***The Sidewinders formed in the spring of 1985. The group released "Cuacha!” in 1987 (and again in 1988), and subsequently signed to RCA/Mammoth Records, with whom they released two full-length albums, 1989's “Witchdoctor" and 1990's "Auntie Ramos' Pool Hall." “Witchdoctor" cracked the lower echelons of the Billboard 200 on the strength of two rock radio hits. The band scored exposure on MTV and VH1 and embarked on a worldwide tour. But the Sidewinders were soon sidelined due to legal problems stemming from a challenge over the band’s name. As the Sand Rubies, they released an album on Polydor/Atlas in 1993 (at one point, Pearl Jam served as their opening act). However, the strain of the legal tussle led the Sand Rubies to dissolve during a tour in 1993—just as two other Arizona rock bands, Gin Blossoms and The Refreshments, attracted mainstream attention. "By the time they recorded Cuacha!, the Sidewinders had almost figured out what kind of band they wanted to be. On some cuts here the Hüsker Dü-goes-West mix of acoustic textures and roaring guitar is almost perfect. 'I Guess It Doesn't Matter' and 'Blood on Our Hands' are punk-pop masterpieces driven by Rich Hopkins' snarling guitars and Dave Slutes' country-inflected but brash singing... The album is worth having for the first released version of 'What She Said,' a song that the band released on three different albums, each time rocking a bit harder and at greater length. The version here is a dark, mournful folk-rock piece."...
LP $23.45
05/03/2019