Day 429 - Amy Grant - Find a Way

429. Amy Grant - Find a Way
from the Album Unguarded
(A&M, 1985)

"Unguarded, first released in 1985, was Amy Grant's ninth album. In 2007 Amy's new record label re-issued and digitally remastered it on CD. I bought it as a vinyl LP and clearly listened to it a lot back then because when I played this new CD I could still remember all the lyrics!

 Back in the '80s pop music was dominated by synthesizers—keyboards that didn't pretend to be pianos or anything else - and they are here in abundance, in place of the piano and acoustic guitar that characterised many of Amy's earlier songs. Unguarded embraced the contemporary pop sound, synths and all, and was unashamedly aimed at the mainstream music market. Unguarded marked a big change from Amy's two previous regular studio albums, Age To Age and Straight Ahead, and indeed created something of a storm in middle America. I think she only says Jesus and God each on one separate occasion through the course of the whole album—a big risk in 1985 for the top selling contemporary Christian music artist in the USA.

Despite this, the top track Find A Way was a number one hit on the Christian radio charts and the album generated a further four hit singles. With the help of the album's distributor in secular outlets, A&M Records, three of its singles reached the mainstream charts. Find A Way was a Top Ten hit on the Adult Contemporary chart and peaked at 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Everywhere I Go and Wise Up also charted. The album was certified gold in September 1985, and platinum in June 1986. The great thing is that Unguarded doesn't really have a weak track on it. Beside the singles, I Love You is noteworthy as Amy's first "secular" love song, dedicated to her then husband Gary Chapman. The Brown Bannister production was, and still is, legendary and the whole project drew on a dream team of CCM musicians of the '80s—including Michael W Smith and Robbie Buchanan on those synths, Dan Huff on guitar and Mike Brignardello on bass. This album still sounds as fresh as it did when I first heard it in 1985 and should be essential listening for Amy's newer fans and anyone who missed all the fun of the '80s." (Source: CrossRhythms.com)

Amy was Criticized by long-time fans for what they perceived as a watered down message aimed at a more mainstream audience, but for those who were listening, her faith comes through loud and clear. In the bridge she sings:

If our God His Son not sparing
Came to rescue you
Is there any circumstance
He can't see you through?
 
 Find a Way peaked at #1 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart, #7 on the Adult Contemporary chart and #29 on the Hot 100 chart. The album peaked at #1 on the Top Christian Albums chart and  #35 on the Top 200 Albums chart and was the #1 inspirational album for 1986. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance, Female and a Dove Award for Recorded Music Packaging of the Year.

Here is the original studio released promotional video for the song: