CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
JOHN ANDERSON: “Wild And Blue" (Warner Bros.):: Anderson is Ricky Skaggs without Jesus—his voice lowdown rather than angelic, his roots in the honky tonks rather than the mountains, his album wild and blue, a sexier way to say (and sing) highways and heartaches.
CHRISTGAU CONSUMER GUIDE
DEPARTMENTS
JOHN ANDERSON: “Wild And Blue" (Warner Bros.):: Anderson is Ricky Skaggs without Jesus—his voice lowdown rather than angelic, his roots in the honky tonks rather than the mountains, his album wild and blue, a sexier way to say (and sing) highways and heartaches. But his gift for ballads is more like his hero Merle’s than his hero Lefty’s—that is, a little soft, which means he comes up a touch short on the ones you know and can’t quite turn filler into the staff of life. B +
BAD RELIGION: "How Conld Hell Be Any Worse?” (Epitaph):: Greg Griffin’s vocals fall into a naturally musical off-key drone that make him sound at times like a mullah in mourning, which is appropriate—he’s not as arrogant about his nihilism as most hardcore kids. On the other hand, he’s not as funny about it as the best ones, either. Address: 22713 Ventura Boulevard, Suite F, Woodland Hills, CA 91364. B