Dave Stewart And The Spiritual Cowboys - Honest (1991)

“Honest” is a 1991 album by Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys. It was Stewart's second and final album with the Pretenders' Martin Chambers after Annie Lennox left the Eurythmics to start a family.
"Honest" follows the same musical vein as the former release but to lesser effect. There are still some great songs on "Honest", but I can see why Dave broke up the Spiritual Cowboys after this release and why the record company may have passed on releasing it in America. Dave Stewart doesn't make bad music and "Honest" can attest to this with. If you are a fan of Dave or Eurythmics you can't miss with this second solo release.
“Honest” is a little pocket battleship of an album and it would have to be as, in my opinion, his more famous band The Eurythmics are right up there with the likes of Erasure as bands created for nothing more than target practice.
Stewart certainly can't be accused of being able to sing. Rather he drawls his way through the songs - although on "Fools Paradise" he sounds uncannily like David Bowie. But that deadpan delivery gives more depth and meaning to what prove to be intriguing and, yes, honest lyrics. "Whole Wide World" deals with the fact his parents will never be able to see what he's made of himself and "Fools Paradise" conveys perfectly his amazement at the birth of a child. But it's the simple fable-like aspects of "Cat With A Tale", "Out Of Reach", "Fade Away" and "Crown Of Madness" that make this album and make the listener keep coming back for more.

Track listing

01. "Honest" Sylvester  ("Sly Stone" Stewart)  - 3:28 
02. "Whole Wide World"  - 5:26 
03. "Crown Of Madness"  (Dave Stewart)   - 3:35 
04. "Out Of Reach" - 4:23 
05. "You're Lost" - 3:17 
06. "Fools Paradise" - 5:08 
07. "Motorcycle Mystics"  (Dave Stewart)  - 4:14 
08. "Impossible"  - 1:20 
09. "Here We Go Again"  - 4:42 
10. "Here She Comes"  - 4:19 
11. "Fade Away"  (Dave Stewart)  - 4:38 
12. "Cat With A Tale"  - 4:14 
13. "R.U. Satisfied"  - 6:27 

Credits
Vocals, Guitar – Dave Stewart
Vocals, Keyboards – Jonathan Perkins
Background Vocals – Beverley Brown, Carol Kenyon, Pamela Beckford, Valerie Chalmers
Bass, Backing Vocals – Chris Bostock
Drums, Backing Vocals – Martin Chambers
Drums, Programmed By – Olle Romo
Guitar, Backing Vocals – John Turnbull, Nan Vernon
Violin – Shankar
Harmonica – Ruby Zimmermoon
Engineer – Manu Guiot
Mixed By – David A. Stewart, Manu Guiot
Producer – David A. Stewart

Notes
Genre: Art Rock, Synth-pop
Lenght: 55:11
Label: RCA Records

© 1991