Artist Info:Discography Album length: 10 tracks: 35 Minutes, 2 Seconds Street Date: October 1, 1996
It's almost surreal how an artist could start out so mature in her music, vocals, and lyrics, and then still feel the need to
change her sound later on. Nevertheless, that's exactly what a young artist by the name of Jaci Velasquez did.
While Jaci didn't pen these songs herself, the knowledge of that doesn't interfere with one's enjoyment of the record just because
the lyrics themselves are just so moving. They'll swing from putting an arm around a friend to earnest worship to standing through the
most grueling of trials - all within the first three tracks.
Musically, this is about as Latin as Jaci ever got. While her later works didn't deny her roots (the last track of her sophomore
album was just the opener sung entirely in Spanish), this will definitely live on as Jaci's "Latin" album. That doesn't keep it from
being instantly accessible, though.
For the duration of my childhood, these are the main albums I grew up on: Steven Curtis Chapman's Speechless,
Jars of Clay's debut, the WOW releases, everything by MercyMe and Salvador, and Jaci's first two albums. Miss Velasquez was
one of the most exciting debut artists in Christian music, and she only got better.
Review date: 10/13/07, written by G.B. Ilex for Jesusfreakhideout.com
Along with the Newsboys' Take Me To Your Leader, Jaci Velasquez's national debut was one of the very first Christian albums I ever heard, and many of Heavenly Place's songs still stick with me to some degree. While some still consider "On My Knees" and "Flower In the Rain" to be staples of Christian pop history, I continue to retain fond memories of "If This World," "Un Lugar Celestial (A Heavenly Place)," and "We Can Make a Difference." Of course, music from 1996 doesn't always age well, and Heavenly Place is certainly somewhat dated, but it was this record that launched Velasquez's career with plenty of memorable music to follow from the singer/songwriter. For a brief venture into the vault of classic CCM, Heavenly Place is absolutely worth a listen.
- Roger Gelwicks of Jesusfreakhideout.com
Artist Info:Discography Record Label: Myrrh Records
Album length: 10 tracks: 35 Minutes, 2 Seconds
Street Date: October 1, 1996
Buy It:Amazon.com
Review date: 10/13/07, written by G.B. Ilex for Jesusfreakhideout.com
Artist Info: 
