As a songwriter, singer and bassist for X, John Doe helped force American rock & roll out of its self-induced, late-Seventies coma and into roots-drenched, punk-energized vitality. In return for this achievement, X's albums barely sold. The band is on hiatus (all parties promise an eventual reunion), which gives Doe the freedom to rock out, hard, in a new context that's just as thrilling.

Meet John Doe scratches out new niches in familiar forms. Doe is the most traditionalist punk you'll ever hear; he calls up blues guitar lines ("Let's Be Mad") and country conceits in his lyrics ("Take #52," written with Exene Cervenka of X) to bolster tough, direct arrangements built around the guitars of Jon Dee Graham, Richard Lloyd and Doe himself. These stalwart players and producer Davitt Sigerson push Doe to the most confident singing of his career on penetrating tales of yearning such as "Knockin' Around" and "My Offering." Perhaps Doe's portrayal of J.W. Brown in Great Balls of Fire encouraged him to think seriously about where he fits in rock history. But whatever the reason, Doe and his collaborators have come up with a deeply felt, wide-ranging album that demands and deserves attention. (RS 588)

JIMMY GUTERMAN