Release date
June 25 2002
Track listing
- Sticks and Stones
- Cartoons and Candy
- The Chill
- Big Swing Face
- This Too Shall Pass
- Try Anything Once
- Take Out the Trash
- The Good Life
- So Out
- No Home Training
- Place Under the Sun
Personnel
Bruce Hornsby (keyboards, vocals), Joe Lee (vocals), Floyd Hill (vocals), Doug Derryberry (guitar, vocals), David Bendeth (guitar, organ, drum fills), J.V. Collier (bass), Michael Baker (drums), Bonnie Bonaparte (drums), Steve Kimock (guitar), Bobby Read (bass-clarinet), Wayne Pooley (talking), Jeff Juliano (talking), J.T. Thomas (organ), Taso Kotsos (drum programming)
Audio clips
The record’s title comes from a relatively obscure 1963 album by legendary drummer Buddy Rich. It seems, however, that the inspiration might not have come from Rich’s’ great skill as a musician but rather the infamous “Buddy Rich Tapes” on which Rich is caught on tape ripping his band up one side and down the other after a less than stellar performance. These tapes are legendary amongst musicians. (Thanks to Nick Lung for that).
Fan reaction
Current thoughts are also up on this BSF thread on the Bruuuce.com Board.
What were you saying about Big Swing Face in 2002?
In 2018, a high proportion of these songs were still in rotation at live shows, and probably the most played ones scored highest here (The Good Life, Sticks and Stones, Place Under the Sun and to a lesser extent, This Too Shall Pass). All aspects of the record (longevity, lyrics, artwork, musicality, production and collaborations) scored the lowest so far.
Big Swing Face - the breakdown
Sticks and Stones - 73.8%
Cartoons and Candy - 64.4%
The Chill - 65%
Big Swing Face - 62.2%
This Too Shall Pass - 77.7%
Try Anything Once - 60.5%
Take Out the Trash - 63.3%
The Good Life - 80.5%
So Out - 56.1%
No Home Training - 48.3%
Place Under the Sun - 73.8%
SHELF-LIFE/LONGEVITY - 68.8%
LYRICS - 67.2%
ARTWORK/LINER NOTES - 65%
MUSICALITY - 67.7%
PRODUCTION - 72.2%
COLLABORATIONS - 61.1%
66%
Despite a couple of high scoring tracks, this release dips from previous scores
Big Swing Face reviews
Keyboard Magazine: A Bruce Hornsby CD with no piano on it? Next, fish will wear trousers. Not to worry, though: Hornsby’s songwriting (social conscience, fresh changes, moving hooks) is as incisive as ever, and even without acoustic piano, Big Swing Face serves up plenty of top-notch keyboard playing. Electric piano and organ are woven through the fabric of the mixes, along with some percolating filter work on synths and even a few drums that sound like loops.
Hornsby has always been willing to take chances; jettisoning his primary instrument (temporarily, I hope) is not a sign of confusion but a way of exploring some of the other colors in the paintbox. When he stretches out with a distorted, ballsy EP solo in Cartoons and Candy, it’s a prelude to a vocal break that veers straight over into Prince territory. But whether he’s laying down an R&B groove or playing with New Orleans funk, as in the second-line groove of the title track, it’s all pure Hornsby.
Purchase Big Swing Face
Amazon Big Swing Face purchase page (commission goes to Bruuuce.com)