Saturday, January 31, 2009

DEGARMO AND KEY - GREATEST HITS / 2007 DISCOGRAPHY AND BIOGRAPHY

















THIS COMPILATION CONTAIN(17-TRACKS)
1-EVERY MOMENT
2-OUT OF THE DANGERZONE
3-BOYCOTT HELL
4-ALL THE LOSERS WIN
5-JERICHO
6-ARE YOU READY
7-DESTINED TO WIN
8-ACOUSTIC MEDLEY
9-ULTIMATE RULER
10-LET'S GET UPSET
11-COMPETITION
12-I BELIEVE
13-EMMANUEL
14-MARY
15-IF GOD IS FOR US
DEGARMO AND KEY-TO EXTREMES-1994















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-STRESSED
2-PEOPLE GOT TO BE FREE
3-HANGING BY A SCARLET THREAD
4-REBEL FOR GOD
5-JUDGMENT DAY
6-HYPER-FAITH
7-TO EXTREMES
8-CARRY THE CROSS
9-DANGEROUS PLACE
10-RECLAIM AMERICA
DEGARMO AND KEY-HEAT.IT.UP.-1991















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(13-TRACKS)
1-VOICES
2-GOD GOOD,DEVIL BAD
3-SELECTIVE AMNENSIA
4-NEVER LOOK BACK
5-HEAT.IT.UP
6-IT'S MY BUSSINESS
7-DARE 2B DIFFERENT
8-TALK TO ME
9-ARMED AND DANGEROUS
10-I USE THE J WORD
11-SOLDIER OF THE CROSS
12-DIVINE EMBRACE
13-FIGHT BACK
CREDITS:
Dana Key- lead vocals, guitars
Eddie DeGarmo- B3 organ,Wurlitzer piano,Synthesizers,Backing Vocals
Tommy Cathey- bass, backing vocals
Greg Morrow- drums, percussion
Jimi Hamison- Guest backing vocals.
DEGARMO AND KEY-DESTINED TO WIN-1992
















THIS CLASSIC ROCK COLLECTION CONTAIN(14-TRACKS)
1-COLOR ME GONE
2-BOYCOTT HELL
3-ROCK SOLID
4-EVERY MOMENT
5-ADDEY
6-I AM ACCEPTED
7-SIX,SIX,SIX,(Digital Remix)
8-I'LL COME OUT FIGHTING FOR YOU
9-DESTINED TO WIN
10-READY OR NOT
11-LONG DISTANCE RUNNER
12-HAND IN HAND
13-CASUAL CHRISTIAN
14-LET THE WHOLE WORLD SING
DEGARMO AND KEY-GO TO THE TOP-1991
















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(11-TRACKS)
1-I BELIEVE
2-GO TO THE TOP(Reprise)
3-AGAINST THE NIGHT
4-ULTIMATE RULER
5-SOUL MENDER
6-FAMILY REUNION
7-STILL AT WORK
8-STAND,FIGHT,WIN
9-VICTORY(March On Prelude)
10-MARCH ON
11-REST OF MY LIFE
CREDITS:
Dana Key- lead and backing vocals, guitar
Eddie DeGarmo- lead and backing vocals, keyboards
Roscoe Meek- lead and rhythm guitars
Carl Marsh- keyboards, programming
Tommy Cathey- bass, backing vocals
Kevin Rodell- drum arrangement
Mark Pogue- guest backing vocals.
DEGARMO AND KEY-THE PLEDGE-1989
















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-BOYCOTT HELL
2-ALIENS AND STRANGERS
3-I'M ACCEPTED
4-HAND IN HAND
5-THE PLEDGE
6-LIFE IN THE NEW AGE
7-LET'S GET UPSET
8-WHO WILL
9-RIGHT ON THE TRACK
10-IF GOD IS FOR US(Who Can Be Against Us)
CREDIT:
Dana Key- guitars, vocals
Eddie DeGarmo- keyboards, backing vocals
Steve Taylor- guitar, backing vocals
Tommy Cathey- bass, backing vocals
Chuck Reynolds- drums
Carl Marsh- percussion.
DEGRAMO AND KEY-ROCK SOLID ABSOLUTELY LIVE:1988
















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(14-TRACKS)
1-CASUAL CHRISTIAN(Chorus)
2-ROCK SOLID
3-READY OR NOT
4-SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
5-SIX,SIX,SIX
6-DON'T STOP THE MUSIC
7-HOLY HUSTLE
8-WHEN THE SON BEGINS TO REIGN
9-ARE YOU READY
10-ADDEY
11-LET THE WHOLE WORLD SING
12-ALLELUIA,CHRIST IS COMING
13-DESTINED TO WIN
14-ROCK SOLID
DEGARMO AND KEY-D & K-1987
















