Customer Reviews

In Another Land

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In my opinion - Larry has had many good cds worth buying. But there are three GREAT ones:

Only Visiting This Planet is possibly the best. Rock and Pop and ballads. Amazing!

Second up for pop fans - In Another Land. More pop oriented and the production sounds a bit home made at times, but still excellent.

Second place for blues and hard rock fans - Something New Under the Son. Blues and hard edged (psychadelic at times) blues. Another killer album (if you'll pardon the expression). The song "Watch What You're Doing" impressed Frank Black of the Pixies so much that he named their first album "C'mon Pilgrim" after part of the lyrics of that song. IT IS THAT GOOD!

Other cds worth buying (check out Larry's site at guess where) are Upon This Rock, So Long Ago The Garden, Home At Last, Stranded in Babylon and Tourniquet. I own all these except So Long Ago - I liked the original version better. The one available now is Larry's preference. There may be others that are good or great but I haven't heard them.

"In Another Land" is honest, raw and humble. Larry Norman, with this album, showed he was a force to be reckoned with in Christian music.

1972's "Only Visiting the Planet" had already taken root and shook the hallowed doors of CCM. "In Another Land" took it farther, producing the seminal inspiration of musicians who happened to be Christian for over 30 years.

The difference was that these were not songs meant to be played at evangelical colleges, but to be heard outside the church. Many Christians in the early 1970s found Norman to be a welcome voice to syrupy lyrics, while others dismissed Norman as a rebel chasing fame, but doing so in the name of God.

He responds here with "Shot Down."

"They say I'm sinful, backslidden,
That I have left to follow fame.
But here I am, talkin' 'bout Jesus just the same."

Songs like "I Am A Servant" belie the commercialism of today's CCM music scene. Norman himself was not glossy, and, in fact, often appeared as if he lived closer to a homeless shelter than Hollywood or Nashville.

A signature song of Norman's, "U.F.O." talks about Jesus Christ coming soon, surprising people who were spending more time looking for men from Mars.

As rock music replaced the easier sounds of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby on the airwaves, Norman sang "The Rock That Doesn't Roll," a blues-inspired song about focusing on a more spiritual rock.

I fully recommend Larry Norman's masterpiece, "In Another Land."

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

I don't own any other Larry Norman albums ... yet. But I've always loved this one, and the remastered version available here is even better, because the sound quality is as good as it could be [and it's pretty good] and the extra tracks are fun, too.

Some of Larry's theology and eschatology is not exactly on the money, but his heart certainly is.

There are so many great tuneful songs on this album. Every time I listen to "Shot Down" lately I think it could be dedicated to Mark Driscoll, who gets a lot of stick, but keeps on "talking 'bout Jesus, just the same."

The Rock That Doesn't Roll is a great conversion song, in the tradition of "I Was Lost, But Jesus Found Me"

Righteous Rocker no 3 is Larry's modern translation of 1 Corinthians 13: I'm sure the apostle Paul would have approved

Every time I hear Look Into Jesus, I get chills, thinking about the wonder of new life in Christ and the loneliness of life without him

I Am A Servant is a great song for singing when seeking to live wholeheartedly for Christ.

Highly recommended.

"In Another Land" is honest, raw and humble. Larry Norman, with this album, showed he was a force to be reckoned with in Christian music.

1972's "Only Visiting the Planet" had already taken root and shook the hallowed doors of CCM. "In Another Land" took it farther, producing the seminal inspiration of musicians who happened to be Christian for over 30 years. Now, as his songs are remade by everyone from DC Talk to Grammatrain to Steve Camp, it is worth looking at the originals. They survive well as rock-folk songs.

The difference was that these were not songs meant to be played at evangelical colleges, but to be heard outside the church. Many Christians in the early 1970s found Norman to be a welcome voice to syrupy lyrics, while others dismissed Norman as a rebel chasing fame, but doing so in the name of God.

He responds here with "Shot Down."

"They say I'm sinful, backslidden,
That I have left to follow fame.
But here I am, talkin' 'bout Jesus just the same."

Songs like "I Am A Servant" belie the commercialism of today's CCM music scene. Norman himself was not glossy, and, in fact, often appeared as if he lived closer to a homeless shelter than Hollywood or Nashville.

A signature song of Norman's, "U.F.O." ("He's an unidentified flying object") talks about Jesus Christ coming soon, surprising people who were spending more time looking for men from Mars.

As rock music replaced the easier sounds of Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby on the airwaves, Norman sang "The Rock That Doesn't Roll," a blues-inspired song about focusing on a more spiritual rock.

The complete songlist:
* Tuning (a brief mix of Larry and the band tuning their instruments)
* The Rock That Doesn't Roll
* Top 40 Survey / Radio Airplay (blending into UFO, Larry works through the AM radio, hearing clips of news and music of the era)
* U.F.O.
* I've Searched All Around The World
* Shot Down
* Song For A Small Circle Of Friends (he appeals to friends Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton and others to consider Christ)
* The Sun Began To Rain
* Looking For The Footprints
* Six Sixty Six
* Righteous Rocker #3
* If God Is My Father
* Why Don't You Look Into Jesus
* Diamond
* One Way
* I Am A Servant
* Hymn To The Last Generation
* Strong Love, Strange Peace (bonus, not on original LP release)
* I Love You (bonus, not on original LP release)

I fully recommend Larry Norman's masterpiece, "In Another Land."

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

As many listeners know, Larry Norman virtually invented gospel rock, which has little to do with radio ccm, although reviewers often use "ccm" as a blanket term covering both. That's like saying rock has something in common with CHR (Contemporary Hits Radio), Adult Contemporary, Top 40 Pop, and other radio formats formulated specifically to exclude any and all rock, and which are taken as the de facto format standards for so-called contemporary Christian radio stations.

In Another Land was the third album of a trilogy, and the only part of it released on or through a gospel label (Word Records, then owned by ABC). The other parts of the trilogy, Only Visiting This Planet and So Long Ago the Garden were released on Verve/ MGM, so it's only in retrospect that the three albums are viewed as a trilogy. Norman's own re-releases on his Solid Rock label generally include extra tracks, singles and B-sides and alternate versions. Along with Upon This Rock, Street Level, Bootleg, and Something New Under the Son, these three albums make up Norman's seven core albums, and many songs from them have been released on various collections and covered by other artists (see my Amazon list, "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?"). For more information about these albums see "A Beginner's Guide to Larry Norman" and the Larry Norman interview at alivingdog.com. Hopefully Amazon and Solid Rock can cut some sort of deal to offer these CDs retail, since many of them are being re-released by Solid Rock.

Just like the two earlier parts of The Trilogy - "Only Visiting This Planet" and "So Long Ago the Garden" - "In Another Land" shows how great Larry Norman was. He was such an important person for Christian rock music. If you don't belive it - you must listen to rockin' tracks like "The Rock That Doesn't Roll" and "I've Searched All Around". Although this is the least good of The Trilogy - it has many memorable moments, such as "Six Sixty Six", "U.F.O.", "I Am a Servant", and "If God Is My Father". Also the new version of the classic "Why Don't You Look Into Jesus" is great. Unfortunately, many of the songs are too short - I mean the songs like "Diamonds" and "Hymn To The Last Generation" - they seem to end before they really start. But still - Larry's lyrics are touching and his voice was brilliant in these albums - the albums still rule the Christian rock music.
Stars: The Rock That Doesn't Roll, Six Sixty Six, U.F.O.

Larry Norman / In Another Land / Part 3 of The Trilogy: Larry Norman was part of "People" when they had a hit in the mid 1960's. Soon afterwards, Larry put his faith in the resurrected Jesus and made what is credited as the first `Jesus Rock' album for Capitol records. He soon left Capitol (who just did not get the whole Jesus Rock thing) and started his own Label to release his music. In 1972 Larry released "Only Visiting This Planet" which is the first album in this Trilogy. In 1973 he released "So Long Ago The Garden", which is the second part of his great Trilogy. Then in 1975 he released this album, "In Another Land" which completed the Trilogy. This is a great mixture of Rockers and ballads. Songs like "The Rock that doesn't Roll", "U.F.O", "Shot Down" and "Song for a small circle of Friends", this one is another true Masterpiece. This one deserves a Sixth Star.

Despite not being a Christian or wanting to be as it is built on lies and fables, I must say this is a fine album that I still love. I just go for the sound of the vocals and instruments as well as the deceased Norman's earnestness. That is one thing I admired about him. He was earnest and struggled sometimes to get his so excellent music out. For more albums not on Amazon, go to his website. There are a bunch!

I was fortunate enough to recieve this lp for my birthday in 1979, and it was also the first ccm record I ever owned. It comes complete not only with the lyrics on the inside jacket, but interesting and well researched notes on the inner sleeve, along with an insert containing an interview with Larry.
I love the opening track 'The Rock that Doesn't Roll' because there is no way you can hear it and be bummed out after. Likewise with "I Love You' and 'Look Into Jesus' which encouraged me in my early walk with the Lord. Not every track is a rocker but I think Larry wants to get his messages across in a more sentimental way, which is why half the tunes are ballads accompanied with a string section.
I was lucky enough to have a friend who had his own radio show at a local college station, so when I approached him with the idea of being a guest on his show to play early ccm or 'Jesus rock', he was interested. It went off well, and my prized copy of In Another Land was featured as the opening track. My dj friend was so impressed with this and other lps I brought in, he decided to make ccm a part of his regular playlist.
I salute you bro Larry for providing a legacy of annoinated music for us all. Check this out if you never heard it.

There was only two songs on this whole cd that were any good at all. When I listened to the samples they were
pretty decent but now I wish I had not purchased it. Guess I'm just not "in that groove". Like more contemp songs
with some message and some beat.