Album Reviews
Harvest Rock Syndicate 1989
4 points out of 5
by T. L. Faris
And now for the $64,000 question: WHO ARE THESE GUYS ANYWAY? I have a good idea, but I'll not tell. The Swirling eddies have appeared out of nowhere with a new album, Let's Spin. It is an invitation which should not be taken lightly.
At the very least the Eddies are a whole lot of fun. The music is fun, the lyrics are fun, and the whole project is fun, fun, fun. To begin: There is a contest in which listeners have a chance to guess the names of the Eddies. That's right, Camarillo Eddy, et al. are not their real names. (Contest details can be found elsewhere in this issue.)
To continue: From these audacious beginnings springs forth an album that is more pure enjoyment than anything to come along in quite awhile. The songs have a wonderful sense of humor and irony. Take, for example, "Snowball," an instrumental track. How can an instrumental song have a sense of humor? By having the only lyric be the word "snowball" spoken by a woman in a breathy, husky whisper. It is like Charles Foster Kane saying, "Rosebud." I don't get it. I suspect that it is an inside joke for the Eddies. It is a riot.
"Snowball" is followed up by the funky and soulful "I've Got an Idea" in which the vocalist (you tell me which one it is) sings "Deep thoughts don't occyr to me/I'm not famous for my brain/But a log just dropped on my destiny/And love has fanned the fame/I've got an idea (I think I love you.)"
Camarillo Eddy, who has written most of the songs for Let's Spin, further makes fun of himself as he writes in "What a World, What a World," "I could stay in California - stay a little dim/But there is a light bulb on in my head/I might move out East to some college town/Study big thick books - turn my fortunes around/Roll L.A. River, roll and take me to a better world." It is ironic that the L.A. River becomes a metaphor for the River of Life. As anyone who has watched Adam-12 on TV or seen any of the hundreds of action/adventure movies could tell you, the L.A. River is a trickle of water in a concrete channel. See what I mean?
Make no mistake, though, the Eddies are not making fun of themselves and everyone else just to be making fun. There is an important message in these songs. We hear that, "We all need money and love/But when we get all we need, it's never enough... and the beast is slouching down Rodeo Drive ("Rodeo Drive")." While the singer of "What a World, What a World" uses an odd metaphor, the search for a better place, Heaven if you will, is genuine and moving. In "Ed Takes a Vacation" the Eddies pay homage to "the hard working joes/Who keep this country strong," the people who get little public recognition but are nevertheless very important in the whole scheme of things. These ideas and many more are handled with humor and with an understanding that we are all human and we are all together in the task of life.
While I cannot tell who plays which instrument on Let's Spin, I can tell that the musicianship is top-notch. One thing we can know for sure about the Eddies is that they know what they're doing. The percussion work is full of energy, it is inventive, and strong throughout. The bass line is clever and creative and it's played solidly, with assurance and authority. The lead guitar work is as sharp as a knife and has a distinct voice all its own. The keyboards are not overpowering but are integral to the Eddie's driving rock 'n' roll sound.
Speaking of sound it is easy to determine some influences of the Eddies' sound. There are hints of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Talking Heads, and even early Daniel Amos. Although these influences are present the sound is like no other band. It is the Swirling Eddies ownm and it is fun indeed.
Let's Spin is a terrific product from a new band, even if the band must be a little crazy. Join in the fun. Put Let's Spin in your CD player or whatever and let the Swirling Eddies take you for a fun ride.
Noteboard January/February 1989
by Brent Hershey
Swirling Eddies: Bring Back the Fun With a Sparking Debut
With a name like the Swirling Eddies, accompanying the wacky cover art of their debut,
Let's Spin!, one can accurately assume tha tthis is not exactly a straight-forward recording. And after the thirc cut, the 10-second tune "The Unsuccessful Dutch Missionary," if you're not at least cracking a smale, well, then turn it off and go back to reading Socrates. But if you want to take in the funnest Christian record of the year, pop in
Let's Spin! and turn it up.
What you'll find is fresh, exciting alternative music, aimed at whoever grows weary of all the stoic performers in Christian rock. Rarely does music come along that conveys as much joyous energy as
Let's Spin! The catchy, upbeat pop songs are injected with quirky guitar and keyboards to make it a creatively unpredictable listen. Shades of DA, Big Audio Dynamite and INXS are all infused to create the Eddies' own sound. Styles change from rock to country to surf music without hesitation and often within the same cut. It's versatility and originality that is so often missing from Christian music, but is out in full force on
Let's Spin!.
However musically fun the album is, it still has more depth than most releases. Part of it stems from the confidence and assurance shown in Christ and his promises. Although however assured, the Eddies still aim to grasp the full meaning of an infinite God dealing with a finite, worldly life. In "Catch that Angel," they relinquish control to God and acknowledge his all knowing power: "I could be your enemy/I might be your friend/but you know what I am/before I begin."
But in "The Big Guns," possible the LP's best cut, the Eddies mock those who use the assurance as their ticket to forcibly "right all the wrong that is right." The misconception that militarily fighting for good is a acceptable practice for Christians is severely questioned: "We'll bring out the big guns tonight/.../We're gonna spill some blood, and shed some light," exposes the love/hate/all-for-good rationalization theory. The brilliant song ends grappling with the commonly held belief that once we rid the earth (of) those who disagree, a peaceful society of brotherhood will prevail: "finish the chapter, write a new page/the last man standing gets to start all over again/He'll buy the big guns and he's found a new age/He'll walk off singing 'I yippy I yippy I aye."
Questioning popular ideas is a common occurance on
Let's Spin!, most often the ideas surround our Christian lives, and how much difference the prefix makes. "Rodeo Drive" is an attack on materialism, and how little our Christianity has done to change it. "Don't Ask Me How I Feel" deals with struggling to share God's love with non-believers, and how we often can become smug in our attempts to convert others. "What A World, What A World" closes the album on a quiet note, with the band speculating about the next life. They decidedly put aside the current bustle and look happily heavenward, dreaming of the glorious streets of gold where "the people are nice and the air is clean."
The song is performed and heard with one element that also effectively ties together all of
Let's Spin!: a smile. It's one thing lost too often in Christian music, and one thing we as Christians should make more use of. Thanks to the Eddies for reminding us.
CCM Magazine 1989
by Brian Quincy Newcomb
Now that you've all seen the contest and heard the hype, maybe you'll want to get beyond all that to what really matters; Is Let's Spin! a good record? The answer is... even with all the silliness and pseudonyms (look who's talking?), the Swirling Eddies have made a great, funny rock 'n' roll album.
While charading as a debut from a new artist, Terry Taylor (recently exposed as Camarillo Eddy) admits now that the Eddies gave him a new setting to work with recent and past partners in crime. WIthout naming names, it is still important to make the connection. Let's Spin! takes Taylor & Co. back to the beach country boy roots of Shotgun Angel, the good humor of Horrendous Disc, and makes a creative musical statement equal to the progressive works, Doppelganger and Darn Floor Big Bite.
All Fireside Theatre comedy allusions notwithstanding, Taylor is funniest and most poignant when seemingly tossing off a lyric like it just came to him. Take this line from Taylor's reflection on the end result of decadence and greed. "Rodeo Drive": "We all need God above/We all need a little more time/We all need money and love/But when we get all we need, it's never enough." Or this off-hand joke from the man who often fills his songs with poetic, philisophical reflections: "Deep thoughts don't occur to me/I'm not famous for my brain/But a log just dropped on my destiny/And love has fanned the flame," from "I've Got an Idea".
In the past, Taylor has worn the "I'm a fan of John Lennon" badge to the point of self-parody, here he recallse Brian Wilson in the Disc-like suite "Ed Takes a Vacation," itself the biggest clue to the remaining Eddies identities, and adds a Jagger-ish growl to one of the most distinctive and enjoyable voices in rock.
Musically, the Swirls touch much of Taylor's past; guitars recall recent Darn Floor histrionics and Jerry Chamberlain's Alarma-era melodic trill, while the rhythm section is tough, yet danceable, and the keys manage with a lot of body and soul. Strong arrangements, great vocal harmonies and the funniest songs Terry Taylor has offered us in a long time make Let's Spin! the big fun album to starty off the new year.
Go figure why these guys had to play hide and seek, but the real revelation about the Swirling Eddies is in the music, as it should be.
On Being October 1989
by Martin Fawkes
A lot of rumours have circulated in the US music industry in recent months regarding a mysterious new gospel supergroup, The Swirling Eddies.
Some have suggested that this mught be a pseudonym for Lucky Wilbury, Lefty Wilbury, Otis Wilbury, etc. Extensive research, however, has revealed the group actually consists of past and present members of Petra, the Keaggy Stonehill Band, Rap-Sures, Sheila Walsh Band, Daniel AMos, The Choir, Tonio K band and several others.
The album
Let's Spin fits neatly into the retro-format used so charmingly by the Wilbury Brothers, but where the Wilburys are a pop group, the Eddies are a rock band, with musical tips of the hat to various Byrds, Beatles and Beach Boys.
The title track is an infectious and spiritally-minded party stomp, with "Catch That Angel" following on as a sweet jingle-jangle reflection on Jacob's wrestling match with God.
Biting satire rears its ugly head in "Big Guns," to be followed by various socially and spiritually stimulating concepts in the songs that follow.
The liner notes reveal that further Eddies merchandise is available by mail order.
After a two week wait, I received a parcelt containing:
Swirling Eddies Spinning Vortex Fun Club and Mutual Admiration Society Official Membership Card, Badge and Newsletter.
Swirling Eddies T-Shirt.
A new cassette! Swirling Mellow is basically the nine songs from Let's Spin re-arranged a la Tony Fenelon at the Wurlitzer Home Organ.
Eddy Breath Toothpaste. The label on this stand up pump dispenser reads: "Get Your Teeth Rock Star White."
Rats, I thought, years of practising electric guitar when all I needed was the right toothpaste. This stuff has a pungent cinnamon taste which becomes bland and soapy after about a minute and a half.
On inspecing my teeth in the mirror, I discovered that they have not become white at all, but are the same creamy yellow they've been for years.
It seems that rock start toothpaste, like the music industry, is not always what it appers!
Reviews provided thanks to the writers, magazines and newspapers listed as well as fans that have helped us collect them - Martin Fawkes, Jim Hart
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