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OFFERINGS II: ALL I HAVE TO GIVE (2003)
Third Day is a band I used to have a lot of respect for. Their first Offerings record was a triumph in every form of the word, but I was disappointed when they resorted to the pop-laced Come Together in an attempt to keep their Offerings following. When I heard there would be an Offerings II, my Respect-O-Meter dropped to zero. Why would a highly successful band release an album that made themselves appear like a moneymaking gimmick? Needless to say, I went into reviewing Offerings II: All I Have to Give with low expectations.I wish I could write about how my low expectations were crushed or about how Third Day's latest worship project blew me away, but I honestly can't. Unfortunately, even my low expectations weren't enough, so here's the bottom line: Third Day's Offerings II is the worst attempt at an album since their debut on Reunion Records. Giving the band the benefit of a doubt, this is a worship disc, but I can't shake the feeling that Offerings II was tuned more towards giving the fans what they wanted, which makes for an insincere mish-mash of songs. Timeless originals like "King of Glory" and "These Thousand Hills" have been scuttled by the cheesy, guitar heavy "Sing a Song" and the painfully trite "Anything." Later on, they successfully manage to butcher Waterdeep's "You Are So Good to Me," but the live cover of Rich Mullins's "Creed" is definitely worthy of applause. In fact, this cut would be one of the only two reasons to buy the CD (the second reason being track #11's "Medley"). "Creed" kicks off with a dazzling guitar intro, showing off strings ablaze until they gracefully sink into the familiar acoustic rhythm of the Mullins original. A strong performance on the drums by David Carr pervades the remainder of the track, mystifying the audience with his loops while Brad Avery and Mark Lee riff out a solo during the bridge. The other strong track, "Medley," throws together two classic Third Day hits ("Give," "Your Love oh Lord") with the beautiful hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" and an all-too-brief cover of U2's "With or Without You." Having witnessed this medley in concert before, I can safely say this is a powerful, worshipful set that every Third Day fan should experience.
Sadly, the rest of the disc makes for an uninspired listen. Peppered among the studio originals are live performances of older 3D songs, such as "Show Me Your Glory," the bland "Nothing Compares," "Take My Life," from their self-titled debut, and their penultimate "God of Wonders." Rounding out this project are "Offering," an unoriginal, piano ballad with sub-par lyrics, "May Your Wonders Never Cease," likely to become the group's next trademark worship song, and the snail-paced, synthesizer-laced poppiness of "The Everlasting." In the end, Offerings II serves to do nothing but help further commercialize the worship movement.
There is no doubt in my mind that Third Day can do worship, and do it well. I've witnessed evidence of that during both the Offerings and Come Together tours. However, it is a sad thing when the focus of such a talented and promising band shifts gears and relies on such crowd-pleasers as Offerings II. At the least, this is an inspiring record, but not one that is worthy of carrying the Offerings title. Give us something real, heartfelt, and sincere, and God help us if Offerings III gets announced as Third Day's next studio recording.
- Rick Foux
May 2003
May 2003
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