Dougie Adams embarks on part one of the mammoth task of chronicling every release issued by American CCM pioneer LARRY NORMAN. Larry himself sent in his own insights on a number of his best known albums.

1969-88
Larry Norman, White Blossoms From Black Roots (The History & Chronology - Volume One), Solid Rock SRD 030,1988
The first Larry Norman album to be released on CD and arguably the first compilation album that was any good! Possibly even the beginning of Larry's return to form. 16 songs including tracks from Planet, 'Garden', and 'Land' plus newer material like "Soul On Fire", "A Woman Of God", "Living In The 20th Century". The cassette version had one track which wasn't on the CD: the sly live version of "You Can Save Me" from the Bootleg' double LP. CD is now deleted.

1977-88
Larry Norman, The Best Of The Second Trilogy, Phydeaux (ARF-023), 1988
Limited edition cassette which was intended to act as a trailer for the second trilogy: 'Stranded In Babylon', 'Home At Last' and 'Behind The Curtain'. In the end none of the songs turn up on 'Stranded In Babylon1 when it was first released in 1991 and 'Behind The Curtain' which was first slated for release in 1986 never saw the light of day in its original form. The mixes of "Man from Galilee", "Soul On Fire", "A Woman Of God" and Mark Heard's dub mix of "Soul On Fire" were all later issued on the second version of 'White Blossoms From Black Roots' CD (1997), while the epic "That's When Jesus Knew" would later feature on the "Breathe In, Breathe Out" double CD as recorded with Beam in 1998.

1977-89
Larry Norman, Home At Last, Benson (CD-02304) / (Holland) Spark (SK-7005) / Solid Rock Import, 1989
This could have been a great comeback album. It was Larry's first album to be distributed to US bookshops since 'Something New Under The Son' was released in 1981. Only "Country Church, Country People" had been heard before (excepting the few songs released on the very limited preview tape The Best Of The Second Trilogy'). Slack production and performances and the use of five vignettes (which fade in and out part way through the songs) take the edge of a good collection of songs which focus on personal issues close to Larry's heart. 'Home At Last' was originally due for release in 1986 as part of the 30 Years series. Some songs were removed (e.g. a finished version of Trinity") to make way for new recordings, "Somewhere Out There" and "Selah". Many of the songs are imbued with the kind of wisdom and maturity which comes from experience and a developed Christian worldview. One of the few Larry Norman albums to be criticised on its release for sounding sappy and dated. Anyone who has seen or heard Larry doing these songs with Q-Stone or on the accompanying video knows this could have been much better than it turned out. CD is now deleted.

Larry's comments: 'Home At Last1 came out during a 12 year period when I really couldn't make a proper studio album. I had recorded most of the drum tracks for 'Home' in Sweden which was a bad mistake because they were played so listlessly that everything we recorded on top of them had a kind of malaise to it that couldn't be overcome. And at the time I couldn't identify what was wrong with it and correct the problem. Another difficulty is that it was an autobiographical album, but nowhere in the sleeve or in the CD booklet did it indicate that. The record company wouldn't print any of that stuff. One critic called it 'self-referential', which of course it was supposed to be. People were listening to it thinking these were my newest songs, but the album starts out with compositions from the Fifties, Sixties, Seventies and ends up in the Eighties. So, no, these weren't my newest songs and some critics said the album had no guts. My brother said, "If you release this album, it's the end of you career" and of course I knew exactly what he meant. But it was too late to stop because I had contracted it to Benson. But an album just is what it is and some people decide that their favourite album is the one which you actually hate the most and I got more positive mail on that album than any album I've ever released. The subject matter of the album dealt with personal problems in life, not with spiritual victory, so people who were going through those kinds of trouble really identified with the songs. The album is about struggle and sorrow and I think most punters want entertainment that's more assertively positive, escapist and commercial. There's a lot of love and compassion on 'Home At Last', but personally I wish I had re-cut the drums and added more guitar. But that's what the 12 years was like. Helpless and dazed.

1977-89
Larry Norman, Home At Last (Double LP), Phydeaux (ARF-21), 1989
Has the same 14 songs as found on the Benson and Spark release and 5 bonus tracks. Additional tracks are an instrumental version of "Nightmare # 49 (Part One)", plus some stunning live versions of "Letters To The Church", "Camel Through A Needle's Eye" and "Here Comes The King" which leave their lacklustre studio counterparts for dead. An entertaining demo of "Shake Your Rattle & Crawl" finishes off the proceedings joyfully celebrating the birth of son Michael, ripping off "Shake, Rattle & Roll" and looking forward to Satan's downfall all in about two minutes flat! Sold in a single white promo jacket with blank white record labels. Some copies had a photocopied A4 sheet with the track information.

