Chase the Kangaroo

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Chase the Kangaroo is the fourth release, and third full-length album, from Christian alternative rock band The Choir, released in 1988.

Recording history

If listeners were hoping for the same upbeat, alternative pop sounds of the band's previous album, then Chase the Kangaroo was a sore disappointment. Instead, what listeners got was arguably the band's finest release, although long-time fans and music critics still disagree over whether Circle Slide deserves that honor. Regardless, Chase the Kangaroo is a groundbreaking work, not only for the band, but for Contemporary Christian music in general. Numerous Christian alternative rock bands point to this album as a strong musical influence, and it singlehandedly pushed Christian music into lyrical and musical terrain it had never before explored.

Unlike Diamonds and Rain, which was recorded in a scant 12 weeks, Chase the Kangaroo took six months of experimentation in the studio to complete, and even then, it was still being recorded and mixed up to the last minute before its release, which led to some confusion as to song order and inclusion (see Trivia section below). Because the moody and somber album deals almost exclusively with sadness, grief and loss--not exactly pop chart material--Myrrh Records couldn't figure out how to market the album, so it ultimately received little promotion. The lead-off track, "Consider," did prove to be a #1 Christian rock hit, but the song was the last one written for the record, in order to satisfy the label's desire for a radio-friendly single.

The questioning and even sad nature of the album has to do with difficult and tragic events that the band experienced in the year prior to recording. Contrary to the idea that even successful Christian rock musicians are well-to-do, songwriter and drummer Steve Hindalong was forced to work in construction to make ends meet, and his frustration with being reduced to digging ditches is directly addressed in the final track, "Kangaroo." In addition, his wife Nancy had suffered her second miscarriage, and "Sad Face" was written in response. Due to the painful honesty of the lyrics and one of the best guitar lines that Derri Daugherty ever recorded, the song became immediately beloved among critics and long-time listeners, not to mention a live favorite that the band has included in almost every live set they have performed since.

Other songs on the album also deal with complex and uneasy topics, like the nature of evil ("Children of Time"), personal betrayal ("Cain"), anger and revenge ("The Rifleman"), the exploitation of children and the elderly ("Look Out (For Your Own)") and the threat of permanent separation from loved ones ("So Far Away"). Despite the pain expressed in these songs, Chase the Kangaroo has at the same time a strong worshipful feel, due to its constant lyrical acknowledgment of the sovereignty of God, even when life's events don't make any sense. "Clouds" is the album's preeminent example, as it directly addresses God's awesome yet mystical nature. Despite this, the record label had serious problems with the lyrics "The blood is still as rich / That poor sinners drink like wine," until Hindalong had to explain to them that the phrase refers to the Christian practice of Communion.

Some of the musical highlights of the album are the transitions between songs, which often blend into each other, especially on the CD version. "Clouds" and "Sad Face" are linked by the snippet of a hymn sung by Daugherty's mother, recorded at his parents' church, while "Sad Face" ends with a long, blissful instrumental break that includes portions of the drum tracks to "Clouds" played in reverse before it slams into the beginning of "Cain." "The Rifleman" includes a number of spoken verses recorded by everyone who was in the studio that day, and the fade-ins and outs to different individuals speaking at the same time was mixed live as it was recorded.

The album is listed at #50 in the book , and the CD release includes all five songs from Shades of Gray included as bonus tracks.

Track listing

All lyrics written by Steve Hindalong. All music composed by Derri Daugherty, Tim Chandler and Hindalong, unless otherwise noted.

1. "Consider" - 4:07
2. "Children of Time" - 5:09
3. "Clouds" (Music by Daugherty, Steve Griffith) - 7:00
4. "Sad Face" - 7:14
5. "Cain" (Music by Daugherty, Griffith) - 5:18
6. "The Rifleman" - 3:43
7. "Look Out (For Your Own)" - 3:28
8. "Everybody In The Band" (Music by Hindalong) - 1:35
9. "So Far Away" (Music by Daugherty) - 5:06
10. "Kangaroo" (Music by Daugherty) - 4:09

Personnel

The Choir

• Derri Daugherty - Lead vocals, guitars, keyboards
• Steve Hindalong - Drums, percussion, vocals, and lead vocals on "Everybody in the Band"
• Tim Chandler - Bass guitar
• Dan Michaels - Saxophone and lyricon

Additional musicians

• Bill Batstone - Keyboards ("Clouds"), background vocals ("Clouds", "Cain")
• Gene Eugene and Riki Michele - Background vocals ("Look Out (For Your Own)")
• Jerry Chamberlain and Sharon McCall - Background vocals ("So Far Away")
• Nancy Hindalong - Background vocals ("Sad Face")
• Steve Griffith - Background vocals ("Clouds")
• Marc Sercomb - Spoken verses ("The Rifleman")

Production

• Executive producer - Tom Willett
• Producer - Derri Daugherty, Steve Hindalong
• Additional production - Gene Eugene, Steve Griffith
• Recording - Mark Heard, Dave Hackbarth, Gene Eugene, Steve Griffith, Derri Daugherty
• Concept and design - John Joseph Flynn for OZ graphics
• Art direction and coordination - Tim Anderson
• Photography - Stewart Ivester
• Additional graphic assistance - Phillip Foster, Stewardt Ivester, and Ed, June, and Marcella at Slides and Print
• Handwritten liner notes - Steve Hindalong

Trivia

• Chase the Kangaroo had three different album covers, with slightly different photos of Derri Daugherty and Steve Hindalong depending on which format was purchased--CD (see infobox above), cassette (see left) or LP.
• The LP song list accidentally omits "Everybody in the Band," although it is present on the album.
• The CD song list accidentally lists "Clouds" as the opening track. It is actually "Consider," incorrectly listed third.
• Because Steve Hindalong wrote all the liner notes by hand, they are filled with inside jokes and bits of history about various songs. Some of the lyrics are also slightly different from those that were recorded.
• Both Daugherty and Hindalong have gone on record to say that the transition between the songs "Clouds" and "Sad Face" is the best they ever recorded.

The Choir
Derri Daugherty | Steve Hindalong | Dan Michaels | Tim Chandler Marc Byrd | Robin Spurs | Matt Slocum | Bill Campbell | Mike Sauerbrey | Bill Batstone | Billy Wilde
Discography
Voices in Shadows | Shades of Gray | Diamonds and Rain | Chase the Kangaroo Wide-Eyed Wonder | Circle Slide | Kissers and Killers | Speckled Bird | Free Flying Soul Flap Your Wings | O How the Mighty Have Fallen
Live albums: Let It Fly | ' | '
Compilation Albums: ' | '
Related Articles
Lost Dogs | At The Foot of the Cross | Noel | City On A Hill | Galaxy21 Music | Neverland Studios

 

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