ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO
It's a noble undertaking, but the companion CD proves an underwhelming experience. Although there's nothing wrong with Escovedo's songs, many of them have appeared in stronger versions on earlier albums. "With These Hands" and "Silence" are striking new songs, but they are marred with irritating intrusions by the actors' monologues, a problem throughout the recording.
These spoken-word elements -- written by Theresa Chavez, Eric Gutierrez and Rose Portillo and delivered by Portillo, Kevin Sifuentes and Tejano star Ruben Ramos -- make the mistake of trying to represent every Mexican American father and wind up being so generic, melodramatic and predictable that they represent no father in particular. As a result, the album is for Escovedo completists only.
A far better introduction to his work is "Gravity," Escovedo's 1992 debut solo album. It was on this long-out-of-print, overlooked masterpiece that the Texan singer-songwriter first crafted his distinctive blend of chamber-music strings, Velvet Underground rock and Mexican folk music. This album is even better now that it has been reissued as a two-CD set with a studio outtake and eight brilliant live performances from the same period. Almost as good is the similar reissue of Escovedo's 1993 follow-up album, "Thirteen Years," which is now supplemented by five alternate studio versions and three live performances.
-- Geoffrey Himes
Appearing Tuesday at the Birchmere. * To hear a free Sound Bite from Alejandro Escovedo's "By the Hand of the Father," call Post-Haste at 202/334-9000 and press 8124. To hear a free Sound Bite from "Gravity," press 8125. To hear a free Sound Bite from "Thirteen Years," press 8126. (Prince William residents, call 703/690-4110.)
Alejandro Escovedo's latest is a high-minded but disappointing endeavor.
