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Posted by colorblind on 03-28-2008 at13:24:

  best of the DA new-wave era

I'm awaiting my iAlama! Chronicles bookset...(grrr!)...so I haven't heard much from this era (with the exception of what's on Personal Favourite Hits).
What's the best of the 'new wave' era...the whole power synth, drum machine, 80's reverb and windblown thing???
Thanks.

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Posted by Ron E on 03-28-2008 at13:27:

  RE: best of the DA new-wave era

Hi colorblind, where are you from in Canada, thanks for blowing a fresh breeze of DA talk back in here!


As far as I'm concerned, anything from Doppelganger along with William Blake and Sanctuary from Vox Humana are my favourites.

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Posted by colorblind on 03-28-2008 at13:45:

 

I love "Sanctuary"..., and can't wait to hear the rest of Vox Humana.
I've only heard "Mall (All Over The World)" from Doppelganger...and for some reason I seem to think I heard someone say that that song isn't exactly representative of the whole album...but they might've been referring to the subject matter. I like the sound of the song...along with "The Pool". "Darn Floor/Big Bite" sounds fairly sharp and angular too.
I've been on an 80's throwback kick lately (Fine China, The Foxglove Hunt, Junior Boys, ect)...so I can't wait to hear DA's output back then.

I live in Saskatchewan...the middle of Canada...farms...fields...cold...snow...eh???

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Posted by Ron E on 03-28-2008 at13:51:

 

Subject wise, I think Mall fits Doppelganger, but musically I guess not.

I live in Ontario, there only seem to be a couple of us, I was going to say west of Alberta, but now I'll say west of Saskatchewan!

Moby's doing a whole throwback 80's dance/house album, if that's your thing, I'm certainly thinking of getting it, at least for my wife, if not me!

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Posted by jiminy on 03-28-2008 at15:08:

 

cb-

nextime ya got a map handy (when its convienent)- look down and to the left, I'll wave atcha from Superior WI.
We be on the lil tip of the big arrowhead ya know.

anyway - heres my scathing synopsis

ialarma! = talking heads and or Elvis costello
doppleganger = more like talking heads (maybe-but probably not)
Vox = synth driven 80s sound (hard to peg..but more harmonies n texture
FS = Depeche Mode and or TFF..maybe- but not really

everyone will call me a deaf liar..but tthats OK - I can go ..HUH?.

you have a MAJOR musical treat in store for you-its the most forceful collective series by DA- or really most any other band.
Other artists "ended up" having a trilogy or more of great stuff...
DA intended to stab it from the onset.
a tall order very well filled.

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Posted by wes berlin on 03-28-2008 at15:51:

 

quote:

Originally posted by jiminy doppleganger = more like talking heads (maybe-but probably not)

hmmmmm....i always thought it was more like a bowie influence.

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Posted by Jimmy Brown on 03-28-2008 at16:20:

 

"Mall" fits thematically and musically into Doppelganger very well, but I admit it is not musically typical of the rest of the songs. By the way, if you listen to them straight through, you're in for a treat when Alarma! ends and Doppelganger starts. "Hollow Man" was the song that first hooked me on Daniel Amos.

My other random thought is that Fearful Symmetry is as highly produced as Alarma! is stripped down. And I love them both.

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Posted by wakachiwaka on 03-28-2008 at19:35:

 

I would say that "Mall" is as representative of Doppelganger as any of its other songs, but that's only because no one song is even remotely similar to another on that album (although the album as a whole hangs together of a piece). This truly is a unique record, which is probably why so many of us have such a difficult time trying to describe it. It's very dark, aggressive, edgy, angular, philisophical, cerebral, biscuit-like, full of penguins, and hardly ever late for breakfast. It does have the distinction of featuring the auspicious debut of Tim Chandler and his jaw-dropping bass magic, and also the temporary swansong of Jerry Chamberlain's Les Paul crunch. Talking Heads, yes. Bowie, yes. Cheap Trick, yes. Yes, no.

Doppelganger is, IMHO, the best of the Chronicles. Hope that helps.

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Posted by Ron E on 03-28-2008 at19:55:

 

quote:

Originally posted by Jimmy Brown "Mall" fits thematically and musically into Doppelganger very well, but I admit it is not musically typical of the rest of the songs. By the way, if you listen to them straight through, you're in for a treat when Alarma! ends and Doppelganger starts. "Hollow Man" was the song that first hooked me on Daniel Amos. My other random thought is that Fearful Symmetry is as highly produced as Alarma! is stripped down. And I love them both.

Oh yeah, Hollow Man too, that is great!

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Posted by Dr Rich on 03-28-2008 at23:40:

 

quote:

Originally posted by wes berlin quote: Originally posted by jiminy doppleganger = more like talking heads (maybe-but probably not) hmmmmm....i always thought it was more like a bowie influence.

I can see that!

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Posted by Dr Rich on 03-28-2008 at23:41:

 

quote:

Originally posted by wakachiwaka I would say that "Mall" is as representative of Doppelganger as any of its other songs, but that's only because no one song is even remotely similar to another on that album (although the album as a whole hangs together of a piece). This truly is a unique record, which is probably why so many of us have such a difficult time trying to describe it. It's very dark, aggressive, edgy, angular, philisophical, cerebral, biscuit-like, full of penguins, and hardly ever late for breakfast. It does have the distinction of featuring the auspicious debut of Tim Chandler and his jaw-dropping bass magic, and also the temporary swansong of Jerry Chamberlain's Les Paul crunch. Talking Heads, yes. Bowie, yes. Cheap Trick, yes. Yes, no.

Very well put.

It's a weird and strange little dark record!

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Posted by manskow on 03-29-2008 at08:48:

  80's

To my mind, The Alarma Chronicles is the perfect summary (fearful symmetry?) of the sound of the eighties. And not - as often was the case in Christian music - by a band bent on rehashing influences; although they may be heard as DA were part of the zeitgeist just as Costello, Bowie, Byrne and others were.

What sets The Chronicles apart from all but a few records from this era is the fact that Daniel Amos were able to move beyond the sound, beyond the style, beyond the subject matter and write and record a cycle of songs that, as does the best work of Dylan or The Beatles, rises above the limitations of its time. It does sound as if it was recorded in the eighties, but not in a way that can be easily dismissed today. This is particularly true of the first two installments. Vox Humana and Fearful Symmetry both sound a bit more dated, but this is more than made up for by the quality of the songs.

As a sixteen-year old I was completely floored when I first heard Doppelganger (which was my introduction to the Chronicles). Sixteen-year olds are easily floored. I have had several unpleasant experiences when hearing or seeing or reading again what constituted life changing experiences when I was younger. The Alarma Chronicles are not merely as relevant to the forty-year old as they were to the teenager, they are more relevant.

I would not hesitate to range this cycle of songs up there with the best of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd and David Bowie. It is a shameful statement about our culture that it is not mentioned alongside Abbey Road, Blonde On Blonde, The Wall and Ziggy Stardust. But it is also a strong statement about the integrity of the people behind it that they refused to move towards the middle musically to appeace the Christian music industry, or that they refused to move towards the middle philosophically to appeace the secular music industry.

I consider myself blessed to have had this music in my life as a young man, and that I can now enjoy it again as an adult.

God bless you all - and God bless Daniel Amos, the Eddies and the Dogs.

Fred

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Posted by Dr Rich on 03-29-2008 at08:55:

RE: 80's

quote:

Originally posted by manskow I would not hesitate to range this cycle of songs up there with the best of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd and David Bowie. It is a shameful statement about our culture that it is not mentioned alongside Abbey Road, Blonde On Blonde, The Wall and Ziggy Stardust. But it is also a strong statement about the integrity of the people behind it that they refused to move towards the middle musically to appeace the Christian music industry, or that they refused to move towards the middle philosophically to appeace the secular music industry.

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Posted by wakachiwaka on 03-29-2008 at11:20:

  RE: 80's

quote:

Originally posted by manskow The Alarma Chronicles are not merely as relevant to the forty-year old as they were to the teenager, they are more relevant... I consider myself blessed to have had this music in my life as a young man, and that I can now enjoy it again as an adult. God bless you all - and God bless Daniel Amos, the Eddies and the Dogs.

Amen.

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Posted by Dr Rich on 03-29-2008 at19:16:

  RE: 80's

quote:

Originally posted by wakachiwaka quote: Originally posted by manskow The Alarma Chronicles are not merely as relevant to the forty-year old as they were to the teenager, they are more relevant... I consider myself blessed to have had this music in my life as a young man, and that I can now enjoy it again as an adult. God bless you all - and God bless Daniel Amos, the Eddies and the Dogs. Amen.

Make that a double!

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Posted by colorblind on 03-30-2008 at02:07:

 

Thanks Manskow for the post. Very insightful.

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Posted by Dr Rich on 03-30-2008 at03:55:

  RE: best of the DA new-wave era

quote:

Originally posted by colorblind I'm awaiting my iAlama! Chronicles bookset...(grrr!)...so I haven't heard much from this era (with the exception of what's on Personal Favourite Hits). What's the best of the 'new wave' era...the whole power synth, drum machine, 80's reverb and windblown thing??? Thanks.

So you bought this on Ebay?

I think I saw at least part of that auction.

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Posted by colorblind on 03-30-2008 at08:55:

 

No...
I bought the iAlarma! Chronicles bookset on amazon.
The listed price was $299...but I talked the guy down to $160!!!

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Posted by DwDunphy on 03-30-2008 at21:04:

 

$160???

Look, I'm not going to say it's not worth it because I obviously think it is but... Let's just say that I try to get in on the ground floor of these things. I can't afford the price of fandom!

As for the new wave years, understand that I was around when these things originally came out and while there was a few pretty good things out there, there was little Christian rock that truly felt contemporary, and the ones that sounded right for the times often paid penance by espousing bumper sticker theology and feel good, God the (rich) Father promissory notes.

That was one of the more refreshing things about DA then and now. They never promised smooth sailing. "Come to the garden, come to the hill, come to the tree, come to the kill... Won't break your bones but it could break your will" and "Should the moon burn red, stars leave the sky, remember your sanctuary". God is the loving Father and comforter, but no one rides for free on this earth and no one's copycatting the Walks On Water move, so remember your life jacket.

And as I have said many times, the band seldom could be accused of trying to look like their secular counterparts. They were equal to them. It's a big distinction to make, being of the generation versus being just a step behind trying to duplicate, as many, many artists of that period are guilty of.

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Posted by Dr Rich on 03-31-2008 at02:10:

 

I bought my copy for $30.00 at a time when it was out of print from the webstore.

I should have bought the other two copies for sale!