In case you were trying to decide between the two, buy the Dan Hicks. Christina doesn't have the totally unique, jumping California-swing sound of the Hot Licks, the wry humor of Mr. Hicks lyrics and vocals, or the contributions of such stellar guests as Rickie Lee Jones, Elvis Costello Brian Setzer, Bette Midler or Tom Waits. Of course, Aguilera is probably getting more air play on MTV lately. Or is that Britney?

There can be no confusing Dan Hicks with anyone else. His batch of albums in the early 70's established his highly personal sound and unique lyrical perspective. Each of those albums remains timeless, highly listenable and a lot of fun.

For the last several years, though, about the only places you could hear Dan was on stage in small clubs with his Acoustic Warriors, and on cable in reruns of the movie "Class Action" with Gene Hackman and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (in the party scene at Beach Chalet early in the movie, playing "Up"). Definitely only for the most devoted of fans.

Now those devoted fans (who am I kidding, WE devoted fans) and whole bunches of new audiences have a chance to listen to a new Hot Licks CD. As the song says, "Hey, that's pretty good. Turn it up."

Enjoy

So I got the disc, and it was no disappointment. Hick's deadpan delivery and humor carries it for sure, but the guy has chops too. He played drums on the show, but plays a mean guitar on most of "Beatin' the Heat." The sound borrows heavily from old jazz but feels somehow out of time altogether. Interesting arrangements and instrumentation abound - and so do guests appearances. Tom Waits, Brian Setzer, Elvis Costello and Bette Midler all show up.

But it is Hicks that rules. OK, his voice is a little off-key sometimes, but when you have lines like "you're standing on the corner/ looking like a stupid loner/ waiting for the bus" does it really matter? Plus he does have a unique vocal ability to hold a note forever and to make it sound a little like a horn. It's strange and cool -- just like everything on this disc.

Personal favorites are the plaintive "Driftin'" which is actually rather serious and touching, a goofy cover of Waits' "The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not me)" which is hysterical and the whacked out "Hell I'd Go" which features Martians on back-up vocals.

A final interesting note: the liner notes have a brief story by Dave Kaplan of Surfdog Records, who put out the CD, about how he has been a Dan Hick's fan ever since a certain bizarre performance on a late night talk show. It was Johnny Carson -- 1973. An almost exact experience to mine twenty-seven years later. Like I said, Hicks is timeless.