All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes — Pete Townshend (Atco): Pete Townshend's mid-life crisis is a disturbing experience. It's filled with disturbing metaphors (Townshend as the muddy, polluted river in "The Sea Refuses No River") and a healthy dose of self-depreciating cynicism.

At its worst, it can be rabid ("Stardom—I want a script/want my band, want my cash, want my omnipotence") or perfectly hopeless ("Why can't I see a change/Just one sign before I say goodbye"). Townshend's previous solo efforts, "Who Came First," "Rough Mix" (with Ronnie Lane) and "Empty Glass" were albums of hope.

"All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes" is an album about struggle, and despite Townshend's determination to outlive his problems, there is no resolution. The guitarist drags us through the remains of his life, what's left after a year's addiction to Ativan, a titanic alcohol binge and a separation from his wife and family.

It's an ugly vision, but it's nearly impossible to take off the turntable. Like a good horror filmmaker, Townshend turns a phrase good enough to keep listening to, no matter how disturbing it may be.