At a certain point in time an artist that doesn’t resonate
with you can, many years later, weave itself into your psyche. When this
happens you start to wonder why it never did before. After all the music didn’t
change but quite obviously something did, oh yeah that would be me! It always amazes me when that happens and it allows me to start to enjoy an entire new catalog of music.
Daniel Amos is one of those artists that never quite
endeared itself to me back during their apex. Yes many of you who know my
preferences for screaming loud heavy metal will point at that and say, “Well
obviously duh!!” I’m not so sure that is the root of the issue. Unknown too
many of you I was an avid fan of Steve Taylor and Undercover, following them
from their first and second releases onward.
Not the same you say? Possibly but listening to Alarma!
These many years removed have left me scratching my head as why I missed riding
the wave.
I could sit here and spin accolades about how much genius
Terry Taylor and company display as I listen and read the lyrics and
accompanying booklet enclosed. However
if you’re a fan of Daniel Amos you’re already aware and wondering what took me
so long all I can say is it’s never too late. Even then Taylor was speaking out against the plastic popular
society and Christian culture, that despite claims to the contrary, was and has
embraced philosophies and methodologies from said society.
The last track on the originally released album Ghost of the
Heart asks the most poignant question;
“Way back in my heart, is the motive for this
I ask the question, did I do this for self?
I need the light on, the monster of vanity gets
Frightened by the Ghost of the heart”
What more can be said?
Musically how would you describe to a newbie what DA sounds
like on this release? The Beatles meets
The Cars, Devo, Beach Boys with a touch of Tom Petty and throw it in a
blender??? Yet on the other side is something rather unique and altogether
engaging.
This double disc release from Born Twice Records is the full
monte as it were. It is a complete tour de force that has brought me into the
DA fold with arms open wide and sniffing around for more. When a release forces
me to (not really forces but you get my meaning) to the artist website to
ingest a back story that I missed. It even reminded me of two Daniel Amos
concerts in the San Francisco Bay Area that I missed to my chagrin.
Disc one is the complete Alarma! album remastered by J
Powell at Steinhaus. The genius behind the frequencies gets this album sounding
pristine and well defined.
Disc two however is a complete gem as it contains 21 tracks
of previously unreleased demos, outtakes, several alternate mixes and a reading
of the Alarma! story by Malcolm Wild (at least the prologue and part of the
first chapter). The preproduction demos are a cool insight into the whole
recording process. These types of demos are usually put together so the artist
can share with the label the elements of the songs to be put on the album.
There is also a three song mainstream demo which features
the tracks Little Things, Off My Mind and As Long as I Live. The first two songs definitely fall into the
Tom Petty category while As Long as I Live is pure surfer rock.
If this is your first exposure to Daniel Amos you can plunge
in head first and enjoy the ride. But if you’re a long time fan you’ll want to
add this release for the second disc if not for the completist in you. Daniel
Amos were ground breakers in their hey day and with a brand new album out now,
add this gem from their past to your Christian Music Library. A classic…
(axe designation withheld because it falls outside the normal metal music reviewed.... kinda hard to compare apples and oranges..)
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