Reviewed by Allen Lulu / LISTENING POST DISCOVERY
Released: June 1982 Rank and File Sundown Genre: Alt-Country? Rating: 4.75 out of 5 Highlights: (Glad I'm) Not In Love Rank And File The Conductor Wore Black I Went Walking Lucky Day Coyote I have never heard of Rank and File. And that’s surprising because one would think considering how much I loved The Beat Farmers that this would have landed in my sphere somehow. But, then again, maybe not, since The Beat Farmers are still a couple years away, as is Mojo Nixon. But this is in that realm, yes? Even so, I loved X and dug The Knitters. How have I never heard of Rank and File? This is Alejandro Escovedo’s other band, The Nuns being the one we heard in 1980. And it’s just as good, albeit different. Is this alt-country? Is it Cow-Punk? I don’t know the difference in those sub-genres. Thing is, this is just like The Knitters except that Doe and Cervenka are amazing singers who don’t sound like they should be singing together, or even on their own and Escovedo and Chip Kinman, who approximates an in-tune Exene, sound amazing together. There is no doubt that these guys love Woody Guthrie but also that Springsteen heard this record when he pilfered some of the lyrics for “Land of Hope and Dreams”. I wonder if anyone ever noticed or just assumed he was cribbing Woody? This album is like hearing The Everly Brothers for the first time. (Because I’m hearing these guys for the first time, duh) and, while Rank and File harken back to that early era of Rock and Roll, they are taking it on a drive into the (at the time) present and creating something absolutely timeless. This album is damned near perfect.
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