Larry Norman (1947-2008) - 10 years later

On February 24, it will have been 10 years since the passing of Larry Norman, who is considered to be one of the founders of Christian rock music.

What are your favourite albums and songs by Larry Norman?

Feel free to share some of your favourite memories/experiences of Norman and his music.

 

Great thread idea. I haven’t heard some of the later albums (and with a discography as long, winding and unruly as his, that’s to be expected). I do dearly love everything from Upon This Rock to In Another Land, including both incarnations of the oft-overlooked Street Level and Bootleg. I rounded out those choices with the first People! LP (even though Both Sides contained two of Larry’s compositions, I think his involvement in the album was minimal, right?), the goofy Streams Of White Light, the great but spotty Something New Under The Son, and Stranded In Babylon.

I came to discover Larry’s music very late, around 2011. Not being an overtly religious person, it never occurred to me to even give this music a try. I found what little “Christian Rock” I had heard to be a tedious listen - overly earnest and lacking any of the fire and spark that makes rock & roll great. After stumbling upon a 5-star review of Only Visiting This Planet declaring it one of the greatest rock albums of all time, Christian or otherwise, I decided to give it a shot. Wow...to say I was blown away would be an understatement. I heard a masterpiece that was in equal parts brutally honest, achingly beautiful, wickedly funny, and - yes - it truly rocked. I proceeded to devour as much of Larry’s music as I could in the years that followed.

I only wish that I had hopped on board in time to have seen him live.

 

TY Maybe we can revive this thread
Larry Norman-Album By Album
To save time I am quoting myself from that thread. These are appropriate here.

 

Larry is easily my favorite Christian musician along with Bob Dylan.
I'm a semi collector, I just can't throw myself in like I did with Dylan, and the Beatles so many years ago. I have some cherished sealed early People and some of the Trilogy LP's, but most are just real nice NM some promos and LP's with shrink wrap. "Only Visiting This Planet" is my all-time fave and Larry signed it to me. I have to be careful on ebay, because it would be very easy for me to want to start collecting his test pressings, and acetates ... Coolest guy, best of the best.. I wish he could of hooked up with Dylan like Keith Green did for a song. Keith and Phil two more classics.. Thanks for the thread.

 

Although they never recorded formally they knew each other. Larry was part of the community that supported Dylan's move to Christian music. Larry defended Dylan in many interviews. Randy Stonehill was more involved I think.

If you are looking for classic Christian rock albums check out the band Daniel Amos. Their story is something else. Just explaining their first four albums would be a thread by itself. Without question you NEED to hear Horrendous Disc.


Also anything that was released on Larry's Solid Rock label, so many great artists who in the end just couldn't work long term with Larry(and/or his father). The Young Lions album I mentioned above was actually the remnants of Tom Heard's second Solid Rock album. Tom and Larry toured together and Shine Your Light was Tom's big number during the opening act. For whatever reason he left and Larry erased Tom's vocals and put it out with his vocals.

 

Thanks for the responses so far! Today is the 10th anniversary of Larry's passing.

 

Nice thread.

I voted for one not on the list and that would be Larry Norman and his Friends on Tour. Live set from around 1980....? Stupendous version of Why Can’t You Be Good on there.

Will post some more memories of Larry later.

A nightmare artist to collect. So many self-released albums, mostly multiple reissues Of the classic early ones.

 

I am surprised that there have been no legacy releases following Larry's death. There was always talk of all these unreleased albums through the last years of his life, but we just tended to keep getting mostly the same material with the occasional bonus track that had not been heard before. Charlie Norman seemed to keep things going for a little while after but the website has been dormant for years now. I guess we should just be pleased to have what we have! For a few years there, from Upon this Rock to Something New under the Sun, he was in a purple patch only matched by the likes of Dylan.

 

Did anybody here attend the event that was being held at Larry's home this weekend?

 

Not to mention their album SHOTGUN ANGEL....'Meal' sounds like it was equally inspired by George Martin and Spike Jones.

 

New book on Larry Norman - Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music by Gregory Thornbury

 

I only have a couple of his works..."Planet" and "Rebel Poet"....been a long time since I had a listen.

We are basing our Resurrection Sunday play on his song "I wish we'd all been ready".

Bern

 

A classic that is as relevant today as it was back then.

 

My all time favorite Larry album...

 

I look forward to reading this! Given that it is being promoted on Larry Norman's website, I imagine it should be a more refreshing take on his story after watching Fallen Angel. Did anybody pre-order this book from Larry Norman's website that comes with an exclusive bonus CD?

 

Great thread idea,just very little traction.....thanks

 

I miss him all the time.

 

I just realized today is February 24, the 11th anniversary of the passing of Larry Norman.

 

Tuesday (April 8) would have been Larry's 72nd birthday.

 

Larry had a great great guitar player named Jon Linn on "Another Land" and "Something New". He passed away tragically some years (December 1, 2000) before Larry. He was hit by a car a week after his brother Jimmy who died from cancer. Does anyone know if there exist recordings of him outside of Larry's Solid Rock productions?

 

Phil Keaggy invited Larry up on stage
(2004 appearance)

​

 

I'm surprised that Streams of White Light has the most votes outside of the obvious big 5.

 

Well it does come from that "classic" period. And there are some good versions there.

I am surprised Charlie Norman did not do more with Larry's archive. There was a blog for a while (not for about four years now), a couple of half-hearted posthumous releases, but maybe Larry really had just drained the vault dry by the time he passed. But there was always talk of all these incredible unreleased albums.

Anyway. He left quite a legacy.