Wayne Hancock Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
There are plenty of people who attribute a reactionary, narrow-minded attitude towards country music and the folks who play it (and listen to it), but while it's not often acknowledged today, hillbilly music in the 1920s through the '50s was strongly informed by R&B and jazz, and blues, boogie, and swing were all key components of the country & western vocabulary during the music's formative days. Wayne Hancock is a guy who lives for the music of country's rough and tumble days in the '40s and '50s, so none of this is news to him, and while elements of jazz and blues have been a part of all his albums, he brings this side of the music into clearer focus on his sixth studio album, Viper of Melody. Hancock is a master of classic honky tonk, and tunes like "Working at Working," "Driving My Young Life Away" and "Throwin' Away My Money" conjure up the shade of Hank Williams as effectively as anyone alive, but there's just a little less grit in Viper of Melody than in his previous sets, and a greater emphasis on the swinging side of traditional country. The sly and slinky title tune practically defines the nexus between classic jazz and country, "Tropical Blues" and "Freight Train Boogie" are great examples of how blues and its variants made their way into Nashville, and the opening number "Jump the Blues" finds Hancock pledging to "make the hard times swing," a notion as relevant today as it would have been in the '30s. Hancock can effortlessly write tunes in the classic idiom without sounding as if he's drowning in nostalgia for an era he never knew (this is a man who can use the word "hep" and sound like he means it), and his rough but sweet vocal style is the perfect complement for the music. And as usual, Hancock has some gifted accompanists helping to bring this music to life (Izak Zaidman on electric guitar, Anthony Locke on steel guitar and Huckleberry Johnson on doghouse bass), and with producer Lloyd Maines at the controls, they put down Viper of Melody in less than two days, and it sounds as lively and as honest as a vintage 78. Before generic boundaries ruled popular culture, there were two kinds of music -- good and bad. Wayne Hancock offers just a bit of a history lesson on Viper of Melody while showing he can play the good stuff as well as anyone on the bandstand today. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Wayne Hancock is an anachronism. Working on either side of the dawn of the 21st century, Hancock's music is a direct descendant of the classic honky tonk sound of the late 1940s and early '50s. Hank and Lefty provided the template, and no one in the last 35 years or so has put it to better use than Wayne Hancock. No real surprises here: juke joints, loneliness and life on the road form the basis of most songs, and Hancock gives his players plenty of room to play. Lloyd Maines' no-frills production stays out of the way, letting the performances speak for themselves with clarinet and trombone coloring a few tracks (as they have in the past). Producer Maines and guys like guitarists Dave Biller and Paul Skelton have been with Hancock since the beginning, so there's an easygoing vibe to the whole album. These guys know the drill, and it allows Hancock to cut his records the old way: set up live in the studio and get it on tape. Limited or no rehearsal, first or second takes and the whole record is completed in less than three days. You can actually hear Hancock shouting out the solo order on most of the tracks. Tulsa's got a few more slower tunes than others in the catalog, but the band can still rev it up for songs like the title track and "Goin' to Texas When I'm Through." Wayne Hancock isn't a revivalist; he's a throwback. He lives this life and he's been doing it for years. "Shooting Star from Texas" sums it all up perfectly; an autobiographical tune written in that simple, direct, everyday style that Hank Williams was so brilliant at. Wayne Hancock doesn't offer anything new on Tulsa, but that's not the issue. Since there are so few genuine honky tonkers today and Hancock is so good at what he does, it's actually refreshing to hear such a pure American music. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
As anyone who has heard him knows, Wayne Hancock is a honky tonk man, and what a honky tonk man does best is make with some tunes suitable for both dancing and beer drinking at an unpretentious nightspot along the highway. So the idea of a Wayne Hancock live album would seem like a no-brainer, and this set, recorded during a two-night stand at Austin's Continental Club in the spring of 2003, effortlessly captures his firecracker enthusiasm and the sharp picking of his band in full flight in front of an audibly enthusiastic crowd. Of course, all of Hancock's previous records have been produced by Lloyd Maines, who hasn't exactly cluttered up Hancock's sound with a lot of messy overdubs, so the performances on Swing Time don't differ dramatically from the studio versions that appeared on his previous albums. The main difference on Swing Time is that Hancock puts a bit more fire behind his vocals and gives his players a little more room to stretch out, with steel guitarist Eddie Rivers and lead pickers Dave Biller and Paul Skelton making the most of their solo spots throughout. One might have hoped for a bit more fresh material in the set list as well, and a one-hour live album seems just a bit skimpy from a guy who can play a three-hour set without batting an eye, but as it stands, Swing Time is a not-bad "best of Wayne Hancock" sampler, and while it's OK for fans, it's also one of the better places for beginners to start digging into Wayne the Train's hard country sound. Sorry, beverages not included! ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
There are never any big stylistic surprises with Hancock -- the man knows what works for him musically and never veers outside of his circle of comfort. In the case of Wayne "The Train" Hancock, this means that he is still pounding out the same retro country/honky tonk/Western swing vibe that he has toyed with since his excellent 1995 debut, Thunderstorms and Neon Signs. Hancock's fourth album, A-Town Blues, features more anachronistically pleasing old-time music augmented by warbled Southwestern vocals. On his first release for the insurgent country label Bloodshot Records, the wayward troubadour touches on familiar genre subject matter as well. Tales of road weariness ("Route 23"), warnings about booze and breaking the law ("Miller, Jack, and Mad Dog"), and, of course, heartbreak ("Sands of Time") are all recurring themes. Surprisingly, a production hand by longtime collaborator Lloyd Maines (Wilco, Richard Buckner) doesn't really add much to Hancock's naturally sparse sound, though. If anything, it's Maines' appropriately placed steel guitar licks that actually do more for the album. All in all, A-Town Blues is yet another excellent release from a homely, all-American artist. ~ Bret Booth, All Music Guide
'Wild, Free & Reckless'
Release Date 7/27/1999
Tracks 15
Label ARK 21
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Wayne Hancock's third album, Wild, Free and Restless, is another richly eclectic melting pot of vintage American sounds with a distinctly rural orientation. Yet, in spite of the fact that Hancock is an unabashed revivalist, his music never comes off as academic or as mere preservationism; these songs breathe with a lively energy, and the juxtapositions of styles seem natural and unselfconscious. The spirits of Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, and Bob Wills hang the heaviest over Hancock's music, but there's also blues, big-band jazz, and some rockabilly insanity; plus, Hancock covers both Ernest Tubb ("Kansas City Blues") and Carl Perkins ("Blue Suede Shoes") this time out. Another fine effort from a singular stylist. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
'That's What Daddy Wants'
Release Date 8/26/1997
Tracks 13
Label ARK 21
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Wayne Hancock approaches classic country themes with a modern flair for That's What Daddy Wants. Hank Williams couldn't have gotten away with singing about finding his lover with another on "those damp, slick, sticky satin sheets." And Hancock does branch out a bit, utilizing a drummer as well as the occasional horn or accordion. But his most radical departure, a cover of the Clash's cover of Vince Taylor's "Brand New Cadillac," is a surf music screamer that advances his sound to state of the art circa 1963. You can almost picture Jethro and Granny out twistin' by the cement pond. This music is something of an anachronism, and that is perhaps the greatest criticism one could levy against it. Hancock swings and moans with the best, but don't expect his '90s themes to modernize this sound. Retro is perfectly fine when it's done as well as this. ~ Brian Briscoe, All Music Guide
'Thunderstorms and Neon Signs'
Release Date 1/1/1995
Tracks 14
Label Dejadisc
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
There are moments on Wayne Hancock's debut album, 1996's Thunderstorms and Neon Signs, where you could swear that the risen ghost of Hank Williams had somehow found its way into this sawed-off drifter from Texas; but beyond the unavoidable vocal similarity between Hancock and Williams, what the two really have in common is a heartfelt love of the honky tonk tradition and a real gift for making the style sound fresh and vital. While the spare, mostly acoustic arrangements on Thunderstorms and Neon Signs are clearly modeled on classic country sounds of the '40s and '50s (with a dash of Western swing thrown in, mostly audible in the occasional appearance of horns), Hancock never sounds like he's aiming for a "retro" sound; this is just what he does, he couldn't sound different if he tried, and there's just enough texture in his rough edges and fiery enthusiasm to convince anyone this isn't a pose, but the real thing. Even better, Hancock can write in the classic style with a breezy confidence and a keen eye for the details. If "Juke Joint Jumping" and "She's My Baby" aren't exactly startlingly original, they show Hancock can find fresh inspiration in traditional country frameworks; while the roadside poetry of the title cut really is something special; and "Double A Daddy" may be one of the only great honky tonk tunes about staying on the wagon. Producer Lloyd Maines and a handful of superb pickers give these songs just the right support, but it's Hancock who's the star of this show, and Thunderstorms and Neon Signs shows he's got the guts, sass, and talent to bring honky tonk music back to America's dancehalls, where it belongs. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
