Soledad Brothers - The Hardest Walk

The band's fifth and final studio album!

Out of print for more than a decade!

Limited edition splatter vinyl pressing!

The Soledad Brothers' aptly-named songsmith Johnny Walker muses about the world as seen through the bottom of a glass in the wake of a relationship break-up. Well, this is the blues after all. Granted, blues music is the primary element in their album The Hardest Walk. It would be shortsighted, however, to call this strictly a blues recording, because many shades other than navy blue also help color it in.

"One track called 'Downtown Paranoia Blues' presents this musical portrait's most striking tone of all. Vocalist Johnny Walker sings it with a distinctly Dylan-inspired cadence and sardonic attitude, like something straight out of Bob's especially creative Blonde on Blonde period. Walker is worried sick over his lover's suspected downtown fling. He admits, 'I'm afraid I'm going to find her downtown,' before confessing 'I can see her laying down in a half a million beds.' This is not Petula Clark's innocent 'forget all your troubles, forget all your cares' downtown, that's for sure.

"Subsequent tracks, 'White Jazz,' 'Good Feeling,' and 'True to Zou Zou' further establish Soledad Brother's solid rock credentials. 'White Jazz' isn't jazz at all, but instead almost a minute of guitar feedback fun, whereas 'Good Feeling' finds the bros having a go at upbeat, '60s soul pop-rock. With its jangling guitar and squeaking sax solo, it stands out as a bright delight. The closer, 'True to Zou Zou,' which is partly acoustic/slightly psychedelic, includes sitar of all things. Every one of these songs offers something different, and not a single one can be easily labeled (and that's a good thing).

"While The Hardest Walk is more eclectic than expected, these boys have by no means completely abandoned the blues. 'Crying Outloud (Tears of Joy)' is a slice of slow, rolling blues, accented by nicely churchy acoustic piano, and 'Crooked Crown' offers up chugging, Cjhicago blues, spiced with harmonica and slide guitar." — Popmatters.com

Side A:

1. Truth Or Consequences

2. Downtown Paranoia Blues

3. Crying Out Loud (Tears Of Joy)

4. Crooked Crown

5. Sweet And Easy

6. Dark Horses

Side B:

1. White Jazz

2. Good Feeling

3. Let Me Down

4. Mean Ol' Toledo

5. Loup Garou

6. True To Zou Zou

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