Train Going Nowhere

After more than a five-year hiatus, the formerly more-than-prolific creator of cassettes, Dino Di Muro, is back with what he subtitles "A Rock Album" (his capitals). There have been big changes in home-recording technology, and obviously one of the leading lights of the innovative cassette scene of the '80s should be keeping pace with developments. So it is no surprise to find this is a DiMuro compact disc and not a cassette. After having served as a sound editor on Hollywood blockbusters such as The Patriot and Gladiator, recording the shenanigans of rock musicians in a home studio must not seem like too daunting a task to this guy. There has always been a relaxed, rocking element to the DiMuro output amidst all the Zappa-style cut-ups and hyperactivity, so it also isn't so surprising that he can put together an engaging set of rock numbers such as this without ever leaving the simplicity of the groove too far behind. Some of the songs cook in a straightforward way that brings to mind rock classics of days gone by, such as the Byrds' original Fifth Dimension album. On the whole it is just too simple, though, especially for a creative mind such as DiMuro's. Although the lyrics are entertaining and catch the ear at times, the listener may wish there was more going on musically within the individual tracks. The artist apologizes for his lack of activity in the second half of the '90s, going on to explain that much of his time had been spent raising a family. Hopefully he will master the techniques of simultaneous one-handed mixing and diaper-changing that have helped many other artists finish projects as the responsibilities of their lives evolve. Many of the usual suspects from past DiMuro releases show up once again as collaborators.