Hybrid Vigor is the second album by the American musician Webb Wilder, released in 1989.[1][2] Wilder supported the album by touring with the Georgia Satellites.[3] The first single was "Human Cannonball", which was a hit on college radio.[4][5]

Hybrid Vigor
Studio album by
Released1989
GenreRock and roll, hard rock, roots rock
LabelIsland
ProducerBobby Field
Webb Wilder chronology
It Came from Nashville
(1986)
Hybrid Vigor
(1989)
Doo Dad
(1991)

Production

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The album was produced by Bobby Field.[6] The majority of the songs were written by Wilder and Field.[7] Wilder aimed to make a commercial album that did not betray the sound of his debut; he also wanted to use his bigger budget to experiment in the studio.[8][9] "Louisiana Hannah" is a cover of the Larry Williams song.[10] "Ain't That a Lot of Love" is a cover of the song made famous by Sam & Dave.[11]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [5]
Chicago Tribune    [12]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide     [13]
Ottawa Citizen     [14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide     [15]

The Chicