Description
Edge of the World is a studio album by the American singer and songwriter Randy Stonehill, released on Fair Oaks Records in 2002, distributed by INSP Media Group (IMG). The album was produced, recorded, and mixed by Bob Kilpatrick and Randy Stonehill at WonWorld Studio in Fair Oaks, California.
An all-star lineup joined Randy Stonehill for this album. One of the tracks included on the album is “We Were All So Young”, a “remember when” song about the Jesus Music explosion of the 1970s. The track is a nostalgic singalong featuring a vocal lineup consisting of fellow CCM veteran musicians Phil Keaggy, Larry Norman, Russ Taff, Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul & Mary fame), Barry McGuire, Annie Herring (of 2nd Chapters of Acts) and five members of Love Song (Chuck Girard, Tommy Coomes, Bob Wall, Jay Truax, and Fred Field). In addition, the track features Phil Madeira of the Phil Keaggy Band on electric sitar (who also adds his instrumental touch on various other tracks).
In addition to the impressive vocal lineup of “We Were All So Young”, Edge of the World also features two duets, one with newcomer Sara Groves (“Take Me Back”) and the other with long-time friend Phil Keaggy (“That’s The Way It Goes”). The tasty guitar playing and signature vocal stylings of Michael Roe of The 77s fame is present on a few track as well. The Randy Stonehill and Terry Taylor penned “Far, Far”, recorded by Riki Michele on her solo album One Moment Please released in 1993, is finally recorded by Stonehill himself on this album. And “Last Song For Michael”, a song Stonehill wrote back in the ’70s for a friend who was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1976, also appears on a studio album for the first time. (An alternative rendition of the title song can be found on the CD re-issue of Stonehill’s self-titled 1985 EP.) (“Last Song For Michael” was performed by Stonehill as a part of the Maranatha! Concert series, live at Calvary Chapel, a concert that was aired on KYMS 106.3 FM, December 30, 1978.)
Back before it was the fastest growing segments of the recording industry, back before it even had a name, Randy Stonehill was among a small group of musicians who decided to express their Christian faith using folk rock music, a medium considered inherently evil by much of their target audience (but back then such a phrase hadn’t been invented so no one cared). Now, four decades later, Stonehill adds to his legacy with Edge of the World, a nostalgic album that draws from such luminaries as James Taylor, Jim Croce, and Bob Dylan.
The cornerstone of the album is «We Were All So Young», where the listener is invited to a reunion of friends from these early days, friends who frequently played locally at Adam’s Apple. Trading vocal parts on this wistful song are Russ Taff, Annie Herring, Noel Paul Stookey, Phil Keaggy and all five members of Love Song, each of them reminiscing “But we wanted to stand for what is real / For more than money or a record deal,” throwing a slight barb at the current commercial environment of the industry they unknowingly helped to create. The Beatlesque «That’s The Way It Goes» benefits greatly as a duet with Keaggy whose vocals here sound like butter melting on warm homemade bread.
New friends join in with the old as Sarah Groves, who has been called one of the best of the new generation of “Jesus Music” musicians, adds her silken voice to the piano-centric duet «Take Me Back». Groves also sings some delicious background harmonies on «Hey Pauline», another song of memories Stonehill wrote for his mother’s 74th birthday, his plaintive voice nearly breaking at the fond remembrances.
Like his astounding Wonderama album, there are a couple of “sad sweet” songs where he is unafraid to question and admit he doesn’t know all the answers. Singing “And when the clouds bust open / You just walk out into the rain / … It’s still good to be alive / Even with the sadness and questions ‘Why?,’” Stonehill brings bittersweet encouragement to «Jayney». Poignant strings add yet another element to the heart-rending «All I Know», where Stonehill awes at the wonder, mystery and sadness that is life, finding expression in such poetic lines as “And I curse my duality / This darkness that dwells in me / And marks me to the marrow / As an orphan of the Fall.” [Jason Hoffman, Whatzup, 2003]
It has been a long long time since Randy Stonehill was that wild haired spacey kid who ended up in a sewer only to be eaten along with Cindy Williams by the “Son of the Blob”. The end of 2002 brings us a more mature Randy who has at least for this outing set aside the persona of the slightly, did I say slightly, demented “Uncle Randy.” This new collection of songs for the most part brings us the more serious side of a man who was always a very gifted songwriter, but one who often hid that side amidst a certain amount of goofiness. Without a doubt this is his best collection of tunes since Wonderama and Equator. Randy is backed up by a very competent band on this project that includes: Baron Miller on drums, Ian Kilpatrick on bass, Manuel Luz on keyboards and Ed Gardner on percussion. I would love to see these guys out on the road performing as a unit.
The overall feel to many of these songs is one of longing touched with a bit of sadness. Two perfect examples of this are «Janey» and «Last Song For Michael». Randy’s songs were always the perfect vehicle for story telling and with the release of this album he has completely mastered this craft. These are not only songs, they are mini stories which are sung instead of spoken. The two duets on the album, one with Phil Keaggy and the other with Sara Groves, especially the one with Sara are absolute perfection. This is not by any means a rock n roll album, it falls into the singer songwriter genre and that is just fine with me, this is some good stuff. I have seen Randy quite a number of times over the last 30 years, this collection of songs only makes me want to relive that experience again. I can recommend this album to anyone without a single hesitation. [Chris MacIntosh aka Grandfather Rock, The Phantom Tollbooth, 2003]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/edge-of-the-world/130056460)
CD tracklist:
01. Dare To Believe
02. That’s The Way It Goes
03. We Were All So Young
04. Jayney
05. Take Me Back
06. All I Know
07. Hey, Pauline
08. Edge Of The World
09. Last Song For Michael
10. Far, Far
11. Prisoner Of Hope
Note: “May these songs serve as a reminder for us to value that which God treasures; relationship with himself and sharing his mercy with others. As you embrace that truth, I hope you will live it out by sponsoring a wonderful little boy or girl through Compassion International. Compassion International 800-336-7676.” Available at Bandcamp: https://randystonehill.bandcamp.com/album/edge-of-the-world
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