ALBUM REVIEW - "RUN FROM THE DARKNESS" BY THE DANIEL BAND

 

A friend of mine, Concert Fotos photographer Chad Fenner, told me this was his third favorite album. Ever.

As a fan of the Daniel Band, and hearing some of the songs in isolation, I wasn't surprised. But a couple of weeks ago, I finally listened to the complete project, and concur that this is a great album.

I can talk about all the great songs on this project. It's easier to say they all fit that category. One song, however, stands out, which is the title track. That song has joined "He's The Creator" (from On Rock), "Spiritual Game" (also On Rock), and "Here I Am" (from Straight Ahead) as my favorite Daniel Band songs.

In other words, I really enjoyed it.

One other note - the final two tracks on this version were originally on other projects. "My Children" was the finale on the fourth album, "Rise Up," while "In The Sky" was originally on  their dubut project, "On Rock." Listening to the latter on Spotify, it gives the time as being 6 minutes, about twice as long as the "On Rock" version, but on Spotify, the extra time is silent.

ALBUM REVIEW - "STRAIGHT AHEAD" BY THE DANIEL BAND

In the early '80's, Christian music saw not one, not two, but three albums called "Straight Ahead": Jamie Owens-Collins in '81, Amy Grant in '84, and in between, The Daniel Band ('83). Which do I like best? Technically, it's a two way tie, but one of those two is The Daniel Band. Their debut project, "On Rock," has always been one of my favorite albums, and "Straight Ahead" is a worthy follow-up.

Let me divide the songs in two categories. I'll start with the majority - those with bassist Dan McCabe doing lead vocals. All of them were good, but five of the seven stand out: "You're All I Need," "Here I Am," "Reality," "Come Into My Life," and "Comin' Home." "Here I Am" is a song that has always had a special place in my life. By the way, two of the songs are demos from "On Rock": an extended version of "Free From Sin" and "I'm Sorry." (I didn't note anything different standing out on the latter.)

Guitarist Tony Rossi did the singing on the remaining three songs. The title track was a typical hard rock song; the others were not. "T'ank You" is a pop/island style song, while "In My Mind" (the last track before the two demos) was more of an acoustic ballad.

I absolutely love this album, and highly recommend it.