Randy Stonehill finally returns

On his eighteenth record, Edge of the World, which releases November 6, 2002, Christian music pioneer Randy Stonehill is returning to his roots both musically and lyrically. Stonehill began melding his honest lyrics of faith, struggle, and hope with rootsy folk-rock music in 1970, and was considered too "Christian" for the mainstream and too "rock & roll" for the church. Today, Stonehill is credited with blazing trails that are now easily traveled by Christian musicians, influencing countless young fans and future artists along the way.

Finally, Randy Stonehill is back with a new album of original songs, his first since his acclaimed album, Thirst in 1998. At the dawn of his fourth decade in Christian music, Stonehill is launching one of his strongest records yet, and his first for Fair Oaks Records. Produced by Stonehill and Bob Kilpatrick, Edge of the World simultaneously pays tribute to his early days in the Jesus Music movement, while serving as a strong reminder of his continuing role as one of the most important artists in the business. With an unprecedented number of key collaborations, the credits read as a veritable who's who of Christian music: Phil Keaggy, Barry McGuire, Love Song, Annie Herring of Second Chapter of Acts, Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul, and Mary, Larry Norman, Michael Roe of 77s and Lost Dogs, Russ Taff, and Sara Groves are listed alongside the ubiquitous multi-instrumentalist Phil Madeira.

The musical aesthetic laid out for the album was a simple one. Every track, over-dub and embellishment would exist solely to enhance the song, the voice and the guitar. Stonehill explains, "People have asked me for years if I had a record that was more akin to my live shows: more acoustic based and intimate. I always had to answer, 'Well, uh, not really.'" Stonehill uses the opportunity to unveil another batch of songs rich with his characteristic eloquence, thoughtfulness and compassion, making Edge of the World one of the high-points of his career.

As one of very few remaining veterans, Stonehill has something important to offer to the Christian music community: a sense of history. And after thirty-one years, Stonehill is still blazing trails today.