Only Visiting This Planet
Encyclopedia
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 CCM Magazine's The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.
's AIR Studios
at 214 Oxford Street
, London. Only Visiting This Planet, often ranked as Norman's best album, "mixed his Christian message with strong political themes", and "was meant to reach the flower children disillusioned by the government and the church" with its "abrasive, urban reality of the gospel". In a 1980 interview, Norman explained its purpose:
On 6 January 1973 Norman was one of three named as Best New Male Artist of the year by Cashbox. By February 1973 songs from Only Visiting This Planet had been recommended by Billboard for "heavy Top 40 airplay", and were being played on WVVS-FM, KSHE-FM, and WKTK-FM. In 1990 CCM magazine voted Only Visiting This Planet as "the greatest Christian album ever recorded".
After a tour of South Africa in June and the UK in July, and the release in July of his "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?", a songbook featuring some of Norman's songs from both Upon This Rock and Only Visiting This Planet.
In the song "Reader's Digest" Norman sings the following verse: "Dear John, who's more popular now? I´ve been listening to some of Paul's new records. Sometimes I think he really is dead." (see Paul is dead
) "Who's more popular now?" makes reference to John Lennon's famous claim that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. The album features prog-rock bassist and Asia
frontman, John Wetton
on bass guitar.
This album was supposed to be number six in a series of fourteen albums, as mentioned on the inner sleeve of "Something New Under The Son" (albums number nine through fourteen have not been released, see part II). A three-LP boxed set containing albums #6, #7 & #8 and titled The Compleat Trilogy (as mentioned on the insert of the Street Level reissue of "Only Visiting This Planet") has never been released.
Original LP release
Side 1
Side 2
Additional tracks on subsequent releases
Maximum Planet (The Anthology Series)
Larry Norman
Larry David Norman was an American Christian musician, singer, songwriter, record label owner, and record producer, who worked with Christian rock music...
in 1972. The album was selected as the second album in CCM Magazine's The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.
History
On 8 September 1972 Norman began recording his second studio album, Only Visiting This Planet, the first album in a projected trilogy, in Beatles producer George MartinGeorge Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
's AIR Studios
Associated Independent Recording
Associated Independent Recording , an independent recording company, was founded in London in 1965 by Beatles producer George Martin and his partner John Burgess after their departure from EMI....
at 214 Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
, London. Only Visiting This Planet, often ranked as Norman's best album, "mixed his Christian message with strong political themes", and "was meant to reach the flower children disillusioned by the government and the church" with its "abrasive, urban reality of the gospel". In a 1980 interview, Norman explained its purpose:
Only Visiting This Planet is the first part of the trilogy, and represents the present. On the front cover, I find myself standing in the middle of New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, with buildings and traffic pressed around me and my hand on my head kind of saying, What is going on in this life? Is this really earth?, and the back cover is me visiting the site of a previous civilisation with its own monolithMonolithA monolith is a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument...
s, not skyscrapers, but amazing, architecturally sound structures just the same. The Druids apparently constructed StonehengeStonehengeStonehenge is a prehistoric monument located in the English county of Wiltshire, about west of Amesbury and north of Salisbury. One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of a circular setting of large standing stones set within earthworks...
to help them observe or worship the sun, and their civilisation is now as dead as will someday be New York. And I'm just standing there, looking around, wondering what happened to kill off this culture and reduce its entire recorded history to a few standing structures.
On 6 January 1973 Norman was one of three named as Best New Male Artist of the year by Cashbox. By February 1973 songs from Only Visiting This Planet had been recommended by Billboard for "heavy Top 40 airplay", and were being played on WVVS-FM, KSHE-FM, and WKTK-FM. In 1990 CCM magazine voted Only Visiting This Planet as "the greatest Christian album ever recorded".
After a tour of South Africa in June and the UK in July, and the release in July of his "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?", a songbook featuring some of Norman's songs from both Upon This Rock and Only Visiting This Planet.
In the song "Reader's Digest" Norman sings the following verse: "Dear John, who's more popular now? I´ve been listening to some of Paul's new records. Sometimes I think he really is dead." (see Paul is dead
Paul Is Dead
"Paul is dead" is an urban legend suggesting that Paul McCartney of the English rock band The Beatles died in 1966 and was secretly replaced by a look-alike....
) "Who's more popular now?" makes reference to John Lennon's famous claim that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus. The album features prog-rock bassist and Asia
Asia (band)
Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a supergroup as it included former members of several veteran progressive rock bands, namely John Wetton , Geoff Downes , Steve Howe and Carl Palmer Asia are an English rock group formed in 1981. The band was labelled a...
frontman, John Wetton
John Wetton
John Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
on bass guitar.
This album was supposed to be number six in a series of fourteen albums, as mentioned on the inner sleeve of "Something New Under The Son" (albums number nine through fourteen have not been released, see part II). A three-LP boxed set containing albums #6, #7 & #8 and titled The Compleat Trilogy (as mentioned on the insert of the Street Level reissue of "Only Visiting This Planet") has never been released.
Tracks
All tracks composed by Larry NormanOriginal LP release
Side 1
- "I've Got to Learn to Live Without You"
- "The Outlaw"
- "Why Don't You Look Into Jesus"
- "Righteous Rocker #1"
- "I Wish We'd All Been Ready"
Side 2
- "I Am Six O'Clock News"
- "The Great American Novel"
- "Pardon Me"
- "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music"
- "Reader's Digest"
- "Oh, How I Love You" (not listed)
Additional tracks on subsequent releases
- "PeacePollutionRevolution" (1971 single)
- "Righteous Rocker" (rough mix)
- "The Outlaw" (demo)
- "Digest" (rock version)
Maximum Planet (The Anthology Series)
- I've Got To Learn To Live Without You - Basic Master Track
- Why Don't You Look Into Jesus - Master Track
- I Wish We'd All Been Ready - Basic Master Track
- I Am The Six O'Clock News - Basic Master Track
- Six O'Clock News - Jet Fade-In with Stewardess
- Six O'Clock News - Jet Fade-Out Jam
- The Great American Novel - Demo #2 With Faint Vox
- Pardon Me - With Vox & No Orchestra
- Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music - Vox 2.0
- Uncredited, Unidentified Song - Spiral Out-Groove
- The Great American Novel - Warm-Up Demo
- I-ve Got To Learn To Live Without You - Basic Track
- The Outlaw - With Electric Guitars And Guide Vocal
- I Am The Six O'Clock News - Basic Track With Guitars And Guide Vocal
- I Wish We'd All Been Ready - With Orchestra & No vox
- Why Should The Devil - With Guide Vocal
- Why Don't You Look Into Jesus - On Stage
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, piano - John WettonJohn WettonJohn Kenneth Wetton is an English bassist, guitarist, keyboardist, singer and songwriter. He was born in Willington, Derbyshire, and grew up in Bournemouth. He has been a professional musician since the late 1960s...
– bass - Keith Smart – drums
- Mickey Keen – guitar
- Rod EdwardsEdwards HandEdwards Hand are a musical group formed by Englishmen Rod Edwards and Roger Hand...
– piano and backing vocals - Roger HandEdwards HandEdwards Hand are a musical group formed by Englishmen Rod Edwards and Roger Hand...
– backing vocals - Gordon GiltrapGordon GiltrapGordon Giltrap is an English acoustic and electric guitarist and composer, whose musical styles cross multiple genres, including folk, blues, folk rock, pop, classical and rock....
– guitar - Bob Brady – piano
- Bill PriceBill Price (record producer)Bill Price is a producer and engineer famed for his work with The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Guns N' Roses, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Nymphs and The Waterboys....
– engineer