This is the Imperials 2nd Christmas album. While their first one was very very popular, this one, not so much. In part it is because they self released it so it probably only sold through their mail order program. This was a period that the Imperials were struggling with record labels. The album is traditional Christmas songs done in a very traditional quartet style. It’s not even in the same ballpark as their first album but I don’t think they wanted it to be.
Tracklist 1 – Sleigh Ride 2 – White Christmas 3 – Silent Night 4 – O Come, O Come Emmanuel 5 – I Have Seen The Light 6 – The Christmas Song 7 – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 8 – Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee 9 – What Child Is This 10 – Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Beam is a band from the Netherlands that Larry toured with in 1998 on a European tour. The studio sessions “Breathe In, Breathe Out” were released as a double CD, revealing their rehearsals for the tour. This is a live recording, also noted as “Flevo 2” on the CD itself. Larry’s “Live at Flevo” with Q-Stone was a success and this recording is just as good as that one. Again, Larry is fronting a tight band here, and a more modern sounding one than the 60s groups he built up in the past to perform material from the People! years and the trilogy albums that followed that. This is a solid 90s sounding band backing Larry on some of his classic songs as well as some newer ones from that era. “God part 3” is a rock version here. We have heard Larry perform and record it in almost every style imaginable, from solo acoustic/folk to studio versions with some bite. Beam adds something here that isn’t in any of the other recordings with upgraded guitar riffs. “Six Sixty Six” is changed from a 70s folk song into a 90s grunge ballad with Larry’s distinctive voice still adorning. The closing track is Larry and Beam covering “Jesus Freak” which was a 90s anthem thanks to both DC Talk and Newsboys. “Shot Down” is remembered as a piano rock song from its original In Another Land release, however there is no piano here. Beam’s full guitar sound make a great update on this classic.
Tracklist 1 – Heaven Wants To Bless You – 4:57 2 – God Part 3 – 4:09 3 – Six Sixty Six – 6:06 4 – Shot Down – 2:23 5 – Let The Rain Fall Down – 7:29 6 – Sweet Song Of Salvation – 4:58 7 – Goodbye, Farewell – 4:00 8 – Let It Go – 6:20 9 – Bombs – 8:03 10 – The Rock That Doesn’t Roll – 4:56 11 – Jesus Freak – 6:08
Credits Bass Guitar – Hans Sigmond Design [Booklet] – Jason Carter, Wavelength Drums – Gert Koudijs Engineer – Johan Van Loo Executive-Producer – Gerrit aan’t Goor Harmony Vocals – Beam Lead Guitar – Robert Riekerk Lead Vocals – Larry Norman Mastered By – Sander van der Heiden Mixed By – Johnny Hulst, Larry Norman Photography By – Bea Riekerk, David Carter, Nathalie Riekerk Producer – Larry Norman Promotion [Concert] – Gerrit aan’t Goor Recorded By – Alpha Mobile Studio Rhythm Guitar – Tommy Riekerk
Companies, etc. Distributed By – GMI Music Partners Produced For – Solid Rock Records Produced For – The Street Level Cafe Produced For – White Trash Communications Published By – Ordure Blancu Music Published By – Universal Published By – Alliance 4K Mixed At – Hulst Recording Studio Zwolle Mastered At – Wisseloord Studios
This is a rather odd release. in 1998 Guardian released their own version of the Stryper original cassette “The Yellow And Black Attack” EP from 1984. Not one or two tracks but the entire 6 song EP. Also strangely it’s not their interpretation of the songs but almost exact copies. It was a private release which I imagine was the only option considering they directly covered someone else’s album. Even the CD visuals are all inspired by Stryper. I really don’t have much else to tell you about the album. The covers are excellent and well if you’re either a Guardian or Stryper fan this one is a must listen.
Tracklist 1 – Loud N Clear – 3:42 2 – From Wrong To Right – 4:00 3 – You Know What To Do – 4:54 4 – Co’Mon Rock – 3:49 5 – You Won’t Be Lonely – 3:51 6 – Loving You – 4:22
Credits Design [Original Design] – Kewi Dee Liner Notes – Brett Christensen Mastered By – Damon Riley Mixed By – Russ Long, Tony Palacios Producer [Produced By] – Guardian, Tony Palacios Recorded By – Tony Palacios
Though this was Glenn’s 4th solo album it is one of the most important. At this point Resurrection Band was done creating new music so Glenn was free to dedicate more time on his solo work. This album almost has a 70’s big band feel and is very heavy on horns. You would swear you’re hearing the Tower Of Power but we don’t really know who the horn section was as they went uncredited. Come on Glenn, let’s support your supporting artists by making sure they’re on the credits list. Anyway, I quite liked this album. It’s certainly not the hard rock sound we’re perhaps expecting from Glenn but instead it’s fun late 70’s feel pop album.
