Illinois Entertainer
May 1988
It’s a pleasure to note that “Impressed” wasn’t a fluke. But then, I should’ve known better. This, after all, was the man who played bass during the mid-’70s with Buddy Holly’s band, the Crickets. And anyone who penned such ditties as “I’m Supposed To Have Sex With You,” “I Handle Snakes” and “Mars Needs Women” must have a vivid imagination, if not talent.
Tonio K.’s latest album, Notes From The Lost Civilization, is a cohesive collection of songs. Utilizing the talents of his friends Sexton, Peter Case, Billy Vera, Booker T. Jones and T Bone Burnett, Tonio K. takes his music less seriously than critics who’ve at turns dubbed him a poet and a jester. K.’s music falls into a happy medium somewhere between serious art and giddy pop.
K. is equally at home producing rockers and relatively romantic ballads. And while his subject matters (love, time and women) could sound redundant, K. brings a fresh twist to his songs through the capable use of enthusiastic vocals and electrifying guitars.
“Without Love” and “City Life” should do well as singles, but “I Can’t Stand It,” a song he describes as “authentic urban surf music” is a killer, I don’t know that you can watusi to it, but if your feet don’t move, you’re not living.
