Search - Hacienda Brothers :: Hacienda Brothers

Built So High

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 08/28/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Chris Gaffney & Dave Gonzalez of the Paladins head up the Hacienda Brothers. This self-titled CD honky tonks like it was 1969. In 1966, Mel Tillis recorded a song called "Mental Revenge" on his "Stateside" LP for Kapp which was followed in 1968 by a version by Waylon Jennings on an RCA LP called "Jewels." The Hacienda Brothers dust this off like a Sherman tank and march like they're stomping on an old love affair, "I hope that the train from Caribou, Maine runs over your new love affair." "I'm So Proud," penned by Chris & Dave, is a gorgeously romantic love song, "Loving each other, we been thru it all, You built me so high, Honey, don't let me fall." Dave Gonzalez's guitar stars on "South of Lonesome" that'd probably made Johnny Cash a bit jealous. Dan Penn who produced this disc has written some incredible classic tunes like "I'm Your Puppet" & "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man." With Dave Gonzalez, Penn pens "Lookin' for Loneliness," a sweet country-jazz flavored ditty with Spooner Oldham on organ. "Railed" is a delightful Dave Gonzalez instrumental that boogies like a Dick Dale surfer born in Texas. Chris Gaffney's weathered vocals embrace a Dan Penn original, "The Years That Got Away," "Hair that was black now's turning grey, where they go, I'll never know, the years that got away." On his 1967 self-titled LP that also had what would become the Nilsson "Midnight Cowboy" classic "Everybody's Talkin'," Fred Neil recorded "I've Got A Secret" that George Hamilton IV had released a year earlier. In this Hacienda Brothers' update, it's a dense smoky tear-in-your-beer last call number, "You know I pawned my watch, I pawned my chain, I would have sold my soul, but I felt ashamed." The 2nd instrumental "Saguaro" ends the set like the lost soundtrack to a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western. This is a strong outing for a partnership that will hopefully write a few more chapters before it heads off into the sunset. Enjoy!"

Motown and Country

Howard W. Gault | Pittsburgh | 01/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I once ran into Chris Gaffney at a Dave Alvin concert. He sang a couple of songs during the encore and blew me away. This band is the best IMO that he has played with. Dave Gonzalez is a phenomenal guitarist and has great tone. This is adult country music - roots oriented with healthy dose of Motown and the Western part of C&W. I gave this one for X-Mass presents."

Refreshing!!!!!!!!!!!

Bobby Bethea | lockhart, tx | 01/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"coming across this band has renewed my lost interest in todays music. Listening to the radio had become a chore, all of it sounds the same, all produced by corporate big-wigs instead of musicians. I first heard the Hacienda Brothers on sirius radio and was intrigued by the sound. I wondered why I wasn't hearing this on big radio stations, anyway, i purchased the album on amazon and when I got it and played it the first time I flipped. I love the country and soul combo, the steel guitar took me back to the early country days, when country was country, but this band blows it all open and come at you at all angles. I truly love the cd and it is weird but everyone that listens to it feels the same; which brings me to my original question, why isn't this stuff played on major radio stations. Do yourself a favor and buy this cd and buy all there cds they are a breath of fresh air in a music world that has gone sour. Thank you H-Brothers!!!!!! I love it"