| All the People Said Amen | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | April 23, 2013 | |||
| Genre | Contemporary worship music, contemporary Christian music | |||
| Length | 66:23 | |||
| Label | Essential | |||
| Producer | Matt Maher, Paul Moak | |||
| Matt Maher chronology | ||||
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All the People Said Amen is the first compilation album by contemporary worship music recording artist Matt Maher, released on April 23, 2013. It is his fourth album with Essential Records, and his seventh overall release. The album was produced by Matt Maher and Paul Moak.
Writing for CCM Magazine , Grace S. Aspinwall said that Maher was "armed with his deep and soulful vocal", which she found that "his voice is radiant on this project." [1] Joshua Andre of Christian Music Zine told that "with Matt oozing creativity, poetry, metaphors and engagement, not to mention the presence of the Holy Spirit," and this was because Andre perceived "Matt's offerings are honest, thoughtful and full of references to God's goodness and righteousness." [2] In addition, Andre found that "Matt Maher has really recorded and performed out of his skin in this effort, and it shows on this professional and sophisticated album". [2] However, Cross Rhythms' Stephen Curry wrote that "the live tracks, with the exception of the tumultuous, Jewish flavoured 'It Is Good', do not, in truth, add anything fresh by being 'in concert'", yet he told that "the new songs featured are the infectious pop 'All The People Said Amen', the passionate 'Burning in My Soul', a duet with Audrey Assad, the ballad 'Lord I Need You' and perhaps the best of the new songs, 'Mighty Fortress' with its haunting yet uplifting melody." [3]
Indie Vision Music's Jonathan Andre gleaned that"Matt's lyrical ingeniousness and maturity has improved as he delivers some of the most passionate and personal songs of his musical career so far." [4] At Jesus Freak Hideout, Jen Rose believed that "the songs are arranged and produced well, capturing the energy of the live show in a way that sounds like all the people involved are truly enjoying themselves. It's not a groundbreaking live record, but it does showcase Maher's songwriting and stage presence better than a standard hits compilation could." [5] Kevin Davis of New Release Tuesday highlighted that the album "delivers raw, worshipful moments that draw the line between the divine and the everyday." [6] Furthermore, Davis evoked that "this album provides listeners with thirteen tracks that seek to give a voice to humanity's acceptance of God's love in any circumstance", and that "Matt Maher's enthusiastic and reverent style of writing and singing praise and worship songs has consistently been a draw for me. Maher's prayerful sentiments are consistently filled with his personal adoration of God." [6] The Phantom Tollbooth's Michael Dalton found that "though there are intimate moments with appropriate reverence, much of this has an air of boldness and confidence", and this is due to the "muscular backing from a band that rocks and an exuberant audience make it a boisterous affair." [7]
At Worship Leader, Amanda Furbeck called the album "sincere, honest, and unpretentious," and found that Maher "adds myriad dimensions to worship with his latest album." [8] In doing so, Furbeck said this happened "with relevant and inspired lyric writing, and obvious passion for the Gospel, this multi-faceted, album offers songs of praise and worship, messages of hope, and heart-felt cries to the Lord." [8] Louder Than the Music's Jono Davies found the release "doesn't sound like a normal live worship album. There is a unique rawness, even a rockier edge to the times of worship. It shows that not all live worship albums need to sound the same." [9] Lastly, Thom Jurek of Allmusic told that "for a contemporary Christian recording, the live material is uncharacteristically loose and raw, giving the proceedings a kinetic feel and sense of immediacy". [10] At HM , Doug Van Pelt noted how this is "a fine blend of rootsy, bluesy, and heartfelt Gospel." [11]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [10] |
| CCM Magazine | [1] |
| Cross Rhythms |   [3] |
| HM | [11] |
| Indie Vision Music | [4] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout |  [5] |
| Louder Than the Music | [9] |
| New Release Tuesday | [6] |
| The Phantom Tollbooth | [7] |
| Worship Leader | [8] |
