Description
The Miracle Faith Telethon of Love is a compilation culled from various projects by American singer, songwriter, and producer Terry Scott Taylor of Daniel Amos, The Swirling Eddies and the Lost Dogs fame, released on Alarma Records in September 1990.
In some ways, we could compare recording artist Terry Taylor with film maker Woody Allen. Just as the aliens in Stardust Memories, when asked about the meaning of life, tell the Allen character “We love your movies, especially the earlier funny ones,” I suspect that many fans of Terry S. Taylor/ DA/ Swirling Eddies feel the same way. The forces at work in that kind of situation, a serious artist cursed with a great sense of humor are very present in this solo retrospective, The Miracle Faith Telethon, featuring the work of Terry Taylor culled from his days with his bands, as a solo artist and as a producer for the likes of Isaac Air Freight and Wild Blue Yonder.
There’s always a problem when condensing years of material into less than an hour, especially when the focus is on such a diverse talent as Taylor, a veritable musical/comedic/literary genius, often surrounded by other great talents. The resulting collection draws from four specific areas – we might call this disc The Four Faces of dr. Taylor, but we won’t – and to give coherence to the material, the sections are divided up: the rock ‘n’ roller, the comedy, the subdued solo thinker, and the classy producer. While the compartmentalized format is off-putting at first repeated listenings reveal to be a wise structural choice.
At this point, listeners will probably favor one of the two poles: the loud and/or funny stuff, or the quiet and/or more thoughtful material. I found myself gravitating toward the former on the first few listens, then started to lean toward the latter as the number of listens built up. The album is chock full of great moments all around: For the fast half of the tour, including some live-in-the-studio rock‘n’roll, we hear such heretofore unreleased tracks as the longtime DA concert classic «I’m On Your Team» and a great instrumental «Untitled», a leftover from early Eddies rehearsals.
And the actual telethon, the Right Reverend – dr. Edward Daniel Taylor’s «Faith Prickly Heat Telethon of Love» is quite simply a hoot. As tiresome a comedic subject televangelists have become, Taylor and Co. have succeeded in discovering some clever new angles on it. And the elevator muzak versions of «Big Guns» and «What a World, What a World» are a scream – providing, of course, that you are familiar with the originals. Some of the jokes, though, are only funny once. The “undanceable dance mix” of «Don’t Hate Yourself/Pulpit Masters» is a cute idea, but what do you do with it? The party remix of «Hide the Beer, the Pastor’s Here», again, has novelty value, but I don’t want to hear it all that often.
Remember the Woody Allen parallel? I bought Briefing for the Ascent in 1987 and, like the aliens, shelved it, because it wasn’t loud or funny. But when three of that album’s tracks appeared on Miracle Faith Telethon – «Beyond the Wall of Sleep», «Changeless», and that album’s title track – I was forced to dig the whole album out of my closet I discovered it to be a gorgeous and haunting masterpiece. So, I dug out Taylor’s first solo album, Knowledge & Innocence as well, and I’ve been listening to both of them almost non-stop now for days. Essentially, it took the lunacy of Right Rev… and his “Miracle Faith Telethon of Love” to help me understand the far superior artistry of Terry S. Taylor. And for that, Mr. Taylor, I must apologize.
In fact this collection forced me to dig the whole Da/Eddies/Taylor library out – and, with my new found artistic awareness, I find that I no longer just sit through the serious stuff waiting for something loud or funny. Now I just sit through the loud or funny stuff, waiting for something serious.
dr. Edward Daniel Taylor’s retrospective Miracle Faith Telethon ends, very appropriately, with one of each: the end-times epic «Soon», followed by «Pretentious Poetry Reading», two of the best moments on the album, the best serious music and the best of the Comedy, respectively. Miracle Faith Telethon will make a fine addition to any Da/Eddies/Taylor collection, and it might be a good starting point for newcomers, a reference source for someone’s journey into the WildWood of Terry S. Taylor’s artistic world. Ultimately, I think a lot of people will buy the album for the loud and funny stuff, but will cherish it for the serious artist that Taylor can be when he sets his mind to it. [Chris Well, Harvest Rock Syndicate, 1990]
Retroactive Records Promo, 2025 CD Re-issue
Dr. Edward Daniel Taylor – “The Miracle Faith Telethon (35th Anniversary Collector’s Edition)” is one of the strangest, most entertaining, and unexpectedly profound projects to ever come out of the creative mind of Terry Scott Taylor (Daniel Amos, Swirling Eddies). Originally released in 1990 on Alarma Records, this chaotic blend of satire, art-pop, and spiritual subversion returns in a definitive 35th Anniversary Edition, officially licensed and lavishly reissued by Retroactive Records.
Presented as a fake televangelist fundraiser – “The Prickly Heat Telethon of Love” – the album is hosted by the hilariously over-the-top Dr. Edward Daniel Taylor, a character who exposes the absurdities of religious showmanship with biting precision. Interwoven between bizarre “telethon” bits are outtakes, rarities, and remixes that stand on their own as essential Daniel Amos and Swirling Eddies moments. From the previously unreleased «I’m on Your Team» and the cowboy classic «Riders in the Sky», to the beach-party version of «Hide the Beer, the Pastor’s Here» and the metal parody «Sprinkler Head», the album veers from gut-busting comedy to shockingly beautiful art-song experiments.
This Deluxe Collector’s Edition has been remastered by Rob Colwell and comes housed in a jewel case wrapped in a full-color cardboard sleeve. Limited to just 300 units on CD, it features an expanded 16-page booklet with full lyrics and track-by-track commentary revealing the stories behind the madness. Bonus items include an exclusive Dr. Edward Daniel Taylor collector card and a cheeky “Hide the Beer, the Pastor’s Here” sticker – perfect for fans with a sense of humor and a love for subversive pop theology.
Contributions from members of Daniel Amos, The Choir, Adam Again, The Lifters, Common Bond, plus Sharon McCall, Mike Knott, and Tom Howard make this not just a comedy album, but a who’s-who of the alt-Christian underground. The late Brian Quincy Newcomb provides a thoughtful write-up that captures the brilliance and irreverence of this wild release.
Part sketch comedy, part spiritual exposé, and part musical treasure chest, The Miracle Faith Telethon is a rare beast – equal parts hilarious and haunting, goofy and gorgeous. For longtime fans and adventurous newcomers alike, this is more than a collector’s piece – it’s a satirical masterpiece wrapped in beautiful madness. Once you hear it, how can you not quote the good Reverend when he says, “Let’s check the fruit o meter. Souls saved 11, souls irrevocably hardened to the gospel 153 million? People we’ve got negative fruit!”
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/terry-scott-taylor-as-dr-edward-daniel-taylor-the/389897879)
CD tracklist:
01. The Pool (1990 Version) – 3:44
02. Riders In The Sky – 4:32
03. I’m On Your Team – 2:33
04. The Miracle Faith Prickly Heat Telethon Of Love – 1:46
05. Hide The Beer, The Pastor’s Here (Party Version) – 3:19
06. Young Peoples Ethnic Ministry – 0:55
07. Don’t Hate Yourself/Pulpit Masters (Extended Undanceable Remix) – 1:42
08. Fruit O’ Ministry – 1:39
09. Sprinkler Head – 3:07
10. That Large Family We Always Wanted – 0:32
11. Untitled (Lost Eddies Instrumental) – 2:14
12. All Things To All Men – 0:55
13. Big Guns 1990 – 3:00
14. Little Dumbo – 2:51
15. What A World, What A World (‘Mellow’ Version) – 2:24
16. Beyond The Wall Of Sleep – 3:10
17. Changeless – 3:57
18. A Briefing For The Ascent – 3:57
19. Only One – 3:20
20. The Unattainable Earth (Remix) – 3:47
21. Catch That Angel (Remix) – 4:27
22. Sudden Heaven (Remix) – 3:26
23. Soon! – 4:34
24. Pretentious Poetry Readings – 3:16
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Alarma Records.
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