This third release was bound to disappoint fans of the outrageous
Stooges/Beefheart-influenced band. The album swung through a wider variety of styles, including Stones-style boogie rock ("Be Myself Again," "Baritone Street," "Circles"), melancholy ballads ("Golden Age," "Can't Slow Down"), and one genuine psychedelic epic ("Coda"). Taken on its own terms, the 1991 outing is a masterpiece of dissolution, disappointment, and loss. Chiming Byrds-style acoustic guitars, tambourines, and piano underscored the evolution toward a cleaner production sound. The band's playing never sounded more assured, although some detractors would claim this was a detrimental point. While lacking the whacked-out intensity of
In the Air Tonight,
From Influence to Ignorance displayed new maturity in
Union Carbide Productions' growth as a recording and performing entity. Additionally, it represented a personal watershed for
Ebbot Lundberg as a singer, lyricist, and producer. ~ Joe Pettit, Jr.