Album Review

** PETE ANDERSON, “Working Class”, Little Dog Anderson is a country Keith Richards to Dwight Yoakam’s Mick Jagger, a key contributor to the Yoakam sound. Consequently, the pleasures--and limitations--of his solo debut are akin to those of a Keith Richards album.

Like Richards, Anderson has no singing voice to speak of. His vocals range from Dylanesque flat on the humorously narcissistic folk ballad “What About Me?” to a Dr. John-like croak, minus the drawl, in a couple of excursions into New Orleans R&B.;

Yoakam’s right-hand guitar-slinger, producer and arranger hasn’t much to say as a lyricist; his guitar consistently speaks more eloquently throughout. His strength as an arranger is shown by the way he breathes life into Hendrix’s overworked “Fire” by turning it into a chunky Texas blues shuffle.

Anderson said he did this album simply to have fun with his musician buddies while exploring his roots. A modest goal, and he succeeds modestly.