ARTIST: John Hammond
TITLE: Push Comes to Shove
LABEL: Back Porch/EMI Records
GENRE: Blues
BITRATE: 212kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 45m total
RELEASE DATE: 2007-01-23
RIP DATE: 2007-01-11
Track List
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1. Push Comes To Shove 3:52
2. Come On In This House 3:59
3. Mean Ol' Lonesome Train 3:30
4. If You Wanna Rock & Roll 4:09
5. Tore Down 4:10
6. Eyes Behind Your Head 3:03
7. Butter 3:42
8. Heartache Blues 3:49
9. Everything's Gonna Be Alright 3:06
10. Take A Fool's Advice 3:18
11. You Know That's Cold 3:52
12. Cold Water 4:48
Release Notes:
If the combination of veteran bluesman John Hammond with contemporary Philly
hip-hop/soulman G Love (a.k.a. Garrett Dutton) sends shivers of fear down the
spines of blues purists, the duo's collaboration here shows there is nothing to
be worried about. Despite differences in age, backgrounds, and styles, they have
shared bills and obviously respect each other's talents. Hammond, who has
recently dipped his toes into songwriting waters after being solely an
interpretive artist for nearly 40 years, jumps into the river with a whopping
five originals. Love contributes a few as well, and the result is an album that
rocks harder and with more intensity than most artists half Hammond's age can
muster. Add covers from Little Walter, Junior Wells, and Tom Waits (Hammond's
2001 release Wicked Grin, comprised predominantly of Waits songs, is one of his
biggest sellers), and the result is one of the finest and most diverse discs in
the bluesman's bulging catalog. The stripped-down backing band of journeymen
including bassist Marty Ballou, ex-Waits drummer Steven Hodges, and keyboardist
Bruce Katz provides plenty of sparks with which Hammond--who plays rowdy guitar
and sizzling harp throughout--can catch fire. Love adds his harmony vocals and
rapping to his own "Tore Down," a near-perfect collision of blues and hip-hop
and a song likely to get Hammond crossover acceptance with Dutton's more
youthful jam-oriented audience. The jazzy "Eyes Behind Your Head" and a
rollicking take on Dion's "If You Want to Rock and Roll" further expand
Hammond's reach without either diluting his sound or distancing his core fans.
In his mid-60s upon this album's release, he sounds loose, energized, and ready
for another 40 years. --Hal Horowitz
It's a precious few artists who reinvent themselves at the age of 64, but blues
luminary John Hammond proves himself the ultimate untraditional traditionalist
as the dozen stellar songs on Push Comes to Shove illustrate. Push Comes to
Shove marks an increased output in Hammond's original compositions- he penned
five of the CD's 12 songs- and there's a bold collaboration with the album's
producer, G.Love (the innovative and soulful Philly singer/guitarist and
longtime Hammond fanatic), in the hip-hop-tinged blues of "Tore Down", as well
as a handful of personalized renderings of traditional blues numbers, a musical
modus operandi that has earned Hammond multiple Grammy nominations since his
1962 self-titled debut. Since then, Hammond has made 31 records and tours
year-round, learning from and playing with musical greats and friends including
Tom Waits, Muddy Waters, and Michael Bloomfield. Those unparalleled experiences
and authenticity shine through brightly on Push Comes to Shove.