Welcome reissue--get it before it's out-of-print again!
Elliot Knapp | Seattle, Washington United States | 07/22/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"One for the Road is Ronnie Lane's third solo album, and the second in the recent pair of Japanese Mini-LP CD reissues (the first being Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance). This album may have been the hardest to get ahold of before this point, so it's a joy to finally find a great-sounding and affordable version of this classic album.
The music: As I've said in other reviews of Lane's solo material, Slim Chance's music is reminiscent of The Band inasmuch as it organically blends elements of many types of music including old-time rock and roll, country, folk, blues, and even some jazz. At its heart, though, the Slim Chance sound is anchored by Lane's unabashedly earnest songwriting and soulful singing of his often insightful lyrics. The band is first-rate, playing energetic good-time rock that's as fun to listen to as it must have been to play. Although One for the Road may be a slight bit less strong than its predecessors, it's still first-rate and an essential part of any enthusiast's collection.
One of the best things about One for the Road is that it consistently rocks the hardest of the three Slim Chance albums--from Lane's defiant growl at the beginning of "Don't Try to Change My Mind" to the Zydeco sound of "G'Morning" at the album's close, the energy is mostly high. The title track is another strong point with its shout-along chorus, as is the "up yours" sentiment of "32nd Street" and the uncharacteristically foreboding "Burning Summer."
This reissue: For anyone not familiar with the Japanese mini-LP reissues, here's the scoop. The CD is in a cardboard sleeve (a gatefold sleeve, in the case of this one), which is a to-the-letter reproduction of the original vinyl LP's cardboard sleeve. The artwork is pristine and high-quality, and liner notes are included in both English and Japanese. As a note, the black strip seen on the left side of the album's picture here is a removable paper band. The sound on this reissue is good, though maybe not quite as crystal-clear as on the Mini-LP of Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance (it sounds more like vinyl)--but it blows away the Island/Edsel issue from the early 90's, and is at least as good as the recent blue-cover compilation titled Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance. One bonus track is included (to my knowledge, it's previously unreleased), which sweetens the deal. Yeah, this Mini-LP CD is expensive, but it's also a limited edition. Lane's earlier solo material has been long out-of-print, and sometimes fetches ridiculous prices (40+ USD for Anymore For Anymore, or upwards of 100 USD for the Island issue of this album [no joke!]). Be advised that the price of this item will only get higher as supplies dwindle, so if you're the least bit interested, I recommend that you pick it up now while it's still somewhat reasonably priced--most of these Mini-LPs jump considerably when the stocks run out. I think you'll find it a beautiful addition to your music collection, and worth the few extra bucks. If you're not willing to commit, I suppose I'd recommend the recent British import (with the blue cover) entitled Ronnie Lane's Slim Chance--it contains nearly all the original tracks from this album and One For The Road (minus one from each album). If you're not a completist or collector, this might be the way to go--in any case, Ronnie Lane's excellent solo music deserves to be heard and cherished by as many people as possible!"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1