Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

This debut album was recorded within a year of Stonehill becoming a Christian and famously was recorded with $800 borrowed from Pat Boone. Stonehill jokes it "sounds like every penny of it!" He isn't wrong. Side one is recorded live and features a very young Stonehill armed with a guitar and a naïve enthusiasm for his new faith. The recording quality means you can hear the songs but you can't hear his between song exchanges with the audience. The second side of the album is a studio recording with Stonehill mainly backed by a band to varying degrees of success. "Never Can Repay" is a bit of a rocker and "All Right Now" is a pretty enough song. There are early versions of "I Love You" and "Christmas Time" which were both later recorded by Larry Norman. Talking of whom, 'Born Twice' also contains the classic "Norman's Kitchen", complete with sound effects that describe the moment when Randy became a Christian in his producer's kitchen. This is classic Jesus movement and an essential album of the early '70s. It still has a certain charm that helps it overcome its budgetary constraints!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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