Vox Humana (Daniel Amos album)

Vox Humana
Studio album by Daniel Amos
Released	1984
Recorded	3-D Studios (Costa Mesa, California)
Genre	New Wave, Christian alternative rock
Label	Refuge Records
Producer	Daniel Amos
Daniel Amos chronology
Doppelgänger (1983) Vox Humana (1984) Fearful Symmetry (1986)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Vox Humana is the sixth studio album by Christian alternative rock band Daniel Amos, released on Refuge Records in 1984. It is the third album in their ¡Alarma! Chronicles album cycle.

Background

Vox Humana was a much brighter album than its predecessor, Doppelgänger, and included catchy, synthesizer-driven pop songs with lyrics about technology's role in American culture. "Travelog" was a song about a television-obsessed man "basking in the blue light".

Danish author Søren Kierkegaard, Polish poet Czesław Miłosz, and Britons Malcolm Muggeridge and William Blake are all quoted in the liner notes of the album. DA also included a beautiful tribute to Blake with the ballad, "William Blake."

"Dance Stop", a song condemning nuclear arms escalation, asked listeners to dance to the song and stop suddenly when the word "stop" is sung. Due to the fast, upbeat punk rock style of the song, it is nearly impossible to follow the song's musical directions. The song went on to become a popular concert favorite for DA fans in later years, with audience members doing their best to follow the rules.

Vox Humana was the third of a four-part series of albums by DA entitled The ¡Alarma! Chronicles, which also included the albums ¡Alarma!, Doppelgänger, and Fearful Symmetry. The band raised eyebrows on the tour that followed each release, by presenting a full multimedia event complete with video screens synchronized to the music, something that was unusual in the early 1980s for any band.

Tour

Although when the album was recorded, D.A. only had four members, guitarist Greg Flesch joined in time for the 1984 Vox Humana Tour. Though keyboardist Rob Watson was part of the band when the album was made, he was unavailable for the photo session due to being on tour with Petra. Leo Sorentino, road manager for The Choir, appeared on the album cover in Watson's place (despite not particularly resembling him).

Reissue

This album, along with the other three albums from the Alarma! Chronicles, was re-released as part of the Alarma! Chronicles Book set in 2000. The Book Set included 3 CDs, over 200 pages of lyrics, photos, liner notes, essays, interviews and other information in a hardcover book.

Track listing

Side one

1. "Travelog" (Taylor)
2. "(It's The Eighties, So Where's Our) Rocket Packs" (Taylor)
3. "Home Permanent" (Taylor)
4. "It's Sick" (Taylor)
5. "William Blake" (Words and Music by Taylor, Arrangement by Taylor/Chandler)
6. "Dance Stop" (Words and Music by Taylor, Arrangement by Taylor/Chandler)

Side two

1. "Live And Let Live" (Taylor)
2. "When Worlds Collide" (Taylor)
3. "As The World Turns" (Taylor)
4. "She's All Heart" (Taylor)
5. "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (Taylor)
6. "Sanctuary" (Taylor)

Personnel

• Tim Chandler – 4 and 12-string bass guitar, lead guitars, backing vocals
• Ed McTaggart – drums, percussion
• Terry Scott Taylor – rhythm guitars, lead vocals
• Rob Watson – keyboards, backing vocals, percussion

Production notes

• Engineered by Doug Doyle.
• Second Engineer: Rob Watson with thanks to Bruce Swift.
• Arrangements: T.T. and the DA Boys.
• Recorded and Mixed at 3-D studios, Costa Mesa, California.
• Mastered at Motown, LA by John Matouchek.
• Art Direction, Layout and Graphics by Ed McTaggart.
• Album Art Concept: Terry Taylor.
• Photographics and Photography: Linda (Photo) Dillion Baley and Ken Baley.
• "Foot" art by Phil Yea.
• Special Hair Effects by Cathy Kern.
• "Boot" shadow by Gary DeLacy

References