1989
Larry Norman with Q-Stone, Live At Flevo, (Holland) Spark / Solid Rock SK-7004,1989
Larry's return to form which had been hinted at in the last couple of releases is demonstrated here on the main stage at Flevo in 1989. The set is partly a greatest hits collection ("Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music", "The Outlaw" to name but a few) and a chance to air some good new material with a few cracking versions of songs from "Home At Last", plus a great rock and roll medley "Everybody Work / Twist & Shout / Shout" and a stunning closing number "Messiah". Probably Larry's best live album with a band, as he and Charly are joined by a fantastic Q-Stone band in top form augmented by Dan Cutrona on keyboards, a saxophonist and three female backing singers. The bonus tracks on the CD version upset the momentum a bit but even here there is compensation in the form of the previously unheard "Soon I Will Be Home" featuring. Brilliant sound quality. One of Larry's best rock and roll albums sadly no longer in stock in America although Spark still have copies available in Holland.

1977-90(?)
Larry Norman, Rough Mix 3 (LP Version), Phydeaux, 1990
Later renamed 'Barking At The Ooops' as this is apparently a mispressing of "Barking At The Ants"! Side one has four songs from the first side of "BATA" plus the live version of "A Note From Mr God" at the Dominion Theatre in 1981. Side two features Larry dueting with Geoff Moore, Q-Stone, Solveig Leithaug, Sarah Finch and Lisa S (?) on songs such as "Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music", "Sweet Dreams", "In The World", "If I Have To" (by Chris Eaton) and "My Soul Thirsts For You".

1972-86
Larry Norman, The Best Of Larry Norman, (UK & Canada) Royal Music RMCD-050,1990
A year after Larry signs his European releases over to Spark Music in Holland, Royal Music do the dirty on Larry one last time and release this collection of songs without his permission. Upon finding out of its existence Larry wrote to distributors in Europe and America warning them that this release should be treated as an illegal bootleg. Word sold the LPs, cassettes and CDs in the UK and Canada regardless. Also known as 'Confiscated' because Larry physically confiscated a box of these albums at a festival in Scandinavia then sold them through Phydeaux. Two of Charly's recordings feature as bonus tracks giving further proof that The Best of Larry Norman' is hardly the most accurate title for this collection.

1988-91
Larry Norman, Stranded In Babylon, Solid Rock / (Holland) Spark Music (CD-SK-7017), 1991
The first concept album of all new studio recordings since 'Something New Under The Son' 10 years earlier. 'Stranded In Babylon' was first mentioned as an album title in the mid 80s and some sources have said that Larry and Charly began work on it as early as 1988 but this was interrupted when the two brothers were chemically poisoned by the KGB during their tour behind the Iron Curtain that year. Two years before the American remix the original European version was released during a short European tour in November 1991.13 brand new recordings of previously unheard material. At long last Larry is back in top form as a writer, performer and producer. Made with Charly in Norway, the Albino Brothers spent 50 days recording all the tracks themselves. Once again Larry offers the kind of Christian worldview last presented on 'Only Visiting This Planet' as he reaches out and proclaims the Christian message in "God Part III" and critiques contemporary culture and politics on "Step Into The Madness". Babylon also contains many of Larry's finest personal songs for some time. The three bonus tracks are great value and change the musical flavour a little. The only thing 'Babylon' suffers from, if anything, is over production and the fact the boys decided to give all the tracks a layered heavy rock feel. 'Totally Unplugged' and some of the videos demonstrate that tracks like "Step Into The Madness", "Baby's Got The Blues" and "I Will Survive" could work just as well on the old acoustic guitar.

Larry's comments: 'Stranded In Babylon' came out of years of stress. It was, again, an autobiographical album from the "personal trilogy" I was recording. I like a lot of the songs on 'Babylon1. "Step into the Madness" is a kind of militant "Reader's Digest". Right toward the end of it I put some backwards masking which says, "Where are the Peters Brothers now that we need them?" And "A Dangerous Place To Be" is kind of a "Nightmare" type song. I should have called it "Nightmare" and given it a number to make it more obvious. "White Trash Stomp" is an elegiac paean to my father and grandparents and life in Texas. My dad really liked that song. I put it in the bonus section because it wasn't part of the trilogy concept. My dad passed away two Aprils ago, so I don't sing that song anymore. Sadly, Larry suffered a major heart attack before he could finish making the accompanying videos or organise the American release of Babylon and consolidate upon its critical success. This original version of the album is only available now from Spark in Holland.

1993
Larry Norman with the Judiac Vikings, Omega Europa, Future Underground / Solid Rock (SRD-101), 1993
A CD which highlights the problems a reviewer faces when trying to assess the quality of Larry's output. There are plenty of other CDs where Larry is in better form with better bands backing him up yet 'Omega Europa' remains quite a moving live CD to listen to. Larry has obviously not recovered after his second major heart attack in 1993 and sounds poorly. The band are under rehearsed and experience difficulties with the sound equipment on the night. Yet in the face of so much adversity Larry laughs at his own health problems and soldiers on giving the gospel inviting the audience to put their life in Jesus hands and concludes by praying powerfully for those thinking about making a commitment. Two new songs and the sermonette jammed between them are as just about as good as anything on any other good live album. Check out "One Foot Toward The Grave", "Death Comes To Us AH" and "Goodbye Farewell" if you don't believe me. Out of stock.