Last Train to Hicksville (CD - 1973)

Personnel: Dan Hicks (vocals, guitar); Naomi Eisenberg (vocals, violin); Maryann Price (vocals); John Girton (guitar, dobro); Sid Page (mandolin, violin); Jaime Leopold (upright bass); Bob Scott (drums).

Sometimes more of the best thing can become too much. If the train hasn't completely left the station, it certainly sounds as if Hicks and his band could have used a vacation before recording this album, or at least a return ticket to more familiar musical environs. Ambling spontaneity has been replaced by the rushed, nervous propulsion of "Lonely Madman" and the sour twang of "Payday Blues." Drums and steel guitar were never what this band needed, as evidenced by the simple, nostalgic cymbal shuffle of "My Old Timey Baby." Spiffed up to look a little too respectable, Hicks and company sound every bit as uncomfortable as a California hippie trapped in a Nebraska country & western bar. ~ Brian Beatty

Hicks last album on Blue Thumb Records includes "Cowboy's Dream No. 19" and "Long Come a Viper." ~ Brian Beatty

In the early '70s Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks toured extensively. However, they didn't last long, releasing their fourth and last album in 1973. It's of a piece with its predecessors (WHERE'S THE MONEY, STRIKING IT RICH and ORIGINAL RECORDINGS), all of which offer a spirited romp through old and forgotten musics.

The band's mix of Tin Pan Alley, vaudeville, cabaret, Western swing, jazz, and loopy pop was the perfect counterpoint to the era's psychedelic over-indulgences. They sported a pair of violins riffing around a core rhythm section. Hicks's deadpan vocals were supported by two female singers, who, more integral than mere backup singers, stepped regularly into the spotlight. Several of Hicks' songs that debuted here were subsequently to remain a part of his repertoire for decades to follow. The Hot Licks were a well-balanced and sympathetic ensemble who celebrated the style and grace of eras gone by. minimize