Genre: rock
Rating: 3 stars ***
Title: You Can Sing On the Left or Bark On the Right
Company: ABC
Catalog: ABCD-920
Year: 1976
Country/State: Indiana
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: gatefold sleeve; cut lower right corner
Available: 2
GEMM catalog ID: 5072
Price: $10.00
I remember reading a Rolling Stone review for one of Dirk Hamilton's LPs and being intrigued enough to scoop up a couple of his album at my local record store (yes record store - anyone remember Penguin Feather) for 99 cents a pop. While I don't listen to these albums all the time, after some 30 years they remain part of my core collection and I would never dream of selling them, unless I had duplicate copies.
Born in Indiana, but raised in Stockton, California, Hamilton started his musical career while still a teenager. Handling vocals and rhythm guitar he played in a string of local garage outfits including The Bobbies, The Pierson Pier People, The Regents, and The Templers. By the mid-1970s Hamilton was attending San Jose State University, earning spending money playing the local club and restaurant circuit.
His big break came in 1975 when he caught the attention of producer Gary Katz (then hot from his work with Steely Dan). Katz signed Hamilton to ABC Records, producing his 1976 debut "You Can Sing On the Left or Bark On the Right". Propelled by Hamilton's gruff Dylan-esque voice and penchant for unique narratives outlining society's outer fringe musically the album was hard to accurate describe. Imagine John Cougar Mellencamp if he had a major Steely Dan fix, or perhaps a less commercial Van Morrison and you'd be in the right aural neighborhood. Backed by an all star cast of sessions players (many having supported Steely Dan), material like 'The Sweet Forever', 'I Got To Feelin'' and 'Sweet and Cold' wasn't exactly top-40 pop, but like much of Steely Dan's catalog, displayed a sneaky commercial sheen that kind of snuck up on you. Oh, don't let me forget to add in a healthy dose of Dylan to the mix - 'Wasn't That One Night Good'. As a lyricist Hamilton was also pretty interesting. Exemplified by songs like 'Little Big-Time Man' and 'She Don't Squash Bugs' he was one of those guys who would rather use a paragraph where Springsteen or others would use a sentence fragment to convey the same feeling. Certainly not an album for everyone and even fans may have to spin it a couple times, but well worth the time and effort. Unfortunately while the album generated favorable critical reviews, it did little commercially.
"You Can
Sing On the Left or Bark On the Right" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) The Sweet Forever (Dirk Hamilton) - 5:34
2.) Waterfall (Dirk Hamilton) - 3:18
3.) Little Big-Time Man (Dirk Hamilton) - 2:33
4.) She Don't Squash Bugs (Dirk Hamilton) - 3:15
5.) I Got To
Feelin' (Dirk Hamilton) - 4:42
(side
2)
1.) Sweet and Cold (Dirk Hamilton) - 4:30
2.) Wasn't That One Night Good (Dirk Hamilton) - 3:41
3.) Grow a Rose (Dirk Hamilton) - 3:28
4.) When She Kiss Ya' Like She Love (Ya Know She Do) (Dirk Hamilton) - 4:45
5.) Ridin' On a Whale (Dirk Hamilton) - 2:35
For anyone interested Hamilton has an interesting website at:
