Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 26, 2026

Devil's Road

Devil's Road is an album by the American band the Walkabouts, released in 1996. The first single was "The Light Will Stay On", which was a hit in many European countries; by 2003, the album had sold around 85,000 copies on the continent. Devil's Road was regarded as an attempt at a more commercial album in comparison to the Walkabouts' previous work. The album was reissued in 2014, with a second disc of live songs and alternate takes.

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Devil's Road
Studio album by
the Walkabouts
Released1996
LabelVirgin Schallplatten
ProducerVictor Van Vugt
The Walkabouts chronology
Setting the Woods on Fire
(1994) 		Devil's Road
(1996) 		Nighttown
(1997)

Devil's Road is an album by the American band the Walkabouts, released in 1996.12 The first single was "The Light Will Stay On", which was a hit in many European countries; by 2003, the album had sold around 85,000 copies on the continent.345 Devil's Road was regarded as an attempt at a more commercial album in comparison to the Walkabouts' previous work.67 The album was reissued in 2014, with a second disc of live songs and alternate takes.8

Production

Produced by Victor Van Vugt, the album was recorded in Cologne, Germany.910 Mark Nichols arranged the string parts, which were performed by the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra.1112 The songs were written by Chris Eckman and sung by Eckman and Carla Torgerson.1311

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStarStarHalf star14
Daily Record7/107
The Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStar6
NME5/1015
Ox-FanzineStarStarStarStarStar12

Trouser Press deemed Devil's Road the band's "most ambitiously eclectic album and certainly one of its best."13 The Irish Times praised "the countryish lament, 'The Leaving Kind', with Carla Torgerson's evocative doomed vocals carrying a refrain laden with the grim fruits of fate's calling."16 The Daily Record noted that the Walkabouts "have become more mainstream—without losing any of their simplistic beauty and integrity."7 NME stated that the band is "still churning out imagery-laden fables of the American heartland."15

AllMusic called the album "dark and soulful, the work of a band at the peak of its powers."14 MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide concluded that "the band is firing in that kind of sublime territory that few rock bands ever reach."17 Reviewing the reissue, the Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph determined that "the band's melancholy fusion of folk, country and Americana is captured at its most compelling on Chris Eckman creations such as 'The Light Will Stay On', 'Rebecca Wild' and 'Forgiveness Song'."8

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."The Light Will Stay On" 
2."Rebecca Wild" 
3."The Stopping-Off Place" 
4."Cold Eye" 
5."Christmas Valley" 
6."Blue Head Flame" 
7."When Fortune Smiles" 
8."All for This" 
9."Fairground Blues" 
10."The Leaving Kind" 
11."Forgiveness Song" 

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Devil's Road
Chart (1996) Peak
position
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)18 41
References

References

  1. "The Walkabouts Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  2. Brothers, Stud (April 6, 1996). "Albums — Devil's Road by the Walkabouts". Melody Maker. Vol. 73, no. 14. p. 40.
  3. MacDonald, Patrick (March 21, 1996). "Hitting their stride". The Seattle Times. p. D10.
  4. "The Walkabouts". Perfect Sound Forever. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  5. "Strangers in Their Own Town: The Walkabouts Come Home". The Stranger. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  6. Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 8. MUZE. p. 477.
  7. "Reviews". Features. Daily Record. April 7, 1996. p. 10.
  8. Bryan, Kevin (October 27, 2014). "The Walkabouts: Devil's Road". Music. Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph.
  9. The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. July 24, 2003. ISBN 9781858284576.
  10. Spahr, Wolfgang; Weinert, Ellie (March 16, 1996). "German acts show promise, variety". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 11. p. 69.
  11. Sinclair, David (April 12, 1996). "The Walkabouts Devil's Road". Features. The Times. p. 31.
  12. "Review Walkabouts Devil's Road". Ox-Fanzine.
  13. "Walkabouts". Trouser Press. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  14. "The Walkabouts Devil's Road". AllMusic.
  15. "The Walkabouts Devil's Road". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  16. Breen, Joe (June 14, 1996). "Roots". Sound & Vision. The Irish Times. p. 12.
  17. MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1207.
  18. "Swedishcharts.com – Walkabouts – Devil's Road". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 March 2020.