Post Description

With last year's "New West Motel," The Walkabouts assumed full control of their music. The album coalesced their talents into an intense, claustrophobic package. "Satisfied Mind," which followed, was a sidestep, a collection of acoustic covers, a breathing space.

"Setting the Woods on Fire" is the plunge over the cliff. It builds on everything they've learned together and pushes it much, much further. This is, by far, the most powerful music they've created yet. The one-two punch of the opening tracks ("Good Luck Morning" and "Firetrap") is as strong as anything to come out of rock in recent years. And they've let some air into their vision, which has only helped to refine it. You don't come to the Walkabouts for flashy solos; everything with this band serves their songs. So when the guitar burns, or a lap steel whines, it means something -- it stokes the fire, builds the tension. Even more than before, Chris Eckman's lyrics capture the people of the West, the emotionally and materially desperate, adrift in their own land. 

Tracks:

1. Good Luck Morning
2. Firetrap
3. Bordertown
4. Feeling No Pain
5. Old Crow
6. Almost Wisdom
7. Sand & Gravel
8. Nightdrive
9. Hole in the Mountain
10. Pass Me On Over
11. Up in the Graveyard
12. Promised

All songs by the Walkabouts (Lyrics by Chris Eckman)

Produced by Ed Brooks & the Walkabouts

Glenn Slater: piano, organ, loops
Michael Wells: bass, harmonica
Terri Moeller: drums, percussion, backup vocals
Carla Torgerson: vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, cello
Chris Eckman: vocals, electric & acoustic guitars

With:
Larry Barrett: Mandolin (Pass Me On Over & Promised); Lap Steel (Feeling No Pain & Old Crow)
Bruce Wirth: Violin section (Sand & Gravel)
Andrew Hare: Pedal Steel (Promised)
Tiny Hat Orchestra Horns (Zach Permeson: trombone; Mark Condelaria: tenor sax; Marcus Membrane: trumpet; "Dutch Beef" Soat: tenor sax): horn section (Hole in the Mountain)

"This album is dedicated to Dugout Dick and Fritz"

Engineered & mixed by Ed Brooks, January/February 1994 at Ironwood Studios and Hanzek Audio.
Mixed at Bob Lang Recording.
Assistant engineers: Floyd Reitsma, Pete Gerrald.
Sequencing: Pete Gerrald, Hanzek Audio
Drum technician: Michael Topanga
Guitar consultants: Stephen's String Instruments