AMG Review of Salivation

Steven McDonald
All Music Guide

Terry Allen is one of those guys who travels around with a set of large pins inside his jacket, in the hopes that he'll come across some balloon of hot air waiting to be relieved of its burden -- which is the why and where of Salivation, which manages to be almost traditional country on one out of 11 songs (even this makes a moral point in an ironic way). The other ten range from outright comedic ("X-Mas on the Isthmus") to red with bloody rage ("Ain't No Top 40 Song") to surreal and satirical in "The Show," which has Jesus and compatriots envisioned in a rock show context. Sometimes he actually is more or less subtle -- "Southern Comfort" doesn't serve up the sting until it's almost too late. Between note one and the dying echo, the record stomps, smokes, snorts, and acts generally loutish and obnoxious, which makes for a wonderfully entertaining experience.