Stevie Salas Colorcode
Stevie Salas Colorcode is the debut album by the Native American guitar player Stevie Salas, released in 1990. Colorcode was the name Salas gave to his band. Salas supported the album by opening for Joe Satriani on a North American tour. The album was a commercial disappointment in the United States, but sold well in international markets. The album's first single was "The Harder They Come". Production. Recorded in New York, the album was coproduced by Bill Laswell. Colorcode included Winston Watson Jr. on drums and C.J. De Villier on bass. Salas wrote or cowrote all  of the album's songs; Parthenon Huxley contributed to some of the lyrics. Salas was at times fretful during the recording sessions, worried because he had quit lucrative sideman jobs. Critical reception. "The Globe and Mail" thought that Salas "sings with an almost audible sneer, and his guitar playing is white hot." "The Province" determined that Salas "knows how to lock into a groove and doesn't foresake melody for flash—a Hendrix legacy that other modern guitarists overlook." "The Buffalo News" appreciated that Salas "never once drops his basic allegiance to the underlying funk groove." The "Calgary Herald" lamented  that the "songs do nothing more than showcase [the] young guitarist." The "Chicago Tribune" concluded: "Caught in the limboland between glam rock and Journey-inspired tunes, Stevie Salas allows a menagerie of his musical influences to shine through." "The San Diego Union-Tribune" deemed the album "a flashy, brash debut, full of talent and youthful exuberance." AllMusic wrote that "'Indian Chief', a touching, Hendrix-inspired ode to Salas' father, is an understated highlight." "The Rolling Stone Album Guide" opined that Salas's guitar playing moves "beyond the usual funk-and-metal clichés."