Original Recordings was
Dan Hicks' initial solo effort as well as the debut of his "
Hot Licks." Unlike the overamplified electric jug band music that
the Charlatans had been creating during
Hicks' stint as their drummer and occasional vocalist, this new band performed a refreshing blend of jazz swing with country & western. Their understated performance style stood in stark contrast to the burgeoning heavy metal and acid rock that were en vogue as the '60s became the '70s. Featured on this album is a seminal version of the "
Hot Licks" that were only together briefly. Included are
John Weber (guitar) and
Terry Wilson (drums) as well as vocalists
Tina Viola Gancher and
Sherry Snow. Both
Sid Page (violin/vocals) and
Jaime Leopold (acoustic bass) would remain with
Hicks (guitar/vocals/spoken word) as core members of the band. Of the 11 original compositions on this disc, "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away" followed
Hicks from
the Charlatans, while "Canned Music," "I Scare Myself," and "Shorty Falls in Love" would be slightly reworked for their inclusion on the upcoming long-players
Where's the Money? and
Striking It Rich, respectively. Perhaps because of
Hicks' background as a drummer, his sense of timing is a key element to his deceptively complex melodies. Likewise, this has a great deal to do with the success of the call-and-response vocals between
Hicks and the female background vocalists he would dub "the Lickettes." Within these pastoral melodies and slightly askew lyrics is the somewhat out-of-sync and acid-tinged "It's Bad Grammar, Baby." In retrospect, the prominently distorted acoustic guitar lead overwhelms the track -- which would have otherwise fit nicely within the context of the remainder of the album. This might have had something to do with it being conspicuously left off the 2001 Sony/Legacy reissue
Canned Music: The Most of Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks. Those who can locate a copy of these
Original Recordings are urged to do so. For
Hicks-ophiles or
Dan-ophites, it is a vital entry into his canon.