Tracklist 1 – More And More – 3:22 2 – Diggin’ My Own Grave – 5:16 3 – Evidence – 3:26 4 – Faith, Hope, And Love – 4:41 5 – Troubled World – 4:29 6 – Self-Control – 3:59 7 – Wind Me Up – 3:46 8 – Marry Me – 4:49 9 – Nothin’ But Love – 3:47 10 – I Would Choose You – 3:49 11 – You Make Me Happy – 4:56 12 – It’s A Beautiful Thing – 4:16
Credits Art Direction, Layout, Design – Noah Benjamin Krogh Bass – Steve Huff Drums – Oscar Seaton Electric Guitar – Stu Heiss Engineer – Roger Heiss Guitar – Keith Henderson Organ – Richard Gibbs Photography – Terry Wheeler Piano, Clavinet – Chris Cameron Producer – Tom Cameron Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica – Glenn Kaiser Written-By – Glenn Kaiser
Larry apparently released this album almost grudgingly because he did not have many decent live recordings from this era of his touring and there were bootlegs making the rounds that he didn’t like. Larry stopped distributing Roll Away The Stone (although he continued to encourage people to buy it if they could find it), and he considered Live At The Mac a better version of that. The combination of bad recordings and bad timing haunted Larry’s late 70s work. He was touring but never did get good recordings done with a full band. Later works like the Live At Flevo recordings made up for it in a way, but they are not the same as Larry in this era. To hear it as it was, all we have are some bootlegs and some primitive recordings. This concert was August 18, 1979 in Eugene, Oregon. This CD was released in 1998 through Solid Rock Records and apparently only 200 were made, although some later versions were evidently sold by Solid Rock that were done up as CD-R with the same packaging.
Tracklist 1 – Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus – 4:58 2 – I’ve Searched All Around The World – 5:33 3 – Soul On Fire – 6:48 4 – Watch What You’re Doing – 8:36 5 – Let The Tape Keep Rolling – 5:00 6 – UFO – 10:16 7 – The Outlaw / If God Is My Father – 8:26 8 – Song For A Small Circle Of Friends – 3:37 9 – Shot Down – 2:41 10 – Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music – 2:44 11 – The Rock That Doesn’t Roll / Exit – 3:25 12 – Lonely By Myself – 6:15
So what does a band do when their songwriter leaves the band to go back to school? They put out an album of covers, problem solved. OK I’m not sure that’s exactly why they put out this album but that is the official timeline leading up to it. The album contains cover versions of songs both from secular and Christian music. I’m not really too sure what the point of the album was but I suspect they were just having a bit of fun. I can only imagine the nightmare this album was as far as licensing goes. Anyway it’s a fun album filled with punked up versions of mainly 80’s songs (but not all) that is fun to listen to but I wouldn’t take it too seriously.
Tracklist 1 – I Love Rock And Roll – 2:53 2 – Earth Angel – 2:10 3 – True Faith – 4:12 4 – Just What I Needed – 2:43 5 – Friends – 3:37 6 – Acquiesce – 3:25 7 – I See Red – 3:51 8 – Walking On Sunshine – 3:25 9 – The Guitar Song – 3:57 10 – Hey Nonny Nonny – 3:11 11 – On The Road Again – 2:04 12 – Where Is My Mind? – 3:36 13 – Burnin’ Love – 3:15 14 – The Invisible Man – 2:09 15 – Untitled (Hidden Track) – 1:30
Credits Bass – Christian Ergueta Drums – Adam Neubauer Executive-Producer – Brandon Ebel Guitar – Jamie Tolosa Mastered By – Brian Gardner Producer – Ghoti Hook Producer, Engineer – Kevin 131 Vocals, Guitar – Joel Timothy Bell
Companies, etc. Phonographic Copyright (p) – Tooth & Nail Records Copyright (c) – Tooth & Nail Records
The 5th album from The Electrics turns it up a bit. Their eclectic mix of Rock and Celtic sound is just what the doctor ordered in 1998 and at this point the band had perfected their sound. It was refreshing to find a sound like the Pogues with a far more positive message. Guest stars on the album include Big Country’s Stuart Adamson playing guitar to “Rolling Home”, and Phil Keaggy playing guitar on “Face”, a rather rock song that doesn’t really fit with the album but is a great tune.
Tracklist
1 – Party Goin’ On Upstairs – 3:49
2 – Rolling Home – 3:17
3 – Come Back Down – 3:47
4 – Livin’ It Up When I Die – 2:51
5 – Yer Man McCann Can – 4:03
6 – Piping Hot – 2:52
7 – Till I’m Old – 3:06
8 – Hey Paddy – 3:33
9 – Have A Jar On Me – 2:25
10 – Raggle Taggle Gypsy – 2:46
11 – Face – 2:39
12 – Outakes Medley – 3:05
Credits
Jim Devlin – Composer, Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background)
The Electrics – Primary Artist
Matt Huesmann – Mastering
Wade Jaynes – Mixing
Phil Keaggy – Guest Artist, Guitar (Electric)
David Lyon – Composer
Phil Madeira – Accordion, Composer, Engineer, Photography, Producer, Vocals (Background)
Julie Miller – Guest Artist
Mark Robertson – Vocals (Background)
Antoine Silverman – Fiddle
Frank Tate – Executive Producer
