Vertigo
The Swirling Eddies Spinning Vortex Fun Club
The mother of all Newsletters!
Volume 2, Issue 4 Summer 1991
KALHOUN
Cover art for the new da album Kalhoun, modeled after the art deco
propaganda posters of the thirties and forties. Elements from Nazism
and Communism were blended to create a look which represents
totalitarianism in both its extremes.
Yes sports fans, da, (formerly Daniel Amos, DA, da, and even at times The Swirling Eddies, their evil-twin-alter-egos) have signed a nifty three record deal with BRAINSTORM ARTISTS INTERNATIONAL, known as B.A.I., (formerly BROKEN), the home of Undercover, Adam Again and the 77's. Sounds like
they're in good company. The new record, entitled Kalhoun, now in stores, will be distributed by EPIC to the mainstream marketplace. This could be the breakthrough record these guys have deserved for years. The boys are back as a 4-piece and the sound is very guitar-oriented rock. Powerful stuff. It should turn quite a few heads in the industry.
Some of the new titles include:
Gloryhound; Prayer Wheel; Tracking the Amorous Man; The Gate of the World; Virgin Falls; If You Want To; Father Explains; I Will Return; Big, Warm, Sweet, Interior Glowing and the darkly comic centerpiece
Kalhoun. Sounds like uncle Terry and the boys have created another brilliant project. Let's give this one the attention it deserves in sales. There was a special listening party for the new record on Thursday, July 4th at the Cornerstone festival. Terry Taylor and some of the folks from B.A.I. were there to premiere the new songs and give interviews and rumor has it that there was a special auction of da paraphernalia. Fun was had by all.
Later on in this newsletter you can find liner notes to the album. Those of us familiar with Terry Taylor's songwriting always appreciate a closer look at a few of the influences and references that lie behind some of the most thought-provoking songs in modern music.
Eddies Lost at Sea
FIJI - According to local sources, the legendary rock group, The Swirling Eddies, have been the victims of a malevolent maritime mishap. While sailing the South Pacific in their 500 foot superyacht, the Minnow, they were apparently swallowed by a gigantic whirlpool. The band was relaxing for a few days before resuming their trans-continental SPAM-sponsored world tour. It's safe to say that next month's long awaited concert at Wembly Stadium in England is off. The irony of the disaster was not lost, however, as a ham radio operator overheard the entire band break out in an impromptu rendition of their monster hit, Let's Spin as the "swirling eddy" sucked their craft into Davey Jones' Locker. So long fellas, we hardly knew ye...
Da News Da News Da News
Who are these men?
No, this is not TOTO!! This is none other than our beloved Daniel Amos, circa 1982, around the time they were recorded live in concert on an 8-track recorder by young DA fan, Bruce Brown. After nine long years, that recording is finally available to the public, (that's you) and in beautiful digital sound quality. Ah, the marvels of modern science. We're excited about this release for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it is released on our own independent STUNT label. STUNT is a label formed with you, the loyal, neurotic, DA fan in mind. We've got projects galore planned for this year and sometimes it's just too gosh-darned exciting for words. Suffice it to say that we're in the record business now, kids, and by golly we're gonna make records.
The Chronicle Controversy
One other issue we feel should be cleared up is in regards to the liner notes of the
Fearful Symmetry cassette, which offered a free copy of the
Alarma! Chronicles Volume 4 to all who requested one. This offer is admittedly a bit vague and hindsight proved it to be downright misleading to many people who wrote in thinking they would receive a free CASSETTE rather than a copy of the text. I suppose chapter 4 would have been a better choice of words. As it turned out we didn't have any extra copies of the album insert and most requests were shelved until the panic wore off and those people were added to this mailing list so that we could explain the problem all at once rather than having to write 300 separate letters. So, just to set the record straight - WE MEANT LINER NOTES AND THE TEXT, NOT FREE CASSETTES! This, by the way, is available in our junkpile for a nominal charge along with the lyrics to Terry's first solo record
Knowledge and Innocence another source of bitterness for people who wrote in requesting free lyrics when there never were any (the label added that in the notes without Terry's knowledge or consent).
CD Reissues:
What's the deal?
