From: ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman)
Subject: Re: DA/Arkangel CD reissues available
Organization: AT&T
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 14:29:44 GMT

In article <1992Aug17.193553.1891@ucunix.san.uc.edu> tothmd@ucunix.san.uc.edu (Michael David Toth) writes:
>To all interested, I have either personally seen or own the following,
>and I know you can get them through True Tunes:
>
>These albums are indesputably some of the greatest Christian albums
>ever, and these CD reissues are a must.  Remember these are all
>independent releases and may be totally impossible to locate in a year
>or two.  Grab 'em while you can! 
>
>Daniel Amos - Doppelganger (Stunt Records)  with 3 bonus tracks: 
>(includes a SOOPER-KOOL intro to the Doppelganger tour concerts - the
>infamous "Pinnochio" mannequin shows about Pinnochio's transformation 
>from a hollow, wooden puppet into a real boy and how the transformation
>is meant for us all; and live cuts of "Real Girls" and "Memory Lane."
>Makes me think that those concerts must have been THE Christian
>performance event of the 80's and I missed out  :-(.  )

I agree with Michael's assessment of this album, but I also want to
point out that it's sure to be offensive to those of the "All
Christians should smile and be happy and love one another" philosophic
persuasion.  This album features a not-so-thinly disguised attack
on health and wealth theology in "New Car," and that, coupled
with the droning synths and the re-write of T.S. Eliot's "The
Hollow Men," is probably enough in itself to cause great confusion
and anxiety in large parts of the church.

"I want a convertible
(Be more specific)
I want a *red* convertible
(Can you be *more* specific?)
Back with tinted glass
Radio and air co
I'm a king's kid
I deserve the best
I want a new car."

Hoo boy.  I saw these guys with Randy Stonehill in Columbus in the early 
'80s, about the time that "Doppelganger" was first released.  It *was* a
terrific performance event.  I guess I should also note that a small
but not insignificant portion of the audience stomped off in a huff
after DA performed "New Car."  God forbid that Christians should
offend or make fun of anyone, especially themselves.  I've tried to make 
that my motto :-)

>ARKANGEL - Warrior (Joyeuse Garde)
>KEMPER CRABB - The Vigil (Joyeuse Garde)
>It's amazing how these two albums rendered 90% of Christian rock and
>praise/worship albums of the 70s and 80s as embarrassingly shallow and
>musically inept.  Buy three copies of each: one for yourself, one for a
>friend, and one for the person of your choice in this month's top-40 CCM
>charts.  These (and Doppelganger) show what hard-work-developed
>musicianship, vision, and a miniscule budget can produce.  You may never
>be able to listen to another Christian rock song with battle imagery in
>the same light again...

Ditto on the Arkangel album (I haven't heard the Kemper Crabb solo 
effort).  You get a wild man with hair down to his butt singing in  
Latin and playing gorgeous, melodic electric guitar and writing
some highly allegorical praise music.  No wonder it sold squat.  
But a great album nonetheless.

>-m.
>tothmd@ucunix.san.uc.edu

Andy Whitman
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio
att!cblpn!ajw  or
ajw@cblpn.att.com
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian