|  
       This third release was bound to disappoint fans of the outrageous Stooges/Beefheart-influenced 
        band. The album swung through a wider variety of styles, including Stones-style 
        boogie rock ("Be Myself Again," "Baritone Street," 
        "Circles"), melancholy ballads ("Golden Age," "Can't 
        Slow Down"), and one genuine psychedelic epic ("Coda"). 
        Taken on its own terms, the 1991 outing is a masterpiece of dissolution, 
        disappointment, and loss. Chiming Byrds-style acoustic guitars, tambourines, 
        and piano underscored the evolution toward a cleaner production sound. 
        The band's playing never sounded more assured, although some detractors 
        would claim this was a detrimental point. While lacking the whacked-out 
        intensity of In the Air Tonight, From Influence to Ignorance displayed 
        new maturity in Union Carbide Productions' growth as a recording and performing 
        entity. Additionally, it represented a personal watershed for Ebbot Lundberg 
        as a singer, lyricist, and producer.  
      (by Joe Pettit, Jr. , AMG) |