Re:creation
Encyclopedia
Re:creation is the seventeenth album by Contemporary Christian
singer Steven Curtis Chapman
. Released on August 9, 2011, the album features 8 new mixes of some of Chapman's songs, as well as 5 new songs and a Christmas
hymn. Re:creation received general critical acclaim upon release, and debuted at number 2 on the Christian Albums chart.
After the accidental death of Chapman's daughter Maria Sue, Chapman found many of his older songs taking on deeper, different meanings to him. Chapman commented that "Three years ago when Maria Sue went to heaven, all of my songs took on a much, much deeper meaning... I found myself singing these songs with a different passion and different purpose. I wanted to re-invent them in a way that really represents what they mean to me now ... '.. Chapman further was inspired by Rick Rubin
took on producing material with Johnny Cash
. Chapman said that "He [Rubin] took those great songs you couldn't imagine ever redoing, everything from the Beatles
'In My Life
' to Roberta Flack
's 'The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face
' [sic] and he even did a cover of Nine Inch Nails
' 'Hurt.' They became almost like new songs... The emotion and what you could really feel in them was inspiring the way I wanted to record these songs".
Chapman had some difficulty choosing the songs on the record, commenting that "This was an album that seemed much easier to do in theory".
Chapman chose about 40 of his favorite songs, while his label had a list of their own, and they narrowed the list down to the final track listing.
on "All That's Left".
s, hammered dulcimers and string instruments, among other instruments, and has some world music
and folk-pop influences. Most of the 're:creations' strip down the prominent production elements of the original versions, having a more organic, acoustic-driven sound.
"Long Way Home" is led by the ukelele, while "Heaven in the Real World (Re:created)" features use of a banjo. and hammered dulcimer. "The Great Adventure (Re:created)" omits the opening guitar riff of the original and replaces the backing vocals of the original with strings and percussion, while "Dive (Deeper)
" tones down the upbeat vibe of the originals and adds in a flute
and percussive handclaps. "Do Everything" features a more upbeat feel.
The album peaked at number 45 on the Billboard 200
and number 2 on the Christian Albums chart.
reviewer Kim Jones gave the album five out of five stars, opining that "The darkness that rushed in from all sides in their [the Chapman family] private night that never seemed to end has given way to a sunrise of glorious proportions. re:creation is filled with the rays of hope, faith, love and joy and it shows us all that while the night may be dark, that one twinkling star of faith will guide us through to morning", giving particular praise to the tracks "Do Everything", "All That's Left", and "Heaven In the Real World (Re:created)". Jones also commented that "Bottom line - Steven Curtis Chapman has presented us with an album that is compelling, personal, and touching... This is an album that is destined to be ministering to generations long after ours is gone". Jared Johnson of Allmusic gave the album four-and-a-half out of five stars, commenting that "Songs like "Dive," "Live Out Loud," and "For the Sake of the Call," known for their big production, are stripped down to their barest essentials and brought back with new instrumentation and new life. "Magnificent Obsession" shines in totally new ways. As Chapman belts out, "This is everything I want, this is everything I need," you get the feeling these words mean more to him than they did ten years prior", also noting that "The original songs are just as strong, from the catchy first single "Do Everything" to the laid-back island vibe of "Long Way Home".
Jesus Freak Hideout
reviewer John DiBiase gave the album four out of five stars, opining that "The positives of this release outweigh any negatives as the new songs are wonderful additions to the talented artist's catalog and the updates of the older, now dated songs are a nice touch", although noting that "longtime listeners who have an attachment to the originals might not embrace each one with open arms". Dibiase had harsh words for "Dive (Deeper)", however, calling the prominent flute in the song "horrifically intrusive" and "hyperactive". Kevin Davis of New Release Tuesday gave the album four out of five stars, calling the album "my inspirational album of the year". Brian Mansfield of USA Today
gave the album three out of fours stars, listing "The Great Adventure (Re:created)", "For The Sake of the Call (Re:created)", and "Do Everything" as his download picks.
Ed Cardinal of Crosswalk.com
gave the album a positive review, commenting that "If you’ve ever liked Steven Curtis Chapman, re:creation—nostalgic yet forward thinking—will make you like him even more", also praising the 're:creations' of "The Great Adventure", "Heaven in the Real World", and "Speechless" for replacing the prevalent audio effects and background vocals of the originals. Jeremy V. Jones of Christianity Today
gave the album three out of five stars, commenting that "The absence of shiny, happy, radio-pop production improves several of these hits, including "Dive (Deeper)" and "More to This Life." The restraint strips away original excesses to turn "For the Sake of the Call" and "Magnificent Obsession" into prayerful, renewed confessions of faith no matter what may—or has—come. But references to Regis Philbin
and his "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
" TV show leave "Live Out Loud" feeling somewhat dated". Cardinal also praised the fleeting Americana
influences of the album, while expressing disappointment in their limited usage.
Personnel
Technical
Other
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
singer Steven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman
Steven Curtis Chapman is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, actor, author, and social activist.After starting his career in the late 1980s as a singer/songwriter of contemporary Christian music, Chapman has since been recognized as one of the most prolific singers in the genre,...
. Released on August 9, 2011, the album features 8 new mixes of some of Chapman's songs, as well as 5 new songs and a Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
hymn. Re:creation received general critical acclaim upon release, and debuted at number 2 on the Christian Albums chart.
Background
-Steven Curtis Chapman
"...when I sing these songs they have a much deeper meaning to me now... so that was the heart behind doing this [album]. It was how can I take some of those songs that have a new meaning to me and kind of reinterpret those, thus the title 're:creation.'"
After the accidental death of Chapman's daughter Maria Sue, Chapman found many of his older songs taking on deeper, different meanings to him. Chapman commented that "Three years ago when Maria Sue went to heaven, all of my songs took on a much, much deeper meaning... I found myself singing these songs with a different passion and different purpose. I wanted to re-invent them in a way that really represents what they mean to me now ... '.. Chapman further was inspired by Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
took on producing material with Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
. Chapman said that "He [Rubin] took those great songs you couldn't imagine ever redoing, everything from the Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
'In My Life
In My Life
"In My Life" is a song by The Beatles written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney . The song originated with Lennon, and while Paul McCartney contributed to the final version, the extent of his contribution is in dispute. George Martin contributed the instrumental bridge...
' to Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack
Roberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
's 'The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is a 1957 folk song written by British political singer/songwriter Ewan MacColl for Peggy Seeger, who was later to become his wife. At the time the couple were lovers, although MacColl was married to someone else. MacColl and Seeger included the song in their...
' [sic] and he even did a cover of Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
' 'Hurt.' They became almost like new songs... The emotion and what you could really feel in them was inspiring the way I wanted to record these songs".
Chapman had some difficulty choosing the songs on the record, commenting that "This was an album that seemed much easier to do in theory".
Chapman chose about 40 of his favorite songs, while his label had a list of their own, and they narrowed the list down to the final track listing.
Lyrics
The lyrical content of the 're:creations' remain mostly consistent with the original versions, although some of them replace backing vocals, such as on "The Great Adventure (Re:created)". Chapman also addresses lyrical themes such as living life to the fullest on "Meant To Be", his recent trials and journey on "Long Way Home",, and the foundation of faithFaith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
on "All That's Left".
Music
Re:creation uses a wider array of musical instruments than Chapman's previous works, making use of ukeleles, banjoBanjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
s, hammered dulcimers and string instruments, among other instruments, and has some world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
and folk-pop influences. Most of the 're:creations' strip down the prominent production elements of the original versions, having a more organic, acoustic-driven sound.
"Long Way Home" is led by the ukelele, while "Heaven in the Real World (Re:created)" features use of a banjo. and hammered dulcimer. "The Great Adventure (Re:created)" omits the opening guitar riff of the original and replaces the backing vocals of the original with strings and percussion, while "Dive (Deeper)
Dive (Steven Curtis Chapman song)
"Dive" is a song by Contemporary Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman, released as the second single from his 1999 album Speechless. It was enormously popular on Christian radio, reaching no. 1 on many Christian charts. It is widely considered one of the greatest CCM hits of all time...
" tones down the upbeat vibe of the originals and adds in a flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
and percussive handclaps. "Do Everything" features a more upbeat feel.
Release and promotion
Re:creation was released in the United States on August 16, 2011. Steven's first single from the album, "Do Everything," was released during the summer and has since peaked at number 3 on the Christian Songs chart, as well as number 1 on the Christian AC Indicator and Christian AC charts.The album peaked at number 45 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and number 2 on the Christian Albums chart.
Critical reception
Re:creation received general critical acclaim upon release. About.comAbout.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
reviewer Kim Jones gave the album five out of five stars, opining that "The darkness that rushed in from all sides in their [the Chapman family] private night that never seemed to end has given way to a sunrise of glorious proportions. re:creation is filled with the rays of hope, faith, love and joy and it shows us all that while the night may be dark, that one twinkling star of faith will guide us through to morning", giving particular praise to the tracks "Do Everything", "All That's Left", and "Heaven In the Real World (Re:created)". Jones also commented that "Bottom line - Steven Curtis Chapman has presented us with an album that is compelling, personal, and touching... This is an album that is destined to be ministering to generations long after ours is gone". Jared Johnson of Allmusic gave the album four-and-a-half out of five stars, commenting that "Songs like "Dive," "Live Out Loud," and "For the Sake of the Call," known for their big production, are stripped down to their barest essentials and brought back with new instrumentation and new life. "Magnificent Obsession" shines in totally new ways. As Chapman belts out, "This is everything I want, this is everything I need," you get the feeling these words mean more to him than they did ten years prior", also noting that "The original songs are just as strong, from the catchy first single "Do Everything" to the laid-back island vibe of "Long Way Home".
Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout is a Christian music website. The website specializes in reviewing, previewing, and selling Christian albums. The website is known for its album reviews, independent music, artist interviews, concert dates and ministry through devotionals and prayer...
reviewer John DiBiase gave the album four out of five stars, opining that "The positives of this release outweigh any negatives as the new songs are wonderful additions to the talented artist's catalog and the updates of the older, now dated songs are a nice touch", although noting that "longtime listeners who have an attachment to the originals might not embrace each one with open arms". Dibiase had harsh words for "Dive (Deeper)", however, calling the prominent flute in the song "horrifically intrusive" and "hyperactive". Kevin Davis of New Release Tuesday gave the album four out of five stars, calling the album "my inspirational album of the year". Brian Mansfield of USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
gave the album three out of fours stars, listing "The Great Adventure (Re:created)", "For The Sake of the Call (Re:created)", and "Do Everything" as his download picks.
Ed Cardinal of Crosswalk.com
Crosswalk.com
Crosswalk.com was a website acquired by Salem Web Network on October 4, 2002 for a reported $4.1 million.Crosswalk.com's slogan is "The Intersection of Faith and Life" and portrays the site's mission of "offering the fresh and compelling biblically-based content to Christians who take seriously...
gave the album a positive review, commenting that "If you’ve ever liked Steven Curtis Chapman, re:creation—nostalgic yet forward thinking—will make you like him even more", also praising the 're:creations' of "The Great Adventure", "Heaven in the Real World", and "Speechless" for replacing the prevalent audio effects and background vocals of the originals. Jeremy V. Jones of Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
gave the album three out of five stars, commenting that "The absence of shiny, happy, radio-pop production improves several of these hits, including "Dive (Deeper)" and "More to This Life." The restraint strips away original excesses to turn "For the Sake of the Call" and "Magnificent Obsession" into prayerful, renewed confessions of faith no matter what may—or has—come. But references to Regis Philbin
Regis Philbin
Regis Francis Xavier Philbin is an American media personality, actor and singer, known for hosting talk and game shows since the 1960s. Philbin is often called "the hardest working man in show business" and holds the Guinness World Record for the most time spent in front of a television camera...
and his "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
" TV show leave "Live Out Loud" feeling somewhat dated". Cardinal also praised the fleeting Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
influences of the album, while expressing disappointment in their limited usage.
Track listing
Personnel
(Credits lifted from Allmusic)Personnel
- Steven Curtis Chapman – arrangerArrangementThe American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
, bellsBell (instrument)A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
, composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, dulcimer (hammer)Hammered dulcimerThe hammered dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument with the strings stretched over a trapezoidal sounding board. Typically, the hammered dulcimer is set on a stand, at an angle, before the musician, who holds small mallet hammers in each hand to strike the strings...
, guitar (acoustic)Acoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, lyricistLyricistA lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, programmingProgramming (music)Programming is a form of music production and performance using electronic devices, often sequencers or computer programs, to generate music. Programming is used in nearly all forms of electronic music and in most hip hop music since the 1990s. It is also frequently used in modern pop and rock...
, ukuleleUkuleleThe ukulele, ; from ; it is a subset of the guitar family of instruments, generally with four nylon or gut strings or four courses of strings....
, vocals (background), whistleWhistleA whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means... - Joe Causey – banjo, hornHorn (instrument)The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
, xylophoneXylophoneThe xylophone is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars struck by mallets... - Brent Milligan – baritoneBaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
, bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
, bells, celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, composer, dulcimer (hammer), guitar (acoustic), guitar (electric)Electric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, Hammond B3, harmoniumHarmoniumA harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
, harpHarpThe harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, percussion, piano, producer - John Catchings – cello, stringsString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
- Ken Lewis – drums, percussion
- Paul Mabury – drums, percussion
- Shawn Pelton – drums, percussion
- Will Franklin Chapman – drums, percussion, vibraphoneVibraphoneThe vibraphone, sometimes called the vibraharp or simply the vibes, is a musical instrument in the struck idiophone subfamily of the percussion family....
- Sam Levine – fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
- Chattanooga Boys Choir – guest appearance
- Chuck Butler – guitar (electric)
- Adam Lester – guitar (electric)
- Blair Masters – Hammond B3, string arrangements
- John Painter – horn, string arrangements
- Ben Shive – keyboards
- Eric Darken – percussion
- David Angell – strings
- Monisa Angell – strings
- David Davidson – strings
- Sarighani Reist – strings
- Pamela Sixfin – strings
- Kristin Wilkinson – strings
- Luke Brown – vocals (background)
- Herb Chapman – vocals (background)
- Jason Eskridge – vocals (background)
- Scott Sheriff – vocals (background)
- Caleb Chapman – vocals, vocals (background)
Technical
- Eleanor Farjeon – composer
- Geoff Moore – composer
- Phil Naish – composer
- Jim Houser – executive producer
- Adam Ayan – mastering
Other
- Mandy Arola – A&R
- Jess Chambers – A&R
- Jenny Stika – A&R
- Austin Mann – booklet design, cover design, photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Zach McNair – graphic designGraphic designGraphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
- Dale Manning – photography
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Year | Song | Peak Chart Position |
|---|---|---|
| US Christ |
||
| 2011 | "Do Everything" | 3 |