Description
Zoom Daddy is the third album by the American alternative rock combo The Swirling Eddies, released on Alarma Records in Spring 1994, distributed by Diamante Distribution. The album was released almost simultaneously with lead singer Terry Taylor‘s other project, Daniel Amos’ Bibleland. Both albums were recorded – largely live – by Gene Eugene and Terry Taylor at The Green Room in Huntington Beach, California; with Taylor producing for Stunt Productions. Mixed by Eugene at the Mixing Lab in Garden Grove, California.
The Swirling Eddies dropped their pseudonyms for this album, listing their real names in the credits. Zoom Daddy is basically just guitarist and lead vocalist Terry Taylor with a rhythm section consisting of bassist Tim Chandler and drummer David Raven live in the studio, with a few overdubs done by the rest of the Eddies (Jerry Chamberlain, who plays lead guitars, Greg Flesch, who plays occasional guitar and piano, as well as Gene Eugene, who plays piano and most of the keyboards). Like Daniel Amos’ MotorCycle, the album was dedicated to the late singer and songwriter Mark Heard.
The novelty-act quality of the Swirling Eddies (the alter-ego incarnation of Daniel Amos) becomes blurred on this release. This is a serious album with an artfully crafted sound and provocative lyrics. Gone is the silliness of the Swirling Eddies’ last effort, Outdoor Elvis; no «CoCo the Talking Guitar» or «Arthur Fhardy’s Yodelling Party» here. Gone too are the phony names. Written and recorded with the core ensemble of Terry Taylor, Tim Chandler, and David Raven, Zoom Daddy is all about groove and intelligence. The instrumentation is primarily guitar-driven, though piano does have prominence on many tracks – most notably «Nightmare at the Elks’ Lodge». The first track, «I Had a Bad Experience With the CIA and Now I’m Gonna Show You My Feminine Side», sets the tone of the whole album with its subtle groove, intense poetic lyrics, and intricate wordplay. Other cuts of note include the groove-driven «Mr. Sharky» and the vocal phrasings of «Pyro Sets a Wildfire». Provided the album stays in print long enough, this will be a recording that stays ahead of its time for a long time. [Mark Allender, AMG]
Just when you though it was safe to go in the water again kiddies, the Eddies are back and Swirling, the undertow is in overdrive, and these daddies are zooming. led once more by that heady Eddy Terry Taylor, along with the same cast of musical characters (sans the silly nicknames) this release is a third time for charm, although the Swirling Eddies always seem to secrete their own uniquely strange charm.
Isn’t it ironic that atheists have trouble believing in God, while Taylor – who wrote all of this album’s lyrics – is able to excavate metaphors for (and examples of) the divine from some of the downright oddest places? Consider for a moment some of Zoom Daddy’s song titles: «Pyro sets a Wildfire» … «I Had A Band Experience With the C.I.A. And Now I’m Gonna Show You My Feminine Side» … «(Disco) Love Grapes». All of these could easily pass as episode names for Beavis * Butthead. And while our favorite cartoon juvenile delinquents would surely chuckle when Taylor sings the lyrics for «Some Friendly Advice» even these small animated brains would pick up on some of the larger, more spiritual meanings in this song, which suggests that “forgiving a friend and an enemy too” is “something just a little bit different for you.” Such friendly advice is also quite wise.
I laughed out loud at the lyrics for «Art Carney’s Dream» before I even heard the song. And what works on paper, sounds even better when put to music. Art Carney is best known for his rols as Ed Norton the sewer worker in the classic comedy series The Honeymooners. The song describes a dream Norton has of sneaking into heaven. His reaction upon seeing God is much like ours would be – “Well what could I do, your beauty broke my heart,” as well as coming off uniquely Norton-esque, “wanted to crawl back in my man-hole then / Cause I was stinking to high Heaven.” The comedic bits stand well against the song’s more serious lines, since it is comic to think God wants stinkers like you and me in Heaven.
It would be foolish to over-simplify comedy but there is always a little of the painful side of life in all great humor. It’s cliche to speculate that all great commedians suffered unhappy childhoods, but at the same time, it’s those glimpses of reality that sneak out through comedic bits that ultimately give them their bite. This underlying realism is what raises Swirling Eddies above being just another joke band.
But if listeners still miss the points in these funny morality skits, Taylor has included here one of his most gripping songs «The Twist» which is not at all about dancing, but is instead a detail rich description of Christ’s death on the cross. “Nail me down, break the skin / Hard enough to do me in / But dont leave me hanging / Dying and dangling / Twisting in the wind.”