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-OUT OF THE DANGERZONE
2-UNDER THE SUN
3-ROCK SOLID
4-TEENAGE SUICIDE
5-STRENGTH OF LOVE
6-BROTHER ANGAINST BROTHER(It's Not Right)
7-WAR WITH THE WORLD
8-STAND
9-RADICAL
10-WHEN THE SON BEGINS TO REIGN
CREDIT:
Dana Key- lead vocals, lead guitars
Eddie DeGarmo- keyboards, vocals
Tommy Cathey- bass, vocals
Greg Morrow- drums, percussion
Steve Taylor- lead guitar.
DEGARMO AND KEY-STREETLIGHT-1986
















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(11-TRACKS)
1-EVERY MOMENT
2-WAR ZONE
3-ADDEY
4-SOLDIER OF FORTUNE
5-DON'T STOP THE MUSIC
6-DON'T THROW YOUR LOVE AWAY
7-VIDEO ACTION
8-SHE BELIEVES
9-HOLY HUSTLE
10-UP ON A CROSS
11-INSIDE OUT
DEGARMO AND KEY-COMMANDER SOZO &
THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIDGADE-1985
















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-ACTIVATE
2-COMPETITION
3-TEMPORARY THINGS
4-APATHY ALERT
5-CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE
6-DESTINED TO WIN
7-NO MORE GOODBYE
8-JESUS IS COMING
9-RISE UP
10-CUSUAL CHRISTIAN
DEGARMO AND KEY-COMMUNICATION-1984
















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-ARE YOU READY
2-REJOICE
3-IT'S A SHAME
4-ALLELUIA,CHRIST IS COMING
5-EVERY DAY A CELEBRATION
6-PERFECT REFLECTION
7-HE HAS RISEN
8-SIX,SIX,SIX,
9-MAN OF THIS WORLD
10-DEAR FRIEND
DEGARMO AND KEY-MISIONS OF MERCY-1983















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(11-TRACKS)
1-READY OR NOT
2-SPECIAL KIND OF LOVE
3-WHEN IT'S OVER
4-ALL THE LOSERS WIN
5-THE GIFT
6-FILL ME LORD
7-LET THE WHOLE WORLD SING
8-IN HIS LOVE
9-EVERLASTING LOVE
10-YOU CAN'T RUN FROM THUNDER
11-THAT'S THE WAY GOD PLANNED IT
DEGARMO AND KEY-NO TURNING BACK:LIVE-1982















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(19-TRACKS)
1-LIGHT OF THE WORLD
2-GO TELL THEM
3-STELLA THIS AIN'T HOLLYWOOD
4-WHEN HE COMES BACK
5-JERICHO
6-ALLEYWAYS OF STRIFE
7-MARY
8-WAYFARYNG STRANGER
9-BASS SOLO
10-ENCHIRIDION
11-LONG DISTANCE JOURNEY
12-MATTER OF TIME
13-EMMANUEL
14-OKLAHOMA BLUES
15-PREACHER(I'LL NEED A FRIEND)
16-OVER AND OVER
17-LET HIM HELP YOU TODAY
18-LOVE ONE ANOTHER
19-I HAVE DECIDED
CREDIT:
Dana Key- lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars
Eddie DeGarmo- keyboards, vocals
Greg Morrow- drums
Tommy Cathey- bass, vocals
Tony Pilcher- guitar, vocals.
DAGARMO AND KEY-THIS AIN'T HOLLYWOOD-1980















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-STELLA,THIS AIN'T HOLLYWOOD
2-WHEN HE COMES BACK
3-YOU GAVE ME ALL
4-NEVER BE THE SAME
5-ALL NIGHT
6-NOBODY LOVES ME
7-LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED
8-LIGHT OF THE WORLD
9-OVER AND OVER
10-ONE STEP CLOSER
DEGARMO AND KEY-STRAIGHT ON-1979
















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(9-TRACKS)
1-JERICHO
2-LIVING ON THE EDGE OF DYING
3-GO TELL THEM
4-BAD LIVING
5-ENCHIRIDION
6-LONG DISTANCE RUNNER
7-LET HIM HELP YOU TODAY
8-I NEVER KNEW YOU
9-MARY
CREDIT:
Dana Key- guitars, lead and backing vocals
Eddie DeGarmo- keyboards
Ken Porter- bass
Terry Moxley- drums
Lewis Collins- saxophone
Carl Marsh- recorders.
DEGARMO AND KEY-THIS TIME THRU-1978
















