In Another Land (album)
Encyclopedia
In Another Land is the title of an 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.
, the third album in his trilogy, which was released in 1976 through his own Solid Rock label and distributed through Word Records, making it "the first of his albums to be released on a Christian label". 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." Commercial pressure from Norman's "American publisher and American and European distributors" 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", as they believed that Norman had included too many songs, and that the deleted songs could be released on his next album. One of the songs included on this album was "The Sun Began to Rain" (The Son Began to Reign), an allegory written by Norman, was "knocked out ... in just over a minute" with British comedian Dudley Moore
on piano. In a 1980 interview Norman explained the purpose of In Another Land:
Norman provides a more detailed analysis of In Another Land in the producer notes of the 1991 re-issue. In Another Land was Norman's best-selling album ever, and had the best reception of any of his albums from the Christian establishment. In 2005 Norman recalled:
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, 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
." Norman held several concerts in Australia in October 1976.
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
.
On the liner notes to the LP "Dudley Moore" is credited as a piano player, while on the CD re-issue he is listed as guest pianist on the song "The Son Began To Rain".
"Song For A Small Circle Of Friends" was a piece written for Norman's famous friends in the music industry. The song includes allusions to Randy Stonehill, Eric Clapton
, Bob Dylan
, Charlie Watts
of the Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney
.
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...
and released in 1976. It is the third album in Norman's "trilogy," which began with Only Visiting This Planet
Only Visiting This Planet
Only Visiting This Planet is the title of an album recorded by Larry Norman in 1972. The album was selected as the second album in 's The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.-History:...
and continued with So Long Ago the Garden
So Long Ago the Garden
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...
. The album contains some of Norman's most well-known work.
History
In 1975 Norman recorded In Another LandIn Another Land
"In Another Land" is a song by Bill Wyman, and the third track on The Rolling Stones album Their Satanic Majesties Request. It was released as a single a week before the album....
, the third album in his trilogy, which was released in 1976 through his own Solid Rock label and distributed through Word Records, making it "the first of his albums to be released on a Christian label". 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." Commercial pressure from Norman's "American publisher and American and European distributors" 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", as they believed that Norman had included too many songs, and that the deleted songs could be released on his next album. One of the songs included on this album was "The Sun Began to Rain" (The Son Began to Reign), an allegory written by Norman, was "knocked out ... in just over a minute" with British comedian Dudley Moore
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
on piano. 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 JerusalemThe New JerusalemThe New Jerusalem is a 1920 book written by British writer G. K. Chesterton. Dale Ahlquist calls it a "philosophical travelogue" of Chesterton's journey across Europe to Palestine.-Quotes:...
, 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.
Norman provides a more detailed analysis of In Another Land in the producer notes of the 1991 re-issue. In Another Land was Norman's best-selling album ever, and had the best reception of any of his albums from the Christian establishment. 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.
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, 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
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
." Norman held several concerts in Australia in October 1976.
A different version of the song "I Love You" was first recorded by Randy Stonehill
Randy Stonehill
Randall Evan "Randy" Stonehill is an American singer-songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the so-called "fathers of contemporary Christian music". His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but he has assayed other styles, with various albums focused on...
on the now-rare album Born Twice
Born Twice
Born Twice is the title of an album by Randy Stonehill, which was released in 1971.-Track listing:All Songs Written by Randy Stonehill, except "Hand in the Hand" by Gene MacLellan, "I Need You" by Jimmy Owens, and "He's Got the Whole World" and "He is a Friend of Mine" are Public Domain-Words & Arr...
, 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
Nancy Honeytree
Nancy "Honeytree" Henigbaum is an American Christian musician and one of the leaders in what was known as Jesus music.- Personal background :...
.
On the liner notes to the LP "Dudley Moore" is credited as a piano player, while on the CD re-issue he is listed as guest pianist on the song "The Son Began To Rain".
"Song For A Small Circle Of Friends" was a piece written for Norman's famous friends in the music industry. The song includes allusions to Randy Stonehill, Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Charlie Watts
Charlie Watts
Charles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
of the Rolling Stones, and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
.
Side 1
- "The Rock That Doesn't Roll"
- "I Love You" (Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill)
- "UFO"
- "I've Searched All Around"
- "Righteous Rocker #3"
- "Deja Vu (If God Is My Father / Why Don't You Look Into Jesus)"
- "I Am A Servant"
Side 2
- "The Sun Began To Rain"
- "Shot Down"
- "Six, Sixty, Six"
- "Diamonds"
- "One Way"
- "Song For A Small Circle Of Friends"
- "Hymn To The Last Generation"
"The Missing Pieces" reissue
"This is the running order on the original master tape which was sent to Word U.K."- "Tuning"
- "The Rock That Doesn't Roll"
- "UFO"
- "I've Searched All Around"
- "Shot Down"
- "Song For A Small Circle Of Friends"
- "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"
- "Diamonds"
- "One Way"
- "I Am A Servant"
- "Hymn To The Last Generation"
Extra tracks on CD releases
- "Looking For The Footprints"
- "Dreams On A Grey Afternoon"
- "Six Sixty Six" (alternate take)
- "Strong Love, Strange Peace"
- "Dear Malcolm, Dear Alwyn"
- "Joyful Delta Day"
- "I Don't Believe In Miracles"
Personnel
- Larry NormanLarry NormanLarry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...
: Vocals, Harmonies, Guitar, Percussion, and Piano - Randy StonehillRandy StonehillRandall Evan "Randy" Stonehill is an American singer-songwriter from Stockton, California, best known as one of the so-called "fathers of contemporary Christian music". His music is primarily folk rock in the style of James Taylor, but he has assayed other styles, with various albums focused on...
: Guitar and backing vocals - Jon Linn: Guitars
- Dudley MooreDudley MooreDudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
: Piano - Mark Walker: Drums
- Tim Ayres: Bass
- John Michael TalbotJohn Michael TalbotJohn Michael Talbot is an American Roman Catholic singer-songwriter-guitarist who is founder of a monastic community, the Brothers and Sisters of Charity.-Biography:...
: Banjo
Production notes
- Produced by Larry NormanLarry NormanLarry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...
- Engineered by Andy JohnsAndy JohnsAndy Johns is an engineer and producer who worked on well-known rock albums such as Led Zeppelin's IV and The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. His sound is exemplified by Free's album Highway, which he engineered and produced....
- Assistant engineer Tom Trefethen
- Pre-production recording at Solid Rock studios
- Recorded at Mama Jo's and Sunset SOund
- Mastered at A&M, Studio 3