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On the cusp of the real millennium, I'm listening to a re-release of an album from 1994. On their debut album, The Continental Drifters, remnants from such disparate groups as The Bangles, The Cowsills,The dBs, and Dream Syndicate, got together and put out an impressive set of tunes. They had been playing together awhile before the album was recorded; but, it saw limited sales due to a tangled web of circumstances. Vermilion, their album domestically released on Razor & Tie in the fall of 1999, and their emotional live performances are pointed evidence of the growth since album one.
On this album, the current line-up of the band was mostly in place; the drummer was the only difference. This wouldn't seem significant, since bands seem to change drummers every few albums in today's music world. But Carlo Nuccio's songs are less successful than those composed by other singer-songwriters on the team.
My favorite cuts are colored by having seen them live in the Big Easy, but they are great songs that sound better with repeated listening. Vicki Peterson's "Mixed Messages," with its pleasing power-pop pulse; Susan Cowsills' "Get Over It," a tale of emotional abuse and triumph; and the heartfelt covers that round out the record are all quite nifty. The Drifters' take on a litte know Mike Nesmith song, "Some of Shelly's Blues," is particularly impressive.
All the players play exceptionally well, especially ace guitarist Robert Mache, multi-instrumentalist Peter Holsapple and solid bassist Mark Walton. Fans of the band will hear a pleasant trip down memory lane, new listeners will also find some good music here. All in all, this CD serves as an early document of a vital, exciting adult rock 'n' roll band that will be releasing its new album later in 2001; also, the sound quality is vastly improved.
Note to record company: Why no band pictures on cover or insert? Is this the way the original released looked? Oh, well. A minor complaint, but some pictures may have helped move this one, and they'd be appreciated on the new release.
Russ, you fit in with the crew better than I ever knew!
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