Customer Reviews

Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A remarkable lyricist, Dan Hicks has managed to combine ornate jazz licks with the smooth sound of accoustic instrumentation. His use of the girl vocalists is particularly subtle... Jazz people can close their eyes and imagine them in place of trumpets in a typical "Big Band". Smoothe and flowing are the best words to describe Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks...

This 1969 recording has been released on CD several times, but always utilizing the 40-year-old LP-EQ'd masters, which just sounded terrible. The prospect of it actually being remastered, being more of a cult favorite than Top 40 material, were slim.

However, magically, this has occurred. A 2007 Japan mini-sleeve DSD-processed remaster has been made available by Sony. It sounds SO much better than this CD or any previous release.

You have to give Sony kudos for doing this, and for the mastering attention they have given to the rest of their catalog. If this recording had been on Polygram, MCA or especially Warner, it never would have received this type of care.

The only major artist on Sony that I can think of who hasn't had catalog-wide remastering is Springsteen, and you have to imagine that lapse isn't Sony's choice. Just think of all the major albums on Warner alone that they've never bothered themselves to master properly... Oy.

Meanwhile, I'm sitting here listening to an enhanced "I Scare Myself" and marveling at the additional detail Sony has wrung from the master. It's a wonderful thing.

If you love this album, the DSD is the version to purchase. And the `sleeve itself brings back a lot of vinyl memories.

WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?

Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.

Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.

Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.

Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.

All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs.

Is that one of the best song titles ever? For years I thought of this album as being flatter sounding, less alive and full than the 'Where's the Money'lp that has several of these songs on it done live. Upon revisiting it about 20 years ago I realised this is another classic album. Sure, the production could have made the sound a bit more lively. But the songs, particularly 'How Can I Miss You...' and 'I Scare Myself' are so strong, even the less than jumpin' overall sound they attain on the live lp, that this album, their first, is still very much worth getting. Where else can you find this pure musical sound of violin/smarty pants lyrics/harmony/strong song writing/bluegrass/swing/hint 'o jazz/hint 'o rock combo? Nowhere. chrisbct@hotmail.com

disregard my first review (above). I am completely mistaken, these are the originals, my ears are getting old and forgetful. Lo Siento Mucho.

Aside from the memories attached to the first time I heard Dan & Licks, I likened this album to the music of the thirties - it has that Hollywood, Depression, Dust Bowl, snazzy-hill-billy, quality to the tracks that is positively eerie. Truly one of a kind sound.

This is my favorite Dan Hicks CD from 1969. It's a clever scaled down version of the album and is my prized possession! Like Jerry Garcia "I'm Old & In the Way", but the road goes on forever and the party never ends!

I only wish I'd discovered Dan Hicks a long time ago. Thanks to "Austin City Limits", where I happened to see the group, I now have most all of His albums. This one is a favorite of mine.I have enjoyed his transition to the later albums as well.He ranks at the top of my favorite artists.

This CD sounds as if it's made up of out-takes or re-recordings of the Original Recordings on the LP version, which I've had for years, and is a dandy. I cannot recommend this at all.

there's more to the music than meets the ear