Reviewed by Tony Cummings

This milestone album from 1988 comes from a period when Michael was making music appealing to a teenage audience and 24 years on this still contains some fine stuff. The rocking "All You're Missing Is A Heartache" even contains backing vocals from Stryper's Michael Sweet and Oz Fox while "Seed To Sow" has an inspired arrangement bringing in an ethnic vibe helped by an African boys choir. Elsewhere, there is a remake of "Friends" and a tender ballad "Emily" which movingly reassures a young woman facing the enormity of life ("There are doubts to fade/Moments to be made/And one of them is yours"). All these tracks are good but the two which make 'I 2 (Eye)' a classic are Smith's brilliant adaptation of the traditional liturgical hymn "Agnus Dei" and the compelling piece of pop rock "Secret Ambition". With great guitar work from Dann Huff and Jerry McPherson, pumping bass from Mike Brignardello and powerhouse drumming from Paul Leim this memorable song contains one of the most memorable lines in the whole of CCM, "Nobody knew his secret ambition was to give his life away." An indispensable oldie.

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