Big Swing Face

Big Swing Face is the eighth album by American singer and pianist Bruce Hornsby. It was Hornsby's first studio album with his touring band, the Noisemakers, and his last album for RCA Records .

For the Buddy Rich Big Band album of the same name, see Big Swing Face (Buddy Rich album)
Big Swing Face
Studio album by
Bruce Hornsby
ReleasedJune 25, 2002
GenreRock
Jazz
LabelRCA Records
ProducerDavid Bendeth
Bruce Hornsby chronology
Here Come The Noise Makers
(2000)		 Big Swing Face
(2002)		 Halcyon Days
(2004)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]

The album was Hornsby's most experimental effort to date; the only album on which Hornsby barely plays any piano, it relied heavily on post-electronica beats, drum loops, Pro Tools editing, and dense synthesizer arrangements.[2] The album also boasts a "stream-of-consciousness wordplay" of lyrics that are in many ways more eccentric and humorous than previous work.[3]

The jazz fusion jam on "Cartoons & Candy" and the gesture towards Hornsby's jam band influence with Steve Kimock's extended guitar solo on "The Chill" highlighted some of the album's only familiar territory,[3] and Hornsby cites the opening track, "Sticks and Stones," as his partial homage to Radiohead's "Everything in its Right Place."[4]

Big Swing Face received mixed reviews, ranging from "a new and improved Bruce Hornsby"[5] to feeling as if "someone else is singing", to the album being called one of the "strangest records of 2002".[2] The album received little promotion from RCA Records, and sold poorly. Hornsby left RCA shortly afterward.[4]

Track listing

All songs by Bruce Hornsby, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sticks & Stones" 3:19
2."Cartoons & Candy"Hornsby, McKinley Morganfield3:52
3."The Chill" 4:06
4."Big Swing Face" 5:31
5."This Too Shall Pass" 4:56
6."Try Anything Once"David Bendeth, Hornsby3:33
7."Take Out the Trash" 4:54
8."The Good Life" 3:44
9."So Out" 3:13
10."No Home Training"Floyd Hill, Hornsby4:23
11."Place Under the Sun" 4:13
Japan bonus track
No.TitleLength
12."Sticks & Stones" (Acoustic Version)4:37

Musicians
  • Bruce Hornsby – keyboards, vocals
  • J. T. Thomas – organ (10)
  • David Bendeth – guitars, bass (3-7, 9, 11), drum fills (7, 10), organ (11)
  • Doug Derryberry – guitar (3, 9, 11), backing vocals (5)
  • Steve Kimock – guitar solos (3, 4, 5)
  • J. V. Collier – bass (1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 11)
  • Taso Kotsos – drum programming
  • Michael Baker – drums (1-4, 8, 9, 10)
  • Bonny Bonaparte – drums (3, 9, 10)
  • Bobby Read – bass clarinet (7, 11)
  • Wayne Pooley – additional talking (7)
  • Jeff Juliano – additional talking (7)
  • Joe Lee – backing vocals (9)
  • Floyd Hill – backing vocals (10)

Production
  • Producer and A&R – David Bendeth
  • Engineers – David Bendeth, Arnold Geher, Jeff Juliano, Wayne Pooley and John Seymour.
  • Assistant Engineer – John Adler
  • Recorded at Electric Lady Studios (New York City, NY) and Tossington Sound (Williamsburg, VA).
  • Mixed by David Bendeth (Tracks #1, 6 & 11), John Seymour (Tracks #1 & 11), Jeff Juliano (Tracks #2-9) and Dagle (Track #10).
  • Mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound (New York City, NY).
  • Art Direction – FJH
  • Photography – Sean Smith
  • Illustration – Michael Miller

References
  1. Big Swing Face at AllMusic. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Big Swing Face: Overview". All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
  3. Metzger, John (August 2002). "Bruce Hornsby: Big Swing Face". The Music Box. 9 (8). Archived from the original on 18 May 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
  4. Hornsby, Bruce (2006). Liner notes from Intersections Box Set.
  5. Miller, Skyler. "Halcyon Days: Overview". All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
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