Hannah Gill opens this album with a playful spoken word piece titled "Intro: Music To Be Murdered By," her own take on the Alfred Hitchcock bit at the beginning of his 1958 record. "Naturally, the record is long-playing, even though you may not be." And she is clearly having a great time here, establishing a playful mood. And then things take off with "Spider In The Web," a song The Dooley Sisters released in 1958. Hannah Gill gives us a very cool renditon. There is something undeniably sexy about her vocal delivery. She is adept at catching every listener in her own special web, and we are her quite willing victims. This track also features a delicious lead on saxophone, followed by a cool lead on violin. But it is the guitar lead that has the most haunting vibe, taking us into mysterious territory on that dark highway. The trumpet then raises us all from our graves and demands that we shake our bones. Who could deny such a command? And when Hannah Gill begins belting out certain lines just before the end, the world is just bloody perfect.
"Old Devil Moon" is probably the most well-known song on this album, having been recorded by many artists over the years. The version here is delicious, beginning on drums, and then containing a moment with just bass and drums before her vocals come in. As she sings of that "devil moon in your eyes," we hear the devil beckoning us in her voice. Who could resist? Who would even try? This track contains a great lead on trumpet, and then a completely delightful and wonderful lead on piano. That's when things really begin to cook. Hannah Gill and her band are taking us on a magic carpet ride here. That's followed by "The Richest Guy In The Graveyard." "Woke up this morning," she sings at the beginning, letting us know this is a blues number. And it is a totally delightful blues number, featuring some great work on violin and an alluring vocal performance. "Now what's the good of earning with no time for spending/You know you're simply heading for a horizontal ending." Wonderful! This is a song that urges folks to slow down, enjoy life, or they'll be enjoying death. This track treats us to a cool, mellow sax lead, followed by some really nice work on piano. And what a delightful final line!
Hannah Gill delivers one of the album's most gorgeous and captivating vocal performances on "Moon Ray," the Artie Shaw number. As she sings of magic charms, we know that she has those in abundance. We hear them in every note she sings, and we can feel them coursing throughout our bodies as we listen to her. "So, moon ray, put an end to all my sorrow/Bless me with sweet tomorrows/Bring back my love to me." Ah, are we talking about raising someone from the grave? The guitar seems capable of casting whatever spell is necessary to effect that. This track also contains a great lead on piano. This is one of my personal favorite tracks. It is followed by "I'm Gonna Haunt Ya" (by the way, the titles of the two tracks are reversed on the back of the CD case). This is an incredibly fun number from the start, a total treat and delight. "I want you/You'd better want me too/'Cause if you don't, I'm gonna haunt ya, gonna haunt ya, gonna haunt ya all through the night." To me, that sounds more like the most wonderful promise than a threat. There is some fantastic stuff on violin on this track. Things are hopping, moving, swinging. Check out that fantastic lead on piano. And here we get a drum solo too. It's brief, but great. So, yes, this is another of my personal favorites.
"As Long As You Live (You'll Be Dead If You Die)" is another totally fun and lively number. "So here's a final word of warning/You're gonna wake up dead some morning." Oh yes, so let's enjoy ourselves now. And with this music playing, it's inevitable that we're going to enjoy ourselves. This is a great song for a Halloween party, a great song for any party, and it features some delicious work on violin. It's followed by "My Friend The Ghost," a playful, and yet sweet number, with a spooky aspect delivered on theremin. This one also features an excellent lead on violin, as well as some wonderful stuff on piano. I feel that the world has gotten better during the course of this album. The music is that enjoyable.
"He's A Demon, He's A Devil, He's A Doll" is delivered with an undeniable fondness. "But then he turns on those charms/And there I am in his arms/And I forget why I'm mad/I ought to tell him, drop dead/But I keep loving him instead." The guy in question has clearly created his own spell, and we understand, because we ourselves have fallen under Hannah Gill's spell. Yes, that's how good this album is. This track features some wonderful stuff on trumpet. Then "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" begins to weave its own spell immediately with that percussion, and then increases its potency with the violin. Hannah Gill's vocal performance has a gorgeous, haunting aspect. "I walk along the street of sorrow/The boulevard of broken dreams." And the bass line mesmerizes us. This song sweetly subdues us, and there is a special magical power to the violin in the second half. The album concludes with one of its best tracks, "Wolves In The Tree Line," an original composition. "There's monsters in the memories, devils in your eyes." It's a bluesy number featuring some exciting guitar work and another sexy vocal performance. A wonderful ending to a delicious album.
CD Track List
- Intro: Music To Be Murdered By
- Spider In The Web
- Old Devil Moon
- The Richest Guy In The Graveyard
- Moon Ray
- I'm Gonna Haunt Ya
- As Long As You Live (You'll Be Dead If You Die)
- My Friend The Ghost
- He's A Demon, He's A Devil, He's A Doll
- Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
- Wolves In The Tree Line
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