Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul

Here is a double-disc set that makes a whole lot of sense. Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul cut a pair of back to back albums in 1982 and 1984, respectively. The first, Men Without Women, was made while Little Stevie was still a member of the E Street Band, and the second, Voice of America after the success of 1983's single "Solidarity," was issued after he (temporarily) left. What's so interesting having them paired like this is to hear the "progression" from one to the next. The first set featured a lot of E Street Players like Clarence Clemons, Garry Tallent, and Max Weinberg, as well a s a couple of Amboy Dukes, and a couple of ex-Young Rascals in Dino Danelli and Felix Cavaliere, and Jean Beauvoir from the Plasmatics -- it also contains some guest spots by Gary "U.S." Bonds. The sound of the disc was primitive, raw, horn-heavy, rooted deep in Southern soul garage band ethics and drenched in anguished anthemic, wailing love songs such as "Lyin' in a Bed of Fire," "Inside of me," "Until the Good Is Gone," and "Under the Gun." !984's Voice of America was largely a political record, self-produced by Van Zandt utilizing all the latest in studio trickery -- except a Fairlight -- including pulsing synthesizers and drum machines. It's the recording that sounds dated here, though it contains some great songs with killer riffs. Essentially a hard rock record drenched in keyboards, Voice of America was the first offering to express outrage at United States' role in training killers in El Salvador and Chile, and the overthrow of the Sandinista in Nicaragua, as well as the government's continued support of the apartheid system in South Africa. While some of the lyrics are a bit hamfisted, they make their point well and the album contains some inspiring tunes: the title track, "Solidarity," (the hit single), "Out of the Darkness," "Los Desaparecidos," and "Undefeated," the funk and roll of "Among the Believers," and the reggae-drenched "I Am a Patriot." The remastered sound works-- even if it reveals the thinness in some of the production in places. The BGO package also features complete lyrics and credits. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide