Description
A Kiss of Life is the third album by the American alternative rock band Lifesavers, released on Frontline Records in June 1986, distributed by The Benson Company. The album was produced, recorded, and mixed by Doug Doyle at his 3-D Studios in Costa Mesa, California.
Lifesavers are Michael Knott on vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards, and percussion, Brian Doidge on bass, and Kevin Lee (Kevin Lee Annis, brother of Mike Stand) on drums and percussion. The album also features producer Doug Doyle on keyboards and electric guitar, Allen Palmer on saxophone, as well as Ken Samuels of Common Bond on backing vocals.
It’s been a long silence, but ‘A Kiss of Life’ marks the glad return of one of the earliest progenitors of Christian new wave. After two released, ‘Us Kids‘ and ‘Dream Life‘, Lifesavors has moved to a more conventional vowel, rotated its membership, and coalesced into a relevant mesh of ’60s artistic values and ’80s pop/wave accessibility. Centered around the songs, voice, and guitar of Michael Knott, Lifesavers delivers a romantic idealism rooted in the sovereignty of God and placing a high value on human commitment.
Relying predominantly on Byrds-styled ringing guitars popular these days with everyone from R.E.M. to Tom Petty, Knott sings in the dry style of Psychedelic Furs’ vocalist Richard Butler while occasional sax runs recall Springsteen’s big man, Clarence Clemmons. It’s true that one can hear many influences throughout ‘A Kiss of Life’, but Lifesavers succeeds in creating its own expressive space on the strength of Knott’s songs, the thoughtful arrangements and production by Doug Doyle, and «Turn, Turn, Turn», a cover of The Byrds’ hit/Peter Seeger reflection on Ecclesiastes 3.
A number of songs move from pop song romantic sentimentality to specific theological reflections. Not only is this unique approach a fun shift of focus, but in «Love Boy Love Girl», «She’s on Fire», «I Pray You Pray», and «Choose to Be True», the lyrics reflect the human tendency to seek expressions for our love of God in human realtionships. With their rather traditional focus, «Dreamin’», the harder edged «Free Her», and the ethereal «See Me Fall» stand out above the remaining material. ‘A Kiss of Life’s a welcome return. [Brian Quincy Newcomb, CCM, November 1986]
For the Collection
It’s pretty standard for an artist that has a successful song or songs to keep that material in concerts for several tours or even several years. It’s a bit more rare for a band to revisit an entire era of its existence and write about it from a fresh vantage point. But that’s what Mike Knott and Brian Doidge have done with their band, Lifesavers. Birthed in the Orange Country, Cali. punk/New Wave scene of the early ’80s, Lifesavers scuffled for almost six years, releasing indie projects and struggling to decide whether it should bring the gospel to seedy L.A. clubs or take the somewhat safer route and promote itself to the Christian scene. By the time ‘Kiss of Life’ was released in 1986, the band had filed off most of its rough edges and fully immersed itself in Europop – to the disappointment of many of its original fans. Although not as critically-lauded as the duo’s darker and more challenging group, L.S.U., Lifesavers’ early work is nonetheless regarded by many as groundbreaking in alternative Christian rock.
‘Huntington Beach‘, recorded 10 years later, sounds as if it could have been tracked in the early ’80s as well; ironically, it’s got a more raw, punk edge than its predecessor. At its heart a concept album, ‘Huntington Beach’ finds Knott & Co. re-examining those halcyon days ‘through the filter of a decade of hard experience. Songs such as «When She’s Gone», which finds Knott despising a song that reminds him of his girlfriend; «Huntington Beach Police», a tale of the hassles experienced at the hands of over-zealous law enforcement; and «Joey Ramone», a paean to the patron saint of punkers, capture a vitality and immediacy that one seldom hears in rock music today. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, January 1996]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/a-kiss-of-life/388290384)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “She’s On Fire” – 3:39
A2. “I Pray You Pray” – 3:34
A3. “I Can’t Wait” – 3:42
A4. “Choose To Be True” – 2:28
A5. “Highway To Zion” – 3:02
A6. “Dreamin” – 4:20
Side Two
B1. “Love Boy Love Girl” – 3:13
B2. “Turn, Turn, Turn” – 3:39
B3. “We Live For The Son” – 3:44
B4. “Free Her” – 3:18
B5. “See Me Fall” – 4:48
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Frontline Records. Re-issued on cassette and CD by Alarma Records in 1995, a division of the Frontline Music Group, distributed by Diamante Distribution.
CREDITS. Produced by Doug Doyle. Engineered by Doug Doyle. Art Direction and Layout by Ed McTaggart. Photography by Brian Ray. Design by Megan Giles. Liner Notes by Craig A.J. Keyzers. All songs written by Michael Knott except track A2 co-written with Chris Lizotte and Bill Robinson and track B2 written by Pete Seger.
Musicians: Michael Knott (Vocals, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Keyboards, Percussion), Doug Doyle (Electric Guitar, Keyboards), Allen Palmer (Saxophone), Brian Doidge (Bass), Kevin Lee (Drums, Percussion). Backing Vocals: Kenny Samuels.
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