Only the daftest of critics could fail to notice what seems to be the intrinsically short half-life of most so-called supergroups. Eric Clapton's Cream put out only three proper projects during its two-year tenure, while Led Zep guitar wiz Jimmy Page and Bad Company front man Paul Rodgers managed only two releases under their Firm moniker before pulling up stakes in 1986. And who knows how many other musical aggregates, in both the Christian and mainstream camps, have been relegated to single-album catalogs and live shows consisting predominantly of the occasional all-star jams at outdoor summer festivals.
Perhaps as a tribute to an improbably long career, which began with the Scenic Routes disc in 1992, the Lost Dogs play host to a wide assortment of musical styles on their latest offering. Songs like "There You Are" and the lead-off cut, "Moses in the Desert," hark back to the at-the-time surprisingly countrified textures of the debut record. Others, like "Come Down Here" fall in line with the sparkling country-meets-rock hybrid mined to such fine effect on 1999's Green Room Serenade. Elsewhere, the group turns its attention to blues ("Cry Out Loud"), meditative modern pop ("Darkest Night") and acoustically-based contemporary worship (the City-on-a-Hill-inclined "Crushing Hand"), with equally stellar results throughout.
Where such a wide-reaching palette might spell doom for lesser groups, Towel's disparity of styles winds up, in Sgt. Pepper-like fashion, being perhaps its greatest strength. And Roe, Taylor and Daugherty's uncanny ability to take that which has been crafted with such heartfelt passion and attention to detail and have it come across so convincingly off-the-cuff spontaneous remains one of the trio's most endearingly distinctive assets. Those already ensconced within the Lost Dogs camp will likely need little prodding to go out and pick up the new album. For the uninitiated and skeptical, though, the Crying Towel project serves as undeniable proof that all of the hype surrounding the Dogs cooperative is, indeed, very much deserved.
4 tocks
Other coverage for this album
Decapolis June 2003Reviewed by Nate BaileyThe Lost Dogs feature members from The Choir, The 77's, and The Swirling Eddies. They have been together since 1992 and released several albums. This release is with BEC recordings. I've never traditionally been all that interested in the Lost Dogs except to follow along with what they were doing because of their members. However, maybe it's because my musical taste has grown or maybe they are…The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Chris MacIntoshWonderful, brilliant, magnificent, superb! I think that I like this album. Nazarene Crying Towel is the latest offering from one of the best bands around today. Taylor, Roe & Daugherty have created a sonic masterpiece that is without a doubt the best album this band has ever done. Along for the ride this time out are: Tim Chandler on bass, Dennis Holt on drums, Steve Hindalong on percussion and…The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Brian A. SmithTerry Scott Taylor. Mike Roe. Derri Daugherty. Steve Hindalong and Phil Madeira chipping in on various instruments. Knowledgeable listeners of Christian music would expect quite a bit from a lineup like that. This group of legendary musicians and songwriters delivers just that on the latest release from the Lost Dogs, Nazarene Crying Towel. Awesome in its simplicity, this album offers a blueprint…The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Noel LloydThe superstar trio of Derri Daugherty, Mike Roe, and Terry Taylor have once again assumed their folkster alter egos and have joined forces in their ultimate long-running side project, The Lost Dogs. This time around, the threesome has contributed a gem in the poignant, mellifluous album, Nazarene Crying Towel. Filled with simple, meditative lyrics, this record explores the timeless themes of the…Similar sounding releases
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1999Gift Horse
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1996Green Room Serenade, Part One
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