What was the biggest act on Slash?  At this point, we'd have to say the Violent Femmes, certainly based on modern airplay. But they did have X, and a bunch of uber-cool bands that got ink but never made it.  Like Rank and File. How do you sell an act without hits?  Especially when you don't have the marketing and promotion budget?

You don't. Rank and File never broke through.  Alejandro Escovedo ultimately went solo.  And released some utter gems on Ryko, like "Try Try Try".  But, despite its legendary green jewel boxes, Ryko couldn't break a new act either.  Alejandro got hepatitis, we thought he was going to die, but he lived.  To fade away, into obscurity, in Texas.

Now he makes a new album.  What for?  Who gave him the money?  Like he's going to make it NOW!Oh, I read all the hype.  I've got a soft spot in my heart for him.  But I wasn't planning to listen.Then I read his heartfelt account of going onstage with Bruce, how he was thrilled that Bruce had learned HIS song. But I still didn't listen.

But driving down 20th Street last night listening to Little Steven's Underground Garage on Sirius, the song pouring out of the speakers made me pay attention, it hooked me, I didn't push the button to go to another station. But the song was too generic. 

Then, there was this change...  I suddenly realized, this was good, Alejandro Escovedo had DELIVERED! It's not 1978.  I don't know where Alejandro goes from here.  Bruce can barely get any airplay.  But if you were a Boss fan way back when, who liked that upbeat in your face sound, who liked the exuberance of his endless shows, you'll like this.

Maybe it's the production.  Tony Visconti is much better than Brendan O'Brien.  Brendan poured sludge over the tracks, the mix on Bruce's recent work is so dense, you can't penetrate the music.  And, with today's new digital technologies, a backward step for music, the end result doesn't grip you.  Whereas Tony Visconti seems to know it's all about bottom and top.  Crank the drums, everybody's listening on earbuds, and put the vocal right up front.

 It sounds just like Tony's mid-period Bowie work.  The production has got the urgency of "Diamond Dogs".Now you can say that Alejandro Escovedo has sold out, gone where the money is when the bank's been depleted.  But listening to "Chelsea Hotel '78" on his MySpace page, you don't feel this is Springsteen rip-off, but the energy of someone with the goods, who's never made it, who's channeling what he really feels.  And the third MySpace track, "Sister Lost Soul", although closer to Bruce, is really good.  One could argue that "Always A Friend" is the WORST OF THE THREE!

Is this music gonna change your life? No. But it might put a smile in your heart.  Knowing some players still care, that rock and roll is still alive.This is a guy I'd want to see live.

JSink again: Take Bob's advice and check out Escovedo at the Paradise. On an irrelevent, personal note, I saw Escovedo back in the Rank & File days and while in Austin covering South By Southwest in the '90s had the pleasure of taking him to his first Lou Reed concert. Which he dug. Escovedo's show is opened by Tusla at 9. Tickets: $18.

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