Hiram, Hiram, Hiram....
Garland A. Bulluck | 10/15/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Frank Zappa said it best. Shut up and play yer guitar. Hiram is one of the hottest--and most distinctive--rock/blues/jazz fusion guitar players, ever. Everything about this guy is way cool. Except one thing. He sings. And, oh boy....not only does he have the whitest voice imaginable, he really doesn't have much to say. You know, he's been through some bad times and some good times. Music is his life. He likes to play funk. Swell. But to get to the incredible guitar solos (the only reason we keep buying his albums) you have to listen to lyrics like "Love to live; live to love". Oy, vey.Hiram's not the worst offender in the super-guitarist/awful vocalist catagory. That honor goes to Carl Verheyen. But he's close. And when you think about it, other than George Benson, what killer guitar player really has a great voice? Eric Johnson and Gary Moore get by but I wouldn't buy a disc of them just singing, would you?So if you love Hiram, get this. The title track is so catchy you can get past the vocals. But if you want to hear him simply rip, get the first 2 albums and Guitar Man and make a compilation CD of the instrumentals. You know this gives me an idea. How about a new edition of Golden Throats with Joe Satriani, Larry Carlton, John Pizzarelli, Carl Verheyen and of course, Nimoy and Shatner?"
A 'Fantabulous' Musical Offering
Garland A. Bulluck | 11/26/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Try Livin' It" seems to be a radiant musical testimony of some times in the life of Mr. Hiram Bullock. Conveying an intense myriad of emotions, he makes his guitars laugh, growl, cry & wail as only he so uniquely can make them do & the philosopher sings his thoughts straight from the heart. Together with a seamless cast of first-class musicians, Hiram has provided a wonderful musical showcase of "many bodies working together as one mind." From the first opening note, this music is a joyful reminder of how great it is simply to be alive and be able to hear & feel music such as this! Highly recommended!"