Evening of the Harvest

Critics unofficially dubbed Translator's fourth and final effort their "arena rock" album when it landed, which is fair, but that it's much more Rumours than Love Gun should also be noted. Big production by Ed Stasium and ambitious songs from Steve Barton (the Paul Westerberg of the group) and Robert Darlington (the George Harrison) plus a sense that solo careers are itching to get out all add up to a sprawling, overwhelming effort from bandmembers who haven't quite figured out how to reconcile their college radio upbringing and the Fleetwood Mac-sized world they are entering. Guitar solos feel more like machismo than mayhem with Stasium at the controls, songwriting has dipped a little overall, and there is less of a "band" feeling than ever. Still, "Standing in Line" and "I Need You to Love" are both top-shelf, and the title track suggests that this bigger Translator would have worked had they held on for another album. Since the handful of highlights have appeared on the well-chosen comps Everywhere That I'm Not and Everywhere That We Were, only the hardcore fan need worry about this interesting misstep.