Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Music Review




Steven Curtis Chapman
Christmas Is All In the Heart



Artist Info: Discography
Album length: 12 tracks: 52 minutes, 11 seconds
Street Date: November, 2003


In 1995, a young man from Kentucky named Steven Curtis Chapman released his first ever Christmas project entitled The Music Of Christmas. Steven had become well-known for his southern-flavored pop, but as his popularity increased and his songwriting matured, Steven had begun to stray from his southern roots. While his accent was undeniable, his vocal style became more contemporary and therefore more accessible to a wider listening audience. By 1996's Signs Of Life, the pop was given a slight rock edge which only increased on his spectacular 1999 release Speechless. So by 2003, Steven has become an adult pop/rock icon in Christian music. A new Christmas project releases this Fall exclusively through Hallmark records to exclusively Hallmark stores. Christmas Is All In the Heart, named after a hit song from his 1995 record, features six cuts from his first Christmas project remixed especially for this release, accompanied by six brand new Christmas recordings.

The remixed originals don't particularly sound all that different from their original versions and they just all-around feel as old as they are. The six new tracks are fresh and fantastic, but the other six tracks seem dated and out of place on the album. Chapman's vocal style differs too greatly from '95 to 2003. Eight years has shown Chapman grow beautifully as an artist and it's almost a shame to try to mix the two together on one new project. While the music is being repackaged for a whole new audience, I don't feel it blends well enough together or does the new music enough justice.

Nitpicking aside, as one who has appreciated Chapman's music for nearly a decade now, I'm delighted to hear brand new Christmas classics from Chapman. The new favorites include "Silver Bells," "Winter Wonderland," "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," "Go Tell It on the Mountain," "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," and "O Little Town of Bethlehem," all arranged beautifully in Chapman's current style. Christmas Is All In the Heart is still better than its predecessor and still has enough great music on it to be worth the reasonable $7.95 price tag. In fact, it probably could have passed nicely as a six song EP (or seven including the title track remixed). Perhaps Chapman can use the six new cuts as a foundation for an all-new full-length Christmas release soon. How about it, Steven?

- Review date: 10/25/03, written by John DiBiase



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

 

CD

Buy This CD Online


. Artist Info: Discography
. Record Label: Hallmark
. Album length: 12 tracks, 52 minutes and 11 seconds
. Street Date: October / November, 2003
. Buy It: Amazon.com

  1. Christmas Is All in the Heart *
  2. Silver Bells
  3. Winter Wonderland
  4. I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
  5. Go Tell It on the Mountain
  6. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
  7. O Little Town of Bethlehem
  8. O Come All Ye Faithful *
  9. This Baby *
  10. O Come O Come Emmanuel *
  11. Going Home for Christmas *
  12. Silent Night Medley (w/ Away in a Manger
    / O Holy Night) *
spacer Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics
Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics

Click For Audio Sample   Click For Song Lyrics

* Newly re-mixed exclusively for Hallmark from the Sparrow Records release, The Music of Christmas.

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 

 

                 
Check out JFH's Lloyd in his first-ever childrens book!

Search JFH



This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Join honey and save on online purchases!
Get all of JFH's indie compilation now totally free!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images