Lava (1997)

About this title: Levine's fourth album veers away from the country chicken-picking on his debut and toward a much more bluesy direction this time around. Although instrumental showcases like Buck Owens' "Buckaroo" (done here as if Roger McGuinn was picking) and Duane Eddy's "Stalkin'" keep the twang quotient at a reasonable level, the Les Paul-meets-Joe Maphis organ-combo shuffle hybrid of "Quiz Show" and the Latin swing of the title track shows Levine stretching his musical muscles in more than one direction. The backwards guitar solo and Echoplex swoops on "Force Field," the ethereal drift of "Far Away," ... read more

Tracks:

1. Quiz Show [Levine]
2. Lovers' Lane [Levine]
3. Manhole [Thompson/King]
4. Lava [Levine]
5. Force Field [Levine]
6. Buckaroo [Morris]
7. Far Away [Levine]
8. Fever [Davenport/Cooley]
9. North of the Border [Levine]
10. Stalkin' [Eddy/Hazlewood]
11. In the Dark [Levine]

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is further described below.