Home > Music > Reviews
Third Day Offerings II: All I Have to Give (Essential)
Released March 2003
reviewed by Andy Argyrakis
Sounds like
more worship music from Third Day and their
signature southern-fried roots rock sound, mixing studio tracks
with their potent concert experience.
At a Glance
split between a half dozen brand new tracks and six
more culled from the Come Together tour, Third Day follows up
their first Offerings album with additional inspiration and excitement.
While Third Day could easily have taken a break after their Time recording and subsequent tour, the fans' demand for new music and continual concert appearances was so overwhelming that it wouldn't have been the wisest move. The idea of recording a worship album was on the band's mind, but their demanding
schedule could never warrant enough studio time for a full-length
release. Instead, Third Day reached a compromise by releasing
Offerings: A Worship Experience in 2000, which features both newly recorded praise material and worshipful selections taken from
their previous tour. The rest, as they say, is history, with the
album reaching gold-selling status.
Naturally, a sequel beckoned, as it did for Michael W. Smith, who followed up his best-selling Worship recording with Worship Again to additional attention and acclaim. Is there any doubt that Third Day will be greeted by similar success with the release of Offerings II: All I Have to Give?
Starting with the studio tracks found on the album, all are steeped in Third Day's ability to write a catchy pop/rock song, along with their anointing to truly invoke a worshipful response
in listeners. The Brad Avery-penned "Anything" and Mac Powell's
"May Your Wonders Never Cease" are the project's primarily rock
and rollers, recalling the era of '70s southern rock that birthed
the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet meshed with
contemporary, alternative undertones. Thematically, the songs
respectively speak of believers' complete dependence on the Lord
and the fact that despite our sinfulness, he still chose to give
his life away.
Cuts such as "Offering" and "The Everlasting" can easily be added to the category of signature Third Day songs, as both resound with unhindered spiritual dynamics and chilling instrumentation. Backed by the band's mid-tempoed rock beat and the glow of the electric organ on "Offering," Powell lifts up: "Magnificent Holy Father, I stand in awe of all I see / Of all the things you have created, but you still choose to think of me / Who am I that you should suffer, your very life to set me free / The only thing that I can give You is the life You gave to me." The comforting
acoustics and melodic contributions by fellow band members on
"The Everlasting" further support Powell as he offers: "Through
the raging of the seas, the hills proclaim your majesty / All these
things created for the glorifying of the Lord / We praise Your name
forevermore."
There is also plenty of room for celebration amidst such introspection, such as the acoustic jingle "Sing a Song" and the
retro electric guitar/organ-based "You Are So Good to Me." The
pair is congregational in nature, as they both lead listeners to
raise their hands and lift their voices with glorious
thanksgiving. Waterdeep fans in particular will appreciate Third
Day's vintage preservation of the latter cut, continuing the
song's legacy after its appearance on both their worship album
of the same name and the Enter the Worship Circle project.
Moving on to more familiar fare, tracks from the Come Together tour are sure to conjure up memories of those who caught it live, while making those who didn't wish they had. Either way,
listeners are destined to be drawn into the engaging experience,
clutching the favorites close to their hearts. Among the more
familiar tracks on the record is the City on a Hill standard, "God of Wonders," the classic duet between the lead vocalists of Third
Day and Caedmon's Call. Stepping in on guest vocals is Michael Tait (Tait, dc Talk), and though his soulful touch doesn't really gel with Powell's grit as well as Cliff Young's organic tone did, their overall rendition is lively and energetic. The Come Together ballads "Show Me Your Glory" and "Nothing Compares" also
sound re-energized in a live setting thanks to the enthusiasm of
the audience.
As an added bonus, Third Day turns in a rousing rendition of the Rich Mullins's beloved "Creed," spicing up the original arrangement with an extended electric guitar romp and a
supercharged backbeat. There's also the epic medley of "Give / Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus / With of Without You / Your Love, Oh Lord," which
will also hold listeners' attention, once again turning their
thoughts away from the temporary and toward the eternal. The band
admits there's no specific theme running through such selections,
but the medley is meant to "have a congruency to it that leads
people to a place of worship." As much as I questioned why
another Christian band needed to cover a U2 song (in this case
"With or Without You"), I was pleasantly surprised that Third Day
only incorporated the song's triumphant line "And you give
yourself away" to follow the plea of "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"
with transitional ease.
After an hour's worth of material, culminating in the aforementioned medley and the humbling "Take My Life," there's
nothing more you could possibly ask for in Third Day's latest
"offering." Like Michael W. Smith's own Worship Again, it's
another instance in which a sequel matches, if not surpasses, the
quality of the first effort. If there's a quintessential worship
recording for 2003 so far (or perhaps even in the modern era of
praise music), Offerings II: All I Have to Give wins hands down. Hopefully, that doesn't put too much pressure on Third Day when
they map out their next project, though based on their track
record, there's little doubt they'll handily produce another
winner.
Third Day Offerings II: All I Have to Give (Essential)
Released March 2003
reviewed by Andy Argyrakis
Copyright © Christian Music Today. Click for reprint information.
Click here to view our music review archives.
Visit the artist pages for related interviews and reviews.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Try an Issue of Today's Christian RISK-FREE!
|
|
|
No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. Click here for International orders.
If you decide you want to keep Today's Christian coming, honor your invoice for just $17.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issues are yours to keep, regardless.
Give Today's Christian as a gift
Buy 1 gift subscription, get 1 FREE!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | |