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The Live Adventure

Steven Curtis Chapman - The Live Adventure Audio CD

A fair review of the Steven Curtis Chapman "The Live Adventure" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Steven Curtis Chapman reviews here, or go back to the Steven Curtis Chapman tabs.

Band: Steven Curtis Chapman
Title: The Live Adventure
Rating:

Release Date: 1993-09-21
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Prologue 2: Great Adventure 3: That's Paradise 4: Go There With You 5: Busy Man 6: Great Adventure "Stuff" [Instrumental] 7: Acoustic Medley: My Redeemer Is Faithful and True/His Eyes/Waiting for 8: More to This Life 9: For the Sake of the Call 10: I Will Be Here 11: My Turn Now 12: No Better Place 13: My Turn Now 14: No Better Place

SCC Live album.
HAs some good songs sung live like " The Great Adventure" "For the Sake of the Call" and "I will be Here. This has some good songs on it captured in a live concert setting with some interaction from SCC and the crowd. " A great intro to SCC songs that captures the live aspect of his music.

Very Good to Excellent Live Album that Advanced Chapman's Career
Later in the spring, just after completing his Great Adventure tour, he scrapped that effort in favor of a live album and video. In early 1993, Steven Curtis Chapman, on a roll with the success of the previous year's The Great Adventure, started to make a Christmas album for release in the fall. (He would pick up the Christmas album again in 1995 and release it in the fall of that year as The Music of Christmas. ) The Live Adventure was the result; it was a wise move, for it capitalized on his newfound status as most popular contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist.

The Live Adventure and its corresponding video capture a later (if not the last) concert on the Great Adventure tour: Seattle, WA, in early May 1993. This tour was a logical one to use as the basis for a live album, not only because it came on the heels of the successful album but because it captured his first national tour in huge concert halls with a band. The results are generally excellent: every song from The Great Adventure is played (and sung) better here than on the original studio album, and the same argument can be made for just about every other song on the album. Don't miss the excellent versions of "More to This Life" and "For the Sake of the Call," the latter of which is greatly improved from the overproduced studio version.

But The Live Adventure was also important for introducing Chapman's personality to the public. In the many cuts featuring Chapman's talking to an audience, the singer comes across as a man of integrity deeply devoted to his family. He also clearly communicates well on a practical level with his evangelical audience. Stories of Chapman's strong character had been making the rounds for years in the CCM industry; now, some of that was on display for the public that had not yet seen him in concert.

I only have one quibble. The concert must have lasted only about an hour-and-a-half (estimating based on the roughly 1 hr. 40 min. length of the 1994 Heaven in the Real World concert), so I guess it's understandable that Chapman would put so many of his ballads in an acoustic melody. Still, I'd rather have heard two or three of them played completely instead.

Some people have said that a live album should have been released later in Chapman's career. But while Chapman undoubtedly improved in many respects as a live performer as the years went by, it was standard at that time to release a live album after three studio albums. (For confirmation, just look at the careers of then-CCM superstars Amy Grant and Michael W. Smith. ) Chapman had already broken that mold by releasing five studio albums prior to a live album. Additionally, live albums were on their way out by then; live videos were becoming the norm, as they sell better than live albums. That's why Chapman's second and most recent live release, of the Declaration tour of 2002, is only on video. (These days, if artists release live albums at all, they normally do so as low-priced EPs. The low price for consumers enables the artists to have a better shot at making back their investment. See Jars of Clay's Live Monsters for a recent example. )

The Live Adventure does not hold up quite as well as it did when I bought it back in September 1993, perhaps because it captures Chapman at the end of his country/pop phase. Immediately afterwards he moved into, and since then has stayed in, a mostly pop/rock mode, adjusting as time progresses to be more current musically. I considered the album excellent back then and undoubtedly would have rated it five stars. Over time, however, it has come to sound a bit dated, so I'm giving it four stars instead. Nevertheless, the album still provides a very good introduction to Chapman's live persona.

too early in his career for a live album
I've maintained for years that studio albums do not do justice to what SCC can really do. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot to like about this album. He tends to really open up and shine when he performs live. That's probably what prompted this release.

Looking back, though, this was much too early in his career to put out a live album. Since it was released so early, it only scratches the surface of the depth of his live music. Still, it shows us his heart, especially in his interaction with the audience. We begin to see the man behind the songs and capture his energy and passion. I'm definitely looking forward to his next live release!

Larry Hehn, author of Get the Prize: Nine Keys for a Life of Victory.

Great CD...buy yourself one
The concert was awesome. I got this CD a long time ago (11 years), when it came out. Anyway, you should get your own copy, and not download it illegally off the internet. It's worth it. I've been a constant fan of Steven Curtis Chapman, and will continue to. Family talk is hilarious, and shows the honesty (or lack of) of childhood. My favorite song is Busy Man. . . you should have seen it. . . ah the styles of the 90s. Haha. Get this CD. . . get it now. CDnow.

Great vocalist!
" You truly feel the soul in this song. Steven Curtis Chapman sings wonderfully! On this live CD, it sounds as if he were singin in a studio! True talent that's God-given!

My ultimate favorite song on the CD is "For the Sake of the Call.

He is a very versatile artist. His journey through the music biz is a treat on this live album.

You can see a complete list of all Steven Curtis Chapman discography, or go back to the Steven Curtis Chapman tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.