Crystal Clear

by Jaci Velasquez

Overview

It may be unfair to call Hispanic contemporary Christian music singer Jaci Velasquez CCM's answer to Christina Aguilera, since she got her start well before such secular competitors. But on her fourth album, Velasquez adopts many of the vocal and musical mannerisms of teen pop's Latin side. In the video interviews on the disc's CD-Rom portion, Velasquez notes that she encountered criticism in the Christian community, who charged she was abandoning CCM with her last album, the Spanish-language release Llegar a Ti. She says Crystal Clear's title track makes her religious commitment plain, but like several other songs on the album, the song can be interpreted as a woman's declaration of love to a lover rather than one of faith in God. Though she tosses in the word "Lord" on some songs, Velasquez usually employs the terminology of romantic love rather than religious faith. "There's a union of two becoming one/Deep inside my heart," she sings in "Adore"; such intimacies suggest a highly idealized boyfriend rather than a merciful savior, no matter how many pronouns are capitalized on the lyric sheet. While Velasquez convincingly imitates Britney Spears-style groans, as the album progresses, she and her producers don't maintain the teen pop sound. Eventually, she begins to sound a lot like the artist who is no doubt her real model, the young Amy Grant. It's no surprise after listening to "Come As You Are," a duet with Louis Fansi, to read the credit "vocals produced by Brown Bannister," Grant's early mentor. Four albums on, Jaci Velasquez still seems to be searching for a style of her own. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	04/01/2022
Label:	Word Distribution
UPC:	0080688603922

Tracks

1. Escuchame (Listen to Me)
2. Crystal Clear
3. Everytime I Fall
4. You're Not There
5. Adore
6. He's My Savior
7. You Don't Miss a Thing
8. Imagine Me Without You
9. Come as You Are
10. Center of Your Love
11. Just a Prayer Away

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Jaci Velasquez   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Lisa Bevill   Vocals (Background)
Rudy Perez   Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Michael Hart Thompson   Guitar
Peyton Heimermann   Vocals (Background)
Randall Thornton   Conductor
Perry Heimermann   Vocals (Background)
Geronimo Enriquez   Horn
Jonathon Fuzessy   Vocals (Background)
Christopher Harris   Vocals (Background)
David Davidson   Strings,Strings
Carl Gorodetzky   Strings
Wendy Pedersen   Vocals (Background)
Javier Solis   Percussion
Betty Wright   Vocals (Background)
Abel Orta   Vocals (Background)
Mark Heimermann   Sound Effects,Vocals (Background)
Lisa Cochran   Vocals (Background)
Scott Williamson   Drums
Luis Fonsi   Vocals (Background)
The Nashville String Machine   Strings
Neil Stubenhaus   Bass
Michael Tait   Vocals (Background)
Ramon Stagnaro   Guitar
Carl Gorodetsky   Strings
Michael Thompson   Guitar
George Cocchini   Guitar
Margaret Reynolds   Vocals (Background)
Chris Harris   Vocals (Background)
Jackie Street   Bass
Lester Mendez   Keyboards
Mark Portmann   Keyboards
Yvonne Solis   Vocals (Background)
Robert Lopez   Horn
Edward Benitez   Horn
Chris Rodriquez   Guitar
Carl Ramsey   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Mark Portmann   Programming,Arranger,Composer
Rudy Perez   Arranger,Composer,Producer,Programming,String Arrangements
Brent Bourgeois   Composer,Vocal Producer
Paul Angelli   Mastering
Chris Mara   Assistant Engineer
Hank Nirider   Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Shawn McIntire   Assistant Engineer
Katinka   Make-Up,Hair Stylist
Chuck Hargett   Art Direction
Judith Volz   A&R,Composer,Vocal Producer,Executive Producer
Linda Bourne Wornell   A&R
Shaun Disch   Mixing Engineer,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Geronimo Enriquez   Horn Arrangements
Trevor Johnson   Mixing Engineer,Mixing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
PJ Heimermann   Production Coordination
Felipe Tichauer   Assistant Engineer
Christopher Harris   Vocal Producer
Paul Evans   Composer,Composer
Tony Baker   Photography
Carl March   Arranger
Jaci Velasquez   Composer
Chris Eaton   Composer
Elizabeth Perez   Composer
Shannon Ford   Composer
Carl Marsh   String Arrangements
Javier Solis   Composer
David Schober   Engineer
Dion   Production Coordination
Mark Heimermann   Sounds,Composer,Producer,Programming,Keyboard Programming
Paul Fields   Composer
Steve Bishir   Engineer
Steve MacMillan   Mixing
Loren Balman   Composer,Vocal Producer
Luis Fonsi   Duet
Jeremy Bose   Composer
Pete Stewart   Composer
Steve McMillan   Mixing
Matt Stanfield   Composer
Nick Gonzales   Composer
Tiffany Arbuckle   Composer
Brown Bannister   Vocal Producer
David Cole   Mixing
Todd Robbins   Engineer,Pro-Tools,Overdub Engineer
Tom Howard   Arranger,String Arrangements
Tom Laune   Mixing,Engineer
Bruce Weeden   Mixing,Engineer
Chris Harris   Vocal Producer
Joel Numa   Engineer
Lester Mendez   Programming
Mark Hammond   Programming,Keyboard Programming
Brad Ford   Composer
Chad Curry   Wardrobe
Kristi Henson   Management,Project Manager
Elisa Elder   Executive Producer
Ronnie Thomas   Digital Editing
Larry Warrilow   Copyist
Astrid Herbold   Design