Tonio K
's fifth full-length album was originally slated to be released in 1990 on the heels of
Notes From the Lost Civilization
, thus completing his trio of comeback recordings. Due to the inherent nature of corporate restructuring, however, this project was canned by
A&M
only to see the light of day seven years later courtesy of
Gadfly Records
. This album, while being denied a final mix due to financial and political constraints, continues stylistically in the vein of
.
's patented form of intelligent funky roots rock and commentary-laced ballads is complemented greatly by a stellar cast of musicians like
Peter Case
,
T Bone Burnett
Booker T. Jones
Bruce Thomas
David Hidalgo
Paul Westerberg
, and
Charlie Sexton
. Co-produced by
Burnett
and
David Miner
Ole
contains several intense and substantive songs like
"Hey Lady,"
"Day and Night,"
(co-written with
) and the caustic
"What a Way to Live"
which revisits his ornery heyday as a burgeoning voice of unreason. ~ Dave Sleger