When
the Blasters
released their self-titled album in 1981,
Slash Records
was an ambitious indie label on the rise, and by the time the group cut their second LP for the label, 1983's
Non-Fiction
,
Slash
had signed a distribution deal with
Warner Bros
. that gave the upstart roots rockers a major-label recording budget for the first time.
sounds bigger and more polished than
The Blasters
, which doesn't really work in its favor; the tight, lean sound of their previous album suited their music, and the broader, echoey tone of this record somehow makes the band sound littler, like a small combo playing on a huge stage for the first time. But if the production and engineering isn't the best match for this music, it isn't intrusive, and
sound as strong and focused here as ever.
Phil Alvin'
s vocals are as big and joyous as all outdoors,
Dave Alvin'
s guitar work is sharp as a scalpel, bassist
John Bazz
and drummer
Bill Bateman
swing hard and tirelessly throughout, and pianist
Gene Taylor
, and saxmen
Lee Allen
and
Steve Berlin
are better integrated into the arrangements than they were on the previous LP. And while
Dave Alvin
already demonstrated he was a first-rate songwriter on
, he had even more to say on
(which featured nine original songs over
The Blasters'
seven), and
"Red Rose"
's tale of star-crossed lovers, the story of
Hank Williams'
last ride in
"Long White Cadillac,"
and the Depression-era saga of
"Jubilee Train"
confirm he'd gotten even better in the two years since he'd last gone into the studio. Like
Television'
s
Adventure
the New York Dolls'
Too Much Too Soon
the Blasters'
followed an instant classic, and seemed like a disappointment on first glance, but give it a listen on its own terms, and it plays like the work of a great band working with heart, soul, and plenty of skill, and it's one of the finest roots rock discs of the '80s. ~ Mark Deming