Daniel Amos Message Board | Print: Jevon the Tall unloads on LITTLE, big

Posted by jiminy on 10-27-2003 at12:37:

quote:

Originally posted by PuP
^ Great 1st post!

I haven't heard lB, so I can't vouch for you or Jevon but, welcome aboard!

AGREE!
I too - have never heard lB- but I WILL vouch for you and J the T- just to keep harmony in the universe.
Fair enough?
(sorry pup- I had to do it- but you can be the positive, and I'll be the negative-sending a balance of electrons- )

Posted by PuP on 10-27-2003 at12:41:

Kind of a "good cop, bad cop" deal?

Posted by Jevon the Tall on 10-27-2003 at12:44:

See, I'm not crazy.

I never once said that Terry's not a great writer. His longer fiction isn't as tight - ready the bookset. But in the space of three minute pop songs the man is pretty amazing.

I think FS by DA is one of the best albums ever, which has a lot of Rob. Terry's solo stuff with Rob is more spotty. But hats off for trying to stretch.

Posted by jiminy on 10-27-2003 at14:04:

quote:

Originally posted by PuP
Kind of a "good cop, bad cop" deal?

THATS RIGHT STARSKY- ER i MEAN hUTCH.

Posted by FaintScentsOfSewage on 10-27-2003 at21:11:

Thumb Down!

Posted by PuP on 10-27-2003 at23:07:

Pardon me, Mr. Sewage, but are you expressing disapproval at 70s police dramas, consciences in the form of insects, or this thread in general?

Posted by carl on 07-14-2004 at13:35:

Cool

Rather late to this game, but....

....FINALLY picked this up at the Dogs concert last Thursday, along with Mutt. To be honest, I like this the better of the two. Still, it crystallized a lot of what I've been feeling both positively and (to be honest, more so) negatively about Terry's music over the past year. So, here's what's in my my head; chop away....

Overall Thoughts:

1) Two themes seem to dominate this CD, both of which we've heard before on recent CDs: a) the ordinary/extraordinary (Buechner); b) his dad (who died since Avocado Faultline, but was very much alive on "Olvera Street"). That's not a complaint in itself, just an observation. Although re: (a), I think that's been a big problem with my getting into the latter-day Terry; he used to spend a lot more time talking about the BIG things (even while admitting his own failure in being able to do so), and the little things added texture and credibility to what he was saying. It's not quite the same when everything's about the little things. (OK, not everything, but a whoooole lot more of it.) Perhaps I'm just missing the extraordinariness of that, and that's fine, but I think that does kind of get at my problem.

2) I get the criticisms of the sound and/or its datedness here, but there are places where even the cheap Casios work really well, which I'll get to.

3) A recurring problem I've had with Terry's solo stuff (although less so here, for the most part) is that it seems like the more personal he gets, the more self-conscious and out-of-sorts/character he sounds. It definitely detracts from the songs for me. Not that I don't sympathize -- I have the same issues when it comes to my own songwriting -- but that doesn't make the results any more enjoyable. Again, less so here, but there ARE occasions where it jumps out at you.

4) Is it me, or has Terry's singing style become much more offhand as of late? Only one song here really guilty of that ("Oh, Sweet Companion"), but several of Terry's vocals on Mutt come off the same way (esp. "The Lust..." & "I'm Setting You Free...") It's probably not, but it sounds disinterested to me.

5) Boy, am I tired of all these EPs (although it has to do more with all the other ones than this one in particular). At least Keaggy puts out too many FULL-length CDs for his own artistic good these days. Either way, that wacky-fan "nobody wants to hear everything that comes into yr head" thing once more comes into play here (just as Love Song & 2nd Chapter of Acts play into Nazarene Crying Towel, I guess Big Grin

) ANY full-length CD would be welcome at this point. Yeesh, even the last two Dogs albums fit quite comfortably on a single CD-R.

6) All that said, this is a good one. Again, listening to this just crystallized a lot of what I've been thinking the past year or so, and thus not everything I've just said has as much to do with Lb as it might sound. I guess the full-length Big isn't to be, and that's too bad, because I like where this was headed.

So, to the songs:

LITTLE, big -- I like this one a lot. And the juxtaposition of the "little" Casios with the "big" orchestral sounds just underscore the point of the song. Not to mention the pretty danged devastating punch line about his dad. Great opener; again, makes me wish there'd be a full-length CD for it to open.

Molly Is A Metaphor -- Forget you punks; this is the best thing on the CD. Who cares if it's about his @#&@# cat? I love this thing musically, in all it big, honkin' baroque Smile-ness. We're talking transportational device here, people. And it's a KICKIN' metaphor, I'll have you know, so everybody's wrong there too. Tongue

Lovely Lillie Lou -- This was the only one I'd heard before (on My CAACONAA), and as I mention much earlier on this thread it didn't inspire me to track this down. Now that I have it in its original context, I appreciate it more. The keyboards do get kinda cheesy and/or 80s-like here, but it's enjoyable; my wife was singing along to this the first time she heard it (here, that is).

Oh, Sweet Companion -- The one bum song here. See General Points #3 & 4 for details. The faux-U2ish background swelling stuff doesn't help at all either. What is this, a Choir song? Tongue

"Blowing Smoke" was much better.

Rob's and Carolee's -- This one's a bit unfinished/sloppy, but there's enough interesting stuff going on here musically to keep me sucked in. Nice segue, too, into....

Mama's In the Desert, Daddy's in the Sky -- I'm not quite as blown away by this song as most others appear to be (yet) -- and I really don't dig the fake-angel background vocals -- but there's some pretty intense stuff going on here lyrically. Particularly the closing verse:

And our Papa's up there waiting
I've seen him in a dream
And for all us desert nomads
there is a living spring
So Mama don't be crying
we'll all get there by and by
Soon we'll leave our dry-bone deserts
to meet our Father in the sky

She says she knows Dad isn't there but
it helps her to get by

There's three ways to translate those last two lines, and only one of them isn't harrowing: 1) It's a reprise of the last two lines of the opening verse, referring to his dad being in the ground (but not really), which seems rather careless after the lines that just preceded it; 2) His Mom doesn't believe his Dad's in heaven (Terry's testimony to the contrary notwithstanding); 3) His Mom doesn't believe (in our Father in the sky) at all (which would make you wonder what her reaction was to this song either way). Not meaning to get ugly here, but since it's obviously a personal song it can only really be analyzed from that perspective.

Anyway, that all oughta invoke SOMEthing.... Big Grin

Posted by Joey T. on 07-14-2004 at13:54:

RE: Rather late to this game, but....

quote:

Originally posted by carl
....FINALLY picked this up at the Dogs concert last Thursday, along with Mutt.

my only real complaints about this and mutt are that they are both too damb short! Frown

you can fit 80 minutes on a cd...and you could fit both of these on one..... Crying

yes, uncle terry we do want to hear everything that pops into your mind.... Big Grin

Posted by jiminy on 07-14-2004 at14:08:

still have not heard
lB-
so no comparison.
I've voiced my whaffers on Mutt-
interesting insights from CS

as far as length of material- I dunno - I like short - I like long- I like good- I dont like bad, and long bad is about as bad as it gets....

CS- perhaps you are getting weary and disinterested crossed.....
try singing as 50 nears (or comes and goes)
friend, generally- it aint the same.
thats why his lines in Aint gonna fight it brought a shiver- not a quiver.

Posted by Mountain Fan on 07-14-2004 at14:12:

RE: Rather late to this game, but....

quote:

Originally posted by carl
...

Anyway, that all oughta invoke SOMEthing.... Big Grin

Carl, there's not that nice of a way to say it...

You're just plain weird! (as if i'm not).

Oh, Sweet Companion and Mama's in the Desert, Daddy's in the Sky are the best songs on that EP! Mad

Molly is a Metaphor is OK and all, but the BEST? YEESH! You would think you were a big Choir fan or something! Tongue

Terry's vocals on The Lust... and I'm Setting You Free don't sound disinterested to me. In fact, I am actually growing to like this version better than Mike's original version! Shocked

You can go back in your cave now! Red Face

Posted by carl on 07-14-2004 at14:17:

Cool

quote:

Originally posted by jiminy
as far as length of material- I dunno - I like short - I like long-

So do I, just not short and short and short and shorter....

quote:

I like good - I dont like bad, and long bad is about as bad as it gets....

Hey, I was trying to keep the Prickly Heat stuff OUT of this conversation.... Evil

quote:

CS- perhaps you are getting weary and disinterested crossed.....
try singing as 50 nears (or comes and goes)
friend, generally- it aint the same.

Yeah, but I thought the beauty of modern technology was that you can keep splicing in vocal tracks even while y'r catching yr wheezing breath.... Tongue

Posted by jiminy on 07-14-2004 at15:22:

[I]Hey, I was trying to keep the Prickly Heat stuff OUT of this conversation.... [I]

that was an LOL!

quote:

CS- perhaps you are getting weary and disinterested crossed.....
try singing as 50 nears (or comes and goes)
friend, generally- it aint the same.

[I]Yeah, but I thought the beauty of modern technology was that you can keep splicing in vocal tracks even while y'r catching yr wheezing breath.... [I]

well - i recall folks thinkin that on SOTH that Terry had plain blown a vocal chord or two- perhaps its a style thing- I will admit that Derri sounds so good on MUtt- right? - I'm sure thats what you were thinking.....

and hey! - Weird has a place here
- just ask _________ (fill in appropriate sane name)

Posted by jiminy on 07-14-2004 at15:38:

carl-
in your corner here will freely admit that the worst line in Mutt
is found on TLTFTE&TPOL is

BAM!

its more like b..a...m.....

Posted by bereal on 07-14-2004 at15:44:

quote:

Originally posted by jiminy
I will admit that Derri sounds so good on MUtt- right? - I'm sure thats what you were thinking.....

That had to be what carl was thinking! Wink

Posted by audiori on 07-14-2004 at15:47:

We were talking about this a couple of days ago..

Terry's version of "The Lust... " sort of sounds
introspective or retrospective to us... more than Mike's.

Kind of like Terry's sitting there thinking back over
the past and singing these words. The phrasing
of it seemed weird at first, but the more we hear
it - thats the way it sounds to us.

Posted by audiori on 07-14-2004 at15:58:

A couple of thoughts, first on not liking the cheaper
albums or EPs.... the guys cannot make expensive
full albums if the funds are not there. The funds are
not there if people don't buy. The new Eddies album
comes to mind.

To the people that do buy and support, you are keeping
the guys doing what they do. If you encourage others
to buy... then you help the guys produce more expensive
full albums. Then you and we get what we want.

As for Little Big and the solo albums vs. the DA albums and
Dogs and Eddies. With DA, the themes are big metaphysical
ideas and metaphores. With his solo albums the themes are
geared toward Terry talking about his own life, friends and
family. I like both, I think I appreciate the DA albums more
having gotten to know Terry actually goes through life struggles
as expressed in his solo albums. To me they express his faith
in God even through the hard times, and even in the little
day to day issues. The song "Fingerprints" on Buechners
Dream actually touches on this theme in a more general
less personal way. Talking about seeing God's fingerprints
in and on lifes trials and blessings. You see it in the little
things, the still small voice. The solo albums are basically
like letters from Terry.

Now, on to style.. Terry tends to adjust the style and his
singing to the project he is working on. He has always
done that, that variety is one of the things I have always
liked. He has exposed me to styles that I otherwise would
not accept. Outdoor Elvis is nothing like Little Big, they
both are nothing like Lost Dogs, all of those are nothing
like Darn Floor... etc. If you don't like the style of a certain
project that is fine, don't worry the next project (if history
teaches us anything) will be completely different.

Little Big in particular, to me the style fits the themes Terry
happened to be writting about in his "letter to family and
friends" ....had he done those themes in some sort of
Eddies weird music, it would not have worked. There is
a time and place for that, but this is not the place. This
pretty much had to be sacarine, sweet, simple music because
the themes were such. That doesn't mean he will always
do music like this.... he never has really repeated himself
yet. The closest two maybe Knowledge & Innocense and
Briefing For The Ascent.. but really they too are not exactly
the same.

Do we reall want Terry or DA putting out the same type
of music over and over?

Posted by jollyholiday on 07-14-2004 at16:17:

RE: Rather late to this game, but....

quote:

Originally posted by carl
I guess the full-length Big isn't to be, and that's too bad, because I like where this was headed.

I agree. I would have liked to have heard "Big."

-jolly

Posted by audiori on 07-14-2004 at16:28:

Yeah I am not sure about that one, we can ask Terry.

Sometimes the management made promises of things
that didn't always have the details ironed out.
Good intentions can sometimes go unfulfilled.

Posted by dorfsmith on 07-14-2004 at19:06:

I don't care what Carl says, I want to hear everything that comes into Terry's mind Tongue

Posted by Jevon the Tall on 07-14-2004 at20:11:

deleted content - by user.