Daniel Amos: Horrendous Disc (1979/1981)

Tracks:

1. I Love You #19
2. Hound of Heaven
3. Near Sighted Girl With Approaching Tidal Wave
4. Sky King (Out Across the Sky)
5. On The Line
6. I Believe In You
7. Man In The Moon
8. Never Leave You
9. Horrendous Disc 

The trials and tribulations of Horrendous Disc and it's long and troubled path to release and public acclaim is one of the stranger tales in the history of Christian music.  In brief, the album was turned down by a label, bought by another and leased to a third which shelved it for two years before releasing it a few months before the band's new album on yet another label.  Then, after being out of circulation for nearly two decades, was finally released in a CD-R format.  What the--?  Was there a special "cowboy demon" (with ten-gallon hat pulled over his devil horns, no doubt) assigned by the Evil One whose lone assignment was to interfere with Daniel Amos' transition from country to rock band?

So what was so "horrendous" about the album, anyway?  And is the disc in question that creepy green-and-orange thing sailing towards our skinny-tie-wearing heroes on the cover?  There's more than just the New Wave threads to indicate the change in the early evening sky:  There's six hombres in the Amos Gang now, as Alex MacDougal (on the far right) has joined with his conga drums, shakers, and various other percussion instruments.  The title is taken from Jerry Chamberlain's song that closes the album, a three-act play of sorts that laments the protagonist's attempts to hide his shameful behavior towards his wife, only to be played out on God's quadrophonic sound system.  It's a great song, but a terrible (and terribly ironic) title for a great record.

The stetsons have been left on the dude ranch as the band comes up with a melodic, well-written series of rockers and pop numbers that take on religiosity, modern apathy, and the general spiritual malaise of America circa 1979.  The kinks that were apparent in the previous year's shows have been worked out in the studio, and from the crunchy rock chords of "I Love You #19" it's clear that DA have turned the corner and are moving into the modern age.  The song pounds along like a mid-tempo punk tune, with fast-rapped lyrics and a great Chamberlain solo.  Following that is "Hound of Heaven," with a hard pop beat driven by Mark Cook's piano and some creepy background vocals.  "Near Sighted Girl..." is a brilliant critique of man's denial of impending danger and judgment.  And "Sky King" is the first of many songs Taylor would write that explore spiritual ecstasy and experiences.   

The production on this album, shared by the band with Mike Stone, is classic late-70s rock: Big bass, close, tight and in-your-face, but with enough glamor and gloss to make it shine.  Chamberlain has developed a new persona as a street rocker with loud, grungy, and dirty riffs and solos.  He even plays a little bit with dissonance, something that would become something of a trademark on later albums.  And Taylor goes from screaming punk on "I Love You" to sweet and shimmery pop on "Sky King."  He really gets a chance to show off his melodic skills, especially on the second half of the record which tends to have more of the sweeping pop numbers.

As far as the songwriting, it all fits into Taylor's new "religion expose":  The general idea seems to be calling out the "Hollywood flash" mentality that was rapidly engulfing the still-young Christian music scene.  "On the Line" talks about taking "his" long-distance call, which can refer to televangelists and their pleas to viewers, but DA would attack that subject much more overtly later on.  "I Believe in You" is almost saccharine sweet in its production and sentiment, as Terry sings about his faith in God in romantic terms, this time like a long-lost lover.  

It's ironic that an album that takes on the Religious Establishment would, in a way, become a victim of that same machinery.  Of course, it could simply be that it wasn't meant to be released until '81, that God had a different plan.  Perhaps.  The bottom line is that Horrendous Disc is an album that's still retained its relevance and importance some 30 years on, and that its message is still just as powerful as it was then.  Its status as a "lost" album has only made its message that much more meaningful and special.