May 05 Album Review: Coming From Reality – Rodriguez

Written by Lee. Posted in Detroit Concerts

Light In The Attic‘s second reissue from Rodriguez, 1971′s Coming from Reality was the last released output by the artist before he slipped into obscurity. Where its predecessor Cold Fact succeeded in creating a subversive sound thanks to Rodriguez’s dark personality and some interesting sonic experimentation in the studio, Coming From Reality departs unabashedly for straightforward pop territory. Thing is, these sleepier, backed-with-strings songs like “Silver Words?” and “It Started Out So Nice” dominate the record, and lack Rodriguez’s certain je ne sais quoi– it’s understandable, after all, why Rodriguez disappeared after this record. But that’s not to say Reality is a total flop by any means, though. There are plenty of reasons to check out this album anyway; the groovy “Climb Up On My Music” and flawless “Can’t Get Away” (one of several rerelease-only tracks included) are among Rodriguez’s very finest. Let’s hope that this isn’t Rodriguez’s last stand.