Larry Norman: Only Visiting This Planet

Editor’s note: Since today would have been Larry Norman’s 75th birthday, let’s take a look at his groundbreaking album that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

Only Visiting This Planet could be described as a Van Morrison/Bob Dylan/Rolling Stones -esque social commentary album straight out of the ‘Jesus Movement.’ Though it’s certainly a gospel album, it wasn’t all gospel. It gave commentary on Vietnam and civil rights through the lens of a Christian worldview. But Larry Norman didn’t stop there, he went one step further, telling the still-somewhat-hippie world that ‘peace and love’ is alright, but it can only from Jesus.

Larry is best known as ‘the grandfather of Christian rock’ (or Contemporary Christian Music) which was still at the grassroots stage at this point. But instead of being released on a gospel record label, ‘Planet‘ was released on Verve Records and recorded under the George Martin production crew, which can account for its superior production quality compared to other Christian albums of the time.

Speaking of superior production quality, Planet starts with the break-up ballad, “I’ve Got to Learn to Live Without You.” Though a ballad is usually not what most albums would start off with, Planet does so probably because this song had the most commercial potential of any other song on the album. Though it may not have gotten the airplay it deserves, its lush production would have blended in rather nicely with any other early 70s radio hits.

The next slate of songs that comprise the rest of Side 1 are all considered among the best of the best of the Jesus Movement era. Song 2 is the acoustic ballad of Jesus as “The Outlaw,” then the Janis Joplin -inspired rocker, “Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus,” and speaking of rockers, “Righteous Rocker #1” follows next (how many versions of “Righteous Rocker” did he do?”) with the haunting second-coming anthem, “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” closing out Side 1.

Side 2 begins with two social commentary songs back to back––the Vietnam War -inspired “I Am the Six O’Clock News,” and then Larry tackles the dramatic downside of American culture with, “The Great American Novel.”

While the following, “Pardon Me,” is often skipped over (at least by this reviewer) because of its musical slowness and somewhat schmaltzy instrumentation (reminiscent of a few songs off of The Beatles’ Revolver album), it’s lyrics are still worth paying attention to, and maybe even a bit risque for a Christian album of the time (or any time, for that matter).

Close your eyes, and pretend that you are me.
See how empty it can be
Making love if love’s not really there.

Watch me go, watch me walk away alone,
As your clothing comes undone,
And you pull the ribbon from your hair.

Pardon me.

In fact, all of this album’s lyrics are worth paying attention to, and is really what makes this album great. Even the following, “Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music” is lyrically ingenious, and perhaps the best is saved for last with “Reader’s Digest,” another poke at the times, but instead of finger waving, Larry plants tongue firmly in cheek.

In fact, the production quality mixed with its blend of tongue-in-cheek-yet-poignant and ahead-of-its-time lyrics is why ‘Planet‘ is consistently at the top of most, if not all, of CCM reviewers’ all-time-best-of lists.

Though this was Norman’s fourth album, it is considered the first of a trilogy–Planet, So Long Ago The Garden and In Another Land–all considered must-have classics among Christian music collectors and reviewers. Trying to find a bargain price on an excellent vinyl copy of Planet these days is like finding a needle in a haystack.

In 2014,The Library of Congress added this album to the National Recording Registry, an elite collection of recordings marked for special preservation as “cultural, artistic, or historical treasures.” Norman is the first Christian rock artist to have been chosen for this prestigious registry. Of the 25 artists selected that year, Norman kept company with the likes of U2 and Bing Crosby.