THE HELLECASTERS
''THE RETURN OF THE HELLECASTERS''
1993
55:08
1 Highlander Boogie 02:38
2 Peter Gunn 03:39
3 Back On Terra Firma 04:55
4 Sweet Dreams 04:08
5 King Arthur's Dream 04:41
6 Orange Blossom Special 07:03
7 5 Minutes To Spare 05:29
8 Rockin' The Dog 03:51
9 Hellecaster Stomp 04:14
10 Passion 04:01
11 Help I've Fallen (& I Can't Get Up) 04:10
12 Menage: The Beak / The Claw 03:24
13 Hellecaster Theme 02:47
REVIEW/AMG
By Daniel Gioffre
From the impossibly fast ascending arpeggios in the intro to "Highlander Boogie," the first track on this, the Hellecasters' debut album, country guitar nuts will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are in for a real treat. Start to finish, the Hellecasters (guitarists Jerry Donahue, John Jorgenson, and Will Ray) barrage the listener with their phenomenal chops, but they do so all in good fun and with a zany sense of humor. This charming playfulness that pervades The Return of the Hellecasters prevents their virtuosity from ever becoming a bore. Of the three guitarists, Donahue is probably the best-known from his work with Fairport Convention and Joan Armatrading. He has ample room to demonstrate his prodigious string-bending techniques. Jorgenson is the most rock-oriented of the three, a fact that is given away during his first solo of the album, where he almost immediately falls into fingertapping à la Eddie Van Halen. Ray's tricky guitar work is best characterized by his use of the slide ring, which allows him to move back and forth between slide and conventional guitar playing extremely rapidly. His version of "Sweet Dreams" is exquisite, coming close to the high standard of the Roy Buchanan version to which Ray offers his in tribute. In fact, the songs on The Return of the Hellecasters are almost all very strong, ranging from a cover of Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" and the Gipsy Kings' "Passion" to original compositions by all three Hellecasters. Of these, Jorgenson's "Back on Terra Firma" and Donahue's "King Arthur's Dream" are the most memorable, with soaring themes and quiet, haunting interludes. Despite the almost unfair amount of technical virtuosity possessed by these three players, their collective studio experience shows through in their restraint (yes, they know when to play fast and slow), attention to detail, and exemplary tone. The high point of any of the guitarists' recorded output, The Return of the Hellecasters is also one of the finest instrumental guitar recordings of the '90s.
ABOUT THE BAND/OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Will and Jerry bumped into each other by chance at The Palomino, a popular LA area music club, on a Tuesday night in April of 1990. Both had individually gone to check out the acts that were scheduled to play that night. At that time, The Palomino hosted a presentation called "The Barndance", in which local acts were invited to showcase a repertoire of five or six selections each in the American Roots genre. And the admission was free! So, that couldn't be missed. Having arrived at the door at the same time, Jerry and Will sat down at a table together to enjoy the show. During one of the changeovers, Jerry casually mentioned how cool it would be if they were to come together, backed by a rhythm section to play a short set with a slightly different approach to the norm. In contrast to the common procedure of battling it out like gunslingers, (in an effort to determine who can outplay the other!), they would actually work closely together, producing interesting arrangements, harmony parts, etc., in the manner of a good horn section. And with Will's wild-man slides and Jerry's crazy bends, they'd be presenting a new sound all their own!
Will loved the idea but quickly noted that, as with horn sections, at least one more player would complete the picture, so that three-part harmonies could be achieved. The obvious choice was John, as half a decade earlier, they had come together along with two others to record an instrumental that Will had written, arranged and produced for release at that time ("Hollywood Roundup" by The Superpickers!).
Less than a week later, when John was back from touring, Will enlisted him and he (John) then came up with the trio's bohemian moniker! Subsequently the trio got together to arrange the short set and then brought in the rhythm section for an afternoon's rehearsal.
Ronnie Mack, creator and presenter of "The Barndance", was then approached and the first available date was reserved, about six weeks later in June. In the meantime, every Tuesday leading up to the début show, Ronnie promoted the new union so effectively that the Palomino was packed solid! Multiple demands were soon made for a return performance!
Due to everyone's prior commitments, the next possibility was to reserve a date in December, when everyone would be back for the Holidays (all lived in the Hollywood area at that time). Again the club was packed and, due to strict fire regulations, people were actually being turned away! This led to the guys agreeing to yet another date, which ended up being in April of '91. In the audience that night was video pioneer, Michael Nesmith, previously of 'The Monkees' fame. A record deal was offered on the spot and that is how 'The Hellecasters' became a bona fide entity - despite the three guys' original plan to join forces only for that one Palomino spot in June of '90!
BIOGRAPHY/WIKIPEDIA
The Hellecasters are an American guitar group. Composed of Nashville session players Will Ray, John Jorgenson (Desert Rose, and Elton John's backup band), and Jerry Donahue (Fairport Convention, Fotheringay), they all play modified versions of the Fender Telecaster as their main instruments. Their name, it has been speculated, comes from a pun, wherein they claim to play the hell out of their Telecasters. They came together at the behest of Michael Nesmith of the Monkees to record an album. Their first two albums, The Return of the Hellecasters and Escape from Hollywood, were released by Nesmith's Pacific Arts Audio label.
