Steve Taylor - Squint
Autographs For The Sick (AFTS) Scandal Sheet #19
Q2(?) 1994
© 1994 Scott Russell
Thanks to Dan Kennedy
Warner Alliance 1993
I'm trying not to gloat. For years I suffered subtle patrony as a self- professed fan of one Steve Taylor. "He sucks," was a common response, even coming from a few folks whom I still mercifully allow to contribute to this here zine.
Well, well, well. It seems Chagall Guevara changed many minds about the old Clonester. He's now "not so bad." In fact, more than a few folks are scrambling to find any of his backlog on CD. Do I sound smug?
The real irony here is that Squint fits perfectly into the Steve Taylor opus. Sure, production and performance are his best ever, but the material is patently similar. As a pre-Chagall fan, I found Squint to be a comfortable and familiar fit.
So what if "Bannerman" and "Lament" are goofy? This is Mrs. Aryan, you know. "Smug" bits as deeply as "Sock Heaven" perplexes. "Easy Listening" and "Curses" push musical limits much like "Bad Rap" and "Am I in Sync?" did in their day. "Cash Cow" recalls the best imagery of his past. Of greatest interest are the engaging "Jesus is for Losers," and "Finish Line," which admittedly seemed trite at first but ultimately drove more than a few of us to tears. "What a great song" was a typical response.
Kudos to Herr Taylor for a comeback that confirms everything I liked about him before was not a whim. Thanks for all you've done in the past Steve, and here's to a sardonic, if not smug, future. ****1/2