All the People Said Amen has received generally favorable reviews from the seven music critics. Davis of New Release Tuesday called the release "his most dynamic." At Worship Leader, Furbeck proclaimed that the release is "the apex of Matt Maher's considerable musical expression to date", and found the album contained "a gift of songs for the Church of today". [8] Christian Music Zine's Andre rated the album a 4.25-out-of-five, and evoked that the effort "is a pleasant experience" to hear. [2] Jurek of Allmusic noted that the release for listeners "will prove indispensable." At CCM Magazine, Aspinwall found the "album rooted with a simplistic polish." [1] At Louder Than the Music, Davies proclaimed this as a "brilliant album from Matt", and that it "is up there as one of the most original live worship albums". [9] Michael Dalton of The Phantom Tollbooth wrote that "there may be many ways to worship, but this is one way to do it right", and this is because the album "combines a little of the singer/songwriter muse with the best in rock." [7]
Cross Rhythms' Curry told that "to shoehorn four new studio recordings into the package make for an oddly uneven listen", and that "had this been a four-track EP of new material it may have achieved nine or 10 squares." [3] Rose of Jesus Freak Hideout affirmed that these songs "work even better than the original versions." [5] At Indie Vision Music, Andre stated that the songs were "full of life, encouragement and enthusiastic motivation" that would "attract listeners of his music as well as fans of other similar contemporary/worship artists". [4] At HM , Doug Van Pelt told that the release "has the best of both worlds for discriminating believers that love worship but hate cheese." [11]
On the May 11, 2013 charts, the album charted at No. 115 on the Billboard 200 [12] and at No. 5 on Christian Album in the United States. [13] On the chart dated April 5, 2014, the album reached a new peak of No. 88 on the Billboard 200.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original studio recording on | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All the People Said Amen" (Studio) | Matt Maher, Paul Moak, Trevor Morgan | 3:00 | |
| 2. | "Alive Again" (Live, recorded in Detroit, Michigan) | Jason Ingram, Maher | Alive Again | 5:08 |
| 3. | "Burning in My Soul" (Studio) | Daniel Carson, Maher, Jesse Reeves, Brett Younker | 3:45 | |
| 4. | "Lord, I Need You" (Studio) | Carson, Maher, Christy Nockels, Reeves, Kristian Stanfill | 3:25 | |
| 5. | "Great Things" (Live, recorded at Legends, University of Notre Dame) | Maher | Empty & Beautiful | 5:27 |
| 6. | "On My Way" (Live, recorded at Legends, University of Notre Dame) | Maher, Moak | The Love in Between | 6:26 |
| 7. | "Hold Us Together" (Live, recorded at Legends, University of Notre Dame) | Maher, Steve Wilson | Alive Again | 4:17 |
| 8. | "Your Grace Is Enough/Here I Am Lord" (Live, recorded in St. Louis, Missouri) | Maher | Welcome to Life and Empty & Beautiful/new track | 6:07 |
| 9. | "Adoration" (Live, recorded in Detroit, Michigan) | St. Thomas Aquinas, Maher | Overflow | 5:59 |
| 10. | "Christ Is Risen" (Live, recorded in Indianapolis, Indiana) | Mia Fieldes, Maher | Alive Again | 6:28 |
| 11. | "Turn Around" (Live, recorded in Detroit, Michigan) | Michael Boggs, Maher, Morgan | The Love in Between | 5:34 |
| 12. | "Mighty Fortress" (Studio) | Fieldes, Maher, Moak | 5:15 | |
| 13. | "It Is Good" (Live, recorded in Baltimore, Maryland) | Maher, Paul Wilbur | new track | 5:32 |
| Total length: | 66:23 | |||
Studio Tracks (1, 3, 4 & 12)
Live Tracks (2, 5-11 & 13)
Studio Tracks (1, 3, 4 & 12)
Live Tracks (2, 5-11 & 13)
Additional credits
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 [14] | 88 |
| US Christian Albums (Billboard) [15] | 5 |
Matthew Guion Maher is a Canadian contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist, songwriter, and worship leader from Newfoundland, Canada, who lives in the United States. Three of his nine albums have reached the Top 25 Christian Albums Billboard chart and four of his singles have reached the Top 25 Christian Songs chart. His notable writing credits include "Your Grace Is Enough", "I Will Rise", "Because He Lives (Amen)", "Christ Is Risen", and "Lord I Need You". Maher has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards in his career and was awarded the Songwriter of the Year at the 2015 GMA Dove Awards. He is a practicing Catholic.
Alive Again is the second studio album by contemporary Christian musician Matt Maher, released on September 22, 2009. It is his second album with Essential Records. It reached #6 on the Billboard Christian albums chart, and reached #128 on the Billboard 200. The single "Alive Again" became the top selling Christian and Gospel single on iTunes Rewind. The song "Hold Us Together" was the No. 1 K-LOVE song of 2010.
The Love in Between is the third studio album by contemporary Christian musician Matt Maher, released on September 20, 2011. It is his third album with Essential Records. It was released on September 20, 2011.
Come to the River is the first studio album by Rhett Walker Band. The album was released on July 10, 2012 by Essential Records. The album was produced by Paul Moak at The Smoakstack. The album debuted at No. 9 and No. 154 on the Christian and Heatseekers albums charts, respectively. The lead single from the album is "When Mercy Found Me", which has had chart success, and was primarily on Christian-based charts.
Where I Find You is the second studio album release by Kari Jobe, which was released January 24, 2012, but was her first album on the Sparrow Records label. The song "We Are" is the only radio and charted hit off of the album, so far. The album has charted on three Billboard charts: No. 10 on Billboard 200, No. 1 on Christian Albums and at No. 5 on Digital Albums. All of the peak positions occurred on February 11, 2012 selling 25,000 copies in the first week. Where I Find You earned a Grammy Award nomination in 2012, making Jobe a first-time Grammy nominee.
Into the Light is the fifth studio album by contemporary Christian musician, Matthew West. It was released on September 25, 2012 through Sparrow Records. The album was produced by Pete Kipley.
Resuscitate is the third studio album by contemporary Christian music band Remedy Drive. It was released on September 18, 2012, through Centricity Music. The album was produced by Peter Kipley at The Bomb Shelter in Brentwood, Tennessee.
Miracle is the eleventh studio album by Christian rock band Third Day. This album released on Essential Records label, and it was produced by Brendan O'Brien. The album sold 29,000 copies in its debut week. The lead single from this album is "I Need a Miracle", which has had chart success.
Breathe In is the twelfth studio album from Christian Contemporary-Worship trio Phillips, Craig and Dean. It was released on March 13, 2012 on the Fair Trade Services label, and was produced by Bernie Herms and Nathan Nockels. The album has garnered positive reviews from the critics and the album has achieved commercial success as indicated by the charting positions.
Carry Me is the third studio album by Christian singer-songwriter Josh Wilson, which was produced by Matt Bronleewe and released on April 9, 2013, by Sparrow Records. The album achieved commercial successes and critical acclamation.
How Mercy Looks from Here is the eighteenth studio album from contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter and recording artist Amy Grant. The album was released by Capitol CMG and Sparrow Records on May 14, 2013. The album is produced by Marshall Altman, marking his first collaboration with Grant. The first single released in support of the album is "Don't Try So Hard", a faith-based ballad featuring James Taylor singing harmonized background accompaniment.
Morning Rises is the fifth studio album from contemporary Christian musician Aaron Shust. It was released on July 16, 2013, by Centricity Music, and it was produced by Ed Cash. The album got positive critical reception from music critics, and it saw commercial success.
Cast My Cares is the first studio album by contemporary worship musician Tim Timmons, which was released on the Reunion Records label on June 4, 2013, and it was produced by Paul Mabury. The lead single "Starts With Me" charted at No. 25 on the Christian Songs chart. In addition, the album has been met with acclaim by music critics, and commercial charting successes.
Sovereign is an album by Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith released on May 13, 2014 through Capitol Records. The album debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart.
God of Every Story is the third studio album by Contemporary Christian musician Laura Story, which the album was released by Fair Trade Services on September 30, 2013, and the producer of the album was Ed Cash. The album has seen commercial charting successes, as well as, it has garnered positive reception from music critics.
The Neverclaim is the eponymous debut studio album from contemporary Christian music band The Neverclaim, which was released on September 24, 2013 by Essential Records, and it was produced by Jason Ingram and Paul Moak. The album has seen commercial charting successes, as well as, it has received critical acclamation by Christian reviewers.
Royal Tailor is the eponymously named second and final studio album from Christian pop rock band Royal Tailor. It was released on October 22, 2013 by Essential Records, and was produced by Chuck Butler, Aaron Lindsey and Christopher Stevens. The album was well received by Christian music critics, and is Royal Tailor's highest charting release to date.
Saints and Sinners is the fourth studio album from Matt Maher. Essential Records released the project on March 17, 2015.
How Can It Be is the debut studio album by American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter Lauren Daigle. The album was released on April 14, 2015, through Centricity Music. LifeWay Christian Bookstore was permitted to release the album on April 11, 2015. The lead single from the album, "How Can It Be", was released on July 8, 2014. A deluxe edition of the album was released on May 6, 2016.
Live is a live album from Paul Baloche. Integrity Music released the album on April 1, 2014.
