CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
SWEET PEA ATKINSON: “Don’t Walk Away” (Island):: Was (Not Was) repay Atkinson for his vocal chores by producing a solo debut, and spare us D. Was’s bug-eyed late-capitalist existential cynicism in the bargain. Trouper that he is, Atkinson will sing any nonsense they hand him, but he obviously finds his truth in Dionne Warwick, the Tymes, General Johnson, and Eddie Rabbitt, and I’ll go along with that.
CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
DEPARTMENTS
Robert Christgau
SWEET PEA ATKINSON: “Don’t Walk Away” (Island):: Was (Not Was) repay Atkinson for his vocal chores by producing a solo debut, and spare us D. Was’s bug-eyed late-capitalist existential cynicism in the bargain. Trouper that he is, Atkinson will sing any nonsense they hand him, but he obviously finds his truth in Dionne Warwick, the Tymes, General Johnson, and Eddie Rabbitt, and I’ll go along with that. Meanwhile, the Was Bros, have learned enough about Linn drums to provide the kind of bug-eyed late-capitalist existential displacement that lends realism to orders like “dig deep, don’t be so nice” and “dance or die. ” A-
DAVE EDMUNDS: “D.E. 7th” (Columbia):: It’s a measure of my respect for Edmunds that at this point his meticulous collections of oldies and newies impress me much the way good new Chicago blues albums do, and I vouch for number seven, especially the newies on side one. Only when was the last time you were more than mildly excited by a good new Chicago blues album? B+