Alejandro Escovedo

"Don't want your approval/It's 1978", begins "Nun’s Song," one of too many street-walkin' raps about how badass Al and his boys were back in the day. That's pretty much how this concept album goes.

Escovedo and his songwriting collaborator here, Chuck Prophet (also an '80s rocker turned '90s Baby Boomer singer-songwriter turned 21st-century NPR regular whom no one else cares about), were "Sensitive Boys" who were "Real as an Animal."



They were so enamored with "poets" like Lou Reed and Jim Carroll while dreaming of being rock stars like Iggy and Bowie (even hiring Ziggy Stardust producer Tony Visconti here) that they lived out their lives (being now 50-ish) without stopping to realize that, talent-wise, lots of guys can lead one of the best bar bands in town (have you seen Eddie and the Cruisers lately?), but there can only be one Bruce Springsteen.

c. 2008 LEO Weekly