Tom Waits once said, “Dan Hicks is fly, sly, wily and dry!” Elvis
Costello remarked, “Dan Hicks is an American Treasure.” And Bette
Midler praised him with: “Dan Hicks is lightning in a bottle.” With
these kinds of accolades, how could I not sample the latest from Dan Hicks and
the Hot Licks, Tangled Tales? Ol’ Bette, Tom W. and Elvis
are right — D.H. is pretty much witty, wonderful and original. The 12
tunes here have a plucky, straight-ahead Americana roots vibe through and through.
That’s eight originals and the rest are from the early 1900s. In addition
to the blisteringly perfect Hot Licks, Hicks is joined by the likes of instrumental
virtuosos David Grisman, Charlie Musselwhite, and slide-guitarist Roy Rogers,
to gives the record an extra shot of worthiness.
We start with opener “Who Are You,” an up-and-running tune with
some up-front fiddle and spot-on backing vocals. “The Diplomat”
has some of the same feel, but a witty lyric and guitar work slightly reminiscent
of Django Reinhardt. “Song For My Father” chugs along nicely as
an instrumental for the most part and I wished it would have stayed so. “The
Rounder” features some more great fiddle and inspired slide from Rogers.
“13-D” sounds like Leon Redbone, but may have the best lyric and
vocal on the entire record. “Ragtime Cowboy Joe” is pure fun, jaunty
cowboy ragtime (this really does remind me of Leon Redbone!), but I really dig
the quieter “The Magician.” The guitar playing is magnificent and
the vocals roll along, creating a nice, languid tapestry.
There’s a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues”
with a Hot Licks flavor. The title track is fast and scat-able, while “Let
It Simmer” is a great way to wind things down. No doubt, Dan Hicks, the
Hot Licks and guests deliver a stunning collection of wacky, wild and slyly
played tunes produced by Grammy-winner Chris Goldsmith (Blind Boys of Alabama).
And they manage to tell some Tangled Tales along the way.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
