Search - James Hand :: Truth Will Set You Free

With weary soul, his songs ooze with sadness, longing & lone

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 03/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 38:15 -- James Hand's raw and rootsy "The Truth Will Set You Free" was produced by two luminaries on the Texas music scene, Ray Benson and Lloyd Maines. Benson calls it "true honest down to earth country music songs from the heart." Maines, who plays acoustic guitar, pedal steel and dobro on the album, offers that this style of classic country music "uses no smoke or mirrors." James Hand has a weary soul, and his songs ooze with sadness, longing and loneliness. I can tell that he's been deeply inspired by Hank Williams, Ray Price, Johnny Cash, Lefty Frizzell and Merle Haggard. He's been on stage for over 40 years, and he trains horses when not singing and strumming his guitar in honky tonks and roadhouses.



Recreating a different musical era, James Hand strives for a raw-boned one with messages about hard knocks and road blocks that could very well be heard on a 1940s vintage Wurlitzer jukebox. Without all the hype and glitter we typically see in country music today, "In the Corner, at the Table, By the Jukebox" really says it all. Hailing from West, Tx., Hand sings life-affirming tales about loving and yearning on the "Banks of the Brazos," paying the price in "Leave the Lonely Alone," fighting and drinking in "Little Bitty Slip," and growing old and being wrong in "Just an Old Man with an Old Song." It would have been nice if the CD jacket had included lyrics for these 12 originals.



If there's any question that Hand has lost his game, think again. There's something special in these songs and the feelings they express. Hand's songs are simple, emotional, direct - all the essential rudiments of old country. Just listen to "Shadows Where the Magic Was" with its heartfelt story. Some stellar musicians help out on this project -- guys who know how to tap the river of tradition, history, values and beliefs that ran through yesteryear's country music. The instrumental riffs and fills emphasize electric guitar and pedal steel, often with some nice harmonies incorporated. Besides Lloyd Maines' fine work, other kudos are in order for Redd Volkaert's and Will Indian's electric guitar work. More of Jason Roberts' fiddle would have been nice, especially on a tearjerker like "When You Stopped Loving Me, So Did I." In authentic classic country fashion, backup vocals (sung by Layton Depenning) are very sparse. All in all, the album is honest-to-goodness "januwine" country music. For alternate cuts, some of the same numbers appear on Hand's live album from 5 or 6 years ago, "Live from the Saxon Pub Austin TX" on the KnightKlub label. (Joe Ross, Roseburg, OR.)

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Mr. D.J. Won't you please play, a real Country song?

George Richardson | Austin, TX USA | 03/31/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like Dale Watson, the man who wrote the words to the title of this review, James Hand makes real Country Music. It doesn't sound like Dale's but it's mmm mmm good.

Now, the artwork and cover design are a different story. There is lots of black and everything is typeset in uppercase. There are no pictures of the players and credits are so sparse that unless you are familiar with the guitar playing styles of Will Indian and Redd Volkert already, chances are you will be wondering who played what. There are no lyrics either but after a few playings you'll know every word to every song by heart.

For the uninitiated, Redd plays the guitar licks that sound like no human could play them and Will plays like the guitar teacher that you wish had taught you."

If this album doesn't win a Grammy, there just ain't no just

Opinion_Sharer | Kinderhook, NY United States | 08/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's difficult for me to describe how great this album is because I just don't know where to start. Maybe here: there isn't a track on this CD that you're going to want to skip over, even after repeated listenings (and while comparisons of James Hand to Hank Williams Sr. seem natural, as great as he was, ol' Hank had a few tracks that got on your nerves).



Maybe that won't be true for everyone though. James Hand's lyrics can hit pretty close to home -- "Leave the Lonely Alone" sounds like the product of a tortured soul. "When You Stopped Loving Me, So Did I" written or sung by someone else might have come across as a low self-esteem pitty-party anthem, but it just works. A couple of the other tracks make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It's been a long time since I've heard an entire record that was this good because it's been a long time since any artist in any genre released one. Get this CD today."