Gotta Keep Rollin': The Jeremiah Years 1979-1981 spotlights the most creatively and commercially rewarding period of Hoyt Axton's recording career -- assembling 25 songs cut for his own Jeremiah label (so named in honor of his first and biggest composition, the Three Dog Night smash "Joy to the World," also covered here by its writer), the disc offers irrefutable proof that, sales and chart information to the contrary, his unique fusion of pop, country, and blues was ultimately best served not by other performers but by his ...
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Gotta Keep Rollin': The Jeremiah Years 1979-1981 spotlights the most creatively and commercially rewarding period of Hoyt Axton's recording career -- assembling 25 songs cut for his own Jeremiah label (so named in honor of his first and biggest composition, the Three Dog Night smash "Joy to the World," also covered here by its writer), the disc offers irrefutable proof that, sales and chart information to the contrary, his unique fusion of pop, country, and blues was ultimately best served not by other performers but by his own warm, grizzled baritone and devilish wit. Many of the highlights originated on the superb Rusty Old Halo LP, including the classic opener "Della and the Dealer"; although cameos from Linda Ronstadt ("When the Mornin' Comes")" and Cheech & Chong (the wonderful "No No Song") sparkle, it's Axton's presence -- his voice, rumbling yet intimate, and his worldview, heartfelt yet irreverent -- which brings these songs to life. In a nice tip of the hat, Axton also covers "Heartbreak Hotel" -- not so much a tribute to the memory of Elvis Presley but to his schoolteacher mother Mae, who co-wrote the song three decades earlier. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
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