Atlantic / Wea
1989
Red Earth
About This Album
On this, their debut album, Crash Vegas comes up with a seemingly effortless alt-country masterpiece years before alt-country even existed. The band's neo-folk-rock sound certainly had its obvious antecedents in the Band, Neil Young, and Blue Rodeo, as well as, say, Emmylou Harris, but in 1989, Crash Vegas couldn't really be said to sound like anyone except themselves. And despite increased competition, this still holds true. The primary reason for this is, of course, Michelle McAdorey's unique voice, which on Red Earth is fully capable of expressing both utter heartbreak and warm-hearted tenderness, often simultaneously. But that's not to overlook the important contributions of Colin Cripps, whose work on guitar, dobro, and mandolin gives Red Earth its distinctive textures, which range from the delicate pop sensibilities of the mandolin-drenched "Inside Out" (a Top 20 hit in Canada) through to the distorted, electrified rockabilly of "Moving Too Fast." Also worthy of note are the contributions of Jocelyne Lanois (Daniel Lanois' sister); not only is her fine bass playing an integral part of the band's sound, but she also proves herself to be a more-than-capable lead vocalist on "It's Not Funny Anymore.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,7,8 and 9)

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