0016998129029. Pre-Owned: Good condition. CD. Saying that Everlast showed a great deal of artistic growth between his first and second solo albums would be a understatement. While 1989/1990 s Forever Everlasting was a decent if uneven debut Everlast s second solo album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues is an amazingly eclectic gem that finds him really pushing himself creatively. Between those two albums Everlast joined and left House of Pain which evolved into one of the most distinctive rap groups of the 1990s. While Pain s albums thrived on wildness for its own sake Whitey Ford has a much more introspective and serious tone. Everlast who was born with a heart defect was in the process of recording the album when he needed life-saving open-heart surgery; in fact he was lucky that he was around to see Whitey Ford completed and released. Though not without its share of hardcore b-boy rap Whitey Ford also finds Everlast playing acoustic guitar doing some singing and exploring folk-rock Memphis soul and heavy metal. As a singer Everlast has a relaxed style that sounds a bit like Gil Scott-Heron. Today (Watch Me Shine) Ends and What It s Like venture into Neil Young/Bob Dylan territory while Hot to Death is blistering metal with industrial touches. And the plot thickens -- on The Letter he raps over a jazz-influenced piano. Given how rap s hardcore tends to frown on rappers crossing over to rock it took guts for Everlast to be so diverse. But it s a good thing that he did for his risk-taking pays off handsomely on this outstanding release. [Whitey Ford Sings the Blues was also released in a clean version with all vulgarities removed.] ~ Alex Henderson Rovi