Shootin' Straight is a live album by the American musician Dan Hicks, released in 1994.[2][3] Hicks was backed by the Acoustic Warriors.[4] It was Hicks's first major album since 1978.[5]
| Shootin' Straight | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Venue | McCabe's Guitar Shop, Santa Monica, California | |||
| Label | On the Spot[1] | |||
| Producer | Joel Moss | |||
| Dan Hicks chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editProduced by Joel Moss, the album was recorded over two nights at McCabe's Guitar Shop, in Santa Monica, California.[6][7][8] Hicks had been playing McCabe's for more than 12 years.[9] Shootin' Straight is made up of previously unrecorded songs.[7]
Bette Midler and Asleep at the Wheel had covered Hicks's "Up! Up! Up!"[10]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| Robert Christgau |  [12] |
| The Commercial Appeal | [13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [14] |
| The Indianapolis Star | [15] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [16] |
The Washington Post wrote that the album "proves that his off-beat sense of humor and his dead-on sense of swing are intact... Hicks sings about barflies, bank robbers and flying-saucer pilots in a small, dry voice that drifts easily over the crisp swing below."[5] The Knoxville News Sentinel noted that "Hicks sounds charmingly confused in his stage patter."[17]
The Indianapolis Star called the album full of "quirky humor and acoustic tunes that draw on influences ranging from jazz accordion to Texas swing slide guitar."[15] The Los Angeles Times thought that "the zesty interplay of guitars, fiddles and mandolins looks back to Django Reinhardt."[18] The Commercial Appeal stated: "Instrumentally, this is a group to reckon with, as Paul Robinson's lightning lead acoustic guitar intertwines with Stevie Blacke's mandolin and Jim Boggio provides atmospheric accordion."[13] Elijah Wald, of The Boston Globe, listed it as one of 1994's best albums.[19]
AllMusic wrote that "the material owes a lot to pre-bebop jazz, but it also owes a lot to country, rock, folk, and blues."[11]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Dan Hicks
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Up! Up! Up!" | 4:01 |
| 2. | "Shootin' Straight" | 5:07 |
| 3. | "Hell, I'd Go!" | 2:26 |
| 4. | "Bottoms Up!" | 3:57 |
| 5. | "Texas Kinda Attitude" | 3:29 |
| 6. | "Willie" | 4:15 |
| 7. | "Savin' My Lovin'" | 4:56 |
| 8. | "13-D" | 3:37 |
| 9. | "Barstool Boogie" | 3:30 |
| 10. | "A Magician" | 3:32 |
| 11. | "Who Are You?" | 4:07 |
| 12. | "Level with Me Laurie" | 4:05 |
| 13. | "The Rounder" | 3:49 |
| 14. | "$100,000" | 3:13 |
References
edit- ^ Krampert, Peter (March 23, 2016). The Encyclopedia of the Harmonica. Mel Bay Publications. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
- ^ "Dan Hicks Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ^ "11 tracks of Whack by Walter Becker / Shootin' Straight by Dan Hicks". Playboy. Vol. 42, no. 3. Mar 1995. p. 24.
- ^ Mabe, Chauncey (17 Sep 1994). "Dan Hicks: Shootin' Straight". Sun-Sentinel. p. 3D.
- ^ a b "Hicks Minus Licks Still Kicks". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
- ^ Nichols, Jim (6 Sep 1995). "Hicks Prefers to Perform". Downtowner. Dayton Daily News. p. 6.
- ^ a b Hill, Jack W. (February 3, 1995). "Flanked by Warriors, Hicks Makes Way Back to Native LR". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. p. 20.
- ^ Kening, Dan (16 Dec 1994). "Singer-Songwriter Dan Hicks Proves He Still Has the Hot Hand". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. P.
- ^ Carroll, Tomm (October 28, 1994). "McCabe's strums along". Daily Breeze. p. K29.
- ^ Gilbert, Calvin (4 Sep 1995). "Acoustic Warrior". Nashville Banner. p. C1.
- ^ a b "Shootin' Straight". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ^ "Dan Hicks". Robert Christgau. Archived from the original on 2022-02-15. Retrieved 2022-02-15.
- ^ a b Nager, Larry (July 30, 1994). "Recordings". The Commercial Appeal. p. C5.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 4. MUZE. p. 276.
- ^ a b Schoch, Eric (29 Aug 1994). "Dan Hicks 'Shootin' Straight'". The Indianapolis Star. p. C5.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 547.
- ^ Bledsoe, Wayne (7 Aug 1994). "Hicks is still shooting; Waters is fresh after 30 years". Knoxville News Sentinel. p. 2.
- ^ Boehm, Mike (14 Jan 1995). "Dan Hicks Keeps Ticking: The Wry Leader of the '60s-Era Hot Licks Faced Some Cold Shoulders". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 2.
- ^ "Top Ten Recordings 1994". Calendar. The Boston Globe. 22 Dec 1994. p. 18.