Dave Edmunds - D.E.7th (Japan Remastered) (1982/2008)

Dave Edmunds assembled a self-consciously eclectic roots-rock album for D.E. 7th, his first post-Rockpile effort. Instead of returning to a one-man band status, Edmunds hired a new band, which prevented him from returning to the studied perfectionism of his early work. Nevertheless, D.E. 7th lacks the pop sensibilities that made early Edmunds a guilty pleasure, concentrating instead on roots musics. While that occasionally means there's mis-steps like "Deep in the Heart of Texas," but it also means the wonderful bluegrass-stomp "Warmed Over Kisses (Left Over Love)," the country-rocker "Bail You Out," the cajun-tinged "Louisiana Man" and the excellent Springsteen cover "From Small Things (Big Things One Day Come)." The rest of D.E. 7th is uneven, but there a few enjoyable cuts, and compared to what came later, it's certainly more fun.