Under the Big Black Sun
Signing with a major label (Elektra) in 1982 gave SoCal's premier punk/new wave band an opportunity to stretch out musically, leading to the suprisingly roots-rock, at times almost neo-country, flavor of their third album. Only in a city like L.A. could a cracked boho couple like John Doe and Exene Cervenka combine Hollywood sleaze ("Motel Room in My Bed") and American Indian metaphysics ("The Hungry Wolf") and get away with it. Then again, the same probably goes for the heart-tugging romanticism of "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes" and "Blue Spark." And the catalog riffing of guitarist Billy Zoom and drummer DJ Bonebrake's name-worthy bashing somehow keep it all focused.--Billy Altman