Dave Edmunds - D.E. 7th/Information (1982/1983)

UK Import

A two-fer compilation from BGO Records, released in 2002. 22 songs in under 70 minutes.

I first discovered Edmunds through his work with Nick Lowe in Rockpile. Both Lowe and Edmunds come from the pub rock tradition, but Edmunds likes his cajun/bluegrass/country western music a little too much at times. As a result, his roots rock and pop songs are top-notch while the rest of his stuff sounds like CCR filler to me. As you can imagine, this makes for a pair of uneven albums here. Eclectic, if you will. Edmunds produced D.E. 7th himself, but reached out to ELO chief Jeff Lynne to produce two songs on Information, updating the sound considerably. On the whole, I prefer the latter album. Because they have such different sounds, they make for a strange single CD pairing (also, I'm subtracting points for subpar liner notes).

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D.E. 7th (1982)

Press of the time:

• Robert Christgau (B+): "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"
• Stereo Review: "sharp songs, sharp arrangements, great singing. And it's great fun."
• Rolling Stone (★★★½): "This is one hifalutin celebration of American cars and bars that just won't quit. Hop in, anyone?"
• Trouser Press: "His music may be out of fashion but it will never be out of style."
• Smash Hits (9 out of 10): "Now this is rock and roll - as true, unpretentious and earnest as you can get."
• Billboard: "Fans may still be mourning the demise of Rockpile, but the Welsh guitarist's new band should help ease the pain."
• CashBox: "a sharp-sounding, high-powered success."

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #46
• Billboard Rock: #24
• CashBox: #71
• Rolling Stone: #26

Tracks: This album starts off strong with Springsteen's From Small Things Big Things Come and NRBQ's Me And The Boys. Other keepers include Generation Rumble, Others Guys Girls, Paula Meet Jeanne, and Chuck Berry's Dear Dad. I'll pass on the rest.

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INFORMATION (1983)

Press of the time:

• Robert Christgau (B-): "Not since the onset of a career always marked by consistent taste and uncertain utility has Edmunds strayed so far from the trad, and though his perfidy/courage is characteristically marginal, it's still a mistake."
• Rolling Stone (★★★★): "careerist rock at its very best"
• Trouser Press: "ranks as one of his decidedly lesser LPs"
• Billboard: "a more consciously commercial band style adding synthesizers and electronic percussion."
• Stereo Review: Recording of Special Merit
• CashBox: "experiments with techno-rock"

Album chart peaks:

• US Billboard 200: #51
• Billboard Rock: #9
• CashBox: #61
• Rolling Stone: #32

Tracks: The best song on the CD is Slipping Away, which was written by Lynne and, not surprisingly, sounds just like an ELO song. Other stand outs include the title track and covers of NRBQ's I Want You Bad and J. Geils Band's Wait. I usually skip The Watch On My Wrist and The Shape I'm In.

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Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Thinking back to high school, I remember the Information album (I most likely borrowed it from my buddy Jim), especially the song Slipping Away. But I remember it with the U.S. album cover: