The Hatters - The Madcap Adventures Of The Avocado Overlord (1994)

In 1993 and 1994, most major labels were jumping on the alternative rock bandwagon. They saw how many CDs Nirvana and Pearl Jam were selling, and they wanted to cash in on a red-hot trend (just as they had jumped on the pop-metal bandwagon in the '80s and the disco bandwagon in the '70s). Atlantic was no exception; in 1993 and 1994, the company was signing as many alternative acts as it could get its hands on. But the Hatters weren't one of them. While many of the other rock acts that Atlantic was signing back then were alternative-oriented, the Hatters were a throwback to the Allman Brothers and Traffic. The Madcap Adventures of the Avocado Overload (which was the band's first studio album and its second album overall) came out in 1994, but this bluesy, soul-tinged disc sounds like it could have been recorded in the early '70s -- in fact, the long-haired Hatters even dressed like a '70s band. Do retro tracks like "Sip of Your Wine," "Bring That Wagon Round," and "Bad Side" sound dated? Absolutely, but then, dated isn't necessarily a bad thing if you have a high opinion of a particular era. The rock era that the Hatters obviously identify with the most is the late '60s and early '70s, and if listeners share their appreciation of the classic recordings of the Allman Brothers and Traffic, this CD is easy to enjoy. However, The Adventures of the Avocado Overload isn't considered the band's most essential release -- most Hatters fans agree that 1993's Live Thunderchicken is their strongest album. But if Live Thunderchicken is the best thing in the Hatters' catalog, this pleasing (if derivative) effort runs a close second.