Eleven Hundred
Springs
Bandwagon
OK, so it’s been almost
one year to the day since Eleven Hundred Springs
released “Bandwagon” on
Palo Duro Records - their biggest label release to
date. That seems like as good a time as any for a
review that’s glaringly missing from these pages.
While Eleven Hundred
Springs' records have never really conveyed the sheer
twangy exuberance of their live shows, “Bandwagon”
successfully straddles the line between the hard
electric country sound of the band on stage and the
mellower acoustic sound they tend to employ in the
studio.
Their 2002 release, “A
Straighter Line,” has become something of a local
classic and offered a glimpse of their songwriting
talent - but the acoustic, laid-back sound never really
displayed the bands full potential. The same can
be said for their follow up EP, “Broken Dreams,” which
featured Dallas music icon Kim Pendleton (Princess Tex,
Vibrolux) as a guest vocalist- it fell nicely on
the ears, especially the excellent cover of John
Prine’s “Illegal Smile” but full scale outlaw
honky-tonk it wasn’t.
On Bandwagon, they’ve
taken four songs from “Straighter Line” and polished
them up a bit, cleaning up the production and amping up
Matt Hillyer’s vocals a couple notches. Mixed in
with some new originals, a reworking of "If I Was A
Candle" from "No Stranger To The Blues" and a couple of fine covers,
the result is a cleaner sound, driven primarily by
Aaron Wynn’s pedal steel, Chris Claridy’s acoustic
guitar work, Matt Hillyer’s highly listenable,
expressive voice, and backed up with Steve Berg’s bass
with former Toadies drummer Mark Reznicek on
percussion.
Founding members Hillyer
and Berg started Eleven Hundred Springs from the
semi-legendary local rockabilly act Lone Star Trio.
I can still remember seeing a skinny, high school-age
Matt Hillyer with that big Gibson hollow body,
resuscitating old chestnuts like Hank Williams’
“Kaw-liga” by putting them to a very authentic
rockabilly beat.
That same genuine love of old school roots music
permeates “Bandwagon,” but make no mistake, Eleven
Hundred Springs are no mere novelty nostalgia act.
Sure, they’re derivative
- the way all alt country music is, practically by
definition, but they’re good derivative. In fact,
their real strength lies in their ability to make
timeless music that sounds fresh and vital and stamp it
with a signature sound that’s original at the same
time.
Highlights on "Bandwagon" include the opening track
“North Side Blues”- with its Doug Sahm-flavored Tex-Mex
arrangement, the reworked versions of “A Straighter
Line,” “Thunderbird Will Do Just Fine,” “See You In The
Next Life,” “Longhaired, Tattooed Hippie Freaks,” and
the new, Aaron Wynn-penned “Hank Williams Wouldn’t Make
It Now In Nashville, Tennessee.”
That last title is also
a recurring theme on the disc; they state their case
both stylistically and lyrically as they toss off shout
outs to the likes of Johnny Paycheck, Gram Parsons, Sir
Douglas, and Hank, artists that have clearly left an
imprint on the bands sound.
While all of those songs
are great - as is most of the rest of "Bandwagon," the
true high point is a cover of Mickey Newberry’s
“Why
You Been Gone So Long” featuring the voice of the late,
great Ronnie Dawson in a duet. Hillyer and Berg’s
affiliation with Dawson goes back to their Lone Star
Trio days and the story goes that the vocals were
recorded in 1993 by Berg, at a warm up session for a
gig, on a whim. Putting these two
classic voices together was a brilliant idea and with
the great bass line that drives it, it not only makes
for one of the catchiest country songs in a long time,
it’s as fitting a tribute to the Blonde Bomber as I can
imagine.
"Bandwagon" closes with
another previously recorded song, the traditional
folk-bluegrass standard “Rock Island Line” which also
appeared on their now out-of-print “Live At Adairs.”
It’s been one of their live show staples and they give
it a lot of polishing here. Starting slowly, with
a gentle acoustic guitar, then building in tempo with a
terrific vocal by Hillyer, it’s a great closer, but
again, it’s not the rousing stomper they play live.
Eleven Hundred Springs
is still best experienced on stage. They’ve
played constantly since their inception and through
lineup changes and they’ve honed a great stage presence
that never fails to please the crowd, whether they’re
playing a rock club, honky-tonk, or outdoor festival.
One thing they seem to
always remember is that great music, whether it's rock,
country, or blues, is primarily about having a great
time. "Bandwagon" is infused with that good time
spirit while still showcasing the bands ability to
write meaningful songs that will, no doubt, earn a
place in the canon of Texas music.
And if you’re a new
convert to the band, it’s the next best thing to the
show.
-jitter
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last updated 07/26/05
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