Editorial Reviews

Ace Records' follow-up to their superb 2005 collection The Jack Nitzsche Story: Hearing Is Believing 1962-1979 doesn't quite live up to that disc's high standards, but this sampling of 26 tracks in which Nitzsche had a hand -- as producer, arranger, conductor or songwriter -- is still a powerful testament to the singular talents of one of rock's most remarkable behind-the-scenes figures. On Hard Workin Man: The Jack Nitzsche Story, Vol. 2, Tony Rounce and Mick Patrick have attempted to give some picture of how broad the man's musical palate could be, and what's most surprising is that as these songs sway from the hard-edged blues of "Hard Workin' Man" (with Captain Beefheart wailing over a band anchored by Ry Cooder), the snarling garage punk of the Gas Company's "Blow Your Mind," the lush neo-psych grandeur of "Porpoise Song" by the Monkees, and the beautifully crafted studio pop of Bobby Vee's "Like Someone in Love." A common thread manifests itself throughout -- Nitzsche had the ability to bring something unexpected whenever he took an act into the studio, and each time he came up with something that fit the song (and the artist) like a charm. He also had a real vision of how to cast the players for a session -- most folks would never have dreamed of putting John Lee Hooker, Miles Davis and Taj Mahal on the same number, but Nitzsche's score for the Dennis Hopper picture featured all three, and Hooker's gutbucket boogie proves to be an ideal foil for Davis' spare but soulful trumpet figures on " Bank Robbery," featured here. And while, as on the first disc, a number of Nitzsche's best known projects are missing (most notably his work with the Rolling Stones and Neil Young), the ace obscurities show just how consistently strong the man's vision could be -- the Everly Brothers' cover of "Mr. Soul," Tammy Grimes' take on a rare Randy Newman number "Nobody Needs Your Love More Than I Do," and Merry Clayton's remake of "It's in His Kiss" may not have been hits, but they leave an indelible impression once you've heard them. Nitzsche released only a small handful of records under his own name, but Hard Workin Man: The Jack Nitzsche Story, Vol. 2 confirms he was as vital and creative an artist as anyone he worked with, and this is remarkable listening. Mark Deming, All Music Guide

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