Wikipedia

Hogs on the Highway

Hogs on the Highway is an album by the American band Bad Livers, released in 1997.[1][2] The band's label, Sugar Hill, marketed the album to bluegrass audiences and college radio.[3][4] Bad Livers supported the album with a North American tour.[5]

Hogs on the Highway
Studio album by
Bad Livers
Released1997
GenreBluegrass, country folk
Length44:58
LabelSugar Hill
ProducerDanny Barnes
Bad Livers chronology
Horses in the Mines
(1994) 		Hogs on the Highway
(1997) 		Industry and Thrift
(1998)

Production

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The album was recorded over two months in Austin and San Marcos, Texas.[6][7] Bob Grant replaced fiddler Ralph White, although both contributed to Hogs on the Highway.[8] Steve James played mandolin on some of the tracks.[9] Bass player Mike Rubin played tuba on "Lathe Crick".[10] The band used a mbira on "Falling Down the Stairs (With a Pistol in My Hand)".[11] Most of the songs were written by frontman Danny Barnes, who also produced.[12][13] "Cluck Old Hen" is an interpretation of the traditional banjo song.[14] "Saludamas a Tejas" is a version of the polka standard.[15] Bad Livers included two unlisted tracks at the end of the album.[14]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Chicago Tribune    [16]
MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide     [17]
The Sydney Morning Herald     [15]
USA Today    [18]
The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music     [19]

USA Today stated that "Bad Livers are a mix of sincerity and goofiness, capable of worthy homages to Hank Williams and Bill Monroe as well as outbreaks of punk anarchism."[18] The Chicago Tribune called the album a "fleet-fingered swig of pinewood blues and ragged breakdowns", later noting that "it spills over with tubas, banjos and accordions, and is infused with elements of gospel and even a vague sort of hillbilly pop—it's the closest they've come to making an unselfconscious, truly grownup record."[20][16] The Gazette determined that "although the Livers are very credible playing straight-ahead bluegrass, they're really a symbiotic, high-energy country roots band who can swing on a fiddle tune one minute, stomp the blues the next and bring it all together in a high-energy package".[14]

The Sydney Morning Herald said that Bad Livers "have taken just about every conceivable left-field roots-country style and mixed up a tasty brew which drifts from Texas swing to jug band, bluegrass."[15] The Santa Fe New Mexican noted that "the band's punk sensibilities come out in the some of the goofball lyrics".[11] The Houston Chronicle concluded that "Bad Livers are less disjointed 'thrash-grass' than they are faithful to the moonshine spirit of old-timey string bands such as Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers."[21] The Houston Press listed Hogs on the Highway among the best Texas albums of 1997.[22]

Track listing

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Hogs on the Highway track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Hogs on the Highway"3:24
2."Lathe Crick"4:30
3."Counting the Crossties"4:13
4."Shufflin' to Memphis"3:16
5."Dallas, Texas"3:39
6."Corn Liquor Made a Fool Out of Me"2:45
7."Saludamas a Tejas"3:20
8."The National Blues"4:18
9."Mr. Modal"1:10
10."My Old Man"3:25
11."Cluck Old Hen"1:57
12."News Not the Weather"2:29
13."Falling Down the Stairs (With a Pistol in My Hand)"6:32
Total length:44:58

References

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  1. ^ Thompson, Stephen (March 6, 1997). "We've seen a dramatic increase...". Rhythm. Wisconsin State Journal. p. 9.
  2. ^ Herndon, John (August 1997). "Jump Street: When Bad Is Good". Acoustic Guitar. Vol. 8, no. 2. p. 15.
  3. ^ Lawrence, Keith (February 17, 1997). "Punkgrass: Texas Band Introduces Its Audience to Wonders of Bluegrass". The Salt Lake Tribune. Knight Ridder. p. B8.
  4. ^ Horak, Terri (March 1, 1997). "Bad Livers reach out to new fans with Sugar Hill set". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 9. pp. 10, 77.
  5. ^ Rosenberg, Madelyn (February 22, 1997). "The Bad Livers Play Music from the Heart". Extra. The Roanoke Times. p. 10.
  6. ^ Beal Jr., Jim (May 17, 1996). "Bad Livers indescribably delicious". Arts. San Antonio Express-News.
  7. ^ Blanchfield, Mike (April 19, 1997). "Livers deliver gutsy bluegrass". The Ottawa Citizen. p. E17.
  8. ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (February 13, 1997). "Bad Livers transplant, Austin band is doing nicely after music-saving procedure". XL Ent. Austin American-Statesman. p. 10.
  9. ^ Weitz, Matt (July 17, 1997). "Out Here". Music. Dallas Observer.
  10. ^ Caligiuri, Jim (February 14, 1997). "Bad Livers". Music. The Austin Chronicle.
  11. ^ a b Terrell, Steve (July 4, 1997). "Terrell's Tune-Up". Pasatiempo. The Santa Fe New Mexican. p. 24.
  12. ^ Reid, Robert (May 29, 1997). "Bad Livers Hogs on the Highway". The Record. Kitchener. p. D7.
  13. ^ Fulmer, Douglas (September 9, 1997). "Bad Livers Put Their Hearts into the Music". The Plain Dealer. p. 10E.
  14. ^ a b c Regenstreif, Mike (March 1, 1997). "Bad Livers Hogs on the Highway". The Gazette. p. E3.
  15. ^ a b c Elder, Bruce (May 26, 1997). "Country". The Guide. The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 10.
  16. ^ a b Stewart, Allison (April 18, 1997). "Bad Livers". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 40.
  17. ^ MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 32.
  18. ^ a b Zimmerman, David (February 18, 1997). "Country". USA Today. p. D10.
  19. ^ Larkin, Colin (2000). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music. Virgin Books. p. 31.
  20. ^ Reger, Rick (February 28, 1997). "The A List". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 29.
  21. ^ Mitchell, Rick (July 6, 1997). "Texas Music Sampler". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 8.
  22. ^ Rowland, Hobart (January 1, 1998). "Static". Music. Houston Press.
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