Larry Norman - Friends On Tour (reissue)

Published Wednesday 15th August 2007
Larry Norman - Friends On Tour (reissue)
Larry Norman - Friends On Tour (reissue)

STYLE: Jesus Music
RATING 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 28979-12885
LABEL: Solid Rock SRD119
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1
RRP: £15.99

Reviewed by Tom Whitman

Larry Norman's 1981 concert at the Dominion Theatre in London was one of the defining moments in his career. Rumour is that backstage after the gig The Jam's legendary producer Vic Coppersmith offered Larry a recording contract on the spot. This CD reissue of the concert exhibits more than just the passion exuded on stage, but the wit and personality of the man. By not excluding the banter between songs as many modern live CDs do, it provides an insight into the man and mission. Looking back on an era when The Beatles and The Who were admirers and contemporaries of Norman, it's hard to think of a rock'n'roll act achieving success on a par with Norman, yet remaining as outwardly Christian and evangelistic as he did. From the frank blues opener "I Feel Like Dying" to the poignancy of piano-led ballad "I Wish We'd All Been Ready" Larry introduces almost all his songs with a mixture of humour and serious messages. Before "Why Can't You Be Good" he talks about the nature of love, not before remarking "sometimes you have trouble falling in love with the right girlfriend. I mean it's hard enough picking the right parents!" The versatility of his powerfully resonant voice is apparent throughout as he embraces soul, blues and drawls like Bob Dylan on "Put Your Life Into His Hands". The CD opens with five tracks from support acts and friends Alwyn Wall and the Barratt Band, who combine social commentary with rock'n'roll. While this reissue only offers eight live tracks from the man many attribute as the father of CCM, the quality of recording and performance are fantastic.

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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Reader Comments

Posted by John Elmes in Northern England @ 15:06 on Jul 31 2013

I was there with a friend of mine and if you look very carefully in the front row immediately in front of Larry (Good Seats) you can see us both. There are some bad things said about Larry, I believe his heart was in the right place and his message true. Otherwise he was a human being and therefore prone to error, the one constant is a God who is prepared to forgive and loves us all. Thank God. RIP Larry



Posted by Celtic Fire in West Midlands @ 15:35 on Feb 8 2009

A great live album which could almost be ruined by the inclusion of Alwyn Wall's few songs and his facile preaching, which is incongruent with the message of Love and Forgiveness. Physician heal thyself! However, if you like the Barratt Band and Larry Norman you'll excuse the Wall songs....and lap up Barratt's guitar playing and Larry's rocking form!



Posted by Dougie @ 12:05 on Jun 13 2008

Cd mastered from scratched vinyl shock... except they did this back in 2001 as well... and put it out with the same bonus tracks back then too. There's nothing new under the sun.



The opinions expressed in the Reader Comments are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms.

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