Goliath (Steve Taylor album)

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Goliath
Goliath Cover.jpeg
Studio album by
Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil
ReleasedNovember 18, 2014
RecordedIHOF Studio (Nashville, Tennessee)
Genre CCM, alternative rock, new wave revival
Length39:13
Label Splint Entertainment
Producer Steve Taylor, Danny Seim
Steve Taylor chronology
Liver
(1995)		Goliath
(2014)		 Wow to the Deadness
(2016)

Goliath is the sixth studio album by alternative rock singer Steve Taylor, and his first with the group Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil, consisting of Taylor, Peter Furler, Jimmy Abegg and John Mark Painter. It was released by Splint Entertainment on November 18, 2014 and marks his first studio release since 1993's Squint . [1]

Contents

Background

Steve Taylor previously released the studio album Squint in 1993, after the breakup of his band Chagall Guevara, which enjoyed limited commercial success despite critical praise. [2] Following Squint, Taylor retired from recording music as a solo artist, pursuing a career as a filmmaker, songwriter, and record producer. In 2010, Taylor started recording music again. In 2011, Peter Furler, former member of Newsboys, a band for which Taylor has produced and written, revealed in an interview that he, Taylor, Jimmy Abegg and John Mark Painter had started recording for a new project by Taylor. [3] At that time, the band was still unnamed, and referred to itself as "Steve Taylor and Some Other Band". [4] Under this name, the four artists appeared together on the song "Closer" from Furler's solo album On Fire . "A Life Preserved" was first heard on the soundtrack of the film Blue Like Jazz which Steve Taylor produced, wrote and directed. [5]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Blurt Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
CCM Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
Cross Rhythms U+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svgU+25A0.svg [8]
Jesus Freak HideoutStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [9]
New Release TuesdayStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
The Phantom Tollbooth4.5/5 [11]

Reviews for the album were effusive with praise [6] [7] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] with Popdose.com calling it "one of the best albums of the year." [14]

Fred Mills, writing for Blurt Magazine , rewarding the project four stars out of five possible, lauds Taylor as "Sounding as if he's aged not one hour, he strides across the rock & roll arena every bit as vibrant on Goliath as in his prime." [6] Imparting upon the album a five star rating, CCM Magazine's Andy Argyrakis, expresses "Even though it been 21 years since Steve Taylor's last solo album, he more than makes up for lost time with a searing collection of witty yet inspiring alt-rockers." [7] For Jesus Freak Hideout, Bert Gangl awards the release four and a half stars surmising, "once these trifling arguments are laid to rest, what listeners are left with is quite simply a riveting, superbly-crafted work that, when it's all said and done, might just be Taylor's finest effort to date." [9] In a four star rating, New Release Tuesday's Mary Nikkel implores, "This album will satisfy longtime Christian alternative rock supporters and pique the interest of a new generation longing for a little musical diversity." [10] Bert Saraco, commenting for The Phantom Tollbooth in a four and a half clocks review, extolling "Steve Taylor and The Perfect Foil have unveiled Goliath to the world, and it's lived up to its legend." [11]

Music videos

Music videos were released for four of the tracks: "Only a Ride" which used footage from the trailer of the cult film Stunt Rock by Brian Trenchard-Smith, [15] [16] "Standing In Line", [17] which consists entirely of footage from Jerzy Skolimowski's The Departure , [18] an animated video for the title track "Goliath", [19] and "Moonshot". [20]

Vinyl and cassette

Goliath's initial pressing was released in 2015 by Sounds Familyre Records [21] in several different vinyl hues: transparent red (for kickstarter backers only), violet, pink, transparent green, transparent orange and transparent yellow. The album was also released on cassette tape in red, yellow, and "Splint blue". [22] [23]

Track listing

All tracks lyrics by Steve Taylor, music by Steve Taylor and the Perfect Foil [24]

  1. "Only a Ride" – 2:23
  2. "Double Negative" – 3:37
  3. "Goliath" – 2:49
  4. "Moonshot" – 2:57
  5. "Rubberneck" – 2:49
  6. "The Sympathy Vote" – 2:53
  7. "Standing In Line" – 3:55
  8. "In Layers" – 3:51
  9. "Happy Go Lazy" – 3:34
  10. "A Life Preserved" – 4:06
  11. "Comedian" – 6:25

The deluxe edition, released in March 2015, includes three additional tracks:

  1. "Am I in Sync? (Missing Link Version)" – 3:35
  2. "Foils On 45" – 5:12
  3. "Goliath: A Conversation with Donald Miller & Steve Taylor (Plus Secret Hidden Track)" – 15:28

Personnel

[25]

Production notes

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References

  1. ↑ "Steve Taylor 'Goliath' (Splint Entertainment) Review - Wondering Sound". Wondering Sound. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  2. ↑ Gersztyn, Bob (October 18, 2013). McNeil, W. K. (ed.). "Taylor, Steve". The Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music. Routledge: 395. ISBN   9781135377076 . Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  3. ↑ Bonham, Chad (July 2011). "A conversation with solo artist and former Newsboys lead singer Peter Furler (Part 1)". Beliefnet . BN Media Associates. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  4. ↑ Van Pelt, Doug (May 18, 2011). "Peter Furler's solo album pre-orders available". HM . Doug Van Pelt.
  5. ↑ "Blue Like Jazz Motion Picture Soundtrack". RELEVANT Magazine. Archived from the original on December 3, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 Mills, Fred (December 4, 2014). "STEVE TAYLOR & THE PERFECT FOIL – Goliath". Blurt Magazine . Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 Argyrakis, Andy (January 15, 2015). "Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil: Goliath". CCM Magazine . Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  8. ↑ Cummings, Tony (January 18, 2015). "Review: Goliath - Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil". Cross Rhythms . Retrieved January 21, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 Gangl, Bert. "Jesusfreakhideout.com: Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil, "Goliath" Review". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 Nikkel, Mary. "A Perfect Storm". New Release Tuesday. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 Saraco, Bert. "Taylor, Steve And The Perfect Foil -- Goliath". The Phantom Tollbooth. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  12. ↑ Machintosh, Dan. "Steve Taylor verges on perfection with "Goliath" by the Perfect Foil". AXS.com. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  13. ↑ "Steve Taylor's new Goliath". Think Christian. November 6, 2021.
  14. ↑ Dunphy, DW (November 19, 2014). "CD Review: Steve Taylor and the Perfect Foil, "Goliath"". Popdose.com. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  15. ↑ "See It First! Nashville Rockers Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil Debut New 'Ride'". October 3, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  16. ↑ Ridley, Jim (November 21, 2014). "How Steve Taylor Leapt Into the Trailer for Stunt Rock". Nashville Scene . SouthComm Communications. Archived from the original on December 28, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Video Premiere: Steve Taylor & the Perfect Foil, "Standing in Line" - Wondering Sound". Wondering Sound. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Video Premiere: Steve Taylor & the Perfect Foil, "Standing in Line"". Wondering Sound. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2016.
  19. ↑ ""Goliath" - Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil". YouTube. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil take us to the roller disco with their 'Moonshot' video - exclusive - EW.com". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Premium Vinyl". crossrhythms.co.uk.
  22. ↑ "Goliath". soundsfamilyre.com.
  23. ↑ "Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil Releases Goliathâ Via Sounds Familyre Records". Shore Fire Media. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Steve Taylor & the Perfect Foil – Goliath (2014, CD)". Discogs .
  25. ↑ Goliath (CD booklet). Steve Taylor & The Perfect Foil. Splint Entertainment. 2014.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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