Fool's Parade

Album Review

Peter Wolf lost his mainstream audience long before he released Fool's Parade in the fall of 1998. By the time the album hit the stores, it had been ten years since he had graced the Top 40, when "Come as You Are" reached number 15. To his credit, Wolf realized he no longer was a pop star, so he decided to continue in the vein of his comeback record, 1996's Long Line. Which is to say, Fool's Parade is a collection of rock & roll, R&B, blues and soul, all delivered with professional showmanship from Wolf, along with a surplus of true heart and passion. It's a mature album in the best sense of the word — it's clear that Wolf has lived the life he sings about, and he exhibits a sense of craft that only veterans can convey. Following the equally accomplished Long Line, Fool's Parade is proof that veteran rockers need not be washed up or written off, even if they are no longer playing to stadium-sized crowds.