I have to honestly say that this is not my favourite Choir album. I believe the quality of the album is good and it actually has some great lyrics. That said I found the album to kind of have no flow and I have a difficult time even describing the album. The vocals are good and actually it’s a pretty good album overall but I just didn’t like it that much, I’m not really too sure why. Strangely there is a cover of a George Harrison tune, “Behind That Locked Door”, which is OK I guess. I didn’t like the original but this version is an improvement if for no other reason than Mark Heard played the autoharp. I just find it doesn’t fit on the album that’s all. Another point of trivia is that three members of Adam Again also appear on the album. It is rumoured that they were recording in a neighbouring studio.
Tracklist
1 – Someone To Hold On To – 3:48
2 – To Cover You – 2:31
3 – Robin Had A Dream – 4:17
4 – Spin You Around – 4:10
5 – When She Sees Me – 4:11
6 – Wide-Eyed Wonder – 3:35
7 – Happy Fool – 3:30
8 – Car, Etc. – 6:21
9 – Behind That Locked Door – 3:01
10 – To Bid Farewell – 4:39
11 – Car, Cont. – 1:02
Credits
Bass Guitar, Vocals – Robin Spurs
Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Steve Hindalong
Executive-Producer – Tom Willett
Guitar, Electronics [Treatments], Lead Vocals – Derri Daugherty
Lyricon, Saxophone – Daniel Michaels
Mastered By – Steve Hall
Mixed By – Mark Heard
Producer – D. Daugherty, S. Hindalong
Producer [Additional] – David Hackbarth, Mark Heard
Recorded By – David Hackbarth
Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Word, Inc.
Copyright (c) – Word, Inc.
Manufactured By – Word, Inc.
Produced At – Neverland Studios
Mixed At – Neverland Studios
Mastered At – Future Disc
RE: Wide Eyed Wonder by the Choir review. I am so surprised this release didn’t really grab you as much. Everyone’s tastes of course differ. To me personally Wide Eyed Wonder is THE quintessential Choir album. I had and liked the two albums before this one quite a bit but completely fell in love with Wide Eyed Wonder and the Choir. Although in the 80’s I had shifted to primarily an alternative rock focus that still had that rock edge the dreamy title track is still my all time favorite Choir Track and still my favorite Choir album. Circle Slide and Shadow Weaver tie for second. Any way thanks for putting this detailed extensive review together. Many bands and releases I never heard of I would like to find now and some I had forgotten about.
I have a request to see if you can help trigger my memory about a 1980s song I have failed to find any reference to although it is how I found your website.
There was a song about the prophet Jonah from a band I had never previously heard of but someone had brought the cassette to a Christian training camp in the summer of 1982 and I believe a fairly new release at the time. The only thing I definitely remember is that I think the song began (or chorus?) with a very ominous possibly partially synthesized voice of God calling out to Jonah with equally lush spine tingling music behind it.
Seems like I remember it possibly being a duo of two male singers that put out several semi contemporary albums, nothing really cutting edge and that this song was definitely a stand out departure from their more typical songs.
Any ideas? It’s driving me crazy trying to remember and I reviewed your list of albums from 1982 back to 1979…
I did some checking and can’t find it. Keep in mind I have about 750 more albums to listen to but for now it will remain a mystery to me too 🙂