Randy Stonehill - Decade

Published Thursday 1st January 2004
Randy Stonehill - Decade
Randy Stonehill - Decade

STYLE: Jesus Music
RATING 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 8392-8134
LABEL: Solid Rock SRD880
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1
RRP: £14.69

Reviewed by Dougie Adam

18 songs in all. 15 of them have previously been issued on various Solid Rock CDs, 'The Cottage Tapes' (with Randy's tracks from the 1971 'Born Twice' sessions), 'Get Me Out Of Hollywood' (Stonehill's unreleased secular crossover effort for Philips), 'Welcome To Paradise' and 'The Sky Is Falling'. All in all a good collection of some of Randy's best material recorded in the '70s and an indication of how he came to be regarded as one of the finest troubadours to emerge from the Jesus Music era. This compilation also gives a good cross section of the different styles of song he undertook during the period: thus we have a rockin' "Good News" live from Greenbelt in 1979, the zany testimony "Norman's Kitchen", a beautifully orchestrated version of the classic "King Of Hearts" among the highlights. Three of the bonus tracks are unreleased cuts from the late '70s and feature Norman and other Solid Rock artists rehearsing new songs "Safe In Your Arms", "Hide Me In Your Love" and "Chinatown" as some of the stable were gearing up to try for a secular crossover with Warners. All of the unreleased songs are rougher than the more familiar songs but one can imagine them sounding great in more polished and concise arrangements. Stonehill completists will want this for the rare bonus tracks while newcomers seeking a good overview of Randy's early work will also find this a rewarding listen. Those suitably impressed are advised to track down the few remaining copies of "Welcome To Paradise" before that classic sells out.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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Sample Track Listing:
1. Strange Youth [Listen]
2. I Love You [Listen]
3. Jamey's Got The Blues [Listen]
4. Alright Now [Listen]
5. Lately Mary [Listen]
6. One True Love [Listen]
7. News For You [Listen]
8. Lung Cancer Lament [Listen]
9. Keep Me Running [Listen]
10. Christmas Song [Listen]
11. Puppet Strings [Listen]
12. First Prayer [Listen]
13. Good News (live) [Listen]
14. King Of Hearts (with Orchestra) [Listen]
15. Safe In Your Arms [Listen]
16. Hide Me In Your Love [Listen]
17. Chinatown [Listen]
18. Norman's Kitchen [Listen]

This track data is supplied by the Cross Rhythms CD/DVD review library. Please note that CD tracks may vary according to release region or product version.

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