Hollywood Town Hall in Bloomington, MN

It was one of the more unlikely major label releases of 1992 -- nothing to do with
grunge
, certainly not a last holdout from '80s mainstream
sludge
. On the flip side, it wasn't really the incipient
alternative country
/
No Depression
sound either, for all that there was a clear influence from the likes of
Gram Parsons
and fellow travelers throughout the grooves. This wasn't a sepia-toned collection of murder
ballads
or the similarly minded efforts that were almost overreactions to Nashville's triumphalism throughout the '90s. At base,
Hollywood Town Hall
found a finely balanced point -- accessible enough for should-have-been success (sclerotic
classic rock
station programmers were fools to ignore this while still playing
the Eagles
into the ground) but bowing to no trends. Its lack of variety tells against a bit -- while there are certainly stronger moments than others, most of the songs do have a tendency to blend into each other -- but the core strengths of the group come through.
George Drakoulias
fleshed out the sound just enough, with the side help of performers like
Benmont Tench
and
Nicky Hopkins
adding fine extra touches without swamping the identity of the group. Piano and organ may be prevalent, but it's really
Olson
Louris
' great harmonies that are the core of things, giving songs like
"Crowded in the Wings"
"Settled Down Like Rain"
a high-and-lonesome sparkle.
Callahan
's a good drummer, if not particularly noteworthy, but he keeps the pace steady without dominating the tracks,
Drakoulias
keeping him back in the mix a bit.
's eventual departure isn't really explained by this disc -- he might have been tired of the attempt to aim for commercial success, but this sounds more like something made for the group's own satisfaction that connects beyond it as well. ~ Ned Raggett