Come Together is the culmination of a lengthy period of recording, touring and soul-searching in which Third Day converted a loft-style office in an unfinished, suburban building into a makeshift recording studio, allowing the band enormous amounts of creative freedom. The group outfitted the room’s hardwood floors, brick walls and high ceilings with wall rugs, atmospheric lighting and a ton of recording equipment, disabled a nagging buzz, and made the place a veritable home for a month, beginning in September 2000.

“When we first set it up, we felt like we had accomplished something before we ever played any music,” bass player Tai Anderson recalls.

That sense of accomplishment only grew as the album developed. With unlimited studio time, they took creative liberties and fleshed out many of the songs spontaneously, resulting in a creative step forward. Come Together uses sophisticated counter-harmonies and a loose-but-unified rhythmic base to communicate messages ranging from spiritual appreciation to tribulation.

“I think the songs are better,” lead singer Mac Powell enthuses. “We stepped out of our comfort zone a little bit musically. Everyone always says their new record is their best, but I really feel that.”

Part of the album’s artistic success derived from an unplanned development in Third Day’s career. The group released a partially live project, Offerings—A Worship Album, in July 2000, and backed it with a small concert tour. Its overt Christian message gained huge, immediate support, propelling the band to its first gold album. Instead of finishing Come Together for release in the summer of 2001, they re-tooled their plans, to capitalize on the excitement.

“We did this frantic, quick booking of a spring 2001 tour, which turned out to be our most successful tour ever,” drummer David Carr says, “so it held everything back. But I think it was a good thing. It helped us be able to sit on the music for a while and see what we needed.”

Ultimately, they decided the album could be improved by swapping out several songs, so they booked time in one of Atlanta’s landmark studios, Southern Tracks, and cut three more: the bristling “Get On,” the thoughtful “Show Me Your Glory” and the soulful “I Got You”—all of which made the final cut.

The album also benefited from the observant view of producer Monroe Jones, whose patience and enthusiasm resulted in a series of inspired performances.

“His thing isn’t all technique and perfection,” Carr says. “It’s like capture the moment.”

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