hellfudge's Full Review: Hitchhike to Rhome by Old 97's
Hitchhike To Rhome was the first release from Texas' Old 97's, establishing them as one of "alt. country's" best acts.
Now, before the word "country" scares you off, clear your head of Brooks & Dunn and Toby Keith. Think instead of Hank Williams - not the football guy - his daddy. Think of Johnny Cash. Now add a pop-smart rock band and a clever poet to the mix and you have the Old 97's.
Nowhere is the country side of this band more prominent than on Hitchhike To Rhome. Later years would see the band branching out into various directions from punk rock to radio-friendly pop (that for some reason hasn't been met with equal friendliness by radio). But here, it's all about their roots, and this is the perfect record to make anyone who hates country music think twice.
The album kicks off with "St. Ignatius", a song that is a bit of an oddity here in that it's more pop than country. Right away, however, Rhett Miller's talent for songwriting is apparent as he mixes words and phrases with a skill that is rarely matched in music today. Couple this with the band's knack for writing and playing catchy tunes that can't help but be sung along with, and you have a perfect formula for a great career. "St. Ignatius" doesn't begin to describe what would come both on the rest of Hitchhike and on later records.
The country side dominates most of the album, sharing its place with gritty punk rock on "504" and "If My Heart Was A Car", not to mention their excellent cover of Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried", fronted by bassist Murray Hammond. More than any other, these three songs probably best describe the 97's' early sound and are some of the best pieces of proof that punk and country can be mixed and sound good.
On the other hand, "Doreen", "Stoned", and the hidden track, "Tupelo County Jail", are closer to the country side and display a remarkable ability to go from simplistic punk rock to seamless country. The latter is so perfectly country that one could picture this band playing the Grand Ole Opry. "Doreen" appears again on Wreck Your Life as a souped-up version of this one, but there is a charm here that justifies having two versions, and Philip Peeples' drumming is tasteful and incredible. "Stoned" is a slacker's dream song, and is most likely the first time in the history of recorded music that anyone has used ebonics in a country song. I think you're dope and I hope I'm making myself clear / I think you're fly and that's why I'm gettin' out of here (remember, it was the early 90's). Even without the humor of such an absurdity, this song is easily among the band's best.
(Arguably) The best two moments on Hitchhike To Rhome are "Drowning In The Days", which in a way sets the precedent for lyrical masterpieces to come like "Indefinitely" and "Rollerskate Skinny", and "Wish The Worst", which takes an all-too common theme (she's cheatin' on poor little ol' me) and not only makes it funny, but tells it better than those who spend their entire careers trying to say the same exact thing. Thematically, this is Alanis Morisette's "You Oughtta Know" for males. Not because it's a particularly male song - the narrator could just as easily be female - but just because it's sung here by a male. The only two differences are that this "revenge song" doesn't suck and Miller can sing.
There are no bad points on this record. At all. My only complaint is that "Four Leaf Clover" pales in comparisson to the version released a few years later on Too Far To Care, but even so, this version isn't bad. It's just weaker. Had Too Far To Care never been recorded, I wouldn't even have that complaint.
The best part of the Old 97's, and indeed the whole "alternative country" scene, is the innovation. The idea of mixing country and rock is nothing new - it's been done as far back as Elvis Presley. But the Old 97's were and are able to flawlessly mix country with not only rock, but often punk rock, and just as often, pop. Not even Uncle Tupelo could mix these styles so seamlessly as to make one so unsure which type of music he or she is actually listening to at a given moment. And the best part is that when you hear the Old 97's, you don't even care. The only label that matters is "good music".
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