Big as Life

Big as Life
Studio album by
Hamell on Trial
Released1994
GenreAnti-folk
LabelDoolittle
Mercury
ProducerJeff Cole
Hamell on Trial chronology
Conviction
(1989) 		Big as Life
(1994) 		The Chord Is Mightier Than the Sword
(1997)

Big as Life is an album by the American musician Hamell on Trial, released in 1994.[1][2] It was put out by Doolittle Records, and picked up by Mercury the following year.[3][4] "Sugarfree" was released as a single.[5] Hamell on Trial promoted the album by touring with Syd Straw.[6]

Production

[edit]

Produced by Jeff Cole, Big as Life was recorded in Austin, Texas, in a warehouse room above the Electric Lounge club.[7][8][9] Alejandro Escovedo helped Hamell with the demos.[10] Hamell played a 1937 Gibson on the album.[11] The instrumentation consists of guitar, sometimes accompanied by violin or bass.[12] "Blood of the Wolf" is about a childhood friend who attempted to rob a Kentucky Fried Chicken with a fork.[13] A cover of "Folsom Prison Blues" appears as an unlisted track.[14]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[15]
Robert Christgau(1-star Honorable Mention)[16]
Deseret News[14]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[10]

The Tulsa World wrote that Hamell's voice "is militaristic, clipped, strident; his guitar—a 1937 small-body Gibson—is wired, alive, wincing to hold up to Hamell's infernal strumming."[17] Robert Christgau praised "Z-Roxx" and the title track.[16] The Dallas Observer stated that Hamell "destroys the perception of the self-serious acoustic folkie who believes wisdom lies in glib aphorism and weepy revelation."[18]

Entertainment Weekly determined that "what sounds thrilling on stage comes off as rushed and overbaked on record."[19] The Indianapolis Star commended the "intriguing if creepy stories."[20] The Record concluded that "Hamell combines explosive punk-edged fury and a scathing acoustic guitar style ... with poetic lyrics that are sometimes humorous, sometimes upsetting, sometimes poignant but always edged with a razor-sharp honesty."[21]

AllMusic wrote that Hamell "combined the best elements of the one-man-band storytelling tradition with an aggressive, hyper-rhythmic acoustic guitar attack that absolutely demanded attention."[15] In 1997, The Austin Chronicle deemed the album "six cups of coffee and two hits of crystal meth—frenzied."[22]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."Sugarfree" 
2."Harmony" 
3."Blood of the Wolf" 
4."Brother Franklin" 
5."Big as Life" 
6."Pep Rally" 
7."Z-Roxx" 
8."Dead Man's Float" 
9."Piccolo Joe" 
10."In the Neighborhood" 
11."Open Up the Gates" 
12."Get in the Game" 

References

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  1. ^ "Hamell on Trial Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  2. ^ McLeese, Don (16 May 1995). "This week marks the end of the Austin run for Hamell on Trial...". Austin American-Statesman. p. E5.
  3. ^ "Dancing About Architecture". The Austin Chronicle.
  4. ^ Riemenschneider, Chris (30 Nov 1995). "Hamell on Parade". Austin American-Statesman. p. 16.
  5. ^ Bessman, Jim (Feb 3, 1996). "Mercury's Hamell on Trial: Energetic shows are half the picture". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 5. p. 19.
  6. ^ Tyer, Brad (July 4, 1996). "Hamell on Trial". Music. Houston Press.
  7. ^ Verna, Paul (Mar 23, 1996). "Big as Life". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 12. p. 75.
  8. ^ DeLuca, Dan (23 Feb 1996). "The Energetic Intensity of Hamell on Trial". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 17.
  9. ^ Bialczak, Mark (March 13, 1996). "Not Guilty! Hamell on Trial Enjoys the Freedom That a New Album and Notorious Act Bring". Syracuse Herald-Journal. p. C1.
  10. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. pp. 520–521.
  11. ^ Doane, Randal (September 4, 2019). "Images of America in Rock and Roll: Stories from a Cold Case at the Cleveland Museum of Art". Harper's.
  12. ^ Cote, Michael (May 14, 1996). "Rockers". Scripps Howard News Service.
  13. ^ Okamoto, David (January 6, 1995). "Expect fierce, personal music". Guide. The Dallas Morning News. p. 35.
  14. ^ a b Iwasaki, Scott (March 15, 1996). "Hamel on Trial: 'Big as Life'". Deseret News. p. W12.
  15. ^ a b "Big as Life". AllMusic.
  16. ^ a b "Hamell on Trial". Robert Christgau.
  17. ^ "Hamell on Trial - Big as Life". Tulsa World.
  18. ^ Wilonsky, Robert (January 5, 1995). "Roadshows". Music. Dallas Observer.
  19. ^ "Big as Life". Entertainment Weekly.
  20. ^ Allan, Marc (19 Mar 1996). "Hamell on Trial, Big as Life". The Indianapolis Star. p. D1.
  21. ^ Johnson, Steven C. (16 June 1996). "Hamell on Trial Big as Life". Books & Music. The Record. p. 15.
  22. ^ "Record Reviews". The Austin Chronicle.
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