Moon Martin Comes Out from The Darkness 
3 Out Of 5 Stars

Moon Martin's first album as a solo artist was a watershed for him as a songwriter. This album gave Mink DeVille "Cadillac Walk" and Robert Palmer "Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor Doctor)" just to name the two biggies. Problem was, both of those artists actually sounded better on Martin's songs than Martin did, as this album has a live sound but thin production. That does not diminish from the fact that items like "Paid Killer" or "Victim of Romance" are ace bits of songwriting (and from the titles, should clue you in on Martin's view of relationships). And while Martin has a distinct voice, it isn't captured on "Shots" as well as it would be on "Street Fever" or "Escape From Domination" (where he managed a hit of his own with "Rolene"). As a relic of 80's New Wave singer/songwriters, "Shots From a Cold Nightmare" is a good work from a man who had better albums to come. Bonus points for the oddball cover of the Beatles' "All I've Got To Do."