Daniel Amos - "Doppelganger"

Daniel Amos - Doppelganger
1983/2014, Born Twice

1. Hollow Man
2. Mall (All Over the World)
3. Real Girls
4. New Car!
5. Do Big Boys Cry
6. Youth With a Machine
7. The Double
8. Distance and Direction
9. Memory Lane
10. Angels Tuck You In
11. Little Crosses
12. Autographs For the Sick
13. I Didn't Build It For Me
14. Here I Am
15. Hollow Man (Reprise)

The first part of the Alarma Chronicles was full of warnings and exhortations. This second part, Doppelganger is an examination of the duel natures of man. The sacred and profane, the genuine and the counterfeit, and the masks we all wear. They lyrical themes deal with such topics as the objectification of women ("Real Girls"), the prosperity gospel ("New Car!"), and empire building TV preachers ("I Didn't Build It For Me"). It's all set to the same quirky "New Wave" except this time there's a lot more synths. Still - it's creative and unique and doesn't sound like it's a rip off of some other secular band. I like this one a little more than Alarma! I think. This is truly another groundbreaking record. I don't even think my little crap-reviews can even do these Alarma discs justice.

Doppelganger has since been reissued by Born Twice records. It's a quality package much in the vein of the first one. The packaging is superb as is the liner notes. The remastering definitely brings out some of the nuances I missed the first time around. It's also got an extra CD full of alternate mixes, live tracks, etc. Glad to finally have a hard copy of this!

Useless Fact: I wonder if Jimmy Brown from Deliverance got the phrase "River Disturbance" from this record? That and the phrase "Who has failed, mankind or the church?" appeared on Camelot-in-Smithereens. Okay so I guess this makes this fact more about Deliverance but Daniel Amos. But it's my blog I'll do what I like... and you'll like it!