Posted on: February 1, 2019 Posted by: John B. Moore Comments: 0

Man, it must get lonely behind that drum kit. The list of musicians who put down their sticks to take center stage seems to grow every year: Dave Grohl, Phil Collins, Grant Hart, Don Henley and on and on and on… Hunt Sales, go-to sideman for Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Todd Rundgren, is just carrying on a tradition with his debut, “Get Your Shit Together.” The album is a beautifully, rough taken on rock, blues and hard living, thanks to a now clean Sales that has turned many of the songs here into vivid cautionary tales. “Sorry Baby,” for example sounds like a horn-heavy pumped up Springsteen until you listen to the lyrics about the singer waiting for dealer and apologizing for hocking all of valuables.

The album is as great as it is confessional, with Sales, who admits to having used heroine for four decades, confessing everything across a dozen tracks brimming with strong guitars, heavy drumming and gruff, well-worn vocals. Songs like “Bitch Done Left” or “Angel of Darkness” could just as easily come off as eye-rolling bravado if they weren’t so honest thanks to Sales distinct delivery.  

Hunt Sales Memorial – Get Your Shit Together/12 tracks/Big Legal Mess Records/2018 / Facebook

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