THIS ALBUM CONTAIN(10-TRACKS)
1-EMMANUEL
2-ADDEY
3-ONLY THE MEEK SURVIVE
4-TOO FAR TOO LONG
5-ALLEYWAYS OF STRIFE
6-SLEEPER
7-WAYFARYING STRANGER
8-IN THE DAYS OF THY YOUTH
9-CHASE THE WIND
10-THIS TIME THRU
DeGarmo & Key are a Christian Rock group that started professionally in 1978. The primary members were Eddie DeGarmo and Dana Key. Eddie played keyboards and sang background vocals (and occasionally lead), while Dana played lead guitar and did the majority of the lead vocals. Other members included Tommy Cathey on bass and Greg Morrow on drums. The group's music was of the pop and rock genres. Their best known songs are: Destined to Win (also the title of their 1992's early "best of" album: Destined to Win), Let the Whole World Sing, Six, Six, Six, Boycott Hell, Every Moment, and Casual Christian. Also most noted for their 1984 album Communication and 1987 album D&K. See Discography for more info Other notable musicians who have recorded and/or toured with DeGarmo & Key include: Kevin Rodell (drums), Chuck Reynolds (drums), Steve Taylor (guitar) (not related to another Steve Taylor, also a popular CCM artist) and Mark Pogue (guitar).Both Eddie and Dana have also recorded solo albums.During Spring 2007 Dana and Eddie received the ASCAP Vision Award at the 29th Annual ASCAP Christian Music Awards.Dana Key and Eddie DeGarmo reunited to do a concert October 21 2007 at TLC Church in Cordova, Tennessee.DeGarmo and Key are scheduled to play at the 2008 Cornerstone Festival.DeGarmo and Key were nominated for 7 Grammy Awards and 17 Dove Awards. Eddie and Dana grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, near Graceland. The liner notes from "Greatest Hits Volume 1" cites Elvis Presley as a musical influence. Season 3 American Idol finalist Diana DeGarmo is the niece of Eddie DeGarmo. Eddie and Dana were originally in a short-lived band named Globe. However, before they recorded their first studio album, the pair dropped the band (due to becoming Christians), as well as music for a short while. They were later influenced by Larry Normans album Only Visiting This Planet. They saw in Larry's work what they believed God could do through Contemporary Christian music and so started The DeGarmo & Key Band (the name listed on their first four albums), later shortening the name to DeGarmo & Key. Bassist Tommy Cathey's trademark look was a black suit and shirt with a white tie, white fedora with a black band, and sunglasses. "Are You Ready" from Communication was a cover of the 1970 hit single by Pacific Gas & Electric (band) DeGarmo & Key were the first Christian group to have a music video appear on MTV. The original video for the song "Six, Six, Six" was one of a number of videos that MTV pulled from rotation due to violent content. The purge was a public reaction to the U.S. Senate hearings on sex and violence in music. MTV had ironically misinterpreted the song "Six, Six, Six" as an anti-Christian statement. According to industry news reports at the time, MTV exec Sandra Sparrow was unaware that DeGarmo & Key were a Christian band when she included the video in a list of videos to be excised. An embarrassed MTV allowed DeGarmo & Key to submit a re-edited version, which was placed back into rotation. Removed from the re-edited video was a short scene of a man representing the Antichrist being set on fire. The album D&K was packaged with a second cassette with identical content, but a different color theme. The package was intended to be purchased at the price of a single cassette, then the second cassette was to be given to an "unsaved friend". The song "Don't Stop the Music" was a response to the anti-"Christian Rock" position of evangelist Jimmy Swaggart. The liner notes to the album D&K, for the song "Brother Against Brother" included the words "dedicated to Jimmy Swaggart" blacked out but still visible on close inspection. Of all of the group's backing musicians, Tommy Cathey (bass guitar) and Greg Morrow (drums) played the most with Eddie DeGarmo & Dana Key.

These guys know how to rock out. Like most of their later albums, there's some serious blues-based groove going on in much of the disc. The songs are catchy and there's just enough slower and somewhat mellow songs. At times their sound is ZZ-top-ish which is definitely a good thing. They finish the disc with an excellent funky blues tune called "Fight Back" which always tempts me to relisten to again and again. I hate for it to end!! The musicianship of these guys is very impressive. I once saw them live in concert and got my socks knocked off! Ed DeGarmo is a top notch keyboardist. Dana Key has some awesome guitar pickin' abilities. Tommy Cathey is always solid on his bass. And as far as I'm concerned, I consider Greg Morrow to be one of the best drummers out there today. He seems to know exactly what the song needs every time. If there's a weakness on the album, I'd have to say that the vocals can be a tad annoying like on "Talk To Me." But for the most part, I really like Key's vocals. DeGarmo throws in some fine vocals too in "We Use the J Word." I rated this disc 4 stars, but I think 4.8 is more like it. My slight annoyance of some,The message of new life in Jesus shines clearly in all of the lyrics, the songs are well produced and the band works together like a precision machine. 'God Good, Devil Bad' is a highlight, as are 'Never Look Back' and 'Soldiers of the Cross.'I can almost detect a bit of Jon Lord and Ritchie Blackmore here, so any Deep Purple fans out there might want to give this a listen. I saw D&K live at a show in Tulsa in the fall of 1981 and was impressed,This CD was an attempt to return to a more rock-based sound following the poppier releases THE PLEDGE and GO TO THE TOP. They do succeed in putting the teeth back into the guitars, but unlike past successes ("War with the World","Boycott Hell","Life in the New Age","Competition") the songs don't stand as tall. Despite this, Christian radio rewarded the duo with 3 hits: #5 "Talk to Me", #6 "Soldiers of the Cross" and #9 "Never Look Back". HIGHLIGHTS: The ode to grace in "Selective Amnesia" churns along nicely, as does the title track, and a call for Christian accountability in "It's my Business". "Divine Embrace" is one of the better "light" tunes. VALLEYS: The list of musical sins on this one is fairly long. "God Good, Devil Bad" sums up every complaint anyone has ever made about Christian music being uncreative. It's no wonder this tune was parodied on the Swirling Eddies' "Sacred Cows" album. I just can't believe no one at the label said "Wait a minute, guys...". "Talk to me" is a snoozer. "I Use the J Word" makes dubious conclusions as to why they aren't aired on MTV (Is it REALLY because they Were Christian Radical themes in their music...or because it's not up to snuff, hmm???) The vocal on "Fight Back" is Not Too bad.

About the album The Pledge.
Dana's guitar, and tried to make them adult contemporary Christian "radio friendly". (Read: inoffensive, unchallenging, and bland.) Only 3 tracks here can truthfully be called "rock" and as such this is an abandoning of the longtime fans of the band. This strategy succeeded in chart terms: "Hand in Hand","The Pledge" and "If God is for us (Who can be against us)" all got Christian radio airplay while the more interesting rock oriented material here languished due to lack of radio outlets at the time (1989). HIGHLIGHTS: "Boycott Hell" was a titchy metaphor at best ("Don't let a neighbor go/Form a holy picket line..") but the hook was catchy and the few outlets for Christian rock gave it heavy airplay. Beyond that, "Life in the New Age" was an indictment of late 80s society that also got in some barbs about Christians who TALK about working for Christ instead of doing it. ("And children 'round the world will starve/While we sit in a seminar/That's life in the New Age") LOWS: "Aliens and Strangers" takes the Bible verse into song but there aren't really any interesting insights here ("My closest friends are aliens and strangers, travelers here, living with danger") although I get a brief chuckle at the line "I used to wonder why they act so strange/Now I know". Considering that DeGarmo and Key's own testimonies indicate they didn't accept Christ until their teen years, some of the sentiments in "Let's Get Upset" seem a bit disingenuous. ("I was raised in America when streets were safe/And children learned to pray, learned to pray")

