Seven Decades

1	String in This Ole Bee 2:33
2	In the Jailhouse Now 2:20
3	Condo in Hondo 2:36
4	Triflin' Gal 2:26
5	Dinner for One, Please, James 2:51
6	The Night Miss Nancy Ann's Hotel for Single Girls Burned Down 3:33
7	I'll Start Believing in You 3:10
8	Abdul Abulbul Amir 2:52
9	Lobo the Hobo 2:48
10	New Wine in Old Bottles 3:16
11	Medicine Man 2:47
12	Scotch and Soda 2:39
13	Wreck of the Old '97 2:41

Barnes & Noble

"I may not buzz as often/or as loud as I used to do/but I'd love a taste of that nectar/from a pretty little flower like you," Hank Thompson sings, just a few seconds into "Sting in This Ole Bee," the opening cut of the delightful Seven Decades. Both the song and the album make it clear that the veteran country legend (now in his seventh decade on the planet, hence the album title) is as energetic and rambunctious as ever. In a recording career that dates back to 1946, Thompson has recorded such western swing classics as "Six Pack to Go," "The Wild Side of Life," and "Smoky the Bar," but Seven Decades ranks among his finest work. Produced by the esteemed Lloyd Maines (father of the Dixie Chicks' Natalie), the album finds Thompson in warm, resonant voice, adding those characteristic wry turns of phrase that inject a little attitude or naughtiness into the proceedings. Six of the 13 songs were written or co-written by Hank, and the covers include terrific takes on Jimmie Rodgers's "In the Jailhouse Now" and Cindy Walker's "Triflin' Gal." Thompson's always brought a hard-country edge to his western swing, and he stays true to that aesthetic here. He also dips into his bag for a Tejano feel on "Condo in Hondo," gets folksy on his smooth take on the Kingston Trio's dreamy love ode, "Scotch and Soda," and offers a bluesy, laconic take on a reflective cheatin' song, "Dinner for One, Please James." Those sparkling guitar licks energizing the arrangements are courtesy Thom Bresh, son of Merle Travis, who touched up some of Hank's early recordings with similar pungent picking. Wonders abound on Seven Decades, a real winner from first note to last, and a breath of fresh air to boot. David McGee

All Music Guide

Seven Decades is an impressive album any way you look at it: Thompson sounds almost as good as ever, he's still writing some great material (the album is more than half original), and the songs he chose to cover are interesting and even ambitious. "Condo in Hondo" and "Lobo the Hobo" indulge Thompson's trademark wordplay, while "Medicine Man" celebrates the bygone days of the medicine show. Tex Williams' hit "The Night Miss Nancy Ann's Hotel for Single Girls Burned Down" gets an entertaining run-through, while "Dinner for One, Please James" and the Kingston Trio's "Scotch and Soda" are smoky sounding and ready-made for the supper club. Thompson even breathes some fire into such well-worn covers as "In the Jailhouse Now" and "Wreck of the Old '97." With crystal clear sound, tasteful production, and lots of great Merle Travis-style picking by Thom Bresh, Seven Decades is sturdy enough to stand alongside Thompson's best. Greg Adams