With Zoom Daddy, Swirling Eddies prove once again they still have a joke or two up their Swirling sleeves. But if you read between the one-liners, you’ll find that comedy is not always pretty. [Dan Macintosh, Syndicate, 1994]
For those of you who wondered what Christian Rock’s resident curmudgeon has been up to, Terry Taylor has re-grouped both his bands to release a whopping 26 songs (between two albums). Taylor writes mostly about how he views the church (that’s us, folks) responding or not resonding to society. But he’s always quick to first lay blame at his own doorstep. BibleLand opens with a track called «Broken Ladders to Glory», wherein Taylor refers to what might well be himself and his wife as a “ravaged nun” and a “greasy priest;” the flaws begin at home, in other words. In «The Bubble Bursts», Taylor issues a reminder to those who would deify him that “I let you down and I’ll do it again” but asks forgiveness “If my humanity causes you some pain.” On the title track, Terry uses the metaphor of a dilapidated religious theme park to poke contemporary Christianity in the eye; among other things, this twisted playground includes “a leper and a Christian book store” and “a Christian rock band by the Wailing Wall.” To underscore the incisive lyrics, DA offers a musical attack that’s extremely raw and grunge-y in spots; excellent engineering by Gene Eugene plays up the tripple guitar attack of Taylor, Greg Flesch and Jerry Chamberlain.
Zoom Daddy – well, it’s just a leetle strange/weird/unusual (insert your own adjective here). Musically, the album veers between surf music from Mars and the soundtrack to a James Bond film. I’ve always thought of Terry’s humor as floating somewhere between Monty Python and the National Enquirerl; song titles like «Nightmare at the Elk’s Lodge», «Art Carney’s Dream» and «Disco Love Grapes» would seem to support that hypothesis. But Taylor never lets satire get in the way of making some serious points. «God Went Bowling», for instance, while offering a silly set-up, nails you in the last verse – “We want an infinite meddler/ A fix-it-quick man/ But he gets off His hight horse/ Gets dirt on His hands.” «Some Friendly Advice» may be the apex of Taylor’s mix of puns and poignancy; over a herky-jerky beat, Terry recites suggestions like “Read the Good Book/ Try a sly hook/ Go to confession/ Learn a lesson” and of course, “Do your duty/ Shake your booty.” And to what does the title track refer? It’s a clever metaphor for the Rapture, with the children’s cry of “Olly Oxen Free” our trumpet call. So, this musical medicine comes Taylor-made in two flavors; choose the one you like best – either way, you’ll feel better for having taken it. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, September 1994]
Retroactive Records Promo, 2025 LP/CD Re-issue
* Remastered CD; Bonus Content; Collector’s Sleeve; Limited to 500 CDs
* First Time Ever on Vinyl; Remastered for Vinyl; 2-LP set housed in a Deluxe Gatefold Jacket with expanded artwork, lyrics, photo collage; Pressed on Opaque Yellow Vinyl; Limited to 300 CopiesIn 1994, The Swirling Eddies returned from a five-year silence with their most ambitious and imaginative project yet – Zoom Daddy. Gone were the aliases (well, sort of). What remained was their unpredictable spirit and fearless creativity, now channeled into a sprawling, genre-defying, mind-bending album that many fans consider Terry Scott Taylor’s lyrical masterpiece.
The band began by laying down instrumental tracks – spontaneous, raw, and bursting with sonic possibility. Only afterward were the tracks given absurd titles like «God Went Bowling» and «Disco Love Grapes», daring Taylor to craft lyrics that would match their weirdness. He rose to the challenge and delivered his most intricate, poetic, and theologically rich writing to date.
Songs like «The Twist» meditate on Christ’s crucifixion and modern apathy with devastating clarity, while «Nightmare at the Elks Lodge» spins haunting imagery with gothic flair. And yet, Zoom Daddy is still full of joy and eccentricity – musically traveling from lounge jazz to polka, psychedelic pop to offbeat alt-rock, with layers of vocals and textures that reward deep listening.
Now, for the first time ever on vinyl, this cult classic has been remastered by Rob Colwell and pressed on striking 2-LP Opaque Yellow Vinyl, housed in a Deluxe Gatefold Jacket. All the rich extras collectors crave – rare photos, band bios, and classic critical reviews – have been carefully adapted and integrated into the gatefold layout, creating a full immersive experience for fans and collectors alike.
If Let’s Spin was the Eddies at their quirkiest, and Outdoor Elvis at their sharpest, Zoom Daddy is their most visionary and haunting – an album that sounds like nothing else before or after.
Limited to 300 copies. Take the journey. Zoom in. Spin out. Worship weird. Welcome to Zoom Daddy.
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/zoom-daddy/389849070)
CD tracklist:
01. I Had a Bad Experience With the CIA and Now I’m Gonna Show You My Feminine Side – 3:56
02. Mr. Sharky – 5:16
03. (Disco) Love Grapes – 4:40
04. Nightmare at the Elks Lodge – 5:10
05. The Golden Girl of the Golden West – 5:31
06. Sweet Mother of God – 3:42
07. The Twist – 4:50
08. God Went Bowling – 3:57
09. Multipurpose Man – 4:09
10. Pyro Sets a Wildfire – 4:43
11. Some Friendly Advice – 3:07
12. Art Carney’s Dream – 5:04
13. Holy, Holy, Holy – 3:38
14. Zoom Daddy – 4:45
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Alarma Records. Remastered by Rob Colwell and re-issued by Retroactive Records in 2025 on both CD (Deluxe Collector’s Edition, 500 copies) and Limited Edition 12-inch vinyl double LP housed in a gatefold sleeve (300 copies) pressed on Opaque Yellow Vinyl (released through Limited Run Vinyl/Limited Run Music).
Zoom Daddy, Remastered and pressed on Opaque Yellow Vinyl, Retroactive Records 2025.
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