Search - Silos :: Ask the Dust

When Alt-Country Wasn't Cool

Brian D. Rubendall | Oakton, VA | 04/20/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It's a strange thing that The Silos' excellent self-titled major label album (1990) is not currently availble, and yet everything they've recorded for the indies before or since is. "Ask the Dust" is basically a combination of the long deleted first Silos disc, "About Her Steps" and Silos leader Walter Sals-Humara's first solo album, "Lagartija." Since nearly every track was recorded with a different lineup of musicians and the recording dates were spread throughout the 1980-88 time period listed in the subtitle, you'll have a hard time figuring out where the band's music ends and the solo stuff begins."Ask the Dust" is a fascinating look at the gestation period for a band and musician that were pioneers in the so-called "Alternative country" movement that gained considerable popularity in the 1990s. Uncle Tupelo might get most of the credit for putting the music on the map, but the Silos were already there when Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy were still in high school.That said, the quality of the disc varies widely. Some of the songs sound as if they were recorded in a garage, while others have a nice professional polish. Salas-Humara wrote most of the songs, but there are a few contributions from members of The Vulgar Boatmen, another band he founded. The highlights include, "Susan," "A Few Hundred Thanks Yous," the title track to "About Her Steps," "You Look Like Shelia" and the "Susan" reprise "Thinking About You Tonight." The CD booklet contains a few pictures and a track by track listing of the players, but no lyrics sheet.Overall, if you're a fan of The Silos, you'll find plenty here to like."