Since I don’t buy new music very often, I thought I’d bring up some of my favorite old albums when I listen to them. The recent commercial for cashews caused me to pull Songs of the Heart sung by Daniel Amos out. The cover art is reminiscent of old gospel albums- quite tongue-in-cheek considering the music found therein. Daniel Amos is one of my favorite bands. They are the fathers of Christian alternative music. I once described their Fearful Symmetry album to one of my bosses as David Bowie on acid. They were too far out there for most Christians. One of my great regrets was never seeing them in concert. They played just around the corner from my college dorm a few months before I learned who they were.
The album starts on with the song from the cashew commercial- Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You. This makes sense when you remember that they album is meant to chronicle Bud and Irma Akendorf’s spiritual journey (fictional folks). It is a “musical film”, and this reflects their initial romance. This is a great version of a classic song with plenty of distortion. I was supposed to sing this song at the rehearsal dinner for my wedding. Thankfully for everyone else there, it never happened. CavWife and I share this joke together from time to time.
The next song is The Glory Road. The now-retired Akendorfs are doing what many retirees do, touring the States. It celebrates many of the famous sights you can visit across America. This is followed by Get Back into the Bus, Aloha. They experience a spiritual awakening. Or is it just a dream?
“You’ve crossed the line again, your passion’s an embarassing thing, the crowd is laughing at us, so get back into the bus, Aloha, when you lose control, Aloha.”
Next they meet Evangeline, a faith healer. They visit the ‘revival’ out of curiousity and experience something they didn’t expect. All to the sound of driving guitars.
“With hands in the air and eyes to heaven I find myself agreeing, with each lost sinner in the place, and every word Evangeline is screaming, I could be deceived, but I believe, that I just got a healing from Evangeline … does a miracle occur somehow in spite of her?”
Daniel Amos has long been skeptical and critical of religious hucksters. But they recognize that God can do something extraordinary despite them. Just like in the movie Leap of Faith.
The next song is one of my favorites, Uneasy Lies the Head of the Confidence Man. Tim Chandler lays down some great bass lines. It is about how we are deceived by confidence men for fun (magicians, clowns, illusionists) or profit (when they rob us). Bud and Irma are wrestling with faith: is it real or part of a confidence scam?
The gears change radically with The Organ Bar where they encounter a mysterious stranger. The lyrics are almost done like hip-hop to minimal music. More great bass. The chorus builds with guitar tracks. This is a typically strange song, which Daniel Amos seems to make work.
In Donna Nietzsche and Her Super-Race of Kick-Boxing Uber-Parrots this mysterious stranger offers them eternal life. This is an allegory of John 14 among other things. Don’t ask me to explain the title, I can’t. But this is a more mellow song.
Bud gets frisky in Our Night to Howl, Time to Go Dancing. The guitar and bass are in the forefront in this romp. “Honey, you still fog my glasses.” Some playful, strange fun with lots of feedback and distortion.
Things get a bit serious with Sins of the Fathers. We often follow in the same sinful patterns as those who have gone before us. We seem unable to talk with those younger than us, and they seem unwilling to listen to us. The only thing that can break the pattern is the gospel.
“I see this ol’ world is fast becoming a place, meant only for survivors, where the glands have replaced the heart and soul, and we act out our darkest desires, so here’s another prayer for the boy, for God’s mercy and His grace, for salvation and love, and the courage to make the world a better place.”
Turn This Off is a rant, and an annoying one at that. Bud complains about today’s music and the state of the world to a driving guitar. It has some cow-punk action to it. “Where are the love songs? I wonder where the joy went.”
Loveland is one of the best songs on the album. A bit haunting and lots of great organ and guitar runs. Loveland refers to them being back home, safe on their loveseat. Hope returns to Bud and Irma. Under the guitar and organ you can hear some mighty fine bass lines.
When Everyone Wore Hats is another of my favorite songs. It looks back to a more “respectable” time. People were not as brazen about their sin back then. The chorus is accompanied by some really fine guitar work. I could listen to this song everyday and those guitar licks would still stir my heart for the future time when sin is dead.
“Uncertain where the road was leading, but trusting God was on their side, they traced the moral chain of being, and filmed it all in black and white, and everyone wore hats…”
The album ends with My Hand to God. The Mysterious Stranger reappears as Bud says his final good-bye to Irma. It is a song of hope in the face of sadness.
“My hand to God, I believe this is true, beyond the dark gate I see here now, I’ll be waiting for you, all we’ve dreaded and hoped for is here, what we both welcome and fear, I pray you won’t despair, I’ll always be near, my hand to God, my hand to God.”
Daniel Amos is one the most under-appreciated bands. They now make albums on the side when they have time and money. Daniel Amos is a side-gig. They all have full-time jobs, not all in the music industry. But they never failed to make me ponder, to worship. They also had music that stretched my imagination.
when i think of my favorite daniel amos records this one does not leap to mind but it may be one of their most under-rated. thanks for making me get it back out for a listen. i have been fortunate enough to see them at least 4 times. the most memorable was at the cornerstone festival where they opened with “revolution” (the beatles) and followed it with “endless summer” where Terry quipped “Revolution or Surfing”.
[...] songs of the heart sung by daniel amos Posted on May 7, 2008 by drivebymedia Thanks to cavman considers who wrote a review of the this album from Danial Amos . Here is Sins of the [...]
Hey! Something in common. DA was and still is one of my favorites. Did you ever get into Undercover or the 77″s?
Kim
There was one Undercover album I liked. Can’t remember since it was stolen with my whole collection – except Joshua Tree, War, and Zoom Daddy- back in ‘95.
Enjoyed the 77’s from Sticks & Stones onward. Sticks & Stones was just an awesome album.
the 77’s is one of the great bands of all time! they are preparing a new album for release later this year. as for undercover they just kept getting better with “forum”being their best. i did see both those bands in concert too!
[...] the comments on this post considering songs of the heart Kim mentions the 77’s and [...]
Another fun one pops into my mind. How about Steve Taylor. Anyone get into his music?
Ah, yes, the 77s. While I found DA a bit too out there (much of the time), I found the 77s music both complex and catchy, lyrically and muscially, all at the same time. Of course, I was in my teens when all of this was happening, so I wonder how I view it now in my late 30s. I went to the 77s website after seeing your review, and grabbed the 1 minute snippets of the cuts on All Fall Down. Good memories. “Caught in an Unguarded Moment”, “Ba-ba-ba-ba”, and “Make a Difference Tonight” were my fav’s. May have to scrounge up a few bucks to buy it (assuming I can find it).
Steve Taylor was great. Really enjoyed the mustic and the sense of humor. He put on a great show too. Too bad he went on to other things (I say selfishishly).