WEBSITE
TO THE TOP
''THE RETURN OF THE HELLECASTERS''
1993
55:08
1 Highlander Boogie 02:38
2 Peter Gunn 03:39
3 Back On Terra Firma 04:55
4 Sweet Dreams 04:08
5 King Arthur's Dream 04:41
6 Orange Blossom Special 07:03
7 5 Minutes To Spare 05:29
8 Rockin' The Dog 03:51
9 Hellecaster Stomp 04:14
10 Passion 04:01
11 Help I've Fallen (& I Can't Get Up) 04:10
12 Menage: The Beak / The Claw 03:24
13 Hellecaster Theme 02:47
REVIEW/AMG
By Daniel Gioffre
From the impossibly fast ascending arpeggios in the intro to "Highlander Boogie," the first track on this, the Hellecasters' debut album, country guitar nuts will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are in for a real treat. Start to finish, the Hellecasters (guitarists Jerry Donahue, John Jorgenson, and Will Ray) barrage the listener with their phenomenal chops, but they do so all in good fun and with a zany sense of humor. This charming playfulness that pervades The Return of the Hellecasters prevents their virtuosity from ever becoming a bore. Of the three guitarists, Donahue is probably the best-known from his work with Fairport Convention and Joan Armatrading. He has ample room to demonstrate his prodigious string-bending techniques. Jorgenson is the most rock-oriented of the three, a fact that is given away during his first solo of the album, where he almost immediately falls into fingertapping à la Eddie Van Halen. Ray's tricky guitar work is best characterized by his use of the slide ring, which allows him to move back and forth between slide and conventional guitar playing extremely rapidly. His version of "Sweet Dreams" is exquisite, coming close to the high standard of the Roy Buchanan version to which Ray offers his in tribute. In fact, the songs on The Return of the Hellecasters are almost all very strong, ranging from a cover of Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" and the Gipsy Kings' "Passion" to original compositions by all three Hellecasters. Of these, Jorgenson's "Back on Terra Firma" and Donahue's "King Arthur's Dream" are the most memorable, with soaring themes and quiet, haunting interludes. Despite the almost unfair amount of technical virtuosity possessed by these three players, their collective studio experience shows through in their restraint (yes, they know when to play fast and slow), attention to detail, and exemplary tone. The high point of any of the guitarists' recorded output, The Return of the Hellecasters is also one of the finest instrumental guitar recordings of the '90s.
ABOUT THE BAND/OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Will and Jerry bumped into each other by chance at The Palomino, a popular LA area music club, on a Tuesday night in April of 1990. Both had individually gone to check out the acts that were scheduled to play that night. At that time, The Palomino hosted a presentation called "The Barndance", in which local acts were invited to showcase a repertoire of five or six selections each in the American Roots genre. And the admission was free! So, that couldn't be missed. Having arrived at the door at the same time, Jerry and Will sat down at a table together to enjoy the show. During one of the changeovers, Jerry casually mentioned how cool it would be if they were to come together, backed by a rhythm section to play a short set with a slightly different approach to the norm. In contrast to the common procedure of battling it out like gunslingers, (in an effort to determine who can outplay the other!), they would actually work closely together, producing interesting arrangements, harmony parts, etc., in the manner of a good horn section. And with Will's wild-man slides and Jerry's crazy bends, they'd be presenting a new sound all their own!
Will loved the idea but quickly noted that, as with horn sections, at least one more player would complete the picture, so that three-part harmonies could be achieved. The obvious choice was John, as half a decade earlier, they had come together along with two others to record an instrumental that Will had written, arranged and produced for release at that time ("Hollywood Roundup" by The Superpickers!).
Less than a week later, when John was back from touring, Will enlisted him and he (John) then came up with the trio's bohemian moniker! Subsequently the trio got together to arrange the short set and then brought in the rhythm section for an afternoon's rehearsal.
Ronnie Mack, creator and presenter of "The Barndance", was then approached and the first available date was reserved, about six weeks later in June. In the meantime, every Tuesday leading up to the début show, Ronnie promoted the new union so effectively that the Palomino was packed solid! Multiple demands were soon made for a return performance!
Due to everyone's prior commitments, the next possibility was to reserve a date in December, when everyone would be back for the Holidays (all lived in the Hollywood area at that time). Again the club was packed and, due to strict fire regulations, people were actually being turned away! This led to the guys agreeing to yet another date, which ended up being in April of '91. In the audience that night was video pioneer, Michael Nesmith, previously of 'The Monkees' fame. A record deal was offered on the spot and that is how 'The Hellecasters' became a bona fide entity - despite the three guys' original plan to join forces only for that one Palomino spot in June of '90!
BIOGRAPHY/WIKIPEDIA
The Hellecasters are an American guitar group. Composed of Nashville session players Will Ray, John Jorgenson (Desert Rose, and Elton John's backup band), and Jerry Donahue (Fairport Convention, Fotheringay), they all play modified versions of the Fender Telecaster as their main instruments. Their name, it has been speculated, comes from a pun, wherein they claim to play the hell out of their Telecasters. They came together at the behest of Michael Nesmith of the Monkees to record an album. Their first two albums, The Return of the Hellecasters and Escape from Hollywood, were released by Nesmith's Pacific Arts Audio label.
WEBSITE
TO THE TOP
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