With the dissolution of
Eurythmics
following 1989's
We Too Are One
, guitarist/composer/producer
Dave Stewart
put together a new band,
the Spiritual Cowboys
, which included drummer
Martin Chambers
. The band's initial release arrived the next year to weak sales and little radio interest. It was unfortunate because the self-titled debut definitely deserved more attention.
Stewart
is a very talented artist and the release is often a joy to listen to. More guitar-heavy than much of
' music,
and cast create a blend of blue-eyed soul and glam on tracks like
"Soul Years,"
"Mr. Reed,"
and
"Jack Talking."
There is a trio of noteworthy ballads in the hushed
"This Little Town,"
the gospel-tinged
"Love Shines,"
and the epic-in-scope
"Heaven and Earth."
And they resurrect the glories of
"Would I Lie to You?"
with the trippy, horn-charged stomp
"Party Town."
's voice has a
Bowie
-like quality to it (with a touch of menace) and suits the songs well, but it's interesting to consider how they would have sounded sung by
Annie Lennox
. Overall, though,
Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys
, forgiving a few weak lyrics, is a lost gem of an album and something most
fans will want to hear. ~ Tom Demalon