Search - Bruce Hornsby :: Hot House

Robert S. from AMHERST, MA
Reviewed on 6/7/2007...

If you know the name Bruce Hornsby, you may well know him from his 1980s songs such as "The Way It Is," "Mandolin Rain," or "The Valley Road." However, Hornsby's progression as an artist continued to grow by leaps and bounds long after the days of his biggest commercial successes. Hot House is Bruce's second studio album sans The Range (his backing band for his first three albums). Recorded in his home studio in Williamsburg, VA, the emphasis here is on stellar playing. Guest musicians include Pat Metheny, Chaka Khan, and Bela Fleck. Nonetheless, Bruce didn't sacrifice good songwriting one bit. Hot House may not be so well known as his earlier releases. But what we hear is a true musician at the peak of his powers.

2 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.

"Hot House" indeed...

Van hella Lippz | The Cat Cave, Mt. Fromunda | 09/17/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"...and to get the bad out of the way first, "Big Rumble" is the only matter that needs composting. Otherwise, these tuneful flowers are beauties: standouts are "Swing Street," "Walk In The Sun," "The Changes" (contra the previous reviewer who wrote about whiny musicians, this is the only song that deals with disaffected musos, and does it well) which rock and swing with the best of 'em. "Spider Fingers" (Hornsby's nod to his Dead fans) and "White Wheeled Limousine" are good here, but even better in a live setting, as are "Hot House Ball," a tongue-in-irradiated cheek ode to living near a nuclear power plant ("where everyone glows in the dark") and "Country Doctor," a sinister funk rocker about a very wicked character.



One of Hornsby's best, and another criminally-underrated 90's release."