After Dark (Cruzados album)
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| After Dark | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Recorded | Ocean Way, The Complex, Baby-O, Record One, Summa, Rock Steady, Music Grinder, and Studio One | |||
| Genre | Chicano rock,[1] rock | |||
| Length | 38:09 | |||
| Label | Arista[2] | |||
| Producer | Greg Ladanyi, Waddy Wachtel, Rodney Mills, Tom Kelly, Billy Steinberg | |||
| Cruzados chronology | ||||
| ||||
After Dark is the second album by the American band Cruzados, released in 1987.[3][4] "Bed of Lies" reached No. 4 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart; "Small Town Love" peaked at No. 39.[5] The band supported the album with a North American tour that included a leg opening for Fleetwood Mac.[6][7] They broke up the following year.[8]
The album was produced by Greg Ladanyi, Waddy Wachtel, Rodney Mills, Tom Kelly, and Billy Steinberg.[9] Marshall Rohner replaced Steven Hufsteter on lead guitar.[2] "Road of Truth" contains contributions from JD Souther on backing vocals and Paul Butterfield on harmonica; Souther was in the same studio as Cruzados and told the band that he wanted to sing on the track.[10] It was Butterfield's final recording.[11] Pat Benatar sang on "I Want Your World to Turn".[12]
The songs were inspired by Tito Larriva's years living in El Paso and Mexico City.[13] "Blue Sofa" was originally done by his band the Plugz.[9] "Bed of Lies" was cowritten by Lynne Marie Stewart.[14]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [15] |
| Chicago Sun-Times |  [12] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [16] |
| Houston Chronicle | [17] |
| Los Angeles Times | [9] |
Trouser Press called the album "a plain but solid effort" aside from "Time for Waiting", opining that it "sounds nauseatingly like the Eagles."[18] The Los Angeles Times noted the "Springsteen-Mellencamp-Petty territory," writing that "Larriva has developed into a good-enough singer and songwriter in the Little Steven/Southside Johnny vein that the record transcends its obvious reference points."[9] The San Diego Union-Tribune stated that "Cruzados play with the fire of the young Rolling Stones, but the fervor is wasted on a collection of weak songs."[19]
The St. Petersburg Times wrote that Larriva's "desperate vocals and yearning lyrics—coupled with the group's leftover punk instincts—gives After Dark a taut, emotional edge that California-rock always lacked."[1] The Chicago Sun-Times concluded that Larriva "is making music with far greater focus and immediacy than last time through."[12] The Omaha World-Herald determined that "despite the radio-friendly, slick production work ... several tunes here are membrane-thin in staying power."[20] The Houston Chronicle labeled the album "honest, lyrically incisive music that hoists [the band] onto the cutting edge of contemporary American rock."[17]