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Avg: 3.5 (24 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 1980
- Genre: Rock/Pop
- Style: Classic Rock, Oldies
- Label: Fantasy / Takoma
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We Say...
Hell of a Spell documents the unique mix of San Antonio rhythm & blues, country and rock & roll elements that the late Texas music legend Doug Sahm synthesized better than anyone this side of Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. But Sahm's musical eclecticism was only part of the package — he was the embodiment of an era, a walking encyclopedia of '60s and '70s American culture, a redneck Texas hippie who was a close friend of both Bob Dylan and Freddy Fender. Sahm hadn't recorded in several years when he made this recording with Grateful Dead engineer Dan Healey producing in 1980. With Sahm singing and playing guitar backed by stalwarts John Reed on guitar, Jack Barber on bass and a horn section featuring Rocky Morales on tenor saxophone and Charles McBurney on trumpet, the session produced the rocking originals "Tunnel Vision" and "Hangin' On By a Thread," the beautiful R&B ballad "All the Way to Nothing" and Sahm's only attempt at reggae, "Hell of a Spell." The record is dedicated to Guitar Slim and includes a cover of his trademark song, "The Things I Used to Do" as well as covers of the blues standards "Nothin' But the Blues" and "Next Time You See Me."
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They Say...
This 1980 reissue is a hell of a disc. From the opening riffs this disc is crammed with Sahm's typical rompin' and stompin' Texas blues/rhythm & blues mix. This also includes liberal dashes of the Tex-Mex and rockabilly he grew up cutting his teeth on. Rudy "Tutti" Grayzell used to go to his school when Sahm was 11, as legend goes, and pose as his uncle and pull the musical prodigy out of school to play some of the gigs that required some travel. This compilation is dedicated to one of his heroes, Eddie Jones, better known as Guitar Slim. He does one of his tunes on the disc, but it is the horns and overall sound and feel of the disc that bring back the memories of Jones. Six of the 11 tunes were penned by Doug Sahm and they stand up as some of the best things he has done. He manages to take that voice of his and put all the ache and pain that things gone sour can evoke and guide you along with him down this road without ever getting sappy or maudlin. Listen to the tone and feel of "Hangin' on by a Thread" and the smooth shift to the Brook Benton heartbreak tune "I'll Take Care of You." He shifts gears with the precision of a Grand Prix driver. This disc shows off some of the remarkable range of Sahm's abilities and genius. This becomes clearer when you think of his work with Dylan, the Texas Tornados, and the early rock hits, such as "Mendicino" and "She's About a Mover." Also, this disc is the only one that comes to mind on which his longtime compadre, Augie Meyers, isn't helping with his familiar organ sound; instead, Kelly Dunn is handling keyboards. Sahm is Texas-bred, but his influences are as broad as the sky is big down there. Here he is concentrating on the blues, and he gets some exciting things down on the disc.
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| 01. |  |
Tunnel Vision |
2:32 |
|
| 02. | |
Ain't Into Lettin' You Go |
3:48 |
|
| 03. | |
All The Way To Nothing |
3:16 |
|
| 04. | |
Hangin' On By A Thread |
2:37 |
|
| 05. | |
I'll Take Care Of You |
4:21 |
|
| 06. | |
The Things That I Used To Do |
5:21 |
|
| 07. | |
I Don't Mind At All |
2:01 |
|
| 08. | |
Nothin' But The Blues |
2:18 |
|
| 09. | |
Hell Of A Spell |
3:33 |
|
| 10. | |
Can't Fake It |
4:14 |
|
| 11. | |
Next Time You See Me |
3:22 |
|
11 Total Tracks, 37:23 Total Length
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Credits
- Doug Sahm - Guitar // Doug Sahm - Violin // Doug Sahm - Vocals // Doug Sahm - Main Performer // Jack Barber - Bass // Jack Barber - Vocals // Lewis Bustos - Saxophone // Lewis Bustos - Sax (Baritone) // Lewis Bustos - Sax (Tenor) // Kelly Dunn - Keyboards // Russ Gary - Remixing // Dan Healy - Producer // Dan Healy - Engineer // Dan Healy - Liner Notes // Charles McBurney - Trumpet // Rocky Morales - Saxophone // Fuzzy John Oxendine - Drums // John Reed - Guitar // Paul Stubblebine - Engineer // John Reeds - Guitar // Joe Tarantino - Remastering // Ricky Morales - Saxophone // John Van Hamersveld - Design // John Van Hamersveld - Photography
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