Shots From a Cold Nightmare is a catchy batch of radio-flavored rock &roll, even though
Martin's songs can seem to get a little too serious when it comes to the perils of infidelity, which is what most of them are about. While
Martin comes through on the somewhat creepy-sounding "Paid Killer," the well-written "Night Thoughts," and on "Victim of Romance," there are still a couple of the album's songs that were bettered by other artists. "Cadillac Walk" sounds more stimulating coming from
Mink DeVille on his self-titled release from 1977, and
Robert Palmer managed to make a Top 20 hit out of "Bad Case of Loving You" a year after it appeared on
Martin's album. Although
Palmer and
DeVille improved upon these two cuts,
Shots From a Cold Nightmare remains one of
Martin's most pleasing efforts, equal to 1979's
Escape From Domination in its accommodating vocal form, but much stronger than both of his releases from the '80s,
Street Fever and Mystery Ticket, which fail to relinquish the same amount of
Martin's personality or distinctness both lyrically and vocally. ~ Mike DeGagne