Product Description

Decades ago, before the first rock and roll idols turned music into a product, musicians played music the way cobblers mended shoes and carpenters built homes. Welcome to the world of Will Hoge. I'm embarrassingly in love with rock and roll, he admits. It's all consuming.
Draw The Curtains, Hoge's first album in two years, is a tour de force of authenticity, covering sounds from country and roots to rock, soul, and R&B. Washed by the Water and Silver or Gold gush with the passion and spirituality of Otis Redding-fired rock and roll while Midnight Parade resonates with the color and verve of early Springsteen. It's music the way it was meant to be played, with a rock-is-my-life, let's-hit-the-road attitude.

Hoge spends about 200 nights a year zig-zagging the country, doing what he does best. He headlines most of those dates, but has also played supporting slots for the Black Crowes, My Morning Jacket, North Mississippi All Stars and Drive-By Truckers, as well as appearances at Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits. I bust my ass every night, he says. I load my own gear and mortgaged my house to pay the band. But if you want it, you have to be willing to bleed.

Hoge's music is the unwavering sound of a born rocker. He filters rock, soul, folk, blues and country through a prism of emotional authenticity and what emerges is undeniable.

Track Listing

1. When I Can Afford to Lose
2. These Were the Days
3. Dirty Little War
4. Silver or Gold
5. Sex, Lies and Money
6. I m Sorry Now
7. Midnight Parade
8. Draw the Curtains
9. Washed by the Water
10. The Highway's Home

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16488 in Music
• Released on: 2007-10-09
• Number of discs: 1

Customer Reviews

Long time fan
Will seems incabable of putting out bad music. Blackbird On A Lonely Wire, a previous cd, is one of our all time favorites and Draw The Curtains is moving to join the list. I was especially happy to see he included Washed By The Water the soulful gospel song he wrote after Hurricane Katrina. Everyone and their brother came out with post-Katrina songs but this is far and away the best musically and emotionally at capturing the spirit of New Orleans. We had heard him do it live and have never forgotten it. He shows his Nashville roots in The Highways Home and Midnight Parade, and the spirit of Dylan always shines through in his songs, but it is all his own plaintive, aching, unforgettable voice that lingers in your head for days. When I Can Afford To Lose, Dirty Little War, and I'm Sorry Now are standouts but the entire cd is an amazing listen. Nothing beats seeing Will live but this will keep us going untill we next get that chance.

Good, but not anywhere near his best.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a HUGE Will Hoge fan. I happened to stumble across Will Hoge when he opened up for Jump! at Appalachian State University in 2002. Since then, I've been the first to pre-order all his albums and the first in line at any show within a 3 hour drive of where I live. His last album, The Man Who Killed Love, was a 5 out of 5 masterpiece and a rockin' album that I had on repeat for months after I first purchased it.
Draw the Curtains, however, in my personal opinion is a bit of a let down to tell you the truth. I've been trying to convince myself otherwise, but the sheer fact that after the first week of it's release, I've gone on to other albums, specifically his previous work. There are a few good songs but a lot of the album seems out of place. Hoge consistently surprises his fans on each album by changing the arrangement of the songs he plays live, and usually it's for the better. This album, however, there were three songs that I felt were better live, before they were changed and would have fit perfectly on the album, pre-changes.
That being said, Hoge's live shows are unbelievable and a throw-back to what music is all about; giving everything you've got each and every show to prove yourself to the 1 or 2 new potential fans in the crowd. I'll never stop going to Hoge shows and I hope to hear more albums in the near future.

Fantastic Album
Will Hoge is one of the hardest working bands in this country right now. They have been on constant tours and releasing a lot of great studio work in between. Draw The Curtains is just an excellent album from start to finish. Bit more blues with a splash of black crows. Some faster songs, but overall a nice rolling pace. Favorite tracks are Wen I can Afford To Loose, Dirty Little War, I'm Sorry Now, Draw the Curtains, and The Highway's Home. If you are a fan of Folk/College Rock type music (dave mathews, black crows), then this would be an excellent album for you to be introduced to the Will Hoge Experience.