Steve Wynn
Kerosene Man

After concluding the wonderful chapter with the Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn debuted in 1990 with the brilliant "Kerosene Man", an album characterized by a polished sound and richer arrangements compared to the past.

A past of this excellent songwriter that, at the time of the album's release, was already glorious in itself thanks to the discography published with the Dream Syndicate. Indeed, Steve Wynn, not even thirty years old, had already deservedly secured his place of honor in rock history thanks to albums like "The Days Of Wine And Roses", a masterpiece of gritty and visionary rock'n'roll, and the splendid "Medicine Show", one of the most representative albums of American rock of all time. Wynn's fame remains only hypothetical, constantly fueled and kept alive by the core of his admirers who have never stopped following him in his varied and significant artistic journey. And rightly so, seeing the results achieved.

"Kerosene Man" is the mature work of a skilled musician wanting to reinvent himself as a singer-songwriter, backed by the solid creative experience of the Paisley Underground, of which his Dream Syndicate was the crown jewel alongside Rain Parade, Long Ryders, Green on Red, and True West. This "Kerosene Man" is a brilliant, well-produced work, rich with great songs, among the best written by Wynn, and featuring numerous and significant guest artists. Helping Steve Wynn in the studio are Steve Berlin from Los Lobos, DJ Bonebrake from X, Howie Gelb from Giant Sand, Johnette Napolitano from Concrete Blonde, Chris Cacavas, Robert Mache, and Fernando Saunders. If you add Wynn's always inspired, fresh and mature songwriting to this series of talented guests, you immediately realize why "Kerosene Man" became an instant classic in his repertoire.

The opening track "Tears Won't Help" immediately captures the listener with its sixties-style sound and catchy refrain. "Something To Remember Me By" and "Younger" are powerful electric blasts worthy of the days of wine and roses. "Under The Weather" and "The Blue Drifter" are two seductive, refined, and mysterious ballads, while the title track is a hard rock'n'roll. The duet with Johnette Napolitano in the seductive soul ballad "Conspiracy Of The Heart" is splendid and etched in memory, and the melodic vein of the beautiful "Carolyn", a folk-pop gem with enormous commercial potential, is noteworthy.

Years later, "Kerosene Man" remains a remarkable debut of an artist who, from that precise moment, has tirelessly continued his brilliant solo career. A career that, with its ups and downs, has offered pages of great music, as in the case of the splendid "Here Comes The Miracles" of 2001, and an artistic approach always consistent and honest towards his audience.

Two valuable characteristics that have made Steve Wynn one of the finest pens in American music of the past decades.