Cuba (album)

Cuba
Studio album by The Silos
Released	1987
Genre	Rock, alternative country
Label	Record Collect [1]
The Silos chronology
About Her Steps (1985) Cuba (1987) Tennessee Fire (1987)

Cuba is the second album by the American band the Silos, released in 1987. ^{[2] [3]} The band supported the album with a North American tour. ^[4]

Production

Parts of Cuba were recorded in Deerfield Beach, Florida. ^[5] Although incorrectly credited on some pressings of the album, lead guitarist Bob Rupe re-recorded all of Rick Wagner's bass parts after Wagner left the band. ^[6] A video was made for "Tennessee Fire", which became a hit on MTV. ^[7] "For Always" is about marital bliss. ^[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[9]
Chicago Sun-Times	[10]
Robert Christgau	B+ [11]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[12]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[14]
Spin Alternative Record Guide	7/10 [15]

Trouser Press wrote that the album "finds Mary Rowell’s violin emerging as an integral element in the Silos’ sound." ^[16] The Chicago Reader thought that "there's a sober, even slightly ominous undercurrent to these matter-of-factly domestic songs." ^[17] The New York Times opined that "[Walter] Salas-Humara takes a longer view of relationships than most pop songwriters ... from low-key stories, the Silos draw rock epiphanies." ^[18] The Chicago Sun-Times declared the album to be "the finest independently released rock album in '87." ^[10]

AllMusic called the album "something of a low-flying classic," writing that "lyrics like 'Margaret goes to bed around eight/I go to bed around one' capture something elusive with small, everyday details." ^[9] The Pitch deemed it a "masterwork," writing that it "is thought by some to be the holy grail of the alt-country movement." ^[19]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Tennessee Fire"	5:37
2.	"She Lives Up the Street"	3:12
3.	"For Always"	4:13
4.	"Margaret"	3:08
5.	"Mary's Getting Married"	3:49
6.	"Memories"	3:02
7.	"Just This Morning"	3:44
8.	"Going Round"	4:10
9.	"It's Alright"	2:31
10.	"All Falls Away"	4:38

Personnel

• John Galway - drums
• Mary Rowell - violin
• Bob Rupe - guitar, bass
• Walter Salas-Humara - guitar, vocals

References

1. Brodeur, Scott (May 26, 1989). "The Silos". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 26.
2. "The Silos | Biography & History". AllMusic.
3. "Silos – Cuba". No Depression. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
4. Milano, Brett (February 15, 1988). "The Silos something special". The Boston Globe. p. 30.
5. Baker, Greg (July 2, 1987). "Silos are more than the sum of their influences". The Miami News. p. C1.
6. "Sound, Success of the Silos Springs from Restraint". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
7. Blush, Steven (October 4, 2016). New York Rock: From the Rise of The Velvet Underground to the Fall of CBGB. Macmillan – via Google Books.
8. Browne, David (July 20, 1987). "The Silos' 2nd Album Yields Bumper Crop of Fine Rock". Daily News. New York. p. 29.
9. "Cuba - The Silos | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
10. McLeese, Don (July 27, 1987). "Silos 'Cuba'". Features. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 31.
11. "Robert Christgau: CG: The Silos". www.robertchristgau.com.
12. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 454.
13. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1015.
14. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 634–635.
15. Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. 1995. p. 355.
16. "Silos". Trouser Press. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
17. Jenkins, Mark. "The Silos—Cuba". Chicago Reader.
18. Pareles, Jon (July 12, 1987). "Recordings". The New York Times.
19. "The Silos". The Pitch. March 15, 2007.