Butch Hancock Albums (10)
What The Critics Say
On his first new solo album in nine years, Butch Hancock, like several of his singer/songwriter peers, has decided that the time has come to take on President George W. Bush and his invasion and occupation of Iraq. Having kept tabs on history, Hancock has some choice words for the president's predecessors as well. For example, one verse of "Damage Done" goes, "Desert storms, call to arms, call it what you will/One nation out from under God with justice standin' still/Noriega, North, and Nixon now, like father and like son/One steps aside, one steps right in to carry on the damage done." And Hancock is specific in his criticisms. "When the good and the bad get ugly," he sings in a song of that title, "They do every dumb thing under the hot sun/There's ways to be real and there's ways you can heal/But the Patriot Act is not one." As far as he's concerned, the real reason for the war is not hard to discern. "The Devil in Us All" notes, "They never found a single weapon of mass destruction/But they all smell oil, got to get it in production." When he isn't reworking newspaper editorials into rhyming verse, Hancock relies on the Bible for his poetic imagery, viewing the situation in stark terms of good and evil. His observations are expressed musically in performances that inescapably evoke Bob Dylan and even Woody Guthrie. If it's nearly impossible to get through a notice about Hancock without mentioning Dylan, that's because Hancock's singing voice is so similar, not only in timbre but also in his phrasing, to Dylan's, to the extent that any average person, hearing only a sample of one of these tracks, would think it was Dylan. This is, in a sense, the kind of record one might expect if Dylan hadn't given up topical songwriting back in the '60s, or if he were suddenly to find inspiration in outrage at American foreign policy in the early 21st century. Hancock accentuates the similarity by setting his wordy, simply structured songs to folk and folk-rock arrangements that often recall mid-'60s Dylan when they don't hark all the way back to Guthrie. On an album first issued weeks before the 2006 Congressional midterm election (though not nationally released until afterward), he reserves his greatest hope for a ballot-box solution, concluding the disc with "That Great Election Day," although recent history also makes him wary here as well. "Don't let 'em count the votes with some man-made machine," he warns. "The only way to count 'em right is to count 'em all by hand." With that, he hopes, "a man or woman who has a plan for peace" will emerge the victor, perhaps looking ahead to 2008. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'You Coulda Walked Around the World'
Release Date 1/1/2000
Tracks 13
Label Rainlight
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What The Critics Say
Equal parts philosopher and joker, Butch Hancock qualifies as a modern-day renaissance man. Sure, he's a fine musician when the mood strikes him, but he's also an accomplished photographer and architect. On 1997's You Coulda Walked Around the World, Hancock returns to a "one man with a guitar and harmonica" mode that harks back to his 1978 debut, West Texas Waltzes. While these stripped-down efforts have been referred to as "lo-fi," it's pretty obvious that Rainlight is using better recording equipment than it did 19 years ago. A few of the rougher edges have also been polished out of Hancock's idiosyncratic style on You Coulda Walked Around the World. This doesn't mean that his basic stylistic blueprint -- rustic vocals and unusual wordplay -- aren't evident on songs like "Roll Around" and "Long Sunsets." This mellow set, however, lacks the bite of albums like 1995's Eats Away the Night. One is left with the feeling that pieces like "Black Irish Rose" and "All Curled Up" would blossom with a fuller arrangements and a producer like Gurf Morlix at the helm. The lyrics on songs like "Chase" and "Hidin' in the Hills" are also a bit tired and would benefit greatly from a small dose of Hancock's trademark humor. Despite these flaws, fans will want to pick up a copy of You Coulda Walked Around the World for lovely gems like "One Good Time." Even at half-throttle, Hancock is more interesting than most of his songwriting peers. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
'Eats Away the Night'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 11
Label Sugar Hill
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What The Critics Say
After about 20 years, Butch Hancock has released his first produced studio album for a national label not compiled from his previously released Rainlight Records LPs. In many ways, Hancock set his style down with his very first self-produced album, West Texas Waltz. All the elements from that period remain -- the Dylanesque vocal sound, his love of wordplay, and a deep feeling for the stories that make up an individual's life. The warm sound of this album makes it easier for newcomers to get past his dry voice, and the inclusion of his hit "If You Were a Bluebird" will help a new audience locate him properly in the contemporary Texas songwriting scene. The band is tight and steps back enough to let Hancock's stories and personality shine through. ~ Richard Meyer, All Music Guide
