Michael W Smith - This Is Your Time (13 tracks) +Album Reviews +Used CD available for Swap

Smitty At His Best On This Is Yor Time!

01/07/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Michael W. Smith's newest release, This Is Your Time, is, in my opinion, Smitty's best CD ever (along with his 1998 Live The Life release). A variety of musical contrasts abound on This Is Your Time; from the calming, Celtic-like "Rince De", to the driving and motivational "Worth It All". Hats off to Smitty for the title track, "This Is Your Time", the best one on the CD (and Smitty's best song ever-along with "Live The Life"). Along with "This Is Your Time", my favorites were: "Worth It All", a driving song about how being a Christian is worth more than anything, truly "Worth It All". I also enjoyed the soft pop sounds of "I Will Be Your Friend", "I Will Carry You", and "Everybody Free". The pleading (and rocking) "Reach Out To Me" is also an excellent song, exploring new musical ground for Smitty. The catchy and plain fun "I Still Have The Dream" was a special treat, and sure to please crowds with its rocking, guitar-driven energy. The two love songs written for Smitty's wife "Hey You It's Me" and "I'm Gone" are also a pleasure to listen to and show Smitty's devotion to his wife (something needed in today's divorce-prone culture)! The two songs for two of Smitty's children "She Walks With Me" and "Anna" are also well done and sure to be heartstring pullers, along with the final track "This Is Your Time (Reprise), an insturmental tribute to Cassie Bernall. Smitty tells us in this record to "live every moment leave nothing to chance...", encouraging us to "live the life" for Christ, for we do not know what tomorrow will bring. Overall, This Is Your Time is the best CD I have ever heard, musically, and, most importantly spriritually, with Michael W. Smith sending a clear Christian message of peace, love, hope and encouragement."

One Of Smitty's Best Albums

02/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Some people have criticized this album for mixing Christianity with pop music, but others have complained that it needs to be more Christ-centered. Go figure. It just goes to show that it's impossible to please everybody. Maybe if the critics would be quiet long enough they would realize that this is, in fact, a flat-out excellent CD that compares favorably to any other Smitty album. The title track is so powerful it can give you chills, and will no doubt be an all-time classic. Only a zombie could not be moved by it. The rest of the CD, for the most part, takes on a slightly less serious mode, mixing bouncy, danceable, pop-rock tracks like "Worth It All" and "I Still Have The Dream" with peaceful and often sweet ballads like "She Walks With Me" and "Everybody Free". Smith includes several songs inspired by his family and friends, and I see this as a positive thing, that his thoughts are devoted to his loved ones instead of his career like many artists. Our society could certainly use Smitty's encouragement to love our spouses and children deeply. There are elements of MWS's past albums in this project, making any Smitty fan almost certain to love "This Is Your Time". If for some reason you didn't like Smith in the past, it's not likely you'll embrace the album; however, if you're unfamilar with his music, by all means give this album a chance. You would be very pleasantly surprised, because this is pop music at its best."

Solid album from a timeless artist

Christopher Bishop | Rogersville, TN | 12/03/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"From first track to last, this is an exceptional piece of work. I have listened to Michael for many years, and I fell in love with this record as quickly as each of its predecessors. "God's Dance" is a fitting opening for this album much in the vein of the opening track for "Exodus", Smitty's worship project on Rocketown Records. From there we segue into the high octane "Hey You, It's Me" written for Debbie, his wife. The energy continues into the next track "Worth It All" for the kids at Kanakuk Camp. The album moves from style to style in a sequence that never lets things get dull. For those familiar with the Christian Music Industry, this record offers collaborations with many of today's top notch songwriters including Cindy Morgan, Wes King, Chris Rice, Dan Haselstine (Jars Of Clay) and a host of others. As always, Smitty displays great instrumental prowess on each track along with a talent for great melodies that stay in your head for days! He gives the listener a glimpse into his heart with songs for his wife and children alongside declarations of his faith like "Still Have The Dream." The centerpiece of he album is the title track which will no doubt be considered a classic in Christian music circles and, hopefully, in secular ones as well. It is a beautiful and fitting tribute to Cassie, and it contains a message that has moved me in a way that no song prior has ever done. Smitty, you are truly a gift to all of us in the family of God. Keep up the INCREDIBLE work that you are doing for the kingdom. LOVE THIS RECORD!"

This Is Your Time - WoW

12/15/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Current reigning Christian Artist of the Year, Michael W. Smith steps up to the plate for his thirteenth turn at bat. Thirteen must be his lucky number, because never before has he released an album so mature, yet fabulously fun, laced with such poignancy, as he has accomplished on This Is Your Time. As practically everyone knows by now, the title song, written by Smith and Wes King, is about Cassie Bernall, the modern-day Christian martyr from the Columbine High School shooting earlier this year. Smitty (who writes only music and then relies on others to translate his ideas and thoughts into lyrics, just in case you didn't know) calls King's powerful words "the lyric of a lifetime." I have a feeling he may be right -- this could easily become Smitty's new signature song for the next decade. The most intriguing thing about this album is that for the first time ever, Smitty has a different lyricist on every song. And quite a repertoir of lyricists it is, too, including: Cindy Morgan, Dan Haseltine, Ginny Owens, Chris Rice, the already-mentioned Wes King, and Smith's wife Deborah D. Smith, among others. The usual mix of love songs and thought-provoking spiritual anthems are mixed with a pair of songs about two of Smith's daughters ("Anna" and "She Walks With Me") and the requisit instrumental. This time out, though, Smitty trades in the bouncy pop sounds found on Live the Life for more mature orchestration and sounds, harkening back to I'll Lead You Home. That's still my all-time favorite Smitty album, so I think it's a great direction. Top Picks: The tear-jerking title cut, "Worth It All" (love that killer guitar riff on the bridge), the powerfully anthemic "I Will Carry You," the rock-tinged "I Still Have the Dream," and the amazingly poignant "Everybody Free" (who else but Chris Rice could write lyrics like these?). Pros: Such a wealth of talent could only produce something this great. The variety of voices pulls together to form a surprisingly cohesive album. Cons: "I'm Gone," despite its great lyrics by Ginny Owens, doesn't really do anything for me. It's a little too Stevie Wonder for Smitty to pull off. The Verdict: Despite its one misstep, This Is Your Time still ranks among Smitty's very best efforts. A very worthwhile and enjoyable experience from an artist that only gets better and better."

MWS is simply brilliant....

Rick Brooks | Cedar Park, TX | 11/30/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a musician that had better never retire. I honestly don't think Smitty can make a bad CD. I felt that Live the Life had been the topper on his career. His best. I was wrong. His best will never be met as long as he making CD's. The next one just keeps getting better. The music is incredible. He mixes it up quite well. He is a tool of God in the music industry and I hope he continues to make music for many years...."

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