Randy Stonehill - The Sky Is Falling (with three bonus tracks)

Published Tuesday 18th October 2011
Randy Stonehill - The Sky Is Falling (with three bonus tracks)
Randy Stonehill - The Sky Is Falling (with three bonus tracks)

STYLE: Jesus Music
RATING 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 11619-10426
LABEL: Solid Rock SRD-686
FORMAT: CD Album
RRP: £15.99

Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Larry Norman finally got round to releasing this classic Randy Stonehill album on CD in 1994. For those who'd only previously owned the British vinyl version, there are a few treats to be encountered as Norman restores a couple of songs that weren't included on the UK version. So, this might be the first time you get to hear "Counterfeit King" which does have a different musical vibe to the rest of the album, relying on the excellent Tom Howard's keyboard contributions. "Teen King" is an excellent pastiche of The Eagles and examines the seductive power of fame and its affect on those who become famous. Norman also messes with the song order which doesn't necessarily make it better! It still opens with the excellent "One True Love" but for some reason, one of the album's weaker songs "Bad Fruit" is placed second. There are the usual Stonehill sensitive ballads "Emily" and "Jamey's Got The Blues" which are good but somehow not quite as engaging as the slower material on the previous album 'Welcome To Paradise". The bonus material includes "Postcards From The Heart" which is an early version of the song which eventually became "Letter To My Family" on the 'Between The Glory And The Flame" album. Here it has a gorgeous string arrangement and was probably left off the original album because there were already enough ballads. There's also an alternative version of one of Stonehill's best songs "King Of Hearts". The original version opened 'Welcome To Paradise'. This version is Stonehill's guitar and voice which sounds like an early outtake with slightly different lyrics from the familiar version and Norman has added a lovely string arrangement. The album closes with a live recording taken from Greenbelt '79 where Stonehill and band romp through "Good News".

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.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.

Be the first to comment on this article

We welcome your opinions but libellous and abusive comments are not allowed.












We are committed to protecting your privacy. By clicking 'Send comment' you consent to Cross Rhythms storing and processing your personal data. For more information about how we care for your data please see our privacy policy.

NAVIGATION
CONNECT WITH CROSS RHYTHMS
SIGNUP

Connect with Cross Rhythms by signing up to our email mailing list

A Step Change...
Cross Rhythms Media Training Centre
MORE ARTICLES
DISCOGRAPHY
ARTIST PROFILES
Artists & DJs A-Z
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #
Or keyword search

 

PRAYER ROOMS
Intercession Room
Care for other people and shake heaven in our Intercession Room