Anyway, here it is, from this month's Musician magazine (March 1995) With "Singer/songwriter" becoming synonymous with a genre rather than a role, Dan Hicks reminds us that Hoagy Carmichael wrote and sang songs, as did Louis Jordan and Bob Wills. Combining a sly,dry wit with innate swing and serious musicianship, Hicks could be the last of the breed, excepting longtime devotee Tom Waits. Having ushered in San Francisco's psychedelic scene as a Charlatan and predating "Unplugged" by 25 years with his innovative Hot Licks, Hicks may hold the all-time record for staving off A&R types. This, folks, is his first rlease since 1978. While substance abuse accounted for much of the hiatus, the 14 "new" originals on this live set are up to the standard of his early-70's output. The moods swing from a stark monologue by a female barfly ("Bottoms Up") toa goofball take on space travel ("Hell, I'd Go!"). As ever, Hicks treats all his subjects with equal respect and no apologies. The title song, addressing the leader's years of sobriety, is one of the few overtly autobiographical lyrics he has ever performed. The Accoustic Warriors' backing may lack the blowing strength of the Hot Licks and eschew the Lambert, Hendricks and Ros vocalinterplay that was the Lickettes' hallmark, but as a result the songs and Hicks' vastly underrated singing take center stage, driven by a tight, turn-on-a-dime rhythm section. And while a studio setting might have allowed for more ambitious arrangements or instrumentation, the trade-off is Hicks' priceless between song patter." -- Dan Forte