Various – The Strait Tapes – Volume II – 1985

This is the second of a series of tapes that were published by Strait which was the Greenbelt Newspaper that came out Bi Monthly in the 80’s. This is the second in the series released in 1985. While there are a few less rare tracks this volume it makes up for it with quantity. 18 tracks is pretty darn good for a compilation cassette. I’ve listed below what album these tracks showed up on if they did. This compilation was also released in Australia but with some modifications. Missing were Sheila Walsh – Send Me, Phil and John – The Wasted Years, and Steve Scott – Sound of Waves. Added was a great track from Idea – Take Us. Strangely the cover for the Australian version actually showed that the Walsh and Phil and John track were on the cassette but they were not.

1 – Garth Hewitt – Oscar Romero (Alien Brain 1985)
2 – Mark Heard – Victims of the Age (Victims of the Age 1982)
3 – Daniel Amos – Home Permanent (Vox Humana 1984)
4 – Sheila Walsh – Send Me (Don’t Hide Your Heart 1985)
5 – Randy Stonehill – Love Beyond Reason (Love Beyond Reason 1985)
6 – Paul Field – Valley of Dry Bones (from Visions 1985)
7 – Larry Norman – Iron and Steel (from Quiet Night 1984)
8 – The Fat Band – Kansas City (from The Fat Band 7-inch 1983)
9 – Steve Scott – Sound of Waves (12” mix)
(Australian version only) 9 – Idea – Take Us (previously unreleased)
10 – Passion Polka – Fighting Alone (Obsessions EP 2011)
11 – Charlie Peacock – Lie Down in the Grass (Lie Down in the Grass 1985)
12 – Phil and John – The Wasted Years (extended remixed version from Count Me Out 1983)
13 – Xtras – Don’t Look Back (previously unreleased)
14 – Pieces – Robot System (Face 2 Face 1985)
15 – Leslie Phillips – Give’em All You Got (Dancing with Danger 1984)
16 – The Front – It’s Hard to Take (The Front 1985)
17 – Avalon – Flags (not The Aussie Avalon, released on 7″ in 1984)
18 – First Strike – Loneliness Kills (Rock of Offense 1984)

Tracklist
1 – Garth Hewitt – Oscar Romero – 4:12
2 – Mark Heard – Victims of the Age – 3:13
3 – Daniel Amos – Home Permanent – 3:00
4 – Sheila Walsh – Send Me – 3:30
5 – Randy Stonehill – Love Beyond Reason – 5:33
6 – Paul Field – Valley of Dry Bones – 3:03
7 – Larry Norman – Iron and Steel – 4:07
8 – The Fat Band – Kansas City – 2:47
9 – Steve Scott – Sound of Waves – 4:26
(Australian version only) 9 – Idea – Take Us – 3:08
10 – Passion Polka – Fighting Alone – 4:18
11 – Charlie Peacock – Lie Down in the Grass – 3:26
12 – Phil and John – The Wasted Years – 2:58
13 – Xtras – Don’t Look Back – 3:50
14 – Pieces – Robot System – 3:44
15 – Leslie Phillips – Give’em All You Got – 3:51
16 – The Front – It’s Hard to Take – 3:22
17 – Avalon – Flags – 4:22
18 – First Strike – Loneliness Kills – 3:38

Daniel Amos – BibleLand – 1994

At this point Daniel Amos had album writing down to a science. Wikipedia states “The album is unusual for its loud, distorted noise pop sound, atypical of the band’s other recordings.” Really? All I hear is a typical DA album. I don’t hear any sound I haven’t heard from them before. Maybe I’m wrong though as I have a much more simple view of music and don’t get into small nuances like whomever wrote that Wikipedia entry. Anyway it’s a great album and while I may disagree with the message of the title track I don’t have to agree with Terry Taylor on everything.

