Alejandro Escavedo albums
	Biggest Influences: Bruce Springsteen, Santana, Velvet Underground Best Album: unknown at this point                                                           2006                                                           The Boxing Mirror -  8/8   Escavado has been unknown for too long. He was first a lead singer for 70's punk band The Nuns and also has had a solo career since the early 90's (there are a couple of other bands and things I am sure I am leaving out I'm sure). Truth be told, he picked a great time to release his masterpiece, The Boxing Mirror. This is an album that insures his place as a great singer/songwriter and it happens in a year when good music is becoming respected again. People with open minds are finally ready to embrace Escovedo, though they almost missed him with his near death experience a couple of years ago. Anyways, onto the album: It at once recalls Steve Wynn, Lou Reed, Bruce Springsteen, and of course John Cale who produced the record. The opening song sets the mood of the album and for a while every other song will have trouble leaving an impression on the listener. "Arizona" is just that good: such a sinister atmosphere with such a great melodic line, it is one of the best songs ever written by anyone. Once you get past the opening track though, there is plenty to enjoy.   "Dear Head on the Wall" and "Evita's Lullaby" get great use out of a string section; "Notes on the Air", "Break this Time", and "Sacramento & Polk" rock the hell out of everything; "Looking for Love" and "Died a Little Today" are heart breaking ballads. Really, Escovedo shows he can do it all here by putting these great tunes in a kind of random order, constantly going form ballad - to rocker - to Latin lament - and back through the cycle. It never gets old, and the album flies by in no time leaving a monumental presence on the listener. Minor quablles? Sure there are a few, like why have two versions of the same song so close to one another at the end, with "Take your Place" and "One More Time". Is one of them a bonus track or what? Also, the title track comes off as some what of a Red House Painters' wannabe ballad, albeit with a Hispanic sway. It is nice to hear an album that is so strong from a man very proud of his heritage though - "The Ladder" is a prime example of a man in touch with his roots. It is nice to have an ace like Cale producing too, the smallest of touches can go a long way and can make the whole experience more enjoyable (the hilarious synth of "Take Your Place" will confuse/delight many). All in all, The Boxing Mirror makes me want to go back and get everything Alejandro has ever done - the mark of a great album I think! It's the kind of all encompassing album great songwriters make in their later career and this proves Escavado is among the true genius singer songwriters of rock music, if only for this album alone. -Trevor e.y. 1.arizona- 4* 2.dear head on the wall- 4 3.notes on the air- 4 4.looking for love- 4 5.the ladder- 3 6.break this time- 4 7.evita's lullaby- 4 8.sacramento & polk- 4 9.died a little today- 4 10.take your place- 3   11.the boxing mirror- 2   Bonus Track: (12.one more time- 3)