Reviewed by Chris Tozer

There must be hundreds of different Larry Norman releases on planet Earth by now. And with his ever increasing medical bills it looks like he'll be releasing many more, as there are enough recordings to keep his keenest fans more than satisfied for years to come. There is, of course, no denying that he remains the greatest singer/songwriter that the American Christian music scene has ever produced. Equally true is the fact that he is virtually unknown to younger record buyers. 'Maximum Son' is in fact a collection of alternative takes from the recording sessions that yielded Larry's fine 1976 album 'Something New Under The Son'. The original album followed on from the much loved trinity of records that included 'Only Visiting This Planet' and 'In Another Land'. Whilst they were full of well crafted Christian pop songs 'Something New Under The Son' is more blues than pop and its lyrics are not really of an evangelistic nature. To Larry's credit all the songs on the original album could have fitted into the repertoire of Mick Jagger. Like most blues songs they focus on the tough side of life. Yet, although not so obviously commercial as his earlier albums, each song on 'Son' stands up well 30 years later. That said, only the keenest of collectors and those wishing to support Larry financially should buy this album of unnecessarily lengthy tracks.

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