Tracklist
1 – Broken Ladders To Glory – 4:05
2 – Bibleland – 2:56
3 – Theo’s Logic – 3:21
4 – Low Crawls And High Times – 3:41
5 – Bakersfield – 6:20
6 – Out In The Cold – 5:03
7 – The Bubble Bursts – 4:16
8 – Pete And Repeat – 4:11
9 – Constance Of The Universe – 4:09
10 – I’ll Get Over It – 4:39
11 – She’s Working Here – 4:16
12 – Stone Away – 4:48

Credits
Art Direction, Design, Photography By, Computer [Digital Chicanery, etc.] – Court Patton, Tom Gulotta
Bass – Tim Chandler
Drums – Ed McTaggart
Engineer [Engineered By] – Gene Eugene, Terry Taylor
Executive-Producer – Gene Eugene, Ojo Taylor
Film Technician [Scanning, Color Proofing & Film Output] – Ed McTaggart
Guitar – Greg Flesch, Jerry Chamberlain
Illustration – Douglas TenNapel
Mastered By – Doug Doyle
Mixed By – Gene Eugene
Photography By [Band Photo] – Trisha Kluck
Producer [Produced By] – Terry Taylor
Vocals, Guitar – Terry Taylor

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – WAL
Copyright © – WAL
Produced For – Stunt Productions
Recorded At – The Green Room
Mixed At – Mixing Lab A
Mixed At – The Green Room
Mastered At – Digital Brothers
Published By – Twitchen Vibes Music
Published By – B-1 Music
Published By – Chenka, Chenka Music
Published By – Word Music
Manufactured By – JVC

Daniel Amos – Songs Of The Heart – 1995

The story goes that the band while in their rehearsal hall saw an album hanging on the wall released in the early 1960s and entitled Songs of the Heart by Bob and Elsa Beckendorf. The album cover was a simple picture of the two artists. The concept was a trip down Route 66 with the couple they renamed as Bud & Irma Akendorf. They actually used the original album cover with their name as the artist. This is the concept of the album track;

Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You – We look back to the time when Bud first fell in love with Irma

The Glory Road – Bud, now retired, takes Irma on vacation

Get Into The Bus, Aloha – The Akendorf’s witness a strange occurence at a rest stop

Evangeline – The Akendorf’s get a surprise when they visit a Faith Healer our of curiosity

Uneasy Liews The Head Of The Confidence Man – Bud and Irma discuss faith and flim-flam

The Organ Bar – Meanwhile, in L.A., we encounter a mysterious stranger

Donna Nietche And Her Super Race Of Kick Boxing Uber Parrots – The mysterious stranger offers us a questionable proposition

Our Night To Howl, Time To Go Dancing – Bud gets frisky

Sins Of The Fathers – Back home, Bud has coffee at his favorite diner and is tempted to offer some words of wisdom

Turn This Off – Bud complains about today’s music and the state of the world

Loveland – Relieved to be back home, the Akendorf’s find a better view of the world from their love seat

When Everyone Wore Hats – The Akendorf’s reminisce

My Hand To God – The mysterious stranger reappears as Bud says his last goodbye to Irma

I’m not the biggest fan of concept albums as they always seem to concentrate too hard on the concept rather than the songs but if you’re a DA fan you’re gonna like this one anyway.

Daniel Amos – Doppelgänger: The “¡Alarma! Chronicles” Volume II – 1981

This is volume 2 of the ¡Alarma! Chronicles. Between volume 1 and 2 of the Chronicles they switched record labels and got a new bass player. Terry Taylor’s guidance clearly held things together though. This release is peak 80s culture. It fit the model of what was happening in music at the time, even if nothing of the sort was happening in CCM outside of DA. This visionary album was on par with everything else in the scene at the time, but limited by being marketed to the CCM audience.

