Fearful Symmetry (album) - Definition and Overview

Fearful Symmetry is the title of a 1986 album by rock band Daniel Amos, released on Frontline Records.

Fearful Symmetry is a lush, synthesizer driven pop album, lyrically wrapped in puzzles that the listener has to decifer. Nearly every song on Fearful Symmetry in some way deals with pain or darkness - from the William Blake-inspired "Sleep Silent Child", a song about death, to "Strong Points, Weak Points", a song about doubt. The album title comes from a line in The Tyger by Wm. Blake. The album ends on an upbeat note however, with the touching ballad, "Beautiful One".

Fearful Symmetry was the final chapter of a four part series of albums by DA entitled The Alarma! Chronicles, which also included the albums Alarma!, Doppelganger, and Vox Humana. The band raised eyebrows on the tour that followed each release, by presenting a full multimedia event complete with video screens sychronized to the music, something that was unusual in the early 1980s for any band.

In 1986, DA was Terry Scott Taylor on rhythm guitars and lead vocals, Jerry Chamberlain on lead guitars and vocals, Tim Chandler on bass guitar, Greg Flesch on guitar, keyboardist Rob Watson and Ed McTaggart on drums.

Side One:

1. "A Sigh For You" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler)
2. "The Pool" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler)
3. "Sleep, Silent Child" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler)
4. "Neverland Ballroom" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler)
5. "Strong Points, Weak Points" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler)

Side Two:

1. "Instruction Through Film" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch/Chandler)
2. "When Moonlight Sleeps (On The Frosted Hill)" (Taylor)
3. "Sudden Heaven" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Flesch)
4. "Shadow Catcher" (Words by Taylor, Music by Taylor/Chandler)
5. "Beautiful One" (Taylor)