Cruzados-After Dark (1987)

 

Artist: Cruzados

Title: After Dark

Label: Arista

Format: LP

Cat #: AL 8439

Year of Release: 1987

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 1987

Listed Condition: VG+/VG drill cut, original inner sleeve

Sell Date: 8/31/25

Sell Price: $6.91

Discogs Last Sold: 6/9/25 NM/NM $5.99

Low: $1.16

Median: $3.49

Average: $4.00

High: $15.00

Current low price: $1.99

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 82

Have/Want: 715/30

Where Sold: Nashville, TN

Time it took to sell: 15 years

Where and When Bought:  Facebook $2 lot

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: B-

Sad To See It Go: No

80's "Roots-Rock" before it was "Americana,"  Cruzados were established enough for their second album in 1987 to have Eagles like Don Henley and JD Souther as well as Paul Butterfield for his final recording and Pat Benatar make guest appearances.   "Bed Of Lies" was a big album rock hit without any guest stars peaking at #4 on Billboards Rock Tracks.  "Small Town Love" with Henley peaked at #39 on the same chart.

The result is a fairly bland sounding record with some good moments that come through a fairly sterile 80's radio rock production.  This was made for mass appeal to sit side by side with Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and so forth.  You can almost imagine Bruce Springsteen covering the opener "Small Town Love" with Little Stevie chiming in as the tremolo lick sounds like a tangent of "Kid" by The Pretenders.

"Summers Come-Summers Gone" is just too cheery and likable to be filed with Bryan Adams.  Plaintive proclamation is the name of the game for the whole record, making the effort seem a tad overwrought.  This is the bread and butter of the Boss but the Cruzados aren't at that level.  It doesn't go all the way to Bryan Adams on the Boss to Bryan meter, but it bounces over to Adams territory from time to time. The guitars are there but seem a little too atmospheric for my liking.  I'd like them to roar a little more in the mix.

Ripping it up isn't what this is about.