This third release was bound to disappoint fans of the outrageous Stooges/Beefheart-influenced
band. The album swung through a wider variety of styles, including Stones-style
boogie rock ("Be Myself Again," "Baritone Street,"
"Circles"), melancholy ballads ("Golden Age," "Can't
Slow Down"), and one genuine psychedelic epic ("Coda").
Taken on its own terms, the 1991 outing is a masterpiece of dissolution,
disappointment, and loss. Chiming Byrds-style acoustic guitars, tambourines,
and piano underscored the evolution toward a cleaner production sound.
The band's playing never sounded more assured, although some detractors
would claim this was a detrimental point. While lacking the whacked-out
intensity of In the Air Tonight, From Influence to Ignorance displayed
new maturity in Union Carbide Productions' growth as a recording and performing
entity. Additionally, it represented a personal watershed for Ebbot Lundberg
as a singer, lyricist, and producer.
(by Joe Pettit, Jr. , AMG) |