Joyner's seventh full-length album,
Yesterday Tomorrow and in Between, was recorded at
Michael Krassner's Truckstop Studios in Chicago, much of it with a full backing band. As a result, the record has a much fuller sound than his previous albums. Spanning two discs, the album suffers from a uniformity of tempo that will probably lose those unfamiliar with
Joyner's raspy tales. But taken one song at a time, it becomes apparent that the album is less than the sum of its individual parts. Simple songs like "Cold Outside Your Window, Mama" and "Christine" are some of
Joyner's best tunes, and "Amen" is a masterpiece of verbal economy.
Joyner, in his usual near-cracking voice, ends the slow tempo ballad by repeating the title 14 times. Somehow each repetition seems absolutely vital to the song, which eventually collapses under the sheer weight of that one word.
Joyner just rides it until it's out of gas. ~ Jason Nickey