Bethel Music
Release Date: November 6th 2020
Reviewed by: Jonathan Andre
Cory Asbury – To Love a Fool [A Rooftop Experience] (Deluxe) [Live] (Amazon mp3/iTunes)
Track Listing:
- Canyons (Live)
- Sparrows (Live)
- Crashing In (Spontaneous) (Live)
- Nothing More than You (Live)
- Dear God (Live)
- The Prodigal Song (Live)
- I’m Sorry (Live)
- Faithful Wounds (Spontaneous) (Live)
- Unravelling (Live)
- The Father’s House (Live)
- Canyons (Live) [Live Music Video]
- Sparrows (Live) [Live Music Video]
- Crashing In (Spontaneous) (Live) [Live Music Video]
- Nothing More than You (Live) [Live Music Video]
- Dear God (Live) [Live Music Video]
- The Prodigal Song (Live) [Live Music Video]
- I’m Sorry (Live) [Live Music Video]
- Faithful Wounds (Spontaneous) (Live) [Live Music Video]
- Unravelling (Live) [Live Music Video]
- The Father’s House (Live) [Live Music Video]
Cory Asbury is a name that has divided many in as many households in relation to his chart-topping song ‘Reckless Love’. No need to delve into the reasons why- this is where ‘google’ is your friend- you can google the song, the album, listen to the album, even read my review of the album that I wrote last year. Cory Asbury is as much as a celebrated artist as any other; but is also an artist that turns people off CCM altogether. Nevertheless, as polarising as an artist as he is, Cory’s been making music that impacts for a while now- inclusive of ‘Reckless Love’ and a lot of his other songs in his catalogue- songs like ‘Endless Alleluia’, ‘Water and Dust’ and ‘Only Takes a Moment’, to name a few. In July 2020, around 2 and a half years after his label debut album Reckless Love released, Cory gave to us all, an album titled To Love a Fool– quite possibly the most anticipated album from any CCM artist, to have ever been released in 2020. With songs like ‘Sparrows’, ‘Dear God’, ‘The Father’s House’ and ‘Unravelling’, to name a few; I was captivating by such a powerful album, and though Cory has a lot of critics, To Love a Fool is a reminder of the unending love of Christ for people, even if they themselves have strayed for even their whole lives. A reminder that each one of us is never too far gone, To Love a Fool quickly became one of my favourite albums of 2020. Now here we are in 2021, and Cory unveiled to us yet another album experience, this time, unveiled in November 2020, and titled To Love a Fool [A Rooftop Experience], a live album experience of To Love a Fool in full.
To Love a Fool [A Rooftop Experience] is an album full of wonder and awe, full of joy and heartfelt emotions as this 10 track live album (20 if you include all of the live music videos available to stream and purchase on Apple Music, alongside the audio recordings of the live album experience) showcases, verbatim, what To Love a Fool would sound like, live. Yes, these 10 tracks are the exact same as Cory’s studio recording of the album in July 2020, and even though this album per se doesn’t bring anything original or new to the table of Cory Asbury songs, the album nevertheless is still good, reminding me that for an artist to be great, means for them to sound just as good live as they do in the studio, and To Love a Fool [A Rooftop Experience] is no exception. With To Love a Fool being one of my favourite worship albums of 2020 (alongside Chris Tomlin’s collaborative album Chris Tomlin & Friends); let me just say that To Love a Fool, both the studio and live counterparts, didn’t disappoint. Though I may have wanted a few more upbeat songs (the only quasi-upbeat song on the album was ‘The Father’s House’), what I did receive are 10 songs full of joyous live worship, and another 10 live music videos that reflect this, on the screen. Some of the most heartfelt and emotive worship songs I’ve heard in a long time; this is an album and artist you’d certainly would enjoy if you enjoyed and appreciated similar-styled music from Chris Tomlin, Cody Carnes, and Pat Barrett, to name a few. Cory’s music is one to be behold- ‘Reckless Love’ and its impact has made To Love a Fool a certain listen, at least once, especially if you’re at least interested a little bit, in terms of what he’ll write as a follow-up to arguably one of the most celebrated, loved, but also polarising song in Christian music, in recent memory and history. Well done Cory for such a poignant emotive live album, and a great way to capture To Love a Fool in an acoustical live worship setting. Maybe a Christmas album in the future? Looking forward to see how the Lord works in the lives of people in the upcoming months ahead!
3 songs to listen to: Dear God, The Father’s House, Unravelling
Score: 5/5
RIYL: Pat Barrett, Chris Tomlin, Chris Quilala, Kim Walker-Smith, Cody Carnes