Calvin Russell
Soldier

Calvin Russell was a true rocker, with a "reckless" life behind him and a tough apprenticeship with various personalities and bands from the southern rock scene. His solo career, following his 1988 debut with a group called The Characters, took place under the aegis of the French label New Rose, showcasing Calvin as a creator of high-quality rock-blues-country. His ballads (sometimes enriched by the saxophone) revive the glory of a 70s American sound, similar to that of other Texans like Joe Ely and Lee Clayton.

In my opinion, this "Soldier" is his best studio work, less electric than usual, even though some almost hard rock touches are present, such as in the syncopated "Down in Texas" (it sounds like Jason and the Scorchers), the strange "This Is Your World," but especially "Characters," a ballad structured on a very effective bass-guitar line.

On the purely acoustic side, there are "I Dreamed I Saw" (a short guitar-voice piece), "This Could Be The Day" (highly appreciated for some Neil Young-style guitar tones), the blues of "Rats and Roaches," and the piano-driven "Shackles And Chains."

There are tracks halfway between that mix the acoustic with the electric side: the result is routine in "Stranger," but becomes exceptional in the title track, certainly to be counted among the best pieces in Calvin Russell's production (alongside "Crossroads" and "One Meat Ball").