Liquor in the Front

Produced by Ministry’s Al Jourgensen, Liquor in Front nurtured the two extremes of Reverend Horton Heat’s style. “I Can’t Surf,” “Yeah, Right,” and “Jezebel” were the fiercest rock songs the trio had ever recorded, blistering with the noise that had made Ministry famous. At the same time, “Liquor, Beer & Wine” and the Cuban-tinged “In Your Wildest Dreams” are as rich and mellow as vintage recordings by Ray Price. Still, the band (led by Jim "Reverend Horton Heat" Heath himself) are best embodied by “Big Sky,” “Five-O Ford,” and “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’”: three hyperactive themes for dystopian hot-rod races.