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By now, a new Lost Dogs album is like an old friend's tearful homecoming. That should come as no surprise--over the past twenty-five years, Terry Taylor, Mike Roe, Derri Daughtery, and Gene Eugene have recorded some of the most honest and personal music Christian rock has ever known. With their respective bands, Daniel Amos, The 77s, The Choir, and Adam Again, they've changed the face of CCM in ways too numerous to count. And together, these four singer/songwriters formed the Christian music's supergroup, Lost Dogs. Maybe some fans were surprised after purchasing Scenic Routes and hearing folk-country come out of their speakers. After all, it was a far cry from the U2-esque alternapop that The 77s and The Choir had put out, the funk rock brilliance of AA's Dig, or the quirky, new wave-tinged pop of Taylor and company's Kalhoun. But the Dogs' sound wasn't that far off from its creators, when you consider that DA started off as a country band, and the other members had always incorporated some form of Americana into their music. 1993 brought the release of Little Red Riding Hood, much more varied and rich than its predecessor. Ranging from bluegrass ("Bad Indigestion") to alternative ballad ("Eleanor, It's Raining Now"), the songs hit harder and stuck longer. Three years later, Brainstorm put out Green Room Serenade Part One, a countrified collection of rowdy rock songs. The liner notes of GRS1 promised a sequel to be released in the fall of 1996, which never happened. Gift Horse is not the much-anticipated Green Room Serenade Part Two. Rather, it stands on its own, completely different from its predecessors, yet similar enough to be easily identified as the Lost Dogs. The differences are readily apparent - Gift Horse is more country than any of the previous albums. There are no rockers, save the comical honky tonk number "If You Loved Here, You'd Be Home By Now." The other differences are perhaps more subtle. For example, rather than having each Dog write his own songs, Terry Taylor wrote all the lyrics on the albums, with his bandmates pitching in on the music. While Taylor's characteristic wit and creative wordplay are certainly enjoyable, part of the Dogs' charm was the contrast between the songwriting style of the band's members. The other downside to Taylor's lyrical dominance is the absence of covers, such as "Lord, Protect My Child" from Scenic Routes or "I'm a Loser" from Little Red Riding Hood. Taylor seems to have taken a more serious approach to songwriting this time around. While his sense of humour is more than evident on "Ditto" and "If You Loved Here, You'd Be Home By Now," songs like "A Vegas Story" and "Blessing in Disguise" showcase the more serious side of his songwriting. The former is the heart wrenching tale of an alcoholic who sells his soul to Las Vegas for "free drinks and a dream." The latter, one of the more hopeful songs of Taylor's career, implores: Hold
fast to the hope that's in you
What's most interesting about the songwriting on Gift Horse is the use of clichés, fractured and otherwise, as song titles: "Ghost Train to Nowhere," "If You Loved Here, You'd Be Home By Now," "Diamonds to Coal," and "Blessing in Disguise." Fortunately, rather than coming across as hackneyed, Taylor manages to breathe new life into these sayings. Another difference from previous albums is that Derri Daughtery's vocal presence is not felt as strongly on Gift Horse. Presumably this is because Daughtery lives in Nashville, while the other Dogs make their homes in Southern California. Roe and Eugene sing the most on the album, with Taylor having several songs to himself. All in all, the Dogs have crafted a splendid album, worthy of the critical acclaim it's sure to receive. It's nice to have them back. Michial Farmer 10/27/99
Let's take an amusing trip around the supergroup wheel! When the Lost Dog's debuted back in 1992 with Scenic Routes, they were often referred to as the Traveling Wilbury's of the Alternative Christian Music scene. That was hardly a wise comparison then, but, for the record, the Dog's latest Gift Horse has far fewer comparisons in sound and approach to the Traveling Wilburys now, than it does to the more recent alt-country supergroup Golden Smog (where members of Wilco, Jayhawks and Soul Asylum blend their talents together). This time, the Dog's clear away the energetic but cluttered sound of previous albums, for a more raw, stripped down approach. In fact, the rough and ready alterna-rock and polished pop smorgasbord of their last two outings, Little Red Riding Hood (1993) and Green Room Serenade Part 1 (1996) has been eschewed here for the Dog's most focused and countrified outing to date. Yet, before you dismiss them for Highwaymen wannabes, an overall edge in the production value and songwriting makes Gift Horse more interesting and entertaining than your average country collection, and no where near dismissible. Besides, with Terry Taylor at the songwriting helm, even old country cliches take on brand-spankin' new meaning through his trademark, creative lyrical twists. The glorious result of another Dog collaboration is a cache of simple treasures, like the clever but convicting whimsy of "The Walls of Heaven," where a drunkard is rebuked by his dead wife's ghost, and "A Vegas Story," which laments losses and shattered hopes over the roulette table. Overall, this project's reoccurring theme of hope in the face of loss resonates most clearly in these words from "Diamonds to Coal:" I was
thinking I had everything
Steven S. Baldwin 2/20/2000
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