Search - Green on Red :: Scapegoats

The best of Green On Red's later years

Johnny Roulette | 03/08/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Green On Red's career can be broken into two phases. Phase one was with a steady, full band & included the following releases: Green On Red, Gravity Talks, Gas Food & Lodging, No Free Lunch & The Killer Inside Me. Phase two consisted of Dan Stuart & Chuck Prophet collaborations. There were other musicians involved, but by then Dan & Chuck were Green On Red. Phase two releases include Here Come The Snakes, This Time Around, Scapegoats & Too Much Fun. Scapegoats is the highlight of the second phase of the brilliant career of Green On Red. This band has been mysteriously overlooked in the wake of the Alt-Country explosion. They predated Uncle Tupelo by several years. There are only two or three weak tracks on this one. A Guy Like Me & Little Things In Life start the cd off with a tender optimism. Two Lovers(Waitin' To Die) is a painful number that received some play on college radio in the early 90's. Gold In The The Graveyard & Blowfly are full-bodied, loud, dirty rock n roll with teeth. Shed A Tear(For The Lonesome) is a cool tear-in-your-beer honky tonk tune. The centerpiece of Scapegoats, Hector's Out, is a hauntingly stark song about a man released from prison and destined to return or die. It should strike a chord in anyone who's ever tasted desolation. The final song, Baby Loves Her Gun, is a devastingly beautiful tale of ugliness and pain. If you have a heart, Baby Loves Her Gun should break it. If you don't know about this band, then rectify that situation as soon as possible. You should also check out Chuck Prophet's wonderful solo albums, as well as Dan's Can O' Worms. If you can find it, the Green On Red/Long Ryders collaboration, Danny & Dusty(the lost weekend)is well worth the search. I miss Green On Red & wholeheartedly recommend this band."

Possibly the best latter day Green On Red release

Johnny Roulette | 09/05/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Before Here Comes The Snakes Green on Red was a full band. From Snakes onward it was just Dan Stuart & Chuck Prophet with some very competent studio musicians. Scapegoats is the best of the aforementioned period.They don't miss as often as they do on their other later records. A Guy Like Me & Little Things In Life are upbeat, mature, kinds mellow songs. While both songs are good, neither is overwhelmingly amazing. These two are followed by Two Lovers Waiting To Die, which enjoyed some airplay in the early 90's on college radio. While 2 lovers is laid back, it is the first song to bare its teeth for you on Scapegoats. Gold In The Graveyard just rocks all the way through...it is elevated by its lyrics(classic Green On Red wit & bitterness mixed with a gracious helping of arrogance & swagger). Gold also contains the wonderful line: there's no cure for a brilliant mind. Scapegoats' centerpiece is the haunting, desolate masterpiece, Hector's Out. The imagery is amazing. This one draws you in and puts you right there beside Hector. This is the song that sold me on the record as a whole. Shed a Tear(for the lonesome) is classic honky-tonk/tear in your beer camp. It's not great, but it does work. Blowfly, Sun Goes Down & Where The Rooster Crows are all spirited, down & dirty...they just don't do a whole lot for me. The cd closes with Baby Loves Her Gun. I orginally bought thos one because of that title. It was well worth it. Along with Good Patient Woman(from This Time Around) this is the most heartbreaking song in the GonR catalog. This one hurts! It's absolutely beautiful. 7 of the ten songs get my seal of approval. I am a dedicated Green On Red admirer. They came before Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt. They deserve more credit for the current group of Americana bands enjoying success that seemed to escape these guys. Chuck & Dan have some excellent solo albums out there...you should check 'em out."

Hidden Gem

William Stephen Dalrymple | Denny, Scotland | 10/08/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This really is a superb album - my personal favourite by this band in fact. I don't understand why it's so unknown in today's climate because it is simply an Americana classic. Full of great , great songs and wonderful music , i love it to bits . File alongside AMC's "California" and "Will The Wolf Survive" by Los Lobos in the category : Superb Neglected Classics Ripe For Reissue !!"