Tommy Keene You Hear Me: A Retrospective 1983-2009

Tommy Keene emerged in the early ‘80s as an obvious counterpoint to R.E.M.’s mysterious jangle. Where Michael Stipe mumbled and alluded to questions unanswered, Bethesda, Maryland’s Tommy Keene came lunging forth with pop songs that offered crisp and clear melodies, explosive harmonies and guitars that would not be denied. This is a great compilation that manages to capture nearly all of Keene’s best moments (there are more!). “Back to Zero Now,” “Back Again,” “Places That Are Gone,” “My Mother Looked Like Marilyn Monroe,” “Run Now” and “Nothing Can Change You” were the stunning hits that never were. A killer cover of Lou Reed’s “Kill Your Sons” is the surprise attack coming from a man who sounds so well mannered. The later tunes show no let-up. “A Secret Life of Stories” and “Tomorrow’s Gone Tonight” belong next to the older material. Whether or not Keene ever receives the recognition he deserves remains to be seen, but there's no reason his music has to be a secret.