Trap Door - EP
Artist: T-Bone Burnett

Following a short stint with Takoma Records, T-Bone Burnett moved back into the majors with a 1982 release for Warner Bros., the six-song EP Trap Door. Whereas his previous record, Truth Decay, had the feel of an early Sam Phillips recording for Sun Records, rap Door is filled with tight, radiant folk-rock. Fronting the same basic lineup... Read More

Riding With the King
Artist: John Hiatt

John Hiatt's talents as a singer and songwriter have never been a matter of question, but for the longest time neither Hiatt nor his various record labels seemed to know what to do with him. Epic Records thought he was some sort of a folky, while MCA figured, since his songs were often cranky and angular, he could be sold as a skinny-tie new... Read More

Trouble in Paradise
Artist: Randy Newman

Randy Newman began the slow process of transforming himself into a polished L.A. song-crafter on the album Little Criminals, and with Trouble in Paradise the metamorphosis was complete; by this time, Newman could make a record just as ear-pleasing as anything Paul Simon, Don Henley, or Lindsey Buckingham could come up with, and proved it by... Read More

Legendary Hearts
Artist: Lou Reed
Community Score: 8.38

If Legendary Hearts seemed like a disappointment in 1983, that was largely because the year before Lou Reed had released The Blue Mask, one of the finest albums of his career, and Legendary Hearts just wasn't quite as good. But pull it off the shelf today, give it a listen, and Legendary Hearts easily shuts down nearly anything Reed released in... Read More

The River
Artist: Bruce Springsteen
Community Score: 8.27
Swordfishtrombones
Artist: Tom Waits
Community Score: 8.65

Between the release of Heartattack and Vine in 1980 and Swordfishtrombones in 1983, Tom Waits got rid of his manager, his producer, and his record company. And he drastically altered a musical approach that had become as dependable as it was unexciting. Swordfishtrombones has none of the strings and much less of the piano work that Waits'... Read More

Excitable Boy
Artist: Warren Zevon
Community Score: 6.40
Truth Decay
Artist: T-Bone Burnett

T-Bone Burnett released Truth Decay for John Fahey's Takoma Records, his first solo effort since 1972. Burnett delivers a collection of parables, tales, and personal struggles propelled by his strong beliefs and some captivating roots rock. "Quicksand," with a rhythm reminiscent of "Ring of Fire," opens the proceedings with a word of caution,... Read More

Retrospect
Artist: Randy Newman

To date, Warner Brothers in the U.S. has not released a compilation of Randy Newman's best work, but the U.K. division has, and here it is. From "Political Science" to "God's Song," these 16 songs should show any listener the depth of Randy Newman's talent as a songwriter and provide some big horse laughs along the way. ~ William Ruhlmann, All... Read More