Tracklist
1 – Hollow Man – – 2:15
2 – Mall (All Over The World) – 3:13
3 – Real Girls – 2:57
4 – New Car! – 2:00
5 – Do Big Boys Cry – 2:05
6 – Youth With A Machine – 2:42
7 – The Double – 3:50
8 – Distance And Direction – 2:48
9 – Memory Lane – 3:48
10 – Angels Tuck You In – 2:38
11 – Little Crosses – 2:35
12 – Autographs For The Sick – 1:40
13 – I Didn’t Build It For Me – 2:48
14 – Here I Am – 3:18
15 – Hollow Man (Reprise) – 0:43

Credits
Arranged By [Keyboards] – Jerry Chamberlain, Terry Taylor, Tom Howard
Backing Vocals – Ed McTaggart, Jerry Chamberlain, Terry Taylor, Tim Chandler
Backing Vocals [Occasional] – Derald Daugherty, Dori “Game Show Girl” Howard, Emelia Emulator, Janet McTaggart, Mark Cook (2), Randy Stonehill, The Three Women From Istanbul, Tom Howard
Bass Guitar – Marty Dieckmeyer (tracks: 1), Tim Chandler
Bass Guitar [8-string] – Tim Chandler
Bass Guitar [Fretless] – Tim Chandler
Drums [Skins, Tubs, Traps] – Ed McTaggart
Engineer – Thom Roy
Engineer [Second] – Derald Daugherty*
Keyboards – Jeff Lams (tracks: 3,13), Mark Cook (2) (tracks: 8), Marty Dieckmeyer (tracks: 1), Rob Watson (tracks: 2,3,5 to 7,14), Tom Howard (tracks: 4,7,9 to 11,14)
Lead Guitar – Jerry Chamberlain
Lead Vocals – Jerry Chamberlain (tracks: 11), Terry Taylor
Mastered By – Steve Hall
Percussion – Alex MacDougall, Ed McTaggart, Jerry Chamberlain, Terry Taylor, Tim Chandler
Performer [Da Is] – Ed McTaggart, Jerry Chamberlain, Terry Taylor, Tim Chandler
Producer – Jerry Chamberlain, Terry Taylor
Remastered By – Doug Doyle
Rhythm Guitar – Terry Taylor
Saxophone – Bill Colton

Companies, etc.
Produced For – Rebel Base Productions
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Alarma Records
Copyright © – Alarma Records
Distributed By – The Benson Company, Inc.
Distributed By – Lawson Falle Limited
Recorded At – Whitefield Studios
Recorded At – Rebel Base Studio
Mixed At – Whitefield Studios
Mastered At – MCA Recording Studios
Lacquer Cut At – MCA Whitney Recording Studios
Published By – Twitchen Vibes Music
Published By – Paragon Music Corp.

Daniel Amos – Kalhoun – 1991

Kalhoun is the ninth album from Daniel Amos but it was actually released under their moniker dä. The band had taken a break for 4 years while working on other projects. The album was perceived as being rather anti government in the aftermath of the Gulf War but it’s not in your face, it’s rather subtle. Strangely the track “If You Want To” was later rerecorded by the Lost Dogs for their 2004 album MUTT. The album is true to their earlier rock sound and we don’t hear much new wave sounds on the album. I think that makes this album probably the best of their 90’s work.

Tracklist
1 – Big, Warm, Sweet, Interior Glowing – 3:36
2 – If You Want To – 3:58
3 – Kalhoun – 3:20
4 – I Will Return – 4:18
5 – Tracking The Amorous Man – 3:08
6 – Virgin Falls – 4:14
7 – Gloryhound – 4:40
8 – Prayer Wheel – 3:39
9 – Note To Anna – 2:41
10 – Father Explains – 4:32
11 – Gate Of The World – 4:11

Credits
Art Direction – Court Patton, Terry Taylor, Tom Gulot
Bass, Guitar [Additional] – Tim Chandler
Cello – Miles Tackett
Design, Layout – Patton Brothers Design
Drums, Percussion – Ed McTaggart
Engineer – G. Eugene
Film Technician [Film Imaging] – Ed McTaggart
Guitar, Accordion, Organ [B-3], Violin – Greg Flesch
Illustration [Illustrations] – Court Patton
Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Acoustic Guitar – Terry Taylor
Mastered By – John Matousek
Mixed By – G. Eugene, Terry Taylor
Other [Organ Donor] – Travis Sheets
Pedal Steel Guitar – Greg Kellogg
Photography – Brian K. Tong
Producer – Daniel Amos, Terry Taylor
Technician [Drums] – Dave Raven
Trumpet – Dave Hackbarth