'Own the Way Over Here'
Release Date 10/8/1993
Tracks 11
Label Sugar Hill
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What The Critics Say
Are all the presidents really named after the streets in Amarillo? The answer is yes, but only in the strange lyrical world of Butch Hancock's songs. While often compared, vocally and lyrically, to Bob Dylan, the comparison fails to do justice to Hancock's idiosyncratic approach. Own the Way Over Here collects songs from earlier albums like Yella Rose With Marce Lacoutre and Diamond Hill, released on his own Rainlight Records. "Talkin' About That Panama Canal" sounds a bit dated, as do most protest songs, but it remains entertaining if for no other reason than Hancock's inability to remember all the presidents' names. The epic, ten-minute "Only Born" contains enough wordplay for six songs, and while one might guess that cute phrases would grow tired after seven or eight versus, Hancock's smart enough to avoid clichés. Two of the strongest cuts, "Smokin' in the Rain" and "Gift Horse of Mercy," come from his sophomore effort, The Wind's Dominion. Own the Way Over Here works as a good thumbnail sketch of Hancock: One may have an inkling of his talents after listening to the album, but less than an in-depth portrait. If the album leads listeners to seek the original Rainlight albums, however, it has done its job. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
'Two Roads: Live in Australia'
Release Date 1/1/1990
Tracks 15
Label Virgin
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What The Critics Say
Recorded during a series of three nights in Sydney and Melbourne, Two Roads: Live in Australia is Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore in a pared down setting -- two voices, two acoustic guitars, and a batch of terrific songs. The pair -- who first recorded together in the early '70s with fellow Lubbock native, Joe Ely as the Flatlanders -- opens appropriately enough with the A.P. Carter standard, "Hello Stranger," before proceeding through various selections from Hancock's extensive catalog, as well as Gilmore's "greatest hits" ("Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown" and "Dallas"), a Jimmy Rogers classic, and one tune each by Lucinda Williams and Aussie native, Paul Kelly, who guests on both. It's a given that the material is strong throughout, with it's combination of traditional and progressive Texas country, and Dylanesque folk, but there's also a warmth, intimacy and energy to these performances, whether it's Gilmore and Hancock effortlessly trading verses or simply supporting one another. And while this may be their first official full-length recording together in 18 years, the fact that there is such a deep history between the two, and that they've often turned up on-stage together, as well as on each other's recordings in one way or another over the years, makes this a natural, sometimes ragged but always right effort. Fans of both artists should thoroughly enjoy Two Roads, but those coming to either Gilmore or Hancock's work for the first time would be better served by checking out records such as Own & Own and Eats Away the Night (Hancock), the Flatlanders' More a Legend Than a Band, and After Awhile and Spinning Around the Sun (Gilmore) first. But once acquainted with a few of these, treat yourself to this simple yet charming live collection by a couple of Texas' finest. ~ Brett Hartenbach, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This album has a rather big band with occasional horns, congas, accordian, and Marce Lacouture songs on the title cut. A good one. ~ Richard Meyer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Butch Hancock's discography is somewhat difficult to piece together. Many of his albums originally appeared on the small Rainlight label, and while a number of these albums have been reissued on CD, some have not. Firewater is Hancock's fourth album, a thrown-together live set recorded at the Alamo Lounge in Austin in 1980 (and released the following year). Although recorded live, only "The Wind's Dominion" had shown up on his earlier solo albums. "If You Were a Bluebird" would become a Hancock standard, but the standout tune here is the title track. The unpolished band chugs along on all cylinders for "Firewater" while Hancock sings, "You got drunk last nite/You swear you saw the devil/Don't you know firewater seeks its own level?" There's a good version of A.P. Carter's "No Hidin' Place," and Jimmie Dale Gilmore sings a verse or two on "I Keep Wishing for You" and "If You Were a Bluebird." There are other good songs on Firewater -- "Like the Light at Dawn" and "One More Road" -- and they're filled with Hancock's usual clever wordplay and off-the-cuff delivery. The problem, however, is that it all sounds like it was recorded in a barn and just for the fun of it. For those accustomed to Hancock's loose performing style, though, the album will be worth picking up if for no other reason than the title track. ~ Ronnie Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
'West Texas Waltzes & Dust-Blown Tractor Tunes'
Release Date 1/1/1978
Tracks 11
Label Rainlight
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What The Critics Say
While Sugar Hill released two fine collections of Butch Hancock's recordings in 1989 and 1993, they only scratched the surface of a rich mother lode of Americana music. Recorded in 1978, West Texas Waltzes represents the debut of a talented wordsmith whose folk tunes seem to sprout naturally from Western farmland. Stripped-down arrangements, featuring no more than an acoustic guitar and harmonica, underline the bare land and harsh winds of these songs. On "Dry Land Farm," Hancock evokes Woody Guthrie and early Dylan as he plumbs the depths of the history of the American farmer. "Where the West Winds...Have Blow'd" follows, developing the twin themes of a person's relationship to the land and responsibility to it. The West Texas land is hard and unforgiving as "Dirt Road Song" notes, but the rewards, as in "They Say It's a Good Land," balance out the equation. Hancock also doesn't mind subtly passing on a bit of Guthrie-esque politics in "I Grew to Be a Stranger," or writing a love song to his native state, "Texas Air." While these songs sound "serious," Hancock's rough-hewn vocals and clever, down to earth lyrics deliver pieces like "West Texas Waltz" with a joyous gusto. He may have a point to make, but he's going to have fun making it. Indeed, everything works together to create an understated, though powerful, vision of American life, leaving the listener with a taste of dust in his or her mouth. Since Hancock's debut was released on his own Rainlight Records in a musical genre (folk or country-folk) outside the mainstream, it never had the impact of an album like The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. Nonetheless, West Texas Waltzes must have seemed like the freshest of breezes to the handful of people who heard it back in 1978. Even today, none of the album's power is diminished. This is simply Americana music at its finest. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr., All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
After recording the spare masterwork West Texas Waltzes and Dust-Blown Tractor Tunes in 1978 and the eclectic double-LP The Wind's Dominion in 1979, Butch Hancock opted for a full-band outing on Diamond Hill in 1980. Several of these songs -- "Diamond Hill," "Neon Wind," "Ghost of Give and Take Avenue," and "Corona del Mar" -- were issued on Sugar Hill collections in the '80 and '90s, but the album (available on CD in 1998) is well worth hearing in its entirety. It is much more uniform than The Wind's Dominion, and the instrumental muscle adds a new dimension to Hancock's word-heavy songs. One might describe the mixture of pedal steel, acoustic guitar, piano, and occasional saxophone as country-folk. Even with a band, however, Hancock, with his croaky vocals and rich wordplay, is always front and center. The Tex-Mex-flavored "Corona del Mar" begins with the lovely lines, "Golden sunlight...please save us from our dreams/They're not all that bad...but they're sure not what they seem." To anyone familiar with Hancock, no one else could've written the line; to everyone else, the curious phrasing is immediately distinctive. Hancock has too often been compared to Bob Dylan, but the association makes sense if one states that Hancock, as original and idiosyncratic as any singer/songwriter, is one of the rare musical visionaries worth mentioning in the same sentence with Dylan. Diamond Hill is a satisfying effort from one of the best songwriters to ever come out of Texas. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr., All Music Guide
'The Wind's Dominion'
Release Date 1/1/1976
Tracks 15
Label Rainlight
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What The Critics Say
Somewhere within The Wind's Dominion, a masterpiece is waiting to get out. At least eight lovely songs, including "Fightin' for My Life," "Row of Dominoes," and "Personal Rendition of the Blues," clock in around 35 minutes, or about the same length as Neil Young's Harvest. But Butch Hancock sinks his sophomore effort by loading it down with 30 more minutes of weak tunes and a mixed bag of arrangements. Cuts like "Once Followed By the Wind" and "Long Road to Asia Minor" would have sounded fine as outtakes on a box set, while other oddities like the a cappella "Sea's Deadog Catch" should have been left in the vault. All pale beside the real stuff, and since the good tunes weren't front-loaded, it gives the impression that no one involved could separate the chaff from the wheat. Several of these tunes, like the title cut, "Gift Horse of Mercy," and "Smokin' in the Rain," would show up later on a couple of Sugar Hill collections, and they're as good as anything on his debut, West Texas Waltzes and Dust-Blown Tractor Tunes. Besides differences in production, The Wind's Dominion also lacks the social-political dimension of his first album. Hancock's left-field point of view, sense of wordplay, and rough and ready vocals, however, remain intact. Despite lapses and misfires, The Wind's Dominion qualifies as a valuable album that captures the genius and growing pains of a vital artist. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr., All Music Guide
