Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?: Larry Norman and the Perils of Christian Rock by Gregory Thornbury

Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?: Larry Norman and the Perils of Christian Rock Reviews

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  Stephen Wright

  Larry Norman was a complex, controversial and compelling character and this biography captures all of these elements. His life, it seems, was never dull and it makes for a gripping narrative, upon which their is much to reflect. Not the least of which is how high ideals, perhaps even utopian visions, (I'm thinking of Norman's desire to create a family of contemporary Christian artists dedicated to relevance and high quality sounds) hit the buffers of real life and relationships. The story of how it fell apart is a timely reminder to all those who think there is an easy way to improve upon the past and change the world (however conceived). There are areas of weakness. As has been said by others, greater analysis of the music would have been good, so too some reflections on Norman's theology (his take on Christ's second coming for example). And while Norman's influence was huge, I always find it rather irksome when he is lauded as the 'Father of Christian rock'. As someone who has researched this area (see Sounds of the sixties and the church), there is no doubt that the Brits got there first. Nevertheless, he was, I would say, the first Christian rock star and this is an absorbing account of that life.
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  ABarts68

  Brilliant book, well researched and well written. Worth every penny I’d say.
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  MsVic

  Why should he indeed! Great book Thanks
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  Tim Chesterton

  I was a Larry Norman fan in the 1970s and 80s but lost touch with him after that. I heard stories about his failings, but was never really familiar with his story. However, songs like 'The Outlaw', 'One Way', 'Reader's Digest' and 'The Great American Novel' were permanently etched on my musical imagination and I continued to listen to the old albums with great enjoyment.So I was excited when I heard about this book, and it did not disappoint. Larry Norman emerges from these pages as a real human being, one who struggles with weaknesses and failings as we all do. And yet, his influence on my life as a Christian and a musician was entirely positive, and I suspect thousands of others could say the same thing. Having heard some of the rumours about him I expected to think less highly of him after reading this book, but the opposite is the case. I will go back to the old records and listen to them again with appreciation for the real human being who created them, and I will gladly own up to being a Larry Norman fan.
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  Jan

  Written well and giving a good insight in Larrys life. PS; Dutch translation is at least as good!