Resource Center
Jude Cole adds darker side of life to album
Review by Jeff Finley
Despite several modest hits, Jude Cole’s name is not a household word.
You would probably recognize a few of his songs from the radio — but not his name.
Cole’s fourth release, I Don’t Know Why I Act This Way, is his first appearance on Island Records. This time
out, Cole’s thoughtful lyrics address social issues and the darker side of life in addition to the love songs that dominated
his past efforts.
The album kicks off with "The Speed of Life," which has a memorable melody with great guitar work. If this song
doesn’t become a hit, then we live in a truly sick society.
"Believe in You," the first radio single, is your typical pop music fare except for its creative lyrics. In what sounds
like a typical love song, Cole throws in lines like: "And Philip Morris, well he’ll probably sue me / For putting his
name in this song."
The most innovative track, "Joe," features actor Kiefer Sutherland speaking the vocals while Cole sings them. The
not-so-subtle song begins: "I go to church on Sunday morning / Come home and beat my wife."
Cole has never done a more depressing and original song as "Joe." A jazz-style trumpet joins this moody slow
song toward the end for an unexpected yet fitting musical twist.
Originally published in The Papyrus, the student newspaper of Greenville College, on Nov. 26, 1995.
© 1995, 2000 Jeffrey K. Finley
