Daniel Amos Message Board | Print: Knowledge & Innocence

Posted by ftg3plus4 on 04-13-2015 at07:37:

Knowledge & Innocence

This has long been a favorite album of mine, and I just had a couple of odd little observations about it after listening to it this week.

(1) This is really silly, but of any serious DA-related song I've heard, "Picture of You" reminds me the most of "Swirling Eddies Mellow." (That's not even counting the reprise, of course.)

(2) We all know that lots of Terry's stuff has a Beatles influence. It's especially clear here at the end of "Ever After," where much of the melody is lifted straight from "Cry Baby Cry." But here's some Beatles-related influence that I wonder if anyone else has picked up on -- or if the "influence" is actually just coincidence.

One of John Lennon's unlistenable experimental albums of the late '60s was "Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With the Lions." Almost the most musical moment on it was "Baby's Heartbeat," where a short recording of the heartbeat of John & Yoko's baby (that ended up not surviving) was looped for 5 minutes, creating sort of a hypnotic rhythm.

Terry's album's notes don't say what baby's heartbeat is heard in its very brief "Baby's Heartbeat" track. But, at any rate, could the inclusion of the track itself have been influenced by the track on the Lennon/Ono album? It's interesting to think that Terry could have actually heard or bought that very, um, unmusical album, much less have been influenced by part of it.

Posted by Jimmy Brown on 04-13-2015 at12:49:

I am unfamiliar with the Lenon album you mention, but I'm sure Terry is far more experienced than I in this regard. Which is all to say... well, maybe nothing, but you could be right.

I love Knowledge & Innocence, too. It's a shame I don't get to hear it very much since I have it only on cassette. I don't listen to cassettes much since the one in the van ate The Secret of Time (by Charlie Peacock). There's a few songs on Glimpses of Grace, but it's not the same.

Posted by wayneb on 04-14-2015 at05:47:

There's a "Day in the life" rhythm and structure (even though the tempos are different) to the song that has the line "and Grandma's there when baby cries" (Forgot the title - that half brain thing!).

Posted by Jimmy Brown on 04-14-2015 at08:50:

That would be "Ever After". I really like that song, even though it's so sad. I guess it's also hopeful in a subtle way.

Posted by ftg3plus4 on 04-14-2015 at08:59:

quote:

Originally posted by Jimmy Brown
I am unfamiliar with the Lenon album you mention

And you haven't missed a thing! I actually had it briefly, back in the days of LPs, but only listened a time or two before passing it on.

Posted by ftg3plus4 on 12-17-2020 at12:35:

Another K&I observation (really nitpicky)…

Am I the only one who's noticed that the CD reissue of this album (well, the CD version I have, at least) is very slightly different from (and shorter than) the original LP? The difference concerns the transition between "Old Time Gospel Camp Meeting Hour" and "Picture of You (Reprise)".

OTGCMH on CD: The fake "scratchy old record" noise fades out fairly quickly, right after the applause fades out.
OTGCMH on vinyl: The noise goes on for several seconds longer, before ending abruptly.

POY(R) on CD: The snoring & clock ticking starts quickly, at full volume.
POY(R) on vinyl: The snoring & clock ticking fades in slowly and goes on a few seconds longer.

I noticed the OTGCMH difference immediately when first hearing the CD, but I only noticed the POY(R) difference today.

Also, POY(R) is credited to Taylor/Watson on the original LP (label & inner sleeve), but this credit is missing from the CD.

And now you know.

Posted by Jimmy Brown on 01-09-2021 at09:42:

Well, I hadn't noticed, but that may be because I've never gotten this on CD, which I regret. Even if it is inferior to the cassette, like the CD release of Briefing for the Ascent, it would still be nice to be able to listen to the songs.