Nothing on
Lydia's Café is quite as over-the-top as "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant With My Two Headed Love Child," "Don Henley Must Die," or "Stuffin' Martha's Muffin," which are among the tunes that have been recorded by
Skid Roper's former employer,
Mojo Nixon. However,
Roper does offer an amusing ditty titled "I Was a Teenage Caveman" -- and while this CD isn't in a class with
Mojo Nixon's best work, it is an enjoyably quirky roots rock/alternative rock effort. In the late '80s and early '90s,
Roper was someone who managed to appeal to both roots rock and alterna-rock audiences. The alternative rock crowd appreciated the eccentricity that he brings to humorous items like "Stop the Earth," "The Emperor's New Clothes," and "Calling All Planets," but the singer's obvious appreciation of country, rockabilly, and early-'60s rock & roll make him relevant to the roots rock scene. "The Riddle," meanwhile, has a strong Irish influence, and
Roper puts his own spin on the sort of Celtic rock that bands like
the Pogues had been providing. But as much as there is to like about this album, some people don't give
Roper's post-
Nixon solo efforts enough credit. When this CD came out in 1991, some
Nixon fans faulted
Roper for not being as outrageous and over-the-top as his former employer. But
Roper was his own man, and
Lydia's Café was not meant to be a carbon copy of his '80s work with
Nixon. All things considered,
Lydia's Café is a respectable, decent effort that both roots rock and alternative rock enthusiasts are advised to check out.