You Need This
Album.
If all of the songs on this album were at the same level of quality and/or
cutting sarcasm as "Sold American", "We Reserve the Right to Refuse Service
to You" or "Ride 'Em Jewboy" (to pick some of the better ones more or less
at random), it would be a five-star effort.
As it is, "High on Jesus" and "Top Ten Commandments", among others, drag
it down one level -- these are neither truly believable as what they sound
like, nor sufficiently satirical to actually make a point.
That said, You Still Need This Album.
You Need It because of "Sold American" and "Silver
Eagle Express" -- two perfectly touching country ballads of lost youth, lost
innocence and lost dreams.
You Need It because of "Western Union Wire",
a classic country honkytonk tear-in-the-beer song with a twist.
You Need It because of "We Reserve the Right
to Refuse Service to You", "The Ballad of Charles Whitman" and "Flyin' Down
the Freeway", three deadpan sardonic takes on aspects of life from Kinky's
twisted perspective.
And You Need It because "Ride 'Em Jewboy" sounds
as if it ought to be another piece of black humourous satire... and turns
out to be a touching meditation on the Holocaust.
Mostly, You Need It because it's a unique American voice at the peak of his
talent, and you shouldn't miss it, no matter what kind of music you usually
listen to. |
