| In Another Land | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1976 | |||
| Recorded | 1975 | |||
| Studio | Mama Jo's, Hollywood | |||
| Genre | Christian rock | |||
| Label | Solid Rock | |||
| Producer | Larry Norman | |||
| Larry Norman chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
In Another Land is a studio album recorded by Larry Norman and released in 1976. It is the third album in Norman's "trilogy", which began with Only Visiting This Planet and continued with So Long Ago the Garden . The album contains some of Norman's most well-known work.
In 1975 Norman recorded In Another Land, the third album in his trilogy, which was released in 1976 through his own Solid Rock label and distributed through Word Records, [2] making it "the first of his albums to be released on a Christian label". [3] However, according to Norman, "In Another Land, was executorially censored by the "mother company" which insisted on removing any music they felt was "too negative" or "too controversial." [4] Commercial pressure from Norman's "American publisher and American and European distributors" [5] forced Norman to remove four songs from In Another Land: "I Dreamed that I Died", "Looking for the Footprints", "Top 40 Survey", and "You'll Never Find No One (Who Loves You Like I Do", [6] as they believed that Norman had included too many songs, and that the deleted songs could be released on his next album. [7] One of the songs included on this album was "The Sun Began to Rain" (The Son Began to Reign), [8] an allegory written by Norman, was "knocked out ... in just over a minute" with British comedian Dudley Moore on piano. [9] In a 1980 interview Norman explained the purpose of In Another Land:
In Another Land is the third part of the trilogy It's about the future, and rather than speculate about what the future might hold, I tried to stick closely to what the Bible says it will hold. I think because the future orientated album was so directly tied to the scriptures, people felt this is Larry's best album, because this is the one I like best. Or This is the most Christian album. I think that Only Visiting This Planet or So Long Ago The Garden were much better conceptional statements, much better medicine for a non-Christian to swallow. The front cover of In Another Land posed a problem. I couldn't really go and stand on a hillside in front of The New Jerusalem, so I just put together a lot of photographs of Israel and photographs of mountainous terrain. The front cover shows a painting of me standing on a hill, for the first time smiling at the camera, because in the new age I won't be troubled as I have always been on my other albums about things like world hunger, and world ignorance, human anger and jealousy and pettiness. [2]
Norman provides a more detailed analysis of In Another Land in the producer notes of the 1991 re-issue. [10] In Another Land was Norman's best-selling album ever, [11] and had the best reception of any of his albums from the Christian establishment. [11] In 2005 Norman recalled:
The Church finally accepted me in 1976, I think it was, and that's just because I had so many songs people knew that the records stores said, "Okay, I'll take a chance." I did In Another Land, which was such a mellow album. It's really for Christians (none of the other albums were), but what do you say when the concept of the album is eternal life with God in heaven? … Of course they liked that album and the record stores sold it and it was Album of the Month for Word Record Club and it was the #1 seller for a long time. [12]
By 1985 In Another Land had sold 120,000 copies in the USA alone, compared with average sales of less than ten thousand for other gospel albums, [7] Responding to the better acceptance of In Another Land by many church leaders who had previously opposed him and his music, Norman indicated in 1980: "I realised that the music itself would probably appeal to the middle of the road Christians who are offended by the extremes in my observations. But if they like this album, and if they suddenly decide that I have returned to the fold and I am now one of them, they're going to hate the next album - it's all blues." [2] Norman held several concerts in Australia in October 1976. [13]
A different version of the song "I Love You" was first recorded by Randy Stonehill on the now-rare album Born Twice , which was produced by Larry Norman back in 1969. That album credits Stonehill as the writer of the song. Norman's version completely changes all the verses, retaining only the first line of the first verse of Stonehill's original composition.
"Righteous Rocker #3" is a reprise of a song which originally appeared on Only Visiting This Planet.
The album also contains a souped-up version of "Why Don't You Look Into Jesus," another song which made its first appearance on Only Visiting This Planet. In the later version the controversial second verse from the original ("Gonorrhea on Valentine's Day / You're still looking for the perfect lay," etc.) is conspicuously absent.
"I Am a Servant" was recorded and popularized as a Christian pop ballad by Christian singer Honeytree. The song "Song for a Small Circle of Friends" includes allusions to Randy Stonehill, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney.
"This is the running order on the original master tape which was sent to Word U.K."[ citation needed ]
Frank Black, a longtime admirer of Norman who became a friend, covered "Six, Sixty, Six" on his album Frank Black and the Catholics .[ citation needed ]
Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands. Many bands who perform Christian rock have ties to the contemporary Christian music labels, media outlets, and festivals, while other bands are independent.
Terry Scott Taylor is an American songwriter, record producer, writer and founding member of the bands Daniel Amos and The Swirling Eddies. Taylor is also a member of the roots and alternative music group, Lost Dogs. He is currently based in San Jose, California, U.S.
John Mark Heard III was an American record producer, folk rock singer and songwriter from Macon, Georgia.
Randall Evan Stonehill is an American singer and songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the pioneers of contemporary Christian music. His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but some of his albums have focused on new wave, pop, pop rock, roots rock, and children's music.
Larry David Norman was an American musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of Christian rock music and released more than 100 albums.
Horrendous Disc is the third studio album by Christian rock band Daniel Amos. Originally recorded in 1978 for Maranatha! Music, it was not released until 1981 when it was issued by Larry Norman's Solid Rock Records, weeks before the release of the band's fourth album. The album is noted as a departure from the band's early country rock sound.
Jesus music, known as gospel beat music in the United Kingdom, is a style of Christian music that originated on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This musical genre developed in parallel to the Jesus movement. It outlasted the movement that spawned it and the Christian music industry began to eclipse it and absorb its musicians around 1975.
The Jesus movement was an evangelical Christian movement which began on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and primarily spread throughout North America, Europe, and Central America, before it subsided in the late 1980s. Members of the movement were called Jesus people, or Jesus freaks.
Solid Rock Records is a record label started by Larry Norman. It was established in 1975 to distribute his work after he had been released by Capitol Records. Solid Rock had a distribution deal with Word Records until 1980.
Daniel Amos is an American Christian rock band formed in 1974 by Terry Scott Taylor on guitars and vocals, Marty Dieckmeyer on bass guitar, Steve Baxter on guitars and Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars. The band currently consists of Taylor, guitarist Greg Flesch and drummer Ed McTaggart. Over the band's career, they have included keyboardist Mark Cook, drummer Alex MacDougall, bassist Tim Chandler and keyboardist Rob Watson with sounds that experimented with country rock, rock, new wave and alternative rock.
Stop the Dominoes is an album by Mark Heard, released in 1981 on Home Sweet Home Records.
Dave's Room, previously known as Mama Jo's Recording Studio, is a recording studio in North Hollywood, California.
Welcome to Paradise is an album by Randy Stonehill, released in 1976, on Solid Rock Records. The album was produced by Larry Norman, with Andy Johns doing the engineering. Stonehill, with producer Mark Heard, titled his 1989 album, Return to Paradise, a reference to the title of this record.
Only Visiting This Planet is a Christian rock album recorded by Larry Norman in 1972. The album was selected as the second-best album in CCM Magazine's The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music. In April 2014 the album was announced as one of 25 sound recordings inducted for 2013 into the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, that preserves as "cultural, artistic and/or historical treasures, representing the richness and diversity of the American soundscape", making it the first Christian rock album chosen for the registry.
Something New Under The Son is an album recorded by Larry Norman in 1977 and released in 1981.
So Long Ago the Garden is an album recorded by Larry Norman, released in 1973. It is the second album in what came to be known as his "trilogy," which began with the album Only Visiting This Planet and concluded with In Another Land. So Long Ago the Garden was controversial because Norman's previously blatant Christian beliefs were more veiled on this album. In the song "Shot Down", on the album In Another Land, Norman responded to accusations by fellow Christians that he had abandoned his faith in search of fame and fortune.
Upon This Rock is the debut solo album by pioneering Christian rock musician Larry Norman, released in 1969. It is considered to be "the first full-blown Christian rock album" and was produced by Hal Yoergler.
Recording since 1966, first as a lead singer for the group People! and then as a solo artist, Larry Norman is noted for his extensive career as well his attention to Christian subject matter. His music was released on both mainstream and independent labels, including his own Solid Rock Records. During his career his work appeared on over 100 albums, concert bootlegs, and compilations.
Stranded in Babylon is an album recorded by Larry Norman in Norway in 1991. It was re-released in 1993 as Stranded in Babylon: The American Re-Mix. The album comprises 13 new songs written by Larry and represents some of his best work since the early days of his career. Larry and his brother Charly play all of the instruments, but the sound is full and well-produced.
Tourniquet is an album recorded by Larry Norman and released in 2001.
| Studio albums |
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Live albums |
| ||
| Related topics | |||
