Notes From the Lost Civilization (1988)

Joel Caballero
Jun 6
2 min read

Updated: Jul 17

Notes From the Lost Civilization is the fifth release and fourth studio album by American singer - songwriter Tonio K. It was released on February 2, 1988 and is his second album on Word Records' What? label and A&M Records. The album was produced by Tonio K and David Miner with T-Bone Burnett serving as executive producer.

Notes From the Lost Civilization dealt less with the foibles of modern romance than with socio-political issues, accenting the false hopes that culture offers. The album has a funky R&B flavored sound combined with alternative rock with an all-star cast of supporting musicians included Burnett, Booker T. Jones on Hammond B-3, Jim Keltner, Raymond Pounds and Alec Acuña on drums and percussion, James Jamerson, Jr. and David Miner on bass, and Charlie Sexton and Jack Sherman on additional guitars. The video for the single, “Without Love,” marked Tonio K’s first airplay on MTV. A music video was also made for the track "City Life."

Album highlights include "The Executioner's Song" and "Children's Crusade." "You Were There" is as close to a Christian song as it gets, lyrically. But the standout track on Notes... is "What Women Want." In the song, Tonio K offers a satirical perspective (in the vein of Steve Taylor) on women from the perspective of a chauvinistic male. Executives at Word Records frowned on the track because of the opening line in the first verse:

"I know what these women want

They want sex

Yeah, that's true, but

I know what these women want..."

Rather than banning the album from Christian bookstores, it was decided that Notes... should be released in two versions: the A&M version featuring all ten songs including "What Women Want" and the Word/What? version featuring only nine songs omitting "What Women Want." The track was co-produced with

Rick Neigher, who worked and produced Tonio K's 1986 release Romeo Unchained.

Notes From the Lost Civilization was reissued on CD in 1996 by the independent label Gadfly Records.

Track listing

All songs were written by Tonio K, except where noted.

1. Without Love (Tonio K, John Keller) -3:34

2. Children's Crusade -4:57

3. Stay (Tonio K, John Keller) -4:15

4. City Life -4:07

5. You Were There (Tonio K, John Keller) -4:46

6. The Executioner's Song -6:27

7. I Can't Stand It (Tonio K, Bob Rose, Nigel Harrison) -4:09

8. What Women Want -4:27