Search - Hoyt Axton :: Rusty Old.../Where Did Our...

Buy Hoy't and enjoy't

slag_bandoon | Stumptown, Oregon United States | 09/12/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Rusty Old Halo is subjectively his most complete album. No muck with timeless classics. Hoyt fun everywhere with his inimitable blues. Where Did the Money Go has its Hoyt moments but his real essence is scattered. Is still worth it for your archives. For all you gave us, Thanks Hoyt. Hope your halo is shiny and new."

Driving country at it's finest

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 08/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of the two albums on this twofer, the second (Where did the money go?), a brilliant album in it's own right, is made to look very ordinary because it follows a masterpiece (A rusty old halo).Hoyt, who was also a successful actor (he starred in the movie Gremlins), recorded a number of interesting albums, but never became a star singer. He was more successful as a songwriter, having written two big hits for rock band Three dog night (Joy to the world and Never been to Spain).A rusty old halo, Hoyt's best album, featured the hit single Della and the dealer (which was even a minor pop hit in Britain), a great murder story about two men, a woman, a cat and a dog. The songs are predominately uptempo, though the pace slows a little here and there, but only to mid-tempo. Brilliant musicianship, including tasteful (but not excessive) use of harmonica, complementt Hoyt's lovely baritome voice throughout the album. Some of the songs have a Latin theme, notably Viva Pancho Villa and Wild bull rider, though you wouldn't call this a Latin album.While the first album has songs with great lyrics, the driving music means you usually have to play it a few times before you get into the actual songs themselves.Different musicians were employed on Where did the money go?. They did a very professional job, but did not sparkle in the way that the previous musicians did. That does not stop this being a great album, but it does explain why it sounds ordinary compared to A rusty old halo. Hoyt was still in fine voice, and the songs are of a high standard - and there are twelve of them, compared to ten on A rusty old halo. Again, the album only varies between mid-tempo and fast.Of the songs here, I particularly like Politicians, which reflects exactly what most people think of politicians of whichever party (and in whichever country) - very cynical, but great stuff. There's also a great cover of The battle New Orleans, but it's the only cover in an otherwise original set.So, here are two albums of great, driving country music on one CD. Hoyt never scaled these heights again afterwards, though some of his seventies music is worth a listen."

A good CD for your Hoyt Axton collection

Ray R. Kawal | Sequim, Wa USA | 10/15/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Because this is a double album on one CD, its a good bargain. Della and The Dealer in on this one, but my favorite song on these two albums is The House Song."