Hanky Panky (The The album)
Hanky Panky | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 14 February 1995 | |||
Recorded | The War Room, Pittsburgh | |||
Label | 550 Music/Epic[1] | |||
Producer | Matt Johnson, Bruce Lampcov | |||
The The chronology | ||||
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Hanky Panky is the fifth studio album by English band The The, released on 14 February 1995.[2][3] It consists of cover versions of country singer Hank Williams' songs.[4][5] It reached No. 28 on the UK Albums Chart.[6] Matt Johnson intended Hanky Panky to be the first of many albums he would record covering the work of iconic musicians.[7] Johnson provided the liner notes to Alone and Forsaken, a compilation of Williams demos that was also released in 1995.[8]
Production
[edit]Johnson originally planned to record an EP, and then a standard tribute album, with many musicians interpreting songs, before settling on an album of covers.[9] Eric Schermerhorn played guitar on the album.[10] Some songs contain only voice and harmonium.[11] The band was more interested in retaining the meaning of the songs rather than producing musical copies of them.[12] "Your Cheatin' Heart" was performed in a rockabilly style.[13]
Critical reception
[edit]Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [14] |
Calgary Herald | A[15] |
Chicago Tribune | [16] |
Entertainment Weekly | B+[17] |
The Indianapolis Star | [11] |
Orlando Sentinel | [10] |
USA Today | [18] |
Vancouver Sun | [12] |
Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Johnson internalizes Williams' '50s despair and coughs it up as modernist melancholy."[17] Trouser Press called the album "a tour de force tribute," writing that it "might have sunk to self-conscious gimmickry in less perceptive hands, but Johnson makes it work beautifully."[19] The Chicago Tribune stated that it "drones with the overmiked rasp, sometime monotonous echo, and bluesy guitars that are The The's trademark."[16]
The Independent determined that, "mostly, Hanky Panky demonstrates a misapprehension of Williams's art, the greatness of which lies, in part, in his ability to disguise darkness and loneliness in redemptively light settings."[20] The Guardian noted that "gloomy rock replaces the original relaxed melodies, and Johnson's baritone evokes only one colour from Hank's mixed palette of emotions."[21] The Calgary Herald concluded that "as has happened with the blues and rock in the '60s, it's taken a Brit to unearth the spirit, the soul, the songs of Hank Williams."[15]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks by Hank Williams; arrangements/re-arrangements by Matt Johnson and D. C. Collard
- "Honky Tonkin'"
- "Six More Miles"
- "My Heart Would Know"
- "If You'll Be A Baby To Me"
- "I'm A Long Gone Daddy"
- "Weary Blues From Waitin'"
- "I Saw the Light"
- "Your Cheatin' Heart"
- "I Can't Get You Off of my Mind"
- "There's a Tear in My Beer"
- "I Can't Escape from You"
Personnel
[edit]- Matt Johnson – vocals, guitar, bass
- Eric Schermerhorn – electric & slide guitar
- Gail Ann Dorsey – bass
- Reverend Brian McLeod – drums
- Gentleman Jim Fitting – harmonica
- D.C. Collard – treated melodica, arrangements
References
[edit]- ^ Campbell, Chuck (3 March 1995). "Band resurrects Hank Williams with a twist". Detours. Knoxville News Sentinel. p. 6.
- ^ "The The Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Dafoe, Chris (28 January 1995). "Hank Williams and The The make strange disc mates". The Globe and Mail. p. C11.
- ^ "The The's Matt Johnson". MTV News. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022.
- ^ Morse, Steve (7 October 1994). "MATT DOES HANK". Living. The Boston Globe. p. 66.
- ^ "THE THE | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com.
- ^ Niester, Alan (March 1995). "One of the more bizarre and surprising tribute albums...". Saturday Night. 110 (2): 66.
- ^ "HOW POP MUSIC PAYS HOMAGE TO ITSELF". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 14 April 1995. p. 16E.
- ^ Davidson, Neil (23 February 1995). "Hanky Panky dark tribute to Williams". Ottawa Citizen. p. D9.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Gettelman, Parry (17 March 1995). "THE THE". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 11.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Miley, Scott L. (24 February 1995). "When The The meets Hank, good good stuff happens". The Indianapolis Star. p. D5.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Monk, Katherine (23 March 1995). "THE THE Hanky Panky". Vancouver Sun. p. C8.
- ^ Nash, Alanna (March 1995). "Popular music — Hanky Panky by The The". Stereo Review. 60 (3): 90.
- ^ AllMusic review
- ^ Jump up to: a b Muretich, James (5 March 1995). "RECENT RELEASES". Calgary Herald. p. C2.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Webber, Brad (16 February 1995). "Recordings". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Hanky Panky". EW.com.
- ^ Zimmerman, David (17 March 1995). "COUNTRY". USA Today. p. 10D.
- ^ "The The". Trouser Press. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
- ^ Gill, Andy (10 February 1995). "Tribute albums and tribulations". MUSIC/POP. The Independent. p. 26.
- ^ Spencer, Neil (12 February 1995). "THE THE Hanky Panky". The Observer Review Page. The Guardian. p. 16.