Speechless (CD - 1999)

Personnel: Steven Curtis Chapman (vocals, acoustic, electric, & papoose guitars, dobro, mandolin, synthesizer); Erin Mullican, Will Franklin, Caleb Chapman, Emily Chapman (spoken vocals); Randy Pearce (electric guitar); Scott Sheriff (piano, Hammond B-3 organ, background vocals); Hardy Hemphill (piano, background vocals); Shane Keister (piano); Adam Anders (bass, programming); Will Denton (drums, drum loops); Eric Darken (percussion); Chris Eaton, Stacy Jenette, Mark Smeby, Tina Tyler, Marvin Copaus, Rhonda Hampton, Scot Tyler, Ladye Love Smith, Andy Sperry, Shari Davis, Teresa Easterling (background vocals); The London Session Orchestra.

Producers: Brown Bannister, Steven Curtis Chapman.

Principally recorded at Sound Kitchen, Franklin, Tennessee and Abbey Road Studio, London, England.

SPEECHLESS won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album.

With SPEECHLESS, his 12th studio album, Steven Curtis Chapman turns an ear to gurgling synths and trenchant guitar work to enliven a baker's dozen of spiritual testimonials. For five minutes of fist-pumping musical inspiration, one would be hard-pressed to beat the title track. An introduction of innocuous-seeming strings and acoustic guitar crescendo into a wave of emotion guaranteed to stoke the embers of life within even the most world-weary Christian soul (indeed, the excitement is so great here that one wonders if our cast of studio musicians didn't endure at least one fractured crash symbol or snapped violin string!). The Dave Matthews Band-inspired "Whatever" seems destined to bring Midwestern arenas to their feet. And don't miss "I Do Believe" with an APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION-era ("Mr. Brownstone," anyone?) lead guitar riff that casts an appropriately dark tension over the proceedings. minimize