Album: Another Saturday Morning / Artist: Ellis Hooks / 16 tracks / Evidence Music Inc.
It is a shame when artists as talented as Ellis Hooks have to include as many as sixteen tracks on their CDs so people will buy them. The singer with the James Brown like wails, and soulful vocals performs on the corner where R&B meets Blues Avenue, as he opens his album Another Saturday Morning with “Black Dirt.” Guitarist Jon Tiven, a gifted musician who plays numerous instruments on this disc, bends some incredible notes on the second track, “You Move Too Fast,” and his licks provide the perfect compliment to Hooks’ funky attitude.
Proving that he has much more to offer than old school jive, Hooks delivers in a big time way with the bluesy ballads “Your River,” and the in your face, “I’ve Had It,” whose message is accurately reflected in the song’s title.
To say that Another Saturday Morning was created, for the most part by very few people, would be an understatement. Jon Tiven plays guitars, sitar, piano, Hammond organ, alto/soprano saxophones, percussion, drums and harmonica. Oh, did we happen to mention that he also produced and engineered the album? Sally Tiven (married to Jon) played bass guitar and all the songs on the CD were written by the Tivens and Hooks. The only significant musical impact on the album that did not originate with this trio was on drums, where seven different musicians took up their position behind the drum kit.
Sounding a bit like John Fogerty, Hooks serves up the southern rock ballad, and the title track, “Another Saturday Morning.” The singer proves he does not need to wail and shout to get our attention, as his gritty, but mellow vocals paint a picture of life’s struggles.
One of the things that make Another Saturday Morning work so well, is the Hooks-Tiven connection does not allow the album to become bogged down in just one style of music. The song selection is good and varied, evidenced by the inclusion of the quietly, emotive, “You Don’t Know Me,” a tune that chronicles the deterioration of a relationship, although we are never quite sure if this is a friendship or about love.
There is no mistaking the intent of “Do I Ever Cross Your Heart,” a passionate love song, that the thirty-four year Alabaman, Hooks delivers with superheated vocals. For all the men and women out there who wonder, ‘what might have been,’ the song “Do I Ever Cross Your Heart,” provides the antithesis to Allison Krause and John Waite’s 2007 cover of Waite’s original number one hit (1984), “Missing You.” Hooks’ vocal performance on “Do I Ever Cross Your Heart,” deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Bill Medley’s, “Unchained Melody,” and Lauren Wood’s “Fallen,” (the theme song from the movie Pretty Woman).
The music reverts back to blues with the sordid song titled, “Churchyard Girl.” If you do not want a lot of questions from your children, you might be best to play this one when they are not within earshot (smile).
As the CD winds down, Hooks turns in another fine southern rock performance with the ballad, “The Road To Your Heart,” and closes out this splendid album with “If I Give You My Heart For Christmas.”
Riveting Riffs gives Ellis Hooks’ CD Another Saturday Morning, both thumbs up and highly recommends this great collection of songs. We do not rate CDs but if we did, this album would receive our top rating.
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Reviewed February 2008
