Published on Aug 2, 2000
Third Day fans have been clamoring for an album of worship songs
or a live album almost from the bands’ beginning. Those who have
attended a Third Day concert know that worship plays an important
part of the evening – a central part. With
Offerings, Mac Powell and company have attempted to satisfy
both fan desires with one disc.
All I can say is “nice try.”
And I mean that literally. This is a very nice try – but, while
gorgeous throughout, with hardly a blemish to comment on,
Offerings is unsatisfying over the long run precisely
because of the “all things to all fans” approach. What I hear only
makes me long for a pure worship album and a pure live album – or a
pure live worship album. But, all this bucking back and forth
between studio recordings and live recordings breaks the mood. Just
when the live worship is kicking in and the connection is being
made, the disc gives way to studio tracks and the electricity,
comparatively, disappears. Third Day has electricity all the time,
but never more than when they are playing live.
All that said, there are many individual highlights to this disc
– live and studio.
Just last year the band released the critically and commercially
successful
Time, which gained the band three number one singles, four
Dove Award nominations, and the Dove Award for Rock Album of the
Year. Logically, the band should have rested and let the disc
continue to percolate — as it has.
“Your Love Oh Lord” from that disc is among the highlights on
this disc and is one of the six live songs. Inspired by Psalm 26,
the hymn captures the concept of how God’s love, faithfulness, and
righteousness inspires His creatures to worship. Nicely segued from
“Your Love…” is a live version of Third Day’s cut from the
Exodus project, Michael W. Smith’s “Agnus Dei,” here paired
with Don Moen’s worship chorus “Worthy.”
Another live highlight is the disc-closing “Love Song” from
their breakthrough eponymous project. For this recording the
audience was miked perfectly and they can be heard singing behind
the band throughout the song — word for inspired word. It’s a
“goosebumps and wet eyes” moment.
Among the studio highlights are two great covers – the
fast-becoming favorite “These Thousand Hills” and a superb version
of Bob Dylan’s “Saved” from 1980. “These Thousand Hills” was
written by members of the sorely-missed Atlanta-based band Jacob’s
Trouble in 1990. If you somehow missed this group, do yourself a
favor and pick up at least their 1999 compilation
Sampler Pack on KMG Records. Anyway, when Powell tears into
this song, you can sense the anticipation of being in Heaven with
Jesus that believers sometimes feel when standing in the midst of
the beauty of God’s creation:
These thousand hills roll ever on Footprints of a Mighty God
They bring me to my knees in praise Amazing love, amazing grace
One of the jarring moments going from live to studio comes at
the end of “Agnus Dei/Worthy” when Powell has led the group in
worship and brought the sound level way down. With the crowd
singing the strands of Moen’s chorus still floating in your mind,
Powell and company slam you into the studio with a driving, raucous
version of “Saved.” From arguably one of Dylan’s best albums ever,
“Saved” barrels along on the keyboards of Scotty Wilbanks and the
backing vocals of Tabitha Fair and the Cobb Mass Choir. If Andre
Crouch has never done this song, he’s missed an excellent
opportunity.
However, Powell certainly has his way with the song. It’s
fantastic, but it took me a good portion of the song to get into
the vibe – and then you go right back live with “My Hope Is You.”
Mood swings anyone? (And is it just me, or does Powell’s singing
remind anyone else of former folk/pop singer Cat Stevens? Just an
observation.)
One new song, “You’re Everywhere,” written by Powell and the
band, is the best of the new studio tracks. Based on the practice
tapes of the song from the
Conspiracy No. 5 recording sessions, this tune evokes some
great images of God — and His omnipresence:
Like the wind that blows no one really knows From where it comes
or where it goes So it is with Your Holy Spirit, Lord Falling down
on us to show that You’re everywhere You’re everywhere
The whole worship/live album concept might even have worked
better if the band had done the disc half studio and half live —
like two sides of one cassette tape. Or even go all out and release
a double disc, one of each. Maybe it’s a quibble, this complaint
about the mixed bag of live and studio, but I just can’t help
wondering “what if . . .?”