An important thing to remember about Dr. Hook is that they never began as a real band, not in the sense of digging deep into their hearts and letting the feelings flow on the page. They were a bar band who carved out a respectable but undistinguished following in the northeast, recording a demo that eventually got the attention of a talent scout who paired them with Shel Silverstein, a poet turned songwriter who needed an outlet for his tunes. It was an unexpected pairing, but one that proved to be perfect, as Dr. Hook had ...
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An important thing to remember about Dr. Hook is that they never began as a real band, not in the sense of digging deep into their hearts and letting the feelings flow on the page. They were a bar band who carved out a respectable but undistinguished following in the northeast, recording a demo that eventually got the attention of a talent scout who paired them with Shel Silverstein, a poet turned songwriter who needed an outlet for his tunes. It was an unexpected pairing, but one that proved to be perfect, as Dr. Hook had an earthy sleaze that brought out the grime within Silverstein, a songwriter often seen as clean and cutesy, partially due to his famed children's books. Silverstein penned everything on the 1971 debut outside of "Four Years Older Than Me," a really ugly piece of blooze-stomp, and there's still a sense that he was testing the border, not quite sure of how far he could push the band. So, there's a sentimental streak that surfaces almost immediately -- "Sylvia's Mother" is an operatic weeper -- but soon they get mired in the voodoo funk of "Marie Laveaux," wink at Lady Godiva, and plead with a lover to kiss the pain away. There's more than a touch of sincerity here but the record really cooks whenever they're singing about grass ("Makin' It or Natural") or sex, an inclination they'd run with on the next album, but here there is an appeal to their teetering between sentimentality and sleaze, plus the songs are always good -- funny, solid, cleverly constructed tunes that stand as testament to Silverstein's craft and show how Dr. Hook could deliver upon command. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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Add this copy of Doctor Hook to cart. $10.39, good condition, Sold by Half Price Books Inc rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published by Columbia.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Providing great vinyl and media since 1972. All used records are inspected and guaranteed. May have wear and minor issues from previous owner. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of Doctor Hook to cart. $16.57, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 1992 by Columbia.
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Comanor/Silverstein; David/Haffkine/Loco; Silverstein; Silverstein/Taylor. New. New in new packaging. USA Orders only! Brand New product! please allow delivery times of 3-7 business days within the USA. US orders only please.
Add this copy of Doctor Hook to cart. $21.10, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Columbia.
Add this copy of Doctor Hook to cart. $49.99, new condition, Sold by MUSICAL ENERGI rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Wilkes-Barre, PA, UNITED STATES, published by Columbia C 30898.
