Singer/songwriter/producer and all-around
rock & roll auteur
Walker goes it solo for the first time, after his moderately successful fling in
the Marvelous 3 and handling production for upstarts like
SR-71 and
Injected. He plays almost all the instruments except drums (handled by fellow Atlanta resident
Kenny Cresswell), but brings in guests like
Moetley Cruee bassist
Nikki Sixx for a track and even
Peter Searcy on cello. Although nothing here is a major departure from the snotty, riff-based '70s-styled catchy
hard rock that powered
the Marvelous 3,
Walker acquits himself admirably with a handful of terrific songs and enough brash swagger to make the rest sound at least like quality filler. The booklet displays this album (or a non-existent vinyl version of it) strewn among various
rock star-associated trash; half-eaten pizza, eight-track tapes, underwear, an old pair of headphones, and a fake
Rolling Stone feature are all scattered on an orange shag rug. The photo not only typifies the music, but shows
Walker's influences, which he proudly displays on these 11 frequently rockin' tracks. The album's first single and most immediately catchy tune is
"My Way" (not the
Sinatra song), which epitomizes
Walker's crunchy guitar attack. Lyrics like "There's a right way/Then there's my way/There's a highway/If you don't like it you can take it" exemplify the artist's no-BS philosophy. At worst, although he energetically puts across a song,
Walker's voice isn't particularly distinctive, and the closing track (which follows 15 minutes of silence) is a worthless goof. But when he works a hooky chorus like the
Badfinger-styled
"Far Away From Close," grabs onto
Oasis' melodic sweep on the personal
"Sober," uses subtle loops to infuse a slight contemporary feel on
"Into the Black," or adds strings and female backing vocals on the punchy
"Get Down," Walker walks on terra firma. With forceful playing, muscular production, and self-assured confidence, he plows through these tunes like the seasoned pro he is. It adds up to about 40 minutes of pretension-free classic rocking that never sounds dated or passe. ~ Hal Horowitz
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