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                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, April 10, 1993                   TAG: 9304100059
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: B10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Seth Williamson
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

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FOLK-ROCK

John Stewart deserved better from his new label, Shanachie. The amateurish photo on the cover of his latest CD, "Bullets in the Hour Glass," practically screams "don't buy me!"

It's too bad, because this is his best effort in five or six albums. Now living in Buckingham County, Va., Stewart was a seminal figure in the '60s folk revival as a member of the Kingston Trio. In his later solo career he wrote some of the greatest songs of the '60s and '70s, and his albums "California Bloodlines" and "Willard" are certifiable American classics.

"Bullets in the Hour Glass" features contributions from Rosanne Cash, Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul and Mary), Stewart's wife, Buffy Ford, and sax man Chris Mostert of Goose Creek Symphony.

None of the songs is equal to Stewart's best, but some are good. A few - "Irresistible Targets" and "The River" - deserve airplay on eclectic or progressive country stations. "The Wheel Within the Clay" has a catchy chorus hook that could make it a hit if it got half a chance.

Some, alas, are a parody of Stewart's former manner. "Looking for Jack" is yet another song about John Kennedy. Somebody should tell Stewart, who campaigned for Bobby Kennedy and who has never forgotten the experience, that he can safely go for a few years without more Kennedy songs.

But "The Man Who Would Be King," with its understated frailed banjo accompaniment, is a memorable reminder that power cannot finally satisfy those who seek it.

Rolling Stone magazine called John Stewart "a sober voice in a very stoned age." It's good to know he is still trying to make sense of America and sending back reports like "Bullets in the Hour Glass."

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