Goldmine #474

September 25, 1998

p. 58



Tom Stevens

Points Revisited

Maia (MR-06)



Tom Stevens served a stint as bassist in the country rockin' Long

Ryders in the mid-eighties, which ended, as memory serves, a bit

acrimoniously.  Stevens always seemed like the George Harrison of the

group, only contributing a song or two per album, and never really

getting much of a chance to step out and shine.  (Stevens had

previously proved his singing and songwriting mettle on an

independently issued six-song 1982 mini-album called Points of View.)



Not much was heard from Stevens after his time with the Long Ryders

ended, until Ohio's Maia Records released a new Stevens solo record,

Another Room, in 1995.  While that release had its moments, Points

Revisited -- a collection of across-the-board-excellent country-rock

recorded at various locales in 1981, 1982, 1988 and 1989 -- is

something of a revelatory experience.  Unfailingly melodic and

memorable, it certainly rivals anything that the Long Ryders ever laid

down.  Basically traveling an "Elvis Costello fronting Rockpile" road

("Friend or Foe?" in particular is a ringer for Mr. MacManus), the 19

tunes here include three from the Points of View EP (and a different

version of that release's finest moment, the poppy "Telephone"), some

home demos of unknown vintage, and eight tunes from '89 that show

Stevens delving further into the country realm (with violin, accordion

and pedal steel accompaniment.)



Stevens also wears some Beatles influences proudly, as "Fading Light"

procures the opening chords from "Rocky Raccoon,"  "Keep With

Yourself" features a very Harrison-esque guitar solo, and not one, but

three (!) songs borrow some guitar shadings from "My Sweet Lord" (or

was it "He's So Fine"?) Stevens' easygoing, friendly brand of country

rock -- try "Keep With Yourself," "Coming Home Again" and "17 Ways" to

start -- rubs elbows with some more ominous-sounding bits (the angry,

Dylanish wail of "I Can't Hear You" and the vaguely psychedelic

"Silence").  There's also a bunch of tunes that today's alt-country

or power-pop young-uns could do up nicely (Walter Clevenger should

cover the propulsively poppy "Sad Sad Songs," while Wilco could

certainly do "Years Long Ago" proud).



All in all, Points Revisited is certainly a welcome surprise.  Not as

self-consciously retro as the Long Ryders were, it's simply

emotionally honest, extremely "real" music.  (P.O. Box 372, Wickliffe,

OH 44092)



John M. Borack