The Wolf

by Shooter Jennings

Overview

Lacking both the songwriting skills of his superstar dad and the platinum-selling croon of his Nashville superiors, Shooter Jennings has struggled to carve his own niche. The Wolf finds him twanging his way through traditional (almost stereotypical) country music, despite his past forays into rock & roll territory. Jennings' previous studio effort, Electric Rodeo, was a far edgier affair, and the subsequent Live at Irving Plaza 4.18.06 showed him at his best, leading a raucous bar band -- the .357s -- through electrified romps about Southern living and drug busts. Traces of that energy are evident in The Wolf's kick-off track, "This Ol' Wheel," where Jennings name-checks Johnny Cash and dismisses his critics with a kinetic country-rap delivery. His voice is confident, almost swaggering, and the track blazes with kick-stomp percussion and fiddle riffs courtesy of Doug Kershaw. Perhaps it's no coincidence that The Wolf's other standout track, "Slow Train," also features a lively cameo, this time by the Oak Ridge Boys. Jennings grew up among the heavyweights of outlaw country, a genre his father helped invent, and he sounds solid when paired with stars of that caliber. Even so, Jennings sounds his best on country-rock numbers that combine his pedigree with a splash of loud, distorted guitars, and there's not enough of that material here. Instead, listeneres are saddled with a smattering of soft country, some rootsy numbers, and several horn-laden tracks, none of which deliver the punch of "This Ol' Wheel." The tunes aren't necessarily bad; they simply lack a proper person to sing them, since Jennings' mediocre vocals are better suited to a genre in which a singer's limitations can be masked by vigor and volume. The Wolf pushes those shortcomings to the forefront, and the strength with which Jennings begins the album can't sustain him through the end. ~ Andrew Leahey

Product Details

Release Date:	10/23/2007
Label:	Show Dog Nashville
UPC:	0602517487284

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Shooter Jennings   Primary Artist,Loops,Vocals,Drum Loop,Keyboards,Sound Effects,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric)
Doug Kershaw   Primary Artist,Fiddle,Guest Artist
The Oak Ridge Boys   Primary Artist,Vocals (Background)
Todd Settles   Vocals (Background)
Joe Bosnall   Vocals (Background)
Teresa Wilson   Vocals (Background)
Ted Russell Kamp   Guitar (Bass),Bass,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Leroy Powell   Guitar (Steel),Harmonica,Pedal Steel,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic),Guitar (Electric),Guitar (12 String),Vocals (Background)
Bryan Keeling   Drums,Castanets,Percussion
Steven Herrman   Horn
Odessa Settles   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Jim Horn   Horn
William Lee Golden   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Paul Martin   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Sara Settles   Vocals (Background),Guest Artist
Norah Lee Allen   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Joe Bonsall   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Todd Suttles   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Gary Murray   Banjo,Fiddle,Guest Artist
Charles Rose   Horn
Duane Allen   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Richard Sterban   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Calvin Settles   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Shirley Settles   Guest Artist,Vocals (Background)
Kevin Sciou   Guest Artist,Guitar (Electric)

Technical Credits

Dave Cobb   Audio Production,Engineer,Producer
Bryan Keeling   Composer
Chris Lord-Alge   Mixing
Mark Rains   Engineer
Mark Knopfler   Composer
Jim Horn   Horn Arrangements
Jason Mott   Mixing Assistant
Shooter Jennings   Design,Composer,Engineer,Art Direction
Oliver Peck   Drawing
Natalie Moore   Photography
Mary Hilliard Harrington   Publicity
Frank Ockenfels   Photography
Susannah Parrish   Cover Design,Layout Design
Carie Higdon   Project Coordinator
Drea DeMatteo   Photography
Hank Williams   Mastering
Ted Russell Kamp   Composer
Nik Karpen   Mixing Assistant
James Minchin   Photography
Leroy Powell   Composer
Lee Roy Parnell   Composer
Greg Gordon   Mixing
Erick Jaskowiak   Engineer
Anthony Smith   Composer