Offerings: A Worship Album Middletown NY

Offerings: A Worship Album

Third Day

Essential Records, 2000

REVIEW BY: Michael Ehret

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 08/02/2000

Third Day fans have been clamoring for an album of worship songsor a live album almost from the bands' beginning. Those who haveattended a Third Day concert know that worship plays an importantpart of the evening - a central part. With Offerings, Mac Powell and company have attempted to satisfyboth fan desires with one disc.

All I can say is "nice try."

And I mean that literally. This is a very nice try - but, whilegorgeous throughout, with hardly a blemish to comment on, Offerings is unsatisfying over the long run preciselybecause of the "all things to all fans" approach. What I hear onlymakes me long for a pure worship album and a pure live album - or apure live worship album. But, all this bucking back and forthbetween studio recordings and live recordings breaks the mood. Justwhen the live worship is kicking in and the connection is beingmade, the disc gives way to studio tracks and the electricity,comparatively, disappears. Third Day has electricity all the time,but never more than when they are playing live.

All that said, there are many individual highlights to this disc- live and studio.