Big as Life
1994 studio album by Hamell on Trial
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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]
| Big as Life | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1994 | |||
| Genre | Anti-folk | |||
| Label | Doolittle Mercury | |||
| Producer | Jeff Cole | |||
| Hamell on Trial chronology | ||||
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Production
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
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [15] |
| Robert Christgau |  [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
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 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" |