Eleven Hundred Springs – Bandwagon
Named after the slogan for Pearl Beer, Dallas band Eleven Hundred Springs does an admirable job of combining country rock, classic country and outlaw country with a more contemporary and commercial country sound. Although Bandwagon occasionally suffers from cliched or dumb lyrics (notably on “If I Was A Candle” and “Thunderbird Will Do Just Fine”), the album has more ups than downs.
The bouncy, album-opening “Northside Blues”, inspired by band members getting their equipment swiped in San Antonio, owes a heavy debt to Doug Sahm. Silly but fun, “The Only Thing She Left Me Was The Blues” splits the difference between Marty Robbins’ “Singing The Blues” and the Rev. Horton Heat’s “Where the Hell Did You Go With My Toothbrush?”
“Thunderbird” and “Hank Williams Wouldn’t Make It Now In Nashville, Tennessee” bring to mind Waylon in sound and sentiment, if not quality. The Johnny Paycheck-borrowing “Long-Haired Tattooed Hippie Freaks” is a couple decades too late to be truly defiant or rile-worthy.
Lead singer Matt Hillyer and the band turn sweet on the easygoing “Gina From San Jose”, and the road song “Swerving” is an absolute gem. Other highlights include the swinging “Brand New Pair Of Shoes” and a take on the traditional “Rock Island Line”. A nicely done cover of Mickey Newbury’s “Why You Been Gone So Long” features the late Ronnie Dawson, who originally recorded the song with Hillyer and bassist Steven Berg in 1993; it was remastered and partially re-recorded for inclusion on Bandwagon.