Avalon - Another Time Another Place: Timeless Christian Classics
List Price:
Our Price: $12.63
You Save: $5.35 (30%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Artist: AvalonEdition: Music CD
Format: Enhanced
CD Release Date: 2008-02-26
Music Label: Sparrow Records
Soundtracks:
- God Is In Control
- For The Sake Of The Call
- Thy Word
- Another Time, Another Place
- Solid As The Rock
- People Get Ready...Jesus Is Comin'
- The Basics Of Life
- We Will Stand
- The Reason We Sing
- Friend Of A Wounded Heart
- El-Shaddai
- Place In This World
- Addictive Love
- People Need The Lord
- Testify To Love
Music reviews of Another Time Another Place: Timeless Christian Classics
Music Review: Another time, another album, please
Rating: 2 Stars
Oh, Avalon, what happened?
I have purchased every Avalon album since the debut album - save for "Maze of Grace," which wasn't available in my country, and owning a copy now seems superfluous - and loved most of them, above all "Oxygen," my favorite Contemporary Christian album of all time. I would've defended Avalon to the teeth, including this release, were it not for the sheer fact that this album bored me to tears.
As timeless Christian classics go, I've only heard of three songs on "Another Time, Another Place," so I listen to the rest of it tabula rasa. I was truly looking forward to "Place in This World," the song that opened my eyes to Christianity. To my surprise, Greg, Janna, Jody, and Melissa swap verses and choruses, which jars the melodic flow, IMHO (male sings verse, female sings chorus? Why not just sing straight into it, or make PITW a full male-sung song?) I was expecting blow-me-away harmonies and instrumentation, and didn't get it, which was a let-down.
As another Amazon reviewer notes, the electronic beats on "El Shaddai" are indeed disconcerting and distracting. For me, the greatest disservice was done to "Testify To Love." Michael Passons has set a bar so high up that one honestly cannot expect Greg Long to match. Jody tries gamely to fill in the gap, but the exquisite vocal harmonies that characterized the classic TtL are not present here (a solo female voice on "for as along as I shall live, I'll testify, testify, all my life I'll testify..."? That section screams for sing-along harmonies! The TtL version on "Testify to Love" greatest hits compilation featuring the Katinas was a million miles better!). The end result is a half-baked concoction that does not match the exuberance, joy, and power of the original. It breaks my heart that Avalon cannot meet the standards it has set for itself with this revival of their own hit.
(As an aside, I respectfully disagree with one reviewer on "Stand." I think "Stand" stands to be one of Avalon's more noteworthy albums precisely because it signified their intention to try something new. If "Another Time, Another Place" is supposed to be a return-to-form of sorts, I'd much rather prefer the rockier Avalon. What is "new" with this album? Another set of revivals? As if "Faith" didn't already do that.)
Thankfully, there are a few shining gems on this album, most courtesy of ever-brilliant Jody McBrayer. His beautiful voice shines brightest on "El Shaddai" (which makes it all the more annoying that the phony electronica beats water down the simple gorgeousness of this song!). Melissa and Janna rip the roof off on "God is In Control." "People Need the Lord," "Solid As the Rock," and "Friend of a Wounded Heart" are also worth mentioning due to the exquisite vocal work present here.
As another aside, Shaun Shankel, album producer, did a spectacular job on Mandisa's "True Beauty." This album, not so much. We know he is capable of magic, and I think he can still pull it off, if Sparrow gets him for Avalon's next project.
I am used to the high standards that Avalon has set for itself. "Love Won't Leave You" was Avalon's last Top 20 CCM hit; since then, it's been tough pickings on any CCM chart. I wouldn't say CCM radio, AC or Inspo, has outgrown the group; I would say that the material has been largely substandard. This album is so sub-standard that the record label would not even give me PHOTOS with my CD booklet! I buy an Avalon album and I don't get a single photo of the group?? COME ON!
Get these guys back in the studio, hook them up with some current songwriters whose sound matches the sound the group really wants to achieve - you want rock, go to Mac Powell, Lincoln Brewster or Jeremy Camp, you want updated Europop, talk to Peter Furler, or go experiment with Southern gospel like you did with "I'll Fly Away" and come up with something amazing with David Mullen at the helm, or make a live worship album, since it seems to be the last territory of CCM the group hasn't delved into yet - and make an album that will make people sit up and take notice.
I don't expect to get good reviews with this review. It's the first negative review I've ever written, and it pains me immensely to write it. I only hope that the passion with which I love Avalon will lead other fans to forgive me for what I wrote, and know that I join them in eagerly awaiting the next studio album, which I pray will be THE album that will make me proud to be an Avalonian.
Description of Another Time Another Place: Timeless Christian Classics
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.Christian & Gospel CDs
Music Genres
Similar CDs
Michael W Smith - FreedomRelease date: 2000-11-21; Music CD
Best price: $5.95
Price in other shops:
Avalon - In a Different LightRelease date: 1999-03-23; Music CD
Best price: $4.69
Price in other shops:
Avalon - CreedRelease date: 2004-02-24; Music CD
Best price: $1.49
Price in other shops:
Avalon - JoyRelease date: 2000-09-26; Music CD
Best price: $4.88
Price in other shops:
Avalon - StandRelease date: 2006-01-24; Published: 2006-01-24; Music CD
Best price: $6.75
Price in other shops:
Avalon - RebornRelease date: 2009-09-15; Music CD
Best price: $7.75
Price in other shops:
AvalonRelease date: 1997-01-14; Music CD
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
Avalon - Testify to Love: The Very Best of AvalonRelease date: 2003-03-25; Published: 2003-03-25; Music CD
Best price: $9.88
Price in other shops:
Avalon - OxygenRelease date: 2001-05-22; Published: 2001-05-22; Music CD
Best price: $5.59
Price in other shops:
Avalon - Faith: A Hymns CollectionRelease date: 2006-10-17; Music CD
Best price: $7.24
Price in other shops: