Junkyard's 1991 sophomore release,
Sixes, Sevens & Nines is head and shoulders above the band's self-titled debut. Unlike Junkyard,
Sixes, Sevens & Nines benefits from a punchy
Ed Stasium production and mix that captures the band in all its ragged glory. If
Junkyard's sound wasn't defined on its freshman outing, the band veers into full-on
Lynyrd Skynyrd/
AC/DC territory on this baby. On the song front, the weak opening call to arms of "Back on the Streets" is followed by the Rose Tatooish "All the Time in the World." The aforementioned track neatly sums up
Junkyard's sound in a 4:10 flurry: laid-back rhythm guitars à la Malcom Young, in-the-pocket drumming, and boogie-woogie keys. "Slippin' Away," a collaboration with master tunesmith Steve Earle (Earle also sings backup on two of the album's other tracks), showcases the band's gentler side. Although, its monster ballad intonation is evident, "Slippin' Away" never takes flight. With a better arrangement, the tune could have/should have become a classic for the band (à la "She Talks to Angels" by
the Black Crowes). If "Nowhere to Run" is lackluster, the boogie-woogie of "Misery Loves Company is a classic homage to "Rocks Off" from Exile on Main Street. Although
Junkyard held promise, the band would never reach a mass audience. Always solid but never all that compelling, the band would spontaneously combust shortly hereafter. ~ John Franck