Chris Eaton

Item: Wonderful World
Author: Robert Berman

Wonderful World

(1995)

Reviewed by Robert Berman

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Label Sparrow RecordsThe LighthouseApril 1995

ccm pop soft rock

Few artists make it from obscurity to opulence strictly by the sweat of their own brow. More frequently, the successful recording artist is surrounded by a phalanx of producers, musicians, and songwriters who hire out their talents and make an album, in the words of Michael Card, a "team sport." Occasionally, however, a member of the musical backdrop rises to sufficient prominence to become a star in his or her own right. Such has been the fate of Out of the Grey, Bliss Bliss, Ashley Cleveland, and now, Chris Eaton. After spending the last few years working with high-profile artists like Twila Paris and Amy Grant, Eaton returns to the spotlight with Wonderful World.

Attentive fans of CCM may recall Eaton's 1986 Visions album on Reunion Records which, despite his track record as a studio vocalist and songwriter, failed to make much of a splash in the music market. But Eaton's knack for writing catchy songs like "Believe In Love" (a hit for both Russ Taff and Michael English) and "Breath of Heaven" (for Amy Grant's latest Christmas album) seems to have earned him another go at a solo career, and the results are much more satisfying this time around.

Wonderful World, produced by Eaton and veteran popman Brown Bannister, falls squarely in the soft rock/pop district occupied by artists like Bryan Duncan, Jon Secada, and Martin Page. Most of the songs fall on the mellow side of the tracks, but that doesn't make it a sleepy bedtime album, as interesting production and sounds rescue even the less deserving melodies from boredom. Three or four standouts seem destined for a slot in the top ten, including "Harvest Years," "Westworld," and "Breath of Heaven," with the original non-feminine lyrics restored. "All or Nothing" seems a CHR single contender, but this song's big-ballad approach seems better suited to someone like Kathy Troccoli or Whitney Houston than to Eaton's more straightforward delivery.

The multitalented Eaton handles most of the keyboard duties, surrounded by a crackerjack team of studio players including Dann Huff and Tommy Sims. Christine Denté makes her now-obligatory guest vocal appearance on "Westworld," though the arrangement doesn't leave her much to do but echo on one of the album's few missteps.

The album's lyrics span the field, from feel-good thankfulness in "Everlasting Love" to awestruck worship in "Breath of Heaven" to longing for heaven in the somewhat obscure "Westworld." "Harvest Years" finds the album at its most optimistic, declaring "The fields are ready for the gathering," while "Remember Me" dances with the dangerous subject of a troubled marriage.

Wonderful World is a polished pop effort which, if it falls a tad short of "wonderful" itself, is still a fine album with several real gems and some other memorable tunes. And hopefully, we won't have to wait nine more years for Eaton to produce another project of this quality.