FEATURED REVIEW.........................................................11 APRIL 2005
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Artist:
HACIENDA BROTHERS |
The tale of legendary blues guitarist Elizabeth Cotten (1893-1987) is rather unusual, to say the least. She wrote her most famous song "Freight Train" in 1904, at the age of 11. Her musical career, however, was not to begin for another half century. Discovered by Charles Seeger (working as a domestic in his own home, no less), Cotten recorded her first LP, Folksongs and Instrumentals, in 1957. In 1965, she followed her debut with a stellar sophomore release, Shake Sugaree--the title track featuring vocals by her 12-year-old great-grandaughter, Brenda Evans. (Incidentally, Smithsonian Folkways has recently released an expanded CD version of Shake Sugaree that includes the original 16-track album, plus 10 bonus tracks. Get youself a copy--it's a gem.) By 1970, Cotten had retired as a domestic, and, as she moved into her 80s, began actively touring. In her 90s, she capped off the most unconventional of music careers with a Grammy for her 1984 album Live!
What, pray tell, does Elizabeth Cotten have to do with the Hacienda Brothers? Well, nothing really, except for the fact that "I've Got a Secret," (track number 12 on the Hacienda Brothers new album) is a barely disguised version of Cotten's "Shake Sugaree." The Hacienda Brothers credit the song to Fred Neil, and indeed, the enigmatic folkie did include it on his self-titled 1967 sophomore release. But can Neil (or his estate, at this point) actually own the rights to what amounts to an ever-so-slight re-working of "Shake Sugaree"? Something is rotten, as they say. (If you've got the scoop on this odd tidbit, drop us a line.)
Incidentally, the only other person we can find who has covered this alleged Fred Neil song is Pat Boone, who included "I've Got a Secret" on his 1969 album Departure. And if you're wondering, Pat Boone doesn't have a damn thing to do with the Hacienda Brothers. (Well, we take that back--Boone and the Hacienda Brothers probably share a few fans.)
So who are these Hacienda Brothers, anyway? A two man supergroup, basically, consisting of Chris Gaffney (Dave Alvin's Guilty Men, Cold Hard Facts) and Dave Gonzalez (Paladins). The duo secured Muscle Shoals relic Dan Penn to produce the album and, voilà, a cheeze-loaf was birthed.
There is a fine line between "timeless" and "dated." Clearly the Hacienda Brothers harken back to county music's yesteryear. Unfortunately, they come off sounding like an ill-conceived mix cassette comprised of nothing but garage sale vinyl.
In the way of country-fried cheeze, this album has it all--from unnecessary key changes to cornpone lyrics. Check out this cloying specimen from "I'm So Proud":
"I'm
so proud of being your man,
to walk in these shoes, to just hold your hand,
to look in your eyes, it's a gift from above,
after all these years, we're still so in love.
I'm
so proud of being with you,
we're living proof, that dreams still come true,
loving each other, we been through it all,
you built me so high, honey don't let me fall."
If that doesn't make you ill, you probably need to get your head checked.
Elsewhere, the Hacienda Brothers sound like a well-polished Waylon Jennings tribute band. Now don't get us wrong--we love Waylon, but does he really need another tribute band? (Especially given his notorious production problems.) It's on "Mental Revenge"--a cover of the Mel Tillis classic--that the Hacienda Brothers sound most like Mr. Jennings. It's not a bad song, all things considered, but they certainly could have given it their own spin rather than making it sound like an outtake from I've Always Been Crazy.
The album's cheeziest number, however, is "Looking for Loneliness." Ouch. Cheeze horns, a little porn guitar, some unnecessary vocal flourishes--this one's headed to the Cheezeball Hall of Shame.
A few other songs--including "Seven Little Numbers" and "Years that Got Away"--are best described as "some kinda country crooner nonsense."
Occasionally the album does offer up the unexpected. "Railed" is a sort of ode-to-Dick-Dale surf guitar thing. Out of place, perhaps, but who are we to criticize the eclectic? On a few other songs (including "Walkin' on My Dreams," "Leavin' on my Mind," and "No Time to Waste") an odd chord is thrown into the mix, which helps to keep things interesting. "Walkin' on My Dreams," incidentally, almost works. The production, however, is cheeze blues à la Clapton, which sticks in the craw. "Leavin' on my Mind" is our favorite song on the album, in spite of its Casio-on-western-swing-setting feel.
In summation: Old-school cheeze. Likely to upset the digestive system. Three-and-a-half cheezeballs.
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A NOTE ON THE RATING SYSTEM:
5 CHEEZEBALLS = UNLISTENABLE SCHLOCK
3 CHEEZEBALLS = A DIFFICULT SLOG
1 CHEEZEBALL = THE ODD FORGIVABLE MISSTEP
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