Daniel Amos
Our Personal Favorite World Famous Hits
The Phantom Tollbooth June 1999
by Steven S. Baldwin
Insert your own pithy paragraph here about Terry Taylor's brilliance, genius or otherwise living legendary status. Chances are you either already know firsthand of his songwriting talents or you've read plenty on the esteemed subject. It's all true...at least the most impressive parts.
Having dispensed with that, let's get down to business. Our Personal Favorite World Famous Hits is the first-ever attempt to boil down twenty years of Daniel Amos recording history into one impressive greatest hits package. The results of this ambitious effort are decidedly mixed but ultimately honorable.
If nothing else, this compilation boldly attests to what a really wild ride the Daniel Amos experience has been. Terry Taylor's best known band began as a kind of Christianized cow-poke, country group back in the mid-seventies, then surprisingly transformed themselves into an eccentric new wave band in the early eighties. Having solidified themselves as one of the most unique bands on the planet (and certainly the most unique in the smaller world of CCM) by the end of that decade, DA even went on to experiment with new sounds ranging from sixties retro to nineties grunge before releasing perhaps their quirkiest albums ever in 1995's Songs of the Heart. And this greatest hits collection unapologetically offers a smattering of all those assorted sounds in one career-spanning musical montage. Albeit quite impressive and nostalgically satisfying, herein lies one of the album's difficulties. Although some effort has been made to smooth transitions from one style to another via the song order, the overwhelming diversity present in these songs means there are some unavoidably bumpy spots.
Daniel Amos's self-titled debut of simple and largely slap-happy sounding country tunes is entirely neglected, but their more respected sophomore release, 1977's Shotgun Angel, offers "Father's Arms." Along the same musical lines, the obscure track "Ain't Gonna Fight It" from 1975's Maranatha 5 release closes the album on a lush, worshipful note. Longtime fans will recognize that the two live tracks from Live Bootleg '82 are originally from Horrendous Disc, which Larry Norman has yet to release on CD, regrettably. A live, previously unreleased song, "Twilight Love," follows solidly but offers few surprises. The esteemed four album Alarma! Chronicles is reduced to five songs here, with the first album, Alarma, being the only one to grant two tracks. Daniel Amos's best album ever, 1987's Darn Floor, Big Bite, sadly offers only the title track--yet 1991's Kalhoun, the most underappreciated of their albums, also offers only one song, the arena rocker "If You Want To." Both 1994's Bibleland and 1993's highly regarded Motorcycle offer two tracks, but 1995's Songs of the Heart is represented solely by "When Everyone Wore Hats."
It is entirely impossible to summarize nearly twenty-five years of Daniel Amos's music with only eighteen songs, and most fans will be frustrated that their own personal favorite world famous hits are not among the mix. I can personally think of two albums worth of their material that I'd rather see collected on one disc. In some cases the songs selected here would have been my second, third...or even fourth choice from each album. On the flip side, they didn't include any embarrassing stinkers either. This confounding situation of not knowing which tracks to include to please the most people with one fell swoop may also account for what appears to be the album's intentionally tighter focus. Most of Daniel Amos's boldest, oddest adventures are avoided in favor of songs that are either just more straight-forward or among the beautiful, thoughtful, or sentimental variety. This would have worked well had KMG also released a companion disc of Daniel Amos's most upbeat anthems, outlandish experiments, and outright party hits, which are surprisingly and disappointingly missing here for the most part. (The deviously clever "Mall All Over the World" being the most notable exception.)
Regardless, the fact remains that this collection contains such strength of material that Taylor's songwriting genius--not to mention his cohorts impressive musical talents--are all granted some measure of appropriate homage. Most of the fun that could have injected this collection with gleeful rollicking abandon is undermined. But what remains is still a solid, considerable testimony, especially to the Author of Faith who sustained the band through all these years. At best, very nearly the best of Daniel Amos! At worst, some great songs to introduce a friend to the band. And we can all still hope "the band that won't go away" just plain won't.
4 Alarm Clocks out of 5
The Phantom Tollbooth June 1999
by James Stewart
A career as long and varied as that of Daniel Amos would be impossible to compress onto a single disc. Nevertheless, KMG has made a valiant attempt at representing the band at various stages of their development. The songwriting skill and humour of Terry Scott Taylor shines through clearly, as does the talent of many of the movers and shakers of the Christian alternative music movement. A lot of this material, with the regular country stylings or New Wave cuts will be a culture shock for those raised on slick 90s pop. For those who want to familiarize themselves with one of the definitive left-of-center Christian bands or who simply haven't managed to locate some of their harder to find releases, this album will be a fine addition.
TrueTunes.com 1999
by DW Dunphy
Few bands, in any shape or form, can survive in the modern music landscape. The average lifespan for a group runs about three albums now, possibly with major personnel changes inbetween, and then it tends to die out, in its place another band that will suffer the same fate eventually. In Christian Rock, there seems to be even fewer 'lifers' out there.That's why it is so refreshing when a band not only lasts but becomes more vital over the years.
Case In Point: From their first, all-country format in the mid 70's to their new wave sounds in the 80's to the stripped-down garage 90's Daniel Amos has not only survived the tests of time, they've surpassed them and lived another day. Whether the sound was gut-level raw or psychedelic-textured, the band's fans always felt assured that there was something good waiting for them sandwiched either between a cardboard sleeve or some plastic configuration, even if it took a little getting used to.
The most responsible party involved would be longtime lyricist/lead singer Terry Taylor, who's influence is felt all over the Alterna-Christian-Rock landscape and yet whose sound has never been absolutely duplicated. Few bands could pull off songs with lyrics flip-flopping literary influences like Blake and Buechner backed directly up against songs with tongues so firmly planted in cheek. Taylor's metaphors have the power to conjure images while his asides can make you laugh out loud or wince at something obvious we have all missed. His voice is a unique thing as well, able to blend in beautiful harmonies or to scrape paint from a wall. It is a tool in the hands of someone who knows how to use it, as opposed to someone only beginning to learn.
It is in a humble, self-depricating manner that the band has named their best-of collection, "Our Personal Favorite World Famous Hits", knowing full well that, aside from a loyal handful of devotees, Daniel Amos may just be 'some guy filed under the A section'. And don't be deceived that DA is solely Taylor's game. From Ed McTaggart's locomotive-precision drumming to Tim Chandler's walking bass, from Greg Flesch's art-rock synth and guitar leanings to Jerry Chamberlain's full-on Chuck Berry/Rick Nielsen rave-ups, Daniel Amos is one of the tightest, most professional rock bands on either side of the philosophical fence.
What you get on 'OPFWFH' (that's a mouthful!) is a retrospective illustrating all the faces and facets of the group, a well-conceived mix tape that will please the longtime fans and intrigue the uninitiated. As Time/Life would claim, "You get nothin' but the best", including live versions of songs from their untouchable and long unavailable 'Horrendous Disc' and a long-time vault dweller, 'Twilight Love'. You get the rowdy "If You Want To" from 'Kalhoun', the synthy-funky of 'Mall (All Over The World)' from 'Doppelganger' and the Brian Wilson-esque Revelations plea of 'Soon'. Also included is their most recent indelible classic, 'When Everyone Wore Hats' which I played to death when I originally got it on the 'Songs Of The Heart' album. Again, the lyrics are not fluffy. "When everyone wore hats/ in the land of immigrants and pilgrims/ the world came rolling off their backs/ and landed on their childrens'..."
So, you may ask, why would this cd be worth the cash if it is nothing more than a collection of songs you may already have in their original albums? The answer is simple. Most of this stuff is unavailable to new fans, under any circumstance, and what is available is now fetching the prettified sums of 'collectors prices'. If you're not a full-fledged Ed-Head yet, you deserve a chance to hear classic Christian Rock that won't make you shudder with embarrassment. And face it, if you are a fan, you're going to get this collection anyway. It sounds better than any of the mix tapes you've concocted over the years.
It may be the hardest thing to actually put into words, what the band means to its longtime supporters. When we were coming up thru the ranks, really honest, unsimplified music was hard to come by, especially when the leaders of the field were too busy 'writing down to our level'. DA never dumbed it down, even when they were shooting for laughs.
Now, when the local bookstores are flooded with flavor of the moment 'secular knockoffs', is the perfect time to discover them for yourself. There's no better way to start than with 'Our Personal Favorite World Famous Hits'.
Now, if they would get to work on a new album...
7 Ball Magazine January/February 1999
by Brian Q Newcomb
Functioning as a sub-culture, or at best a as counter-culture, Christian music has often been a reactive art form. Identified by its content, Christian rock has emphasized communication of the Gospel message to the largest possible audience, and this played a game of follow the leader with the trend-setters of pop music. There's a dance craze and, soon after, a Christian dance movement. Metal, punk, hip-hop, grunge, alt/pop -- same thing. Over the years, one amazing exception to this rule has been Terry S. Taylor and his comrades in "The Band that Won't Go Away," Daniel Amos.
Now an A&R rep at KMG, Taylor is in a position to release new works like his solo masterpiece
John Wayne and brush the dust off clasic songs from his band's 25-year legacy. They've done just that with this "best of" anthology, drawing material from every era of the band's illustrious recording history. But one 18-song collection is of course not enough. Still, the ironically titled
Hits is way overdue, and a fine, listener-friendly collection it is.
Starting out as a country/rock pardy/cum-worship band, DA was hugely successful along the Southern California coast. One of the most popular Christian music acts in its day. But a desire for artistic credibility and to speak to the unchurched turned the band serios (well, almost) - mixing Eagles' sophistication with Beach Boys' buoyancy on
Horrendous Disc. A classic rock high point, the record is regrettably long out of print. By the time it did surface in 1980m the band had already shifted musical gears to the punk of
Alarma!, influenced by Talking Heads and Elvis Costello. Yet, DA's work never merely aped others - Taylor was too good a songwriter for that - and the band had its own distinct sound and vision.
On the fast creative track,
Doppelganger followed; keeping pace with Thomas Dolby and other electronic new wave acts. From there on out, they were in their own element, doing whatever music came comfortably - punk-influenced rock one minute, a country ballad the next. Still, their collective genious cannot be stressed enough. Songs like "Mall (All Over the World)," "Darn Floor Big Bite," "Walls of Doubt," "Hound of Heaven," "I'll Get Over It," "If You Want To," and "Grace is the Smell of Rain" managed to exhibit not only fresh musicality, but stretched the envelope for theological reflection in a popular art form.
For real fans, the band's failure to attact a large audience was frustrating in that it kept them away from touring and live concerts. However, the time at home scrambling for income and opportunities for creative expression led Taylor to work as producer on dozens of albums for Frontline Records, everything from Jacob's Trouble to Scaterd Few to Deliverence. Indeed, if DA had stayed successful and in demand, one wonders if Taylor would have had time for the Swirling Eddies and Lost Dogs projects. Still, obscurity is a high price to pay.
But, maybe that's all over now. Maybe with the release of
Hits, people will disover the band that is the rightful father of Christian alternative music. Maybe they'll release
My Personal Favorites next. To those in the know, Terry, Ed McTaggart, Tim Chandler, Jerry Chamberlain, Greg Flesch and Rob Watson were and are the most creative band in Christian rock history.
Buy this album! They might get to make more.
www.premieronline.co.uk 1999
by ?
Daniel Amos have always been one of Christendom's cutting edge bands.
during their twenty five year history, they have approached recording with a creative abandon that has inspired them to record some of Christian music's most adventurous masterpieces. Under the guidance of maverick genius of writer/ producer/ singer Terry Taylor, the band have travelled from their Eagles influenced country rock beginnings through New Wave and beyond collecting influences along the way like musical magpies. This retrospective which is the first in a series of releases that celebrate the band's journey gathers together eighteen of their top tunes from their lengthy history. Packed with gems, if you're already a fan, there are enough rarities that have never made it onto CD to make you want to snap this up. If you're new to the band you need to check out one of THE seminal bands in Christian music just for the delight of hearing "Alarma", "Darn Floor/Big Bite" "Hound Of Heaven" or the quirky "Mall (All Over the World)".
Truly an original band!.
Cross Rhyhtms April 1, 1999
by Mike Rimmer
For those new to the wonderful world of Christian music genius Terry Taylor, Daniel Amos are a band not a person and the title for this album is ironic. A best of package that takes in the many faces of Daniel Amos from its roots in country rock (think Eagles) through new wave (think Talking Heads) and out into many faceted rootsy rock'n'roll. With a career stretching over 25 years and more DA albums out of print than currently available, this is a bit of a godsend! Still wildly underrated Daniel Amos always seemed to manage to be ahead of the game and create music that pushed back barriers without ever managing to receive the sales and acclaim they deserved.
The problem with compiling a best of is that there will always be something missing that fans think is essential but this is a fair crack at things! So you get "Alarma" with its crunching critique of the state of soft, safe Christian music sadly still relevant 20 years later and the classics "Walls Of Doubt" and "Darn Floor/Big Bite" still sounding perky and impressive alongside the older "Father's Arms" from "Shotgun Angel". You also get later material from 'Bibleland' and the grungier rock of "If You Want To" from 'Kalhoun' to get a balance.
The sheer wonderful weirdness of "Mall (All Over The World)" still impresses. The only thing missing is anything from the legendary 'Horrendous Disc' album produced for Larry Norman's Solid Rock label. Sadly, the great blonde Normanski doesn't seem in a hurry to release that album so instead you get inferior live versions of the brilliant "I Love You" and "Hound Of Heaven". That quibble aside, this album is a fabulous reminder of just what a great group Daniel Amos continue to be and with band leader Terry Taylor firmly ensconced as A&R director at KMG Records, perhaps there'll be more re-releases and some new material soon. Be good to have the whole back catalogue on CD but then even reviewers can dream! Listening to this, my appetite is well whetted for more! Daniel Amos? Sheer genius mate!
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