Prime Cuts: His Strength Is Perfect, I Will be There, The Great Adventure
Overall Grade: ★★★★ (4/5)
Joseph Habedank's The Great Adventure: A Tribute to Steven Curtis Chapman is an affectionate and sincere homage to one of Christian music's most formative voices. Drawing exclusively from Chapman's earlier career, the album revisits the songs that defined CCM in the late 80s and 90s-an era of storytelling, acoustic-driven arrangements, and unfiltered sincerity. Habedank clearly approaches these tracks with deep respect, but the results are uneven: moments of inspired reinterpretation sit alongside performances that remain too tethered to the originals.
Nowhere is this tension clearer than in "Dive" and the title track "The Great Adventure." Both were massive hits during Chapman's peak commercial era, and Habedank's versions cling so closely to the blueprint that they feel more like polished tributes than genuine reimaginings. His vocals are warm and confident, but these two songs in particular needed a bolder artistic vision to step out from Chapman's long shadow. The energy is pleasant but predictable, and listeners familiar with the originals may find themselves returning instinctively to Chapman's recordings for that unmistakable spark.
More challenging is "Lord of the Dance," a song defined by Chapman's trademark urgency and propulsive passion. Habedank is a storyteller with a smoother and more reflective vocal style, and while he sings with conviction, he doesn't quite capture the kinetic drive that makes the song soar. Chapman's version felt breathless, relentless, and joyfully uncontained; Habedank's comes across more controlled, polished, and restrained. What is gained in clarity is lost somewhat in fire.
Yet when the songs call for tenderness and emotional intimacy, Habedank shines. His rendition of "His Strength Is Perfect" is beautifully vulnerable, trading Chapman's soaring delivery for something quieter and pastoral. Even more affecting is "I Will Be There," one of the most exquisite love songs Chapman ever wrote. Here, Habedank duets with his wife, Lindsay, and the result is one of the album's undeniable highlights. Their blend is pure, heartfelt, and deeply believable, capturing the covenantal warmth that lies at the song's core. It's one of the few tracks where Habedank not only honors the original but adds a new emotional dimension to it.
Throughout the album, Habedank's respect for Chapman is unmistakable. These songs shaped his childhood, his faith, and his artistry, and that reverence is evident in every syllable. At times, though, this deep devotion keeps him from taking the artistic risks that might have made the album more distinctive. While the performances are consistently polished and vocally strong, several tracks lean so closely to Chapman's template that they feel more like commemorations than reinterpretations.
Still, the sincerity of the project cannot be overstated. Habedank's voice remains one of the most expressive in Southern gospel, and when he allows himself space to inhabit these songs rather than replicate them, the results are genuinely moving. For fans of Chapman, the tribute will stir affectionate memories; for fans of Habedank, it offers a warm, nostalgic journey through some of Christian music's most beloved material. While not every track reaches its full creative potential, the album stands as a heartfelt and honorable gesture toward a songwriter who shaped a generation.
