After the Flood, Before the Fire

Description

After the Flood, Before the Fire is the debut album by the American folk/country rock band Dogwood, released on Lamb & Lion Records in August 1975. Also released in the UK. The album was recorded at Glaser Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee; April 1975, with Chris Christian producing for Home Sweet Home Productions. (It was actually the very first record that Chris Christian did produce.)

Dogwood features husband-and-wife Steve and Annie Chapman as well as Ron Elder. The album includes the classic “Watergrave”, a song written by Dogwood’s Steve Chapman and later covered by artists like The Imperials, Servant, and Solid Rock, and Atomic Opera.

Respected country folk-rock duo of Ron Elder and Steve Chapman, with Annie Chapman on bgvs. Acoustic guitars, light electric guitar, slide, steel, banjo, fiddle, harmonica, bass, drums, plus some keyboards (piano, electric piano, synth strings) all work together to achieve a warm, happy feel. Mostly on the gentle side, yet energetic. Easygoing rural songs (both acoustic and plugged-in), a few bluegrass flourishes, ballads, some CSN-ish harmonies, building into heavier rock reaches on the classic «Watergrave». Other titles include «Remember Whose Child You Are», «Jesus Is Passing By», «Sometime Someplace» and «Journey Music». The group is named after the dogwood tree and the symbolism of its blossom to the cross. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition]

An ambitious effort from this new Nashville group. This is really what the music industry means when they use the term progressive country.

Dogwood probably sounds different live than they do on the record. There’s a lot of studio effects used to good advantage here. Listen to the faint echo on «One Lane Road». Or sample the tight backup on «Sometime-Someplace». The steel guitar adds a great deal here. The vocals are tight and country; very enjoyable to listen to.

The songs are personal and descriptive about how they feel about Jesus and the life He brings. There’s nothing trite about the lyrics at all.

The highlight of the album is «Watergrave». As the title suggests it is about baptism. It speaks of the way we need to become dead to our sins, to bury them. It starts out gently but becomes very dynamic and a little noisy. But it has an urgency to it that makes you want to run right out and get baptized. [Harmony, Vol 1. No. 4 (1975)]

> iTunes (https://music.apple.com/us/album/after-the-flood-before-the-fire/603239982)

LP tracklist:

Side One
A1. “The News” – 3:29
A2. “I Don’t Want To Be Deceived” – 2:18
A3. “Remember Whose Child You Are” – 2:40
A4. “One Lane Road” – 3:46
A5. “Sometime-Someplace” – 2:48
A6. “If I Forget The Ones” – 2:51

Side Two
B1. “Jesus Is Passing By” – 2:46
B2. “Journey Music” – 3:02
B3. “It’s The Truth” – 4:06
B4. “All Of You” – 2:17
B5. “Watergrave” – 3:14
B6. “After The Flood, Before The Fire” – 0:50

Note: Simultaneously released on 8-track tape, cassette, and 12-inch vinyl LP by Lamb & Lion Records.

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