Silvertone

In 1985 synthesizers and big hair were in: reverb-laden rockabilly guitars and smooth-as-silk vocals were not. Yet Warner Brothers took a chance with this unique debut from an unknown singer and his band, Silvertone, from San Francisco. While the rest is history, this is where it all started--with the brooding "Talk to Me," the pained yearnings of the stunning "The Lonely Ones," the sensuous gyrations of "Dancin'," and the haunting "Voodoo." Guitarist Jimmy Wilsey coaxed wonderfully retro yet fresh-sounding atmospherics from his guitar, and Chris Isaak's Roy Orbison-styled crooning and matinee-idol looks created an undeniably sexy vibe. Isaak's love affair with the music of Sun Studios is evident on nearly all tracks, but shines on the rave-up "Gone Ridin'" and the beautiful ballad, "Western Stars."