If you look through music history, you’ll occasionally discover acts that released just a single wonderful album and never released another. David + David stood out as one of the 80s one-offs that we wish had done more.
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Nonetheless, their 1986 album Boomtown looms large as an example of songwriter-driven excellence in an era when such virtues were rare. The single “Welcome To The Boomtown” served as their stunning introduction to the world.
Here Comes the ‘Boom’
David Baerwald and David Ricketts worked as studio musicians in the Los Angeles area in the 80s. They had also played in steady bands, only to both come away ultimately disappointed with the experience. In 1986, they came together as David + David and released Boomtown.
It didn’t take long before the album was gaining a mountain of critical praise. The LP was full of trenchant songwriting from the two men. But they also didn’t shy away from going for big musical moments that kept the album far livelier than your typical songwriter fare. Lead single “Welcome To The Boomtown” even snuck into the Top 40.
The praise for their music was still reverberating when the two men quietly decided to not to follow the album up. Because there wasn’t really a breakup announcement, the music world didn’t really mourn their absence at the time. It just became clear as the years passed that Boomtown was destined to be a one-off.
Baerwald and Ricketts ended up making major contributions, as writers and players, to Sheryl Crow’s smash 1993 debut album Tuesday Night Music Club. Meanwhile, the music from their lone album together, including the incredible “Welcome To The Boomtown”, sounds better than ever today.
Exploring the Lyrics of “Welcome To The Boomtown”
“Welcome To The Boomtown” summarizes the David + David magic. Written by the pair, the song features a couple of vignettes of LA denizens. Meanwhile the musical flourishes, such as Ricketts’ incredible opening guitar wail, leave plenty of open spaces to allow the lyrics to settle into your consciousness.
We begin the tale with the story of “Ms. Cristina,” who drives her fancy car and seems, at a glance, unstoppable. “Satisfaction oozes from her pores,” Baerwald intones. But we find out that her high-living comes at the price of anyone getting close to her. “Cocaine on her dresser, bars on her doors,” the narrator explains of her lifestyle.
“Handsome Kevin got a little off track,” Baerwald sings of our second protagonist. Chain-smoking his way to oblivion, he takes an ominous career path: “Deals dope out at Denny’s/Keeps a table in the back.”
Later, Baerwald hints at a tragedy, perhaps connected to Ms. Cristina, or perhaps to any one of the thousands living such decadent, self-destructive lives. “The ambulance arrived too late,” he moans. “I guess she didn’t want to wait.” In the chorus, Baerwald wails about the unending cycle of money and bad habits.
The world still waits for the second David + David album. Honestly, though, maybe we should look at the glass half-full side of things. It’s a blessing we got an album as wondrous as the one they delivered in the first place. “Welcome To The Boomtown” epitomizes its brilliance.
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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