Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks 1972 Striking It Rich

Genre: Folk-Rock
Rate: 256 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:41:23
Size: 75,74 MB




Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks were truly a sport of nature, one of those unique creations that come out of nowhere and defy categorization. Part folk, part Django Reinhardt homage, part Western swing, and part tongue in cheek; this outfit was as marvellously cracked as the palm tree scenery they brought with them everywhere. They were smart - but never condescending to their audience. Overall their music had the gentle, pleasant texture of lazy summer evenings when there is lots of time, little to do, and nothing to worry about.

Hicks is a terrific front man, but the secret of this group is found in the talent surrounding him. The Lickettes (easily the greatest name ever for a team of female back-up vocalists) have exquisite voices, and add smooth sweetness wherever they're found. Maryann Price and Naomi Ruth Eisenberg both sound marvellous when they solo, but the blend of their voices is heaven.

Sid Page on violin (and mandolin) provides the instrumental juice reminding you of Stephane Grappelly and all those Western swingers, check him out on Flight Of The Fly. The humour of Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks ranges from mild, I'm An Old Cowhand, to broad, O'Reilly At The Bar, to goofy, The Laughing Song, but it is never mean. With this outfit, fun is the name of the game.

Despite the hip sensibility that characterizes Dan Hicks, he is never better than when he is overtly sentimental. Songs like I Scare Myself, Canned Music, and the Western lullaby Presently In The Past, are so beautiful that it hurts. Dan Hicks And His Hot Licks always were hard to pigeonhole, perhaps that's why they've weathered the years so well. This one is just pure delight, can't recommend it highly enough. (El Lagarto @www.amazon.com)



Tracklist:

01 - You Got To Believe 02:58

02 - Walkin' One And Only 02:48

03 - O'reilly At The Bar 02:54

04 - Moody Richard (The Innocent Bystander) 04:02

05 - Flight Of The Fly 02:39

06 - I Scare Myself 05:46

07 - Philly Rag 00:38

08 - The Laughing Song 03:04

09 - Canned Music 03:35

10 - I'm An Old Cowhand (From The Rio Grande) 02:50

11 - Woe, The Luck 05:12

12 - Presently In The Past 03:15

13 - Skippy's Farewell 01:02

14 - Fujiyama 00:40





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Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks 1971 Where's The Money

Genre: Folk-Rock
Rate: 160 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:40:26
Size: 45,43 MB




Review by Brian Beatty

Before they could release a second album of their patented good-time hippie acoustic swing, Hicks and his band parted company with Epic records. That their fresh start would be marked by the release of a live set may seem odd at first. But the album does in fact capture a certain intimacy missing from their studio debut. Songs that would remain staples of the Hot Licks repertoire for years to come are found in their most well-known versions here, including the title track, "I Feel Like Singing," "Shorty Falls in Love," and "By Hook or By Crook." The between-song banter even stands up to repeated listenings. It's not often that can be said about a live recording.



Tracklist:

01 - I Feel Like Singing 03:05

02 - Coast To Coast 02:45

03 - News From Up The Street 04:57

04 - Where's The Money 03:01

05 - Caught In The Rain 03:12

06 - Shorty Falls In Love 02:44

07 - By Hook Or By Crook 03:16

08 - Reelin' Down 03:35

09 - The Buzzard Was Their Friend 03:06

10 - Traffic Jam 03:29

11 - Is This My Happy Home 03:54

12 - Dig A Little Deeper 03:22





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Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks 1969 Original Recordings

Genre: Jazz/Swing/Country/Western
Rate: 256 kbps CBR / 44100
Time: 00:41:26
Size: 75,75 MB




Review by Lindsay Planer

Original Recordings was Dan Hicks' initial solo effort as well as the debut of his "Hot Licks." Unlike the overamplified electric jug band music that the Charlatans had been creating during Hicks' stint as their drummer and occasional vocalist, this new band performed a refreshing blend of jazz swing with country & western. Their understated performance style stood in strong contrast to the burgeoning heavy metal and acid rock that were en vogue as the '60s became the '70s.

Featured on this album is a seminal version of the "Hot Licks" that were only together briefly. Included are John Weber (guitar) and Terry Wilson (drums) as well as vocalists Tina Viola Gancher and Sherry Snow. Both Sid Page (violin/vocals) and Jaime Leopold (acoustic bass) would remain with Hicks (guitar/vocals/spoken word) as core members of the band.

Of the 11 original compositions on this disc, "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away" followed Hicks from the Charlatans, while "Canned Music," "I Scare Myself," and "Shorty Falls in Love" would be slightly reworked for their inclusion on the upcoming long-players Where's the Money? and Striking It Rich, respectively. Perhaps because of Hicks' background as a drummer, his sense of timing is a key element to his deceptively complex melodies. Likewise, this has a great deal to do with the success of the call-and-response vocals between Hicks and the female background vocalists he would dub "the Lickettes." Within these pastoral melodies and slightly askew lyrics is the somewhat out-of-sync and acid-tinged "It's Bad Grammar, Baby." In retrospect, the prominently distorted acoustic guitar lead overwhelms the track -- which would have otherwise fit nicely within the context of the remainder of the album. This might have had something to do with it being conspicuously left off the 2001 Sony/Legacy reissue Canned Music: The Most of Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks. Those who can locate a copy of these Original Recordings are urged to do so. For Hicks-ophiles or Dan-ophites, it is a vital entry into his canon.



Tracklist:

01 - Canned Music 04:05

02 - How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away 02:40

03 - I Scare Myself 05:19

04 - Shorty Takes A Dive 03:12

05 - Evenin' Breeze 03:57

06 - Waiting For The "103" 03:45

07 - Shorty Falls In Love 03:24

08 - Milk Shakin' Mama 04:10

09 - Slow Movin' 03:10

10 - It's Bad Grammar, Baby 02:32

11 - Jukies' Ball 05:12





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