If you've just tuned into Randy Stonehill's two decade music career recently, you may have gotten the impression that he only knows how to write ballads. That was certainly the thinking that went into the making of his last album, a lopsided "Greatest Hits" which made you wonder how a guy so melancholy made it through the days. The three albums before that were inspired by a desire to simplify things with a mostly acoustic sound. Even on the dreamy Wonderama album, the centerpiece of every song was Stonehill and his six-string Martin guitar.
Randy's new album is informed by a more holistic view of his musical career. To Paradise, The Sky is Falling, The Wild Frontier, Heartbeat, Wonderama, and everything in between. But you won't hear the don't make for good year-after-year listening.
Stonehill has called upon his extensive circle of friends to make this album more attractive to the radio market on which CCM relies like a pacemaker. You'll find duets with Christine Dente, Michael W. Smith, and Riki Michele. Of these, Michele seems to most fully understand Stonehill's music, joining him musically instead of stressing her own style as Dente and Smith seem to. In short, you'll find more "hit" potential than his last 6 albums combined. But you won't find Stonehill strumming much; only 2 songs have a strong acoustic rhythm section.
The groans are already surfacing: "Are we in for another 'Love Beyond Reason' album now?" Well, yes and no. Producer Jimmy Lee Sloas has thrown together some really interesting arrangements. It's been a while since a new Stonehill song sounded better on the album than in one of his solo concerts, but some of the songs on this album would really be less interesting in a sparser arrangement.
If you've never heard Stonehill's music, this is a great intro album due to its variety. If you've ever enjoyed any of his past music, this is a great follow-up due to its comprehensiveness.
Other coverage for this album
The Lighthouse December 1994Reviewed by Bert GanglAfter 43 years, nearly 25 of which have been spent making what is now referred to as contemporary Christian music, and 17 albums to his credit, folks might legitimately wonder if CCM mainstay Randy Stonehill could have anything new up his sleeve. One listen to Lazarus Heart should prove to even the most avid skeptics that indeed he does. The project was recorded mostly around Nashville, using top…Similar sounding releases
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