Hitchhike to Rhome

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Hitchhike To Rhome
Studio album by
Old 97's
ReleasedNovember 1, 1994
RecordedCrystal Clear Sound in Dallas, TX
GenreCountry rock
Length59:10
LabelBig Iron Records
ProducerAlan Wooley
Old 97's chronology
Hitchhike To Rhome
(1994) 		Wreck Your Life
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Austin Chronicle[2]
Elmore Magazine72/100[3]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide[4]
PopMatters7/10[5]

Hitchhike to Rhome is the first studio album by American country/rock band Old 97's, first released on November 1, 1994 (see 1994 in music). The title comes from the song, "Stoned," and refers to Rhome, Texas.

The lyrics make numerous references to the band's Dallas, Texas, environs. "504" refers to the area code for New Orleans (see area code 504). The Robert mentioned in "Drowning In The Days" (as well as "Big Brown Eyes") is Miller's boyhood friend, Robert Jenkins. "Miss Molly" recalls Miller and Hammond's previous work with bluegrass band, Killbilly, with "Doreen" referring to a memorable fan of that band and referencing New York City for the first of many times.

"4 Leaf Clover" was re-recorded as "Four Leaf Clover" with Exene Cervenka for the band's 1997 album, Too Far To Care. Live favorite, "Wish The Worst", is the only Old 97's song with lead guitar played by someone other than Ken Bethea. "Mama Tried" is a Merle Haggard standard and is a favorite live song for bassist, Hammond. "Tupelo County Jail" is a hidden track, playing after a long pause at the end of the album.

A 20th-anniversary, 2-disc special edition of the album was released on November 17, 2014 by Omnivore Recordings. The special edition contains a separate disc of 12 rare and unreleased tracks.[6]

Track listing[edit]

(all songs composed by Rhett Miller except where noted)

  1. "St. Ignatius" - 4:14
  2. "504" - 3:39
  3. "Drowning in the Days" - 4:02 (Miller/Hammond)
  4. "Miss Molly" - 2:18 (Cindy Walker)
  5. "Dancing with Tears" - 2:55 (Joe Burke/Al Dubin)
  6. "4 Leaf Clover" - 3:14
  7. "Wish the Worst" - 4:32
  8. "Old 97's Theme" - 1:42
  9. "Doreen" (bluegrass version)- 3:18 (Miller/Hammond)
  10. "Hands Off" - 4:35
  11. "Mama Tried" - 2:29 (Merle Haggard)
  12. "Stoned" - 3:59
  13. "If My Heart Was a Car" - 3:29
  14. "Desperate Times" - 3:46
  15. "Ken's Polka Thing" - 13:34 (Bonus track "Tupelo County Jail" after a long pause) (Ken Bethea/Webb Pierce)

Personnel[edit]

Old 97's:

  • Ken Bethea - electric guitar & accordion
  • Murry Hammond - bass, vocals & banjo
  • Rhett Miller - vocals & acoustic guitar
  • Philip Peeples - drums

Additional Musicians

  • Andy Owens - banjo on Doreen and If My Heart Was A Car and mandolin on Doreen
  • Reggie Rueffer - fiddle on Hands Off
  • Clark Vogeler - 1st electric guitar on Wish The Worst
  • Alan Wooley - 2nd electric guitar on Wish The Worst

References[edit]

  1. ^ Frey, Michael. "Hitchhike to Rhome". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  2. ^ Caligiuri, Jim (2015-01-23). "Old 97's". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  3. ^ Zimmerman, Lee (2014-12-18). "Old 97's – Hitchhike To Rhome". Elmore Magazine. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
  4. ^ Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian David (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon and Schuster. p. 602. ISBN 9780743201698.
  5. ^ Whitelock, Ed (2014-12-15). "Old 97s: Hitchhike to Rhome". PopMatters. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  6. ^ "Hitchhike To Rhome". Omnivore Recordings. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
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