The Continental Drifters were one of the great coulda-woulda-shoulda bands of the ’90s. They came with a pedigree that included the Bangles, the Bluerunners, the dB’s, the Dream Syndicate and even the Cowsills, the real-life inspiration for the Partridge Family. They had three lead singer/songwriters, a powerful live show, and the kind of chemistry that made bandmates feel they were part of a drinking club, not just a band.
So, what went wrong? Plenty. Critical acclaim for music hardly anybody heard. Drugs. Revolving-door membership. Hurricane Katrina. Bad timing. Put them all together and you’ve got three studio albums that still sound very good, plus this double-CD package to fill the gaps before and after.
The first captures the band’s early L.A. lineup, playing songs that would later appear on 1994’s Continental Drifters and 1999’s Vermilion. The second showcases the band after a move to New Orleans, with a set of covers and one-off tributes to the Hollies, Fairport Convention, Gram Parsons and Neil Young that didn’t make it onto 2001’s final Better Day. For the uninitiated, Vermilion remains the place to start, but if there are any completists still out there, fans who can’t shake the memory of seeing the Drifters play live, this note’s for you.
—Kenny Berkowitz
