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Daniel Amos
Mr. Buechner's Dream
Under the varying manifestations of D.A., Daniel Amos, Lost Dogs,
Swirling Eddies, and sometimes just his own real name, Terry Taylor has
created a gallery of great songwriting that explores issues of faith, hope,
life, and love.
Mr.
Buechner's Dream sounds an awful lot like a band that wants to go out with a bang.
It's a 33-song adventure, a rollercoaster through the all-out rock-and-roll,
humorous ditties, acoustic ballads, and torch songs that have always characterized
Taylor's efforts. Here with the combo that, in this listener's opinion, has always
facilitated Taylor's finest work, he accomplishes what might be his most memorable
collection of all.
It's a bumpy ride. Sometimes Taylor favors catchy
hooks too much, at the expense of melody. And sometimes the band doesn't give itself
enough room to improvise or breathe.
But "The Author of the Story" stands out, an
anthem along the lines of Tom Petty's "Into the Great Wide Open". It sets the
theme, the idea of God as a sovereign creator, in whom we can trust even when everything
seems chaotic. This is followed by the title song, a dreamy account of a fireside
rendezvous of the great co-creators, writers who believed in their own Author...the great
imaginations like Dorothy Sayers, Graham Greene, C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, and more. It's
a tribute to Taylor's own heroes, set in work that, in its own quirky and Beatles-esque
way, reflects the same convictions, craftsmanship, and, yes, conviction.
Taylor's softer, more reflective songs seem stronger than the
violent rock riffs, and the few that are here are especially memorable. "Flash
in Your Eyes" is a heavy-hearted tribute to the musician Gene Eugene who has worked
With Taylor in the past. "Maybe All I Need" starts small, and builds into
an athem celebrating God's grace, another recurring theme through all of Taylor's work.
Selections like these make it easier to take the soapbox rants against the church's
hypocrisy ("Faithful Street", "Easy for You"). Preaching is
easy, but its most effective when the preacher is honest about his own shortcomings.
Taylor's one of rock's best preachers, and here's hoping this isn't a lavish Daniel
Amos farewell package, but merely a high point in a musical journey that will continue.
Outstanding tracks: "The Author of the
Story", "Mr. Buechner's Dream", "Maybe All I Need"
Jeffrey's Sum-Up: Impressive
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