Search - Alejandro Escovedo :: Man Under the Influence

File under "Amexicana"

wm | ...onward....thru the fog! | 06/19/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The tragic irony about Alejandro Escovedo is that he's the greatest contemporary singer songwriter who most people will never hear of. And that's a shame, because he's got tremendous talent, blending all kinds of influences, from Brit rock to Lou Reed to Iggy Pop to folk, but most of all, he gives it an Austin, Texas feel. It's also a sound uniquely his own, although he fits neatly in with the so called "Americana" musicians like Lucinda Williams or The Jayhawks. His music has a beautiful melancholy in it. There's also a very strong undercurrent of Mexican American music, and there should be; he is after all, a Mexican American. It's not the same overt Mexican American flavor exemplified by bands like Los Lobos, however, but instead much more subtle. He has collaborated loosely with the Walter Salas Humara/The Silos bunch over the years. In one of their greatest collaborations, which is now hard to find, since it's long out of print, they call themselves "The Setters...If you can get ahold of this CD, get it. Also, as others have said in reviews of Alejandro, you want to catch him live. Like some of the greatest musicians out there, he's continuously reinventing himself, and each time you see his show, it will have a totally different mood, texture, and atmosphere. I'm not sure there is such a thing as a bad Alejandro Escovedo CD, but this one, and the one before it are without a doubt his most polished."

Fantastic CD

Frank J. Freeman II | Ames, Iowa United States | 08/14/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD was a CD of the month at my local Public Radio station (KUNI), and Alejandro was featured on "The World Cafe". Because I had heard a few of the songs on the CD...I was both reluctant and hopeful when I bought the CD. I should not have been reluctant. The CD was enough for me to travel to Minneapolis to see Alejandro in concert. A Man Under the Influence is both masterful and approachable. Masterful enough for my father to enjoy it and approachable enough that my stepson requested that I burn Castanets onto a CD for him."

Another strong, consistent, rewarding disc

Music fan | Norfolk, VA USA | 12/18/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Escovedo veers wildly over the sonic map from Stonesy rocker to symphonic country ballad to Tex Mex melancholy. What doesn't change is his unerring eye for writing a compelling story - check out "Rosalie." The result is an emotionally resonant disc that seduces you slowly, rewarding with each repeated listening.

Flawless production by Chris Stamey, who also contributes his usual tasteful guitar licks (along with old buddy Mitch Easter)."