The 1991 album
Drunk with Passion is the fifth installment of drummer
Anton Fier's ongoing, ever-changing project known as
Golden Palominos. As always, there's no shortage of musical heavyweights plying their trade on this edition. Guitarist
Richard Thompson and bassist
Bill Laswell are
Palomino veterans. The vocal chores are handled by ex-
Information Society singer Andrea Kramer, and
Bob Mould sings lead on "Dying from the Inside Out." The emphasis here is on mood, which is decidedly ethereal, starting with the album's lead track "Alive and Living Now," featuring
Michael Stipe on vocals and
Carla Bley adding Hammond organ. The song is a buoyant, midtempo celebration of life. Other highlights include "The Haunting," with lovely vocals from
Kramer, and "When the Kingdom Calls," which has some fluid, melodic guitar work from
Thompson. The proceedings are so dreamy that the album threatens to float away at times. However,
Mould opens "Dying from the Inside Out" with a blood-curdling howl and the band follows his lead with a primal stomp. A very classy album. ~ Tom Demalon