Back in 1986, Brian Setzer had a huge fan base with his Stray Cats rockabilly sound. People tuned in to hear shredding guitar and 8/4 rhythms. Every new Stray Cats album went immediately platinum; Same with the Honeydrippers. People were makeing boatloads of money on that rockabilly-revival sound.
So when Setzer told his label, EMI, that he really wanted to do this roots-rock album that explored themes that were important to him, they choked.
As a result, the best roots-rock album of the decade got next to no promotional effort from the label that recorded it, and has gone into the dust-bin of history.
Rockabilly fans who followed Setzer bought the album and were disappointed because it didn't sound like they expected it to. Bad reviews followed.
Roots rock fans waited out Springsteen's Dancing-in-The-Dark period, and never gave a thought to purchasing Knife Feels Like Justice because they had never heard the music on the radio.
Other than Rolling Stone calling this the best album of the year, there were few reviews from serious fans of the genre.
It's all tragic. But the album stands as one of the best albums of the decade. The music is complex and deep. The songs have something to say, and the themes of the plight of the immigrant, the poor, and the sorrow of friends gone too soon still resonate today.
Do yourselves a favor: If this album comes back into print, buy it immediately.
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