Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
After the Stray Cats broke up for the first of several times in 1984, guitarist and frontman Brian Setzer seemed determined to prove he could do a lot more than make like Eddie Cochran, and his first solo set was 1986's surprisingly ambitious The Knife Feels Like Justice. Leaving his rockabilly influences at home for the time being, Setzer reinvented himself as a thoughtful heartland rocker on this set, which shows clear influences of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp's work of the period, and his snappy retro guitar work was replaced by the jangly peal of a Rickenbacker, though his fretwork was no less impressive in this new context, especially on the rollicking "Radiation Ranch" and the atmospheric title cut. Setzer also dipped his toes into old-school R&B on "Bobby's Back," and demonstrated a previously unaired concern for social justice on "Maria" and "Aztec"; while Setzer's songwriting wasn't always quite as sharp as the folks he clearly emulated, there's a heart and sincerity to this material that's genuine and affecting, even when his lyrics lean to the obvious. Don Gehman's production dates this set (especially the Lucite-coated sounds of Kenny Aronoff's drums), but it's a rare example of Setzer taking a stab at contemporary rock & roll with a message, and it is more successful than anyone might have expected; it didn't take him long to edge back into the influences of the past on his next few releases, but The Knife Feels Like Justice is evidence that Setzer's muse could have followed other paths and still created something memorable.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $17.49/month
Don Gehman, Producer - Brian Setzer, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Don Gehman, Producer - Brian Setzer, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Don Gehman, Producer - Brian Setzer, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Don Gehman, Producer - Brian Setzer, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Don Gehman, Producer - Brian Setzer, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Don Gehman, Producer - Brian Setzer, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Steven Van Zandt, Composer - Don Gehman, Producer - Brian Setzer, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Don Gehman, Producer - Brian Setzer, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Don Gehman, Producer - Brian Setzer, Composer, MainArtist - Mike Campbell, Composer
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Don Gehman, Producer - Brian Setzer, Composer, MainArtist - Tommy Byrnes, Composer
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Don Gehman, Producer - Brian Setzer, Composer, MainArtist
℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Album review
After the Stray Cats broke up for the first of several times in 1984, guitarist and frontman Brian Setzer seemed determined to prove he could do a lot more than make like Eddie Cochran, and his first solo set was 1986's surprisingly ambitious The Knife Feels Like Justice. Leaving his rockabilly influences at home for the time being, Setzer reinvented himself as a thoughtful heartland rocker on this set, which shows clear influences of Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp's work of the period, and his snappy retro guitar work was replaced by the jangly peal of a Rickenbacker, though his fretwork was no less impressive in this new context, especially on the rollicking "Radiation Ranch" and the atmospheric title cut. Setzer also dipped his toes into old-school R&B on "Bobby's Back," and demonstrated a previously unaired concern for social justice on "Maria" and "Aztec"; while Setzer's songwriting wasn't always quite as sharp as the folks he clearly emulated, there's a heart and sincerity to this material that's genuine and affecting, even when his lyrics lean to the obvious. Don Gehman's production dates this set (especially the Lucite-coated sounds of Kenny Aronoff's drums), but it's a rare example of Setzer taking a stab at contemporary rock & roll with a message, and it is more successful than anyone might have expected; it didn't take him long to edge back into the influences of the past on his next few releases, but The Knife Feels Like Justice is evidence that Setzer's muse could have followed other paths and still created something memorable.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:41:31
- Main artists: Brian Setzer
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92)
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
© 1986 Capitol Records, LLC ℗ 1986 Capitol Records, LLC
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.