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| A strong groove and a cook's tour of American history. Brand new from Hal Shows. |
MP3.com CD: Hung Jury -  buy it!
CD: Native Dancer
Label: Witching Stick/Raven (released May 2003)
Credits: Written by Hal Shows, who also sings, plays the guitars, and blows the train whistle. Steven Genovese on Piano. Richard Bertram on Bass and Saxophones. David Copps on Drums. Recorded at Last Chance Studio, Tallahassee. Engineered by Michael Brawer. |
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| "Falling somewhere in the middle of a musical Bermuda triangle (Dick Dale, the Talking Heads and Ennio Morricone being the three points) this track manages to find its own voice. Twitchy organ vamps and a serious reverb on guitar mark a tune on which the emphasis is the structure rather than quick-picking. Great bridge and a strange David Byrne-sounding 'meep...meepmeep' make the four minutes fly by." Andrew Dansby, Rolling Stone |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: birthday suit - buy it!
CD: Birthday Suit
Label: Raven
Credits: written, produced and performed by Hal Shows. digital remaster by P.V. LeForge. |
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| "Two minutes, ten seconds of souped-up, frantic, organ-driven psychadelic soul capped with a bloodcurdling primal scream, "Its Supernatural!" wouldn't sound out of place at all on a choice garage rock compilation like 'Nuggets.' Or the next 'Austin Powers' soundtrack, for that matter." Richard Skanse, Rolling Stone |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: birthday suit - buy it!
CD: Birthday Suit
Label: Raven
Credits: Written by Hal Shows, produced by Hal Shows with Bob Anthony and Jim Waters. Performances by Dave House, Chas Chase, and Hal Shows. Digital remaster by P.V. Leforge. |
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| "Next Easter in Belfast" is an experiment, a lark, a luxury, a collage of studio and ambient recordings
focused on facets of springtime, and rebirth. Bits of this composition were recorded in
Brooklyn and Manhattan, in Rome and Sicily, in various lush nooks and crannies of Florida,
and off of the radio. Listen for the special guest appearance of Pope John Paul and his
band, captured on a carefully concealed micro-recorder in St. Peter's Cathedral at Easter
Mass, 1991; it's one of his many memorable live performances. There's also somethng here
for you baseball fans . . .
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MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: lifeboat - buy it!
CD: Lifeboat
Label: Raven Records
Credits: conceived and executed by hal shows, with david murphy and pete butler |
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| In "Pawnish Queen," Shows lets go with a litany of challenges that face the song's subject ("Now incest, envy and jealousy/start to poison the scene"), but a positively Dylanesque roller-rink organ out of "Blonde on Blonde" happily follows the tune's slight reggae bounce."
--Jim Murphy, Miami New Times |
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: lifeboat - buy it!
CD: Lifeboat
Label: Raven Records
Credits: Written by Hal Shows; produced by Hal Shows with David Murphy for the 1995 CD Lifeboat. Drums: Chris Thomas; Bass: Michael Grief; Keyboards: Dave Webb; Percussion: Paul Johnson; Guitars and Vocals: Hal Shows |
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| "Appropriately, (Shows') most disturbing tale is also, in a way, his funniest. The quasi-surf ditty 'A Bad Cold' describes a meaningless closing-time flirtation in a bar that turns into a violent, ultimately fatal encounter with a jealous redneck." --Miami New Times |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: lifeboat - buy it!
CD: Lifeboat
Label: Raven
Credits: Written by hal shows; produced by hal shows with david murphy for the 1995 CD Lifeboat. pete butler, drums; david murphy, bass and keyboards; hal shows, guitars and vocals. |
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| Described as "one of the best modern Buddy Holly pastiches" on the internet's Allmusic Guide, "Loving Things" is a roots-rock tune based in the great tradition of texas rockabilly, complete with '57 Fender Strat and the beaten guitar-back for drums. The song is an affectionate homage to the music that motivated my biker cousins when I was a kid. |
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: birthday suit - buy it!
CD: Birthday Suit
Label: Raven
Credits: written, produced and performed by hal shows. digital remaster by p.v. leforge. |
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| A mid-sixties, Brit-invasion influenced pop tune incorporating ambient sounds, "Under the Lights" --along with the other songs comprising "Lifeboat"-- examines "the personal consequences of living in a dysfunctional society, while skillfully documenting the individual dramas that unfold . . . balancing seamy imagery with catchy, often playful melodies (New Times, Miami)." |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
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CD: Lifeboat
Label: Raven Records
Credits: written by Hal Shows; produced by Hal Shows with David Murphy for the 1995 CD Lifeboat. Performance by Chris Thomas, Paul Johnson, Michael Greif, David Webb, and Hal Shows. |
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| A visionary, sidelong look at the subculture, with Spector-esque flavorings. |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: lifeboat - buy it!
CD: Lifeboat
Label: Raven Records
Credits: Written by Hal Shows; produced by Hal Shows with David Murphy for the 1995 CD. Mike Greif, Bass; Chris Thomas, Drums; Dave Webb, Keyboards and Keyboard Bass; Paul Johnson, Percussion; Hal Shows, Guitars and Vocals |
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| Little Richard meets Elvis Costello in a Russian Chain Match, no holds barred, and none left standing. |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: lifeboat - buy it!
CD: Lifeboat
Label: Raven Records
Credits: written by hal shows; produced by hal shows with david murphy for the 1995 CD Lifeboat. Chris Thomas, drums; Mike Greif, bass; Dave Webb, keyboards; Paul Johnson, percussion; Hal Shows, guitars and vocals. |
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| a new york city nightscape, with calmly vicious guitars and a loungy saxophone riff by Lois Hicks. |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: lifeboat - buy it!
CD: Lifeboat
Label: Raven
Credits: Written by hal shows; produced by hal shows with david murphy for the 1995 CD Lifeboat. jeff james, drums; pete butler, tambourine; dave murphy, bass; lois hicks, saxophone; hal shows, guitars and vocals |
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| An melodic, mid-tempo acoustic rocker with gospel overtones, "News" addresses the approach of the millenium. |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: lifeboat - buy it!
CD: Lifeboat
Label: Raven Records
Credits: Written by Hal Shows; produced by Hal Shows with David Murphy for the 1995 CD Lifeboat; Pete Butler on drums; Hal Shows on guitars, bass, harmonica and vocals. |
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| Originally released on the 1990 LP Birthday Suit, later anthologized on the 1996 Cascades Collection, "On a Mission" is based on a New Orleans style blues motif, in 3/4 time (vide Fats Domino for reference). The song's lyric reflects on childhood, and the birth of desire from imagination, and imagination from desire. It also includes, in its middle-eight, the songwriter's best elvis impersonation to date. |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: birthday suit - buy it!
CD: Bithday Suit/ Cascades Collection
Label: Raven/Cascades
Credits: written by hal shows; produced by hal shows for the 1990 Lp Birthday Suit; remastered by pete winter for the 1996 CD Cascades Collection, produced by del suggs. gerard de lapunch: bass; hal shows: drums, guitars, and vocals. |
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| A Christmas carol for kids of all ages. |
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
CD: A Cascades Christmas
Label: Cascades Recording Company
Credits: written by hal shows; recorded by hal shows and kangaroo court; engineered by mike brawer; mixed by hal shows and mike brawer for the 1996 CD A Cascades Christmas, produced by del suggs; digital mastering by pete winter. mick buchanan, drums; paul smith, guitars and background vocals; mike brawer, bass and background vocals; david murphy, keyboards; hal shows, guitars and vocals. |
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| The lead cut on the Birthday Suit LP, made in NYC in 1989, "Right Mind" was recorded live-to-digital in one take. The song's lyric addresses an aquaintance who wants to be free, but is scared to death of taking chances. |
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: birthday suit - buy it!
CD: Birthday Suit
Label: Raven
Credits: Written and performed by Hal Shows; arranged and produced by Hal Shows with Frank Ferrucci. Remaster by P.V. LeForge. |
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| Brave New Girl was recorded in NYC and in Tallahassee, FL, between 1990 and 1995, with horns by Mike Mackenzie adding the final flavors before mixdown began in Athens, GA. An urban funk number with a scintilla of circus tossed in for good measure. |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: lifeboat - buy it!
CD: Lifeboat
Label: Raven
Credits: written and produced by hal shows for the 1995 CD. Hal Shows on guitars, bass, keyboards, drums and vocals; Mike Mackenzie on horns. |
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| " . . . an Everly-Brothers-south-of-the-border-jaunt." (New York Daily News)
" . . . a charged, indirectly political rocker . . ." (Philadelphia Inquirer) |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: birthday suit - buy it!
CD: Birthday Suit
Label: Raven
Credits: Written by Hal Shows; produced by Hal Shows with Frank Ferrucci; performances by Cyro Baptista, Kimati Dinizulu, Phoenix Rivera, and Hal Shows. Digital remaster by P.V. LeForge. |
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| "Illegal Brief" is an surreal retort to all Judges, everywhere . . . |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: birthday suit - buy it!
CD: Birthday Suit
Label: Raven
Credits: Written by Hal Shows; produced by Hal Shows; performances by Bill Halliday, Louie Fleck, Kip Alexander, Paata Mukhadzee, Gerard de LaPunch, and Hal Shows. Digital remaster by P.V. LeForge. |
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| A multi-layered melody for a tall brunette I used to know . . . or was she a blonde? Or Portuguese? Anyway, the song's portrait has the composite nature of a police drawing. This is my take on bossa nova, with a memorable solo by Frank Ferrucci, a jazzman who graciously agreed to slum with me on this project. |
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: birthday suit - buy it!
CD: Birthday Suit
Label: Raven
Credits: written by hal shows; performances by hal shows, frank ferrucci, phoenix rivera, cyro baptista, and others unremembered (sorry!) |
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| Straightforward, guitar-oriented rock, with a lyric addressing control freaks, especially the male of the species. |
MP3.com CD: birthday suit - buy it!
CD: Birthday Suit
Label: Raven
Credits: written by hal shows; produced by hal shows with jim waters. performances by chas chase, dave house, and hal shows. digital remaster by p.v. leforge. |
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| "Blue Muse" is an acoustic blues in waltz time; it's lyrics take the form of a poem of praise to the cool permanence of the moon, and the sense of wonder that heavenly body has always inspired in the songwriter, even at times of lowest possible tide. |
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: lifeboat - buy it!
CD: Lifeboat
Label: Raven Records
Credits: written by Hal Shows; produced by Hal Shows with David Murphy for the 1995 CD Lifeboat. Jeff James, drums; David Murphy, Bass and Accordion; Hal Shows, guitars and vocals. |
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| Originally released on the 1990 LP Birthday Suit, later anthologized on the 1996 Cascades Collection, "On a Mission" is based on a New Orleans style blues motif, in 3/4 time (vide Fats Domino for reference). The song's lyric reflects on childhood, and the birth of desire from imagination, and imagination from desire. It also includes, in its middle-eight, the songwriter's best elvis impersonation to date. |
MP3.com CD: birthday suit - buy it!
CD: Birthday Suit
Label: Raven
Credits: Written by Hal Shows; produced by Hal Shows. Performances by Hal Shows and Gerard de LaPunch. |
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| A portrait of my father, in the round and in stereo. With Jon Copps on the ancient 4 string banjo. |
MP3.com CD: psychedelics - buy it!
MP3.com CD: birthday suit - buy it!
CD: Birthday Suit
Label: Raven
Credits: written and produced by hal shows. performances by hal shows and jon copps. digital remaster by p.v. leforge. |
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| A ska-oriented mid-tempo rocker, with intriquing lyrics and eclectic arrangement |
MP3.com CD: Whitman's Sampler - buy it!
MP3.com CD: lifeboat - buy it!
CD: Lifeboat
Label: Raven Records
Credits: Written by hal shows, produced by hal shows with david murphy as the lead cut for the 1995 CD Lifeboat. Drums: Chris Thomas; Bass: Michael Greif; Keyboards: David Webb; Percussion: Paul Johnson; Hal Shows, guitars and vocals. |
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