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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Wicked Grin
by John Hammond
Tom Waits produced the album and wrote 12 of the 13 tracks.
| LABEL: |
Pointblank |
| RELEASE DATE: |
13 March 2001 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Blues |

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
90
Rolling Stone
His album of Waits' penned-and-produced songs may be the masterwork of Hammond's long career, as well as further testament to Waits' unique genius.

90
The Onion (A.V. Club)
A near-perfect mix of two sympathetic talents operating in top form.

90
CDNow
Wicked Grin is a rousingly successful experiment. The album's best moments equal -- and often surpass -- anything in both artists' consistently creative careers.

90
Dot Music
In Hammond, [Waits] has found a worthy collaborator, one who gets to the heart of what these strange lyrics are actually about and imbues their sharp angles, acute observations and nicotine-stained introspection with some real insight and understanding.

85
Wall of Sound
As expressive as Hammond's guitar work is on signature songs like "Heartattack and Vine," it still has a sweet sound, and that, too, is mostly a new context for Waits' songs. The horror and the hardness is less immediate, slightly more mannered.

80
Q Magazine
Wicked Grin is a bona fide revelation.... A rambunctious joy from beginning to end.

80
All Music Guide
Choosing from a wide variety of Waits' material, Hammond infuses these unusual tracks with a bluesman's spirit and a crackling energy that practically reinvents the songs, instilling them with an ominous, rhythmic swampy feel.

80
Sonicnet
The collaboration ultimately benefits both players, adding a touch of art house abandon to Hammond's at times studied formalism, and authenticity to Waits' Martian grease-monkey blues.

80
Launch.com
Hammond's vocal, minus Waits's affected (and annoying) growl, puts the emphasis where it belongs--on the songs. The effect is to make peculiar vistas like "Jockey Full Of Bourbon" and "Murder In The Red Barn" even more vivid and the tunes truly sound like artifacts from another era.

70
HOB.com
The material is perfectly suited to Hammond's subtle syncopation and sauntering vocals. The warmth of the recording makes it seem all the more like listening to a master storyteller sharing tales that have been passed down through generations.


The average user rating for this album is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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