Herman Hitson • Let the Gods Sing
 was unprepared for the
feral howl of Herman (aka Hermon) Hitson’s electric guitar on the title tune from his
latest album. It has shades of Jimi Hendrix, John McLaughlin and other psychedelic guitar
shredders. It’s an amazing performance and a Hitson original. I sat in awe as the
music churned. One critic compared Hitson to Sun Ra, and I concur: At the conclusion of
almost any song, you feel like you’ve been on an astral voyage. “Let the Gods
Sing” is followed by another Hitson original, “Ain’t No Other Way,”
paying homage to James Brown with a driving, funky, pulsating rhythm punctuated with
hard-edged riffs from the tight horns of the Sacred Soul Sound Section. My body swayed and
my feet danced in place as I surrendered to the beat. Demonstrating his guitar chops,
Hitson gives another compelling Hendrix-inspired solo, that added historical interest to
the performance (he and Hendrix were bandmates and buddies while touring on the
Chitlin’ Circuit in the 1960s). Next, a persistent shuffle beat propelled the Willie
Dixon hit “Back Door Man” into an infectious, lust-driven tale of marital
infidelity in a version that dares to threaten the primacy of Howlin’ Wolf’s
rough 1960s Chess release. Hitson’s raw voice is heard to advantage on the
side’s closer, the retro-styled “All I Want Is You.”
Side two features one original and three collaborations. The opener, “Feast of Ants,” features a wall-to-wall soundstage in which the assembled musicians and guitarist lay down a very funky, relentless groove, with Hitson and Al Gamble on Hammond B3 and bassist Mark Stuart playing cat and mouse. The funk continues through the tune's long fadeout, and my feet did not stop tapping until sometime after that. “Suspicious” features Hitson’s strong vocal chops on a tune he penned. The song is rowdy, the guitar is all wah-wah, and the solo conjures up more memories of Jimi Hendrix. “Bad Girl” brings back the whole band, with Hitson singing à la Otis Redding, above the Hammond B3. This song features Marcella Simien on background vocals. A return to the blues on “Stray Bullet,” introduced by some crazy tremolo guitar, digs deep into the bayou with spooky B3 and some nasty electric guitar. Hitson affirms his worst memory using his hoarse voice and blues changes. The album’s closer, “Yampertown Funk,” is self-descriptive. Hitson lays down an electrifying solo against the roaring band and Hammond B3. There is little background information on Herman Hitson available on the Internet or from other sources. What we do know is that he was born in Philadelphia in 1943 and raised in South Georgia and, later, Jacksonville, Florida. He led a wild, drug-infused life. It was in Atlanta during the early '60s that he became part of that city’s flourishing southern-soul music scene. It was there Hitson saw his first four recordings released on the local Royal label, including the single “Been So Long,” which achieved some regional popularity. After a move to New York City in the mid-'60s, Hitson saw the release of his first bona fide hit, “You Are Too Much For the Human Heart,” on the ATCO label in 1968. Along with Jimi Hendrix, Hitson has played with James Brown, Joe Tex, Bobby Womack, Wilson Pickett, Garnet Mimms, Major Lance, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cook, the Drifters, the Shirelles, Hank Ballard & the Midnighters, and the Allman Brothers. Big Legal Mess Records is an independent label based in
Oxford, Mississippi, and is distributed by Fat Possum Records. Let the Gods Sing
was recorded in just two days by thirty-year-veteran producer Bruce Watson at Delta-Sonic
Sound in Memphis, Tennessee. The recording, on quiet, flat 150-gram vinyl, is present,
dynamic and loud -- as it should be. It is a fine showcase for Hitson’s adventurous
guitar and rough voice as he explores funk, rhythm & blues, soul and tough blues. To
hear him is to be changed. |