Companies, etc.
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Brainstorm Artists International
Copyright © – Brainstorm Artists International
Manufactured By – Word, Inc.
Distributed By – Word, Inc.
Produced For – Stunt Productions
Recorded At – The Mixing Lab (2)
Recorded At – Neverland Studios
Mixed At – Neverland Studios
Mastered At – Sound Works West
Published By – Twitchen Vibes Music
Published By – Brainstorm Artists International

Daniel Amos – Live Bootleg ’82 – 1990

There are several recordings of DA live in the 80’s but this should be the definitive one. You can tell from the mix that they intended for this to be a recorded concert. Apparently we can attribute that excellent mix to Bruce Brown who is an obscure engineer from Australia but his work is excellent. Anyway, setting out to record a live album can be a complicated thing as you need to convert visual to audio. DA nailed it on this one and this may actually be one of the best concerts I have ever heard. Definitely top 10. Of real interest are 3 unreleased songs on the album “I’m On Your Team”, “Everyone’s Fallen Down”, and “Love Has Open Arms”. All 3 are excellent tunes. The album also has a version of their concert famous “Surf Suite” which is absolutely excellent. Think Devo meets the Beach Boys. No really. Apparently there was an “Uncut” version of the album released with additional tracks. We’re on the lookout for it already. This a is a top notch release and should be given the time it deserves for a listen.

Tracklist
1 – I Love You #19 – 3:15
2 – I’m On Your Team – 2:27
3 – Faces To The Window – 2:23
4 – Mall All Over The World – 3:05
5 – Everyone’s Fallen Down – 3:25
6 – Baby Game – 2:34
7 – Through The Speakers – 2:43
8 – ¡Alarma! – 2:41
9 – Love Has Open Arms – 3:25
10 – Hit Them (With Love) – 2:37
11 – Hound Of Heaven – 3:50
12 – Ghost Of The Heart – 2:32
13 – The Surf Suite – 8:37

Credits
Artwork, Layout – Court Patton, Tom Gulotta
Bass, Vocals – Tim Chandler
Coordinator [Project Coordinator] – Tom Gulotta
Drums, Vocals – Ed McTaggart
Engineer [Final Mix] – Gene Eugene
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Jerry Chamberlain
Lead Vocals, Guitar – Terry Taylor
Mastered By – Doug Doyle
Producer – Terry Taylor
Producer [Live Concert Production] – Bruce Brown
Recorded By, Mixed By – Bruce Brown, Tom Brooks
Written-By [All Songs Written By] – Terry Taylor

Companies, etc.
Copyright © – Stunt Records (2)
Distributed By – Spring Arbor Distribution – 0001502093
Recorded At – Neverland Studios
Mastered At – Digital Brothers
Glass Mastered at – Nimbus, Virginia

Various – Maranatha! Six A Family Portrait – 1977

This is the sixth in the series of well known easy listening Maranatha! Music samplers. Seems strange now to see Daniel Amos and Sweet Comfort (Band) on a sampler like this. Below are the original albums with the tracks.

1 – Karen Lafferty – Beautiful Day – Sweet Communion
2 – Bruce Herring – Perfect Will – Unreleased
3 – Sweet Comfort – Somebody Loves You – Sweet Comfort
4 – Aslan – Who Loves The Lonely – Unreleased
5 – Erick Nelson – He Gave Me Love – The Misfit
6 – Parable – The Plain Truth – Illustrations
7 – Bethlehem – Desert Songs – Bethlehem
8 – Becky Ugartechea – Nightengale – Unreleased
9 – Daniel Amos – Father’s Arms – Shotgun Angel
10 – Bob & Joy Cull – Sail Away – Windborne

Tracklist
1 – Karen Lafferty – Beautiful Day – 4:21
2 – Bruce Herring – Perfect Will – 3:51
3 – Sweet Comfort – Somebody Loves You – 3:01
4 – Aslan – Who Loves The Lonely – 3:54
5 – Erick Nelson – He Gave Me Love – 3:55
6 – Parable – The Plain Truth – 3:33
7 – Bethlehem – Desert Songs – 3:40
8 – Becky Ugartechea – Nightengale – 3:53
9 – Daniel Amos – Father’s Arms – 4:23
10 – Bob & Joy Cull – Sail Away – 4:15

