Dog Eat Dog World

by Chris Hicks

Overview

Having played with the Marshall Tucker Band since 1998, guitarist Chris Hicks has little time to focus on a solo career. Dog Eat Dog World marks his second album in ten years, and while it's apparent that being a frontman isn't his primary focus, Hicks' sophomore effort shows him to be a fairly competent singer/songwriter in his own right. Long drawn-out solos and extensive guitar noodling could sink this sort of record, but Hicks often downplays the instrument, focusing instead on tight nuggets of Southern rock that aren't exclusively aimed at guitar fanatics. For someone whose voice is often relegated to backup duty in the Marshall Tucker Band, Hicks also flaunts a surprisingly confident set of pipes, and he swaggers his way through Southern-styled tales of troubled worlds and glowing moons with few hitches. Harmonicas, organs, and the occasional horn section find their way into the mix, and the five-piece band truly hits its stride when Hicks unleashes short, heated blasts from his guitar, soloing with his bandmates rather than forcing them to work around him. While Dog Eat Dog World grows increasingly familiar as the tracks progress, "Too Cool for School" -- which combines the excitement of early Kenny Wayne Shepherd with a grown-up sensibility -- is worth sticking around for. Here, Hicks switches between the harmonica and the guitar, pitting the instruments against each other in a war of solos before bringing it all home with his best fretwork on the album. Nothing new, perhaps, but nothing to scoff at, either. ~ Andrew Leahey

Product Details

Release Date:	02/26/2008
Label:	RAMBLIN' RECORDS
UPC:	0826663107968

Tracks

1. It All Comes Back Around
2. Chokin' Kind
3. The Tie That Binds
4. Dog Eat Dog World
5. Share Your Love with Me
6. You Can't Hide
7. Can the World Still Turn Tomorrow?
8. Too Cool for School
9. In Time
10. Georgia Moon

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Chris Hicks   Primary Artist,Dobro,Piano,Vocals,Vocals (Background),Harmonica
Catfish   Vocals (Background)
Doug Gray   Vocals (Background)
Marshall Coats   Guitar (Bass)
Robert Nowak   Cello,Violin
Marina Volynets   Violin
Oleg Proskuvnya   Violin
Sue Tomlin   Viola
Diniah Hornsby   Vocals (Background)
Big Dave Peck   Vocals (Background)
Nick Niespoeziani   Vocals (Background)
Maureen Murphy   Vocals (Background),Vocals (Background)
E.G. Kite   Vocals (Background)
Wynelle Hicks   Vocals (Background),Vocals (Background)
Jenny Hicks   Vocals (Background)
Ken Trimmons   Trumpet
Adam Newherter   Saxophone
Marcus James Henderson   Saxophone
Clay Cook   Guitar (Bass),Vocals,Guitar,Piano,Bass
Paul Hornsby   Piano,Organ
Jerome Thomas   Drums
Buddy Greene   Harmonica
Kelvin Holly   Sitar

Technical Credits

Chris Hicks   Audio Production,Composer
Paul Hornsby   Audio Engineer,Engineer,Composer,Arranger
Ed Spyra   Art Direction,Design
Greg Lewerke   Management
Alfred Braggs   Composer
Clay Cook   Mixing,Engineer
Ron Rainey   Executive Producer,Management
John Porter   Mastering
Don Robey   Composer