through this. It's been a lot of fun to get to
do that together and to have you on. And we're
thankful for you, for everybody for listening
and taking some time out this Christmas season.
We just hope and pray that you are having the
best season with your family, celebrating and
remembering. all that Christmas is all about,
and just the great gift that we have in Jesus.
So we will look forward to seeing you again next
week.