Album Review- Dave Stewart- Ebony McQueen

One of my favorite “lost” albums is “Greetings from the Gutter” - a 1995 album by Dave Stewart. But more about that later. The Eurythmics were definitely one of the biggest bands of the 80s. I don’t think it’s surprising that the two ensuing solo careers don’t match the level of the duo previously. (Ok, perhaps the only issue with Annie Lennox’s career might be she chose to go a different direction than what I would have preferred). In retrospect, perhaps Stewart was more successful than anyone might have guessed. “Lily was Here” featuring saxophonist Candy Dulfer was a Top 15 chart hit in the US in 1990. I can’t find any chart information on Stewart’s Spiritual Cowboys album but it had decent sales and exposure based on my experience. “Gutter” isn’t a perfect album by any means, but one of its biggest strengths is how deftly Stewart navigates through various genres. I bring that album up as an introduction to Stewart’s latest album. “Ebony McQueen” is solo Stewart on steroids. It is being marketed as a biography, a musical, a possible film, a photo book and a five disc album set. At 26 tracks and just over 80 minutes (the old standard CD running time), it’s certainly a double or triple album and surely more Stewart than anyone will ever need. Like Gutter, it never quite nails that perfect Eurythmics radio single. But it also has those moments that impress. Once again, The Beatles, Kinks and Bowie influences are on display, mixed with a variety of Caribbean, blues and theatrical sounds. It will be one of those albums that critics likely get right- a bit of indulgent mess that only the artist will love. Dave either knowingly or unknowingly prods the critic with a song called “What’s the F*cking Point”. Still, there’s some good stuff here and I suspect there are a few listeners that will gravitate to this album like I did to a Stewart album nearly 30 years ago. 2022 - Bay Street Records