About The Album Streetlight:
While the latter part of the 80s found D&K shuffling off to fluffy adult contemporary "Christian radio" fare, there was still a good amount of bite amid their pop on this one and for that reason, this one holds up better than projects like THE PLEDGE or GO TO THE TOP do. The sound is 80s arena pop and with it comes catchy pop bombast (the somewhat Springsteen-ish reminiscence on "Every Moment") and outright goofy ephemerality (what possessed Dana and Eddie to write "Video Action"?). The single nod to the dictates of sugary Christian radio (wimpy ballad "Inside Out") is one of the few sonic mistakes here. HIGHLIGHTS: "Every Moment" looks back on a childhood spent in the faith and calls it a good one. ("I thank God for the good times/Every moment of my life..") "Addey" is an update of the prostitute tale first told on their THIS TIME THRU debut. "Soldier of Fortune" attacks the morally culpable inside the Church and out: an alligator shoe wearing drug dealer ("he got money/he's no fool/but he made it selling junk to little children after school") and a smarmy televangelist. ("He can quote/Every verse/He's got satellites along so you better hang on to your purse"). "Don't Stop the Music" is an apologetic for rock music as a carrier of the Gospel to those uninterested in hymns. ("I hear dissenting voices/Quick to disagree/but I'm on a music mission/They don't bother me/I'll sing the songs that set men free..") "She Believes" rides a heavily reverbed jagged guitar riff aimed straight at D&K's primarily teenaged audience. A young Christian girl sits home by the phone because her faith keeps her out of the 'popular' clique. ("She's not the kind of a girl that stays out all night/She's by herself but she's never alone...Don't ever laugh in her face/cuz she believes/She believes") "Holy Hustle" opens with an oh-so-80s "HUH!" from Key, but despite the slightly kitchy metaphor ("He got faith with lots of muscle/He can do the holy hustle") it's a decent message about backing up our talk with Christ-like concern for society's helpless and overlooked. "Up on a Cross" suggests the Church is majoring in the minors when we bicker over petty theological issues instead of uniting to complete the Great Commission. ("Will you still love me after I choose?/Doesn't the issue stand upon this truth?/Up on a cross/He died for sinners/Up on a cross between two thieves/Up on a cross/He died for you and me") As a great parting shot, Key notes "I heard the Devil's voice today..." at the coda. LOWS: "Inside Out" is riddled with cliche. ("Inside out/You know all there is to know/Inside out/From my head down to my toes..") "Video Action" is just too goofy lyrically despite a pretty good track.("That's Jane Fonda in the window/Makes me wanna do some exercise") It wants to be a cautionary look at the influence media (movies specifically) have on our thoughtlife as Christians but it just can't overcome the silliness in the end. These guys really know how to belt it and by heck do they give us a going-over on their latest album. They sure do play it hard and something tells me that they're more than just a little angry here. "God Good, Devil Bad" kicks the show off, apparently a true story of a man who has a picture of Jesus tattooed on one arm and the devil on the other - the guys don't like that so they deliver a powerful sermon on not being able to serve two masters...and how. Those guitars get thumping. And if you haven't been knocked out then take a listen to "Selective Amnesia" - I just love the way they can make their instruments do the talking. There's no doubt about it: these guys have got the bit well and truly between their teeth and they cut into you on nearly every track. "It's My Business" states their intent with regard to getting straight to the heart of the matter with lyrics like "I'm just doin' what the Lord says to do, I hope your business is watching me too." "Dare To Be Different" hammers home a message where so many others have tried and failed in the past; here it s an outright winner. Anger pervades in "I Use The J Word" which tells of D&K being banned from MTV and it's worth looking into a little further. Should they be using the lyrics in the context they have, almost abusive to others? Or should we be out there fighting the corner? In truth it's not the best track on the album, perhaps because they've not quite gone the whole hog on it, and presumably not wishing to totally alienate the audience by using any more dangerous comments. Best of the lot though is "Talk To Me", which fits a Talk Talk/Simple Minds kind of style. This is one of their finest - it has what quite a lot don't have... a sense of real purpose. They really have turned up the heat with this and have probably ruffled a few feathers along the way, which is no bad thing.

About The Album To Extremes:.
I don't like obituaries, but following the split of Eddie and Dana, it looks like I'm going to have to write one. Their career together stretches back over 15 years, during which time they've served up a consistent diet of polished bluesy AOR. With this release they have left us with a quite splendid parting shot. If anything, 'To Extremes' finds D&K dredging way back into their early Lamb & Lion label releases, in that the sound is much more raw and live than their later albums. Dana Key's guitar hits harder than ever before, with some quite memorable, blues-soaked soloing. Eddie DeGarmo's keyboard contributions certainly seem to have been pushed into the background, as this is, essentially, a guitar led album. As ever, though, the sheer quality of the songs matches the excellence of the musicianship, I immediately fell for the groove-filled "Hangin' By A Scarlet Thread", the punchy, all out rock attack of "Judgement Day" and the heavy, almost metal, of "Dangerous Place", but in all honesty, only the rather quirky "Hyper-faith" had me hitting the skip button. D&K have never been ones to hide their Christianity in double-meaning lyrics and they've- again gone straight for the jugular. A non-Christian friend of mine said that 'To Extremes' was "Evangelism with a great soundtrack" and that pretty much hits the nail on the head! For lovers of qualify hard rock, 'To Extremes' should be at the very top of your shopping list.Thanks for the last 15 years guys,keep in Touch!(http://www.holymetalrob.com/)