Companies, etc.
Pressed By – Monarch Record Mfg. Co.
Distributed By – Word, Inc.
Copyright © – Maranatha! Music
Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Maranatha! Music

Daniel Amos – Live at Calvary Chapel (1​-​28​-​78)

In 2021 Daniel Amos released a recording of themselves live at Calvary Chapel in 1978. It features songs from their first two albums as well as Horrendous Disc which was already recorded but unreleased by Larry. It has 2 tracks, Happily Married Man, and Ain’t Gonna Fight It, that were not released until 1990 on a CD re-issue of their self titled album as bonus tracks. The sound quality is excellent and it’s an excellent opportunity for us to travel back in time to hear a band that would become one of the premiere CCM bands of all time.

Tracklist
1 – Hound Of Heaven – 4:52
2 – Abidin’ – 03:14
3 – Meal – 3:51
4 – Horrendous Disc – 3:29
5 – On The Line – 5:51
6 – Happily Married Man – 4:13
7 – Days & Nights – 2:25
8 – Ain’t Gonna Fight It – 4:54
9 – Posse In The Sky – 4:52
10 – Skeptic’s Song – 3:00
11 – Walking On The Water 7:03

Credits
Terry Scott Taylor- Lead Vocals- guitar
Jerry Chamberlain- Guitar, vocals
Ed McTaggart- Drums
Mark Cook- Keys, vocals
Marty Dieckmeyer- Bass
Mastered by Bruce Neher

Daniel Amos – The Revelation – 1986

It’s actually a little tough to classify this album. What we have here is a complete remix of side 2 of DA’s 2nd album, Shotgun Angel with one additional track, “Soon”. In between and mixed into the tracks are readings of the Book of Revelation by Calvary Chapel (Costa Mesa) Pastor Chuck Smith. I guess you could say this is a bit of a conceptual album. Because of this I actually chose to upload the album as Side 1 and Side 2 as I felt breaking up the individual tracks actually interfered with the flow of the narration and as such the album. I think it’s best enjoyed as a whole rather than it’s parts. The remixes are actually very good but as a whole the idea didn’t work for me. I enjoyed listening to it once but found I didn’t want a round 2. That said it definitely deserves at least a one time listen through.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPcTOx34g9XTtot7Ztii3Tn2gn7WCwFSW

Tracklist

Side1
Finale: Bereshith Overture – 6:03
Lady Goodbye – 3:59
The Whistler – 5:23
He’s Gonna Do A Number On You – 2:29
Better – 6:49

Side 2
Sail Me Away – 6:28
Posse In The Sky – 6:23
Soon – 11:03

Credits
Accordion – Frank Marocco
Art Direction – Ed McTaggart
Artwork – Jon Fraze
Backing Vocals – Ed McTaggart, Jerry Chamberlain, Mark Cook, Marty Dieckmeyer, Terry Taylor
Bass Guitar – Marty Dieckmeyer
Compilation Producer – Terry Scott Taylor
Conductor – Jim Stipech
Drums – Ed McTaggart
Guitar – Jerry Chamberlain, Terry Taylor
Keyboards – Mark Cook
Keyboards [Album Segways] – Terry Taylor
Layout – Ed McTaggart
Lead Vocals – Jerry Chamberlain (tracks: A2), Mark Cook (tracks: A4), Terry Taylor
Mastered By – John Matousek
Narrator – Pastor Chuck Smith
Orchestrated By – Jim Stipech
Pedal Steel Guitar – Dom Franco
Percussion – Ed McTaggart
Percussion [Additional] – Alex MacDougall
Producer – Daniel Amos, Jonathan David Brown
Remix – Doug Doyle, Terry Taylor

CD Case Cover
CD Case Back
Inside
Disc

Daniel Amos – Fearful Symmetry – 1986

It is amazing to consider that within a year the conclusion of the Alarma Chronicles will be celebrating its 25th anniversary. 25 years ago one of the most impressive, ambitious and amazing four album series came to an end with a work of sheer art. Each album was unique musically with Fearful Symmetry being the darkest, brooding and mysterious of the four. Following the significantly more new wave “pop” of Vox Humana, FS was shocking, intriguing and…well…fearful. The majority of the album deals with darker subjects like death, pain and loss and the musical soundscape of ethereal vocals and sweeping and weeping keyboards envelope the listener in the dark cloud of the content. That is not to say that the album is replete of hope or grace, but actually just the opposite. It is through the valley of this projects the light that does shine through appears that much brighter. Terry Scott Taylor’s admiration of and inspiration by William Blake is the strongest on this project. From the album title to the most haunting song, Sleep Silent Child, the album is filled with images and direct quotations from Blake. The album does close with the stunningly simple and beautiful lullaby or sorts, Beautiful One. This one hearkens back to Taylor’s solo projects with the sing-songy simplicity and lush keyboard strings and Taylor’s lilting higher register. It is the perfect ending to the “chronicles” as it’s message about the eternal hope of all Christians to find themselves in the arms of the Beautiful One upon their death. I remember when the album was released the number of complaints we received were almost exclusively related to the naked man (from the waist up) on the album cover. Those that complained obviously never listened to nor understood the content of the project or the complaints may have been drastically different. More keyboard driven and music less guitar oriented. the album reflected much of the European alternative music of the day like Depeche Mode, Alphaville, etc but also shows reflections of art rock music of Genesis and Pink Floyd. Not immediately accessible or as warmly received as the first four projects, the album eventually became regarded as one of the best of the Daniel Amos catalog.

Contributor David Lowman – https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com/

Tracklist
1 – A Sigh For You – 3:58
2 – The Pool – 3:47
3 – Sleep Silent Child – 4:38
4 – Neverland Ballroom – 3:17
5 – Strong Points, Weak Points – 3:55
6 – Instruction Thru Film – 3:20
7 – When Moonlight Sleeps (On The Frosted Hill) – 3:55
8 – Sudden Heaven – 3:23
9 – Shadow Catcher – 4:32
10 – Beautiful One – 3:33

Credits
Arranged By [All Arrangements By] – DA
Art Direction, Layout – Mr. Ed (McTaggart)
Backing Vocals – Crystal Lewis (tracks: B2, B5), Jerry Chamberlain (tracks: A5, B5)
Design Concept [Cover Concept] – DA
Drums, Percussion, Synthesizer [Synthesizers] – Ed McTaggart
Electric Bass, Double Bass [Upright Bass], Bass [Electric Twelve-String Bass], Guitar [Guitars] – Tim Chandler
Keyboards, Snare [Snares] – Rob Watson (tracks: A3)
Lead Guitar [Lead Guitars], E-Bow [E-Bo], Synthesizer [Synthesizers], Organ [Pump Organ], Dulcimer, Mandolin – Greg Flesch
Mastered By – John Matousek
Narrator – Jerry Chamberlain (tracks: B1)
Percussion – Alex MacDougall (tracks: B2, B5)
Photography By [Band Photos By] – Linda Dillon Baley
Photography By [Photographics By] – Ken Baley
Photography By, Photography By [Photographics By] – Derrill Bazzy
Producer – DA, Terry Taylor
Recorded By, Mixed By – Dave Hackbarth, Doug Doyle, Terry Taylor
Synth [Synth Treatments] – Dave Hackbarth (tracks: A1, B3), Doug Doyle (tracks: A1, B3)
Text By [¡Alarma! Chronicles Text Volume 4 By] – Greg Flesch, Terry Taylor
Vocals, Guitar [Guitars], Harmonica, Synthesizer [Synthesizers] – Terry Taylor

Companies, etc.
Distributed By – The Benson Company
Distributed By – The Master’s Collection
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Frontline Records (3)
Copyright (c) – Frontline Records (3)
Published By – Broken Songs
Recorded At – 3-D Studios, Costa Mesa CA.
Mastered At – Hitsville