The Boxing Mirror

The Boxing Mirror
Studio album by Alejandro Escovedo
Released	May 2, 2006
Recorded	2005
Genre	Alternative rock, avant-rock, chicano rock, heartland rock
Label	Back Porch
Producer	John Cale
Alejandro Escovedo chronology
By the Hand of the Father (2002) The Boxing Mirror (2006) Real Animal (2008)

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	81/100 [1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
The Austin Chronicle	[3]
The A.V. Club	B [4]
Entertainment Weekly	A– [5]
Now	[6]
The Guardian	[7]
PopMatters	6/10 [8]
Rolling Stone	[9]
Spin	8/10 [10]
Uncut	6/10 [11]

The Boxing Mirror is a 2006 album by Alejandro Escovedo. released through Back Porch Records. Produced by John Cale, the album finds Escovedo delving into the worlds of avant-rock and post-punk; and its darker sound has only shades of roots rock/Americana music in comparison with most Escovedo's alt-country records. ^[12] Legendary bassist, Mark Andes (Spirit, Jo Jo Gunne, Firefall, Heart, Eliza Gilkyson, Jon Dee Graham, Ian McLagan), plays and sings back-up vocals.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Alejandro Escovedo except as noted.

1. "Arizona" – 4:51
2. "Dear Head on the Wall" (Kim Christoph, Alejandro Escovedo) – 3:40
3. "Notes On Air" (Bukka Allen, Kim Christoff, Robbie Gjersoe, Brian Standefer) – 4:14
4. "Looking For Love" – 4:08
5. "The Ladder" – 2:55
6. "Break This Time" – 4:04
7. "Evita's Lullaby" – 4:23
8. "Sacramento and Polk" – 4:54
9. "Died a Little Today" – 3:46
10. "Take Your Place" (Mark Andes, Alejandro Escovedo, Matt Fish, Jon Dee Graham, Hector Muñoz, David Pulkingham, Barry Salmon, Brian Standefer) – 3:19
11. "The Boxing Mirror" – 5:43
12. "Take Your Place" (Alternative Mix) (Andes, Escovedo, Fish, Graham, Muñoz, Pulkingham, Salmon, Standefer) - 3:11

Personnel

• Alejandro Escovedo - acoustic and electric guitar, vocals
• John Cale - guitar, keyboards, producer
• Mark Andes - bass, backing vocals
• Jon Dee Graham - guitar
• Hector Muñoz - drums
• David Pulkingham - acoustic and electric guitar, backing vocals
• Matt Fish - cello
• Brian Standefer - cello
• Susan Voelz - violin, backing vocals
• Bruce Salmon - keyboards, backing vocals
• Otoño Lujan - accordion
• Wade Short - stand-up bass
• Wesley Kimler - cover painting, artwork
• Nita Scott - executive producer
• Michael Cano - paintings
• Heinz Geissler - executive producer, management
• Larry Goetz - bass, guitar, engineer, mixing
• Alan Yoshida - mastering

References

1. "The Boxing Mirror by Alejandro Escovedo". Metacritic .
2. Jurek, Thom. "Review: The Boxing Mirror". AllMusic . Retrieved August 23, 2009.
3. Caligiuri, Jim (May 12, 2006). "Alejandro Escovedo". The Austin Chronicle . Retrieved April 30, 2025.
4. Murray, Noel (May 24, 2006). "Alejandro Escovedo / Tim Easton". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on April 6, 2007. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
5. A triumphant CD that owes an unmistakable debt to Lou Reed's noirish 1978 rock operetta Street Hassle. [28 Apr 2006, p.137]
6. Perlich, Tim (May 10, 2006). "ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO - The Boxing Mirror". Now . Archived from the original on August 20, 2006. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
7. Snow, Mat (May 19, 2006). "Alejandro Escovedo, The Boxing Mirror". The Guardian . Retrieved April 30, 2025.
8. Gilstrap, Andrew (June 26, 2006). "Alejandro Escovedo: The Boxing Mirror". PopMatters . Retrieved April 30, 2025.
9. A resonant, if occasionally dour, mix of gritty, tuneful rockers and restrained, spectral balladry that evokes Leonard Cohen fronting Crazy Horse. [4 May 2006, p.56]
10. One of [the year's] most heartfelt albums. [Jun 2006, p.80]
11. It understandably struggles with a weightiness, an emotional claustrophobia. [Jun 2006, p.100]
12. Tracy M. Rogers Review of "The Boxing Mirror", Hybridmagazine.com