The subject of CD reissues has been a constant topic of the many letters we get each week. So let me explain some things about the music industry to help you better understand our situation. The first thing is that we don't own our own records! The label that releases a particular record owns that record. For instance, many have asked us about the possibility of
Horrendous Disc being released on CD. As odd as it may sound, we have no idea. Solid Rock Records owns that recording and it is up to Larry Norman to decide when and if he ever wants to put it out. Many have asked about the possibility of the
Alarma! Chronicles being released as a boxed CD set. Again, we're talking about four records put out by different record companies. This is a very complicated process so please understand that we're doing everything in our power to get these things out, but the ball is not always in our court. STUNT will be releasing
Alarma! and
Doppelganger later on in year. We are also putting together the official Alarma! Chronicles booklet and a special annotated accompaniment CD with interviews and out-takes and narration, etc. The band's first record,
Daniel Amos, has been released by Maranatha! and included two bonus tracks,
Happily Married Man, which appeared on Maranatha Country Roundup, and
Aint Gonna Fight It, the very first song they ever recorded which first appeared on Maranatha! Five.
Fearful Symmetry and
Darn Floor-Big Bite have also been re-released and all three are available in our junkpile.
Vox Humana and
Knowledge and Innocence are also going to be released by the Refuge Group very soon as well. So that's the poop on the CD reissues, so quit buggin' us already!
Penitence
by Berger Roy Al
A monastery somewhere in the Italian Alps: Ives, a 60-year-old monk, sadly gathered his belongings. Sworn to a vow of silence, he was overheard in his room singing "I've Got Rhythm" during prayer time. He was quickly excomunicated.
The old Monk thought back on his life. He remembered his first childhood conversation with a local priest.
"Is God all-loving?" he asked the priest. The large man looked knowingly at the small boy and closed his eyes for a minute to think. Soon he fell asleep. Ives stayed with the man for three days and three nights til he finally woke again.
"Well?, asked the 8-year-old Ives.
"What was the question again? said the priest. "And while you're over there, could you hand me that icon?"
The old monk thought back on all the happy times he had spent at the monastery; the way the other monks had stood up for him the time he was caught snuggling a baked ham during evening mass.
He thought of his best friend, Father Gelardo, whose hobby was to mime the words "I'll catch you later" and then walk off grinning.
All this remembrance made the old monk nostalgic and he hoped for another chance. He ascended the steps to the balcony where the abbot was meditating.
"Father, I know I have sinned but I beg you for one more chance. Please, just one more chance!!"
The abbot, full of compassion and understanding, smiled kindly at the old man and pushed him off the balcony.
The point of this story escapes me.
Next weel:
...Herschel regarded the mannequin carefully. If he moved too fast a life would be lost, and he knew it...
SACRAMENTO - California Governor Pete Wilson borrowed the
Doppelganger concept for his recent political campaign, hoping
to ride the bandwagon of "DA-mania" currently sweeping the nation.
TOP TEN REASONS WHY DANIEL AMOS
KEEPS CHANGING THEIR NAME
(With apologies to David Letterman)
10. Keep getting sued by Kenny Tamplin.
9. Amnesia after ceiling tile fell on heads.
8. Band part of FBU witness relocation program
after fingering the Gambinos.
7. Two words. Paranoid schizophrenia.
6. The tuxedos were just too darn itchy!
5. Trying to dodge that whole Chappaquiddick thing.
4. Tired of hearing that old "Which one's Daniel?" joke.
3. The name "Swirling Eddies" didn't translate into
Farsi for that "Love Ballads of Jihad" compilation album.
2. To protect the innocent.
1. When Sinatra says "jump", we say "how high?"
Did you know?
That Camarillo's middle name is Wally?
That the literal translation of Fahrvergnugen
is "lizard sweat"?
That Rob Watson looks better in a dress than
half of the women in Albania?
That it takes four Swirling Eddies to screw in
a lightbulb, one to hold the bulb and three to
yodel for an electrician?
That every March, 20 million tons of toads are
run over on British roads? (This is true, I read
it in the Wall Street Journal. Really!)
Letters
Dear Terry,
Thank you for being true to your heart and for putting it on disc for us (me) to hear. Your material has been formative in my thinking and there's no telling how many folks I've discussed your ideas with. Some of it still mystifies me, I admit, but I find that challenging rather than defeating. I'd much rather think through it, even if it takes my lifetime, than have someone say it in banality. I forget who said it, some reviewer from Boston on U2's Joshua Tree- "God save us from art, of any kind, that we can, at first glance, fully understand or appreciate." Thanks for your time and music.
-M.S.
Atlanta, GA
Dear Fun Club,
Where in God's great universe is my order?!
-Disgruntled in Denver
Dear Disgruntled,
We're so glad you asked us that very challenging question. Believe us, we'll do our best to answer with all the honesty and courage we can muster. Would you believe the dog ate it? How about - "Our computers are down"? No, I've got it - I was heading down to the P.O. with package in hand when a long cigar-shaped object with lots of lights and an "I break for Elvis" bumper sticker beamed me up into it and they performed bizarre medical experiments on my brain which lasted for months but took no time at all here on earth and there were these jellyfish and Roseanne Barr was there, except now she's Roseanne Arnold. How long do you think that'll last? Tuh! If you ask me, he's just along for the ride. And these aliens told me that they are going to take over the earth and that they could be summoned at any time by saying the word "Kalhoun" three times fast while holding my nose...
The Miracle Faith Telethon
Edifying satire or bitter, childish cynicism
Why, bitter childish cynicism, of course! Yes folks, we have heard from a small group of people who don't understand the reason we put a comedy (I use the term lossely) bit making fun of certain people and attitudes in the modern church, on an alleged rock album. To put it simply, some felt we were unloving. So, I thought I would try to humbly defend our little attempt at humour and put all those snivelling whiners in their place!
As to the charge of being "unloving", I would simply say "Unloving to whom?" Our first love is for our Lord and the purity of His gospel and grace. We certainly weren't unloving towards Him. Secondly, we love the true church, His bride. The unmasking of false prophets and hypocrisy is a service to the Body, not an attack. Thurd we love the lost and feel that the attitudes and actions of many of the more prominent representatives of the Church have caused more harm than good in the overall area of evangelism. Televangelism became the great stumbling block in the last decade and cause of Christ suffered a great big black eye. Attention was drawn away from the Cross of Christ (the true stumbling stone), and it may take years to reverse the damage done to the reputation of the church. This is the tragedy that provokes us to expose the hypocrisy and the self deluded misrepresentations of what it really means to be a Christian. Now, if you look closely, you'll find that the satire is directed in many directions (ourselves included), and we hope no one will mistake us for self righteous hypocrites in the process.
The inspiration for the Fruit O'Ministry skit was Matthew 5:15-23, where Jesus warns of false prophets and says, "you will know them by their fruits" (v.20) Now, most preachers will tell you that fruit means "souls saved". A closer look at the text reveals in verse 21 the continuation of the thought and Jesus says "Not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven,
but he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven." Galations also talks about the fruit of the Spirit and we can gather from these texts that fruit has to do with character and obedience, not the number of people who have repeated a prayer in a moment of intense emotional turmoil. The many that do get saved from these so called ministries are certainly saved by the grace of God and the wooing of His Spirit and are many times converted
in spite of the preaching. The bit about Hasidic rap and Yiddish speed metal just sounded funny, but if you think about the impressions and images the joining of these two unlikely terms create, we may begin to glimpse some of what the world sees when they hear terms like "Christian" rock and "Christian" movies, etc.
Little Dumbo. 'Nuff said. Guilty as charged. The whole Telethon was basically recorded as an improvised sketch with very little script and no rehearsals so have some fun with it. We did. The original idea was some sort of framework for the really weird novelty songs that we wanted to put on the record.
TELETHON ANECDOTE
Tom: "OK Gene, you do the voice for this character."
Gene: "No way man, I don't do voices.
Terry: "What about that little mousy voice you do for that little band of yours.
Look for these projects in the near future from STUNT Records:
Alarma! (CD reissue)
Doppelganger (CD reissue)
DA - Bung Misery Vol. 1 (Unreleased Demos)
Body & Soul (Rob Watson)
Swirling Eddies - Musical Fruit
We've got major plans for comedy and novelty albums as well as new projects from D.A. and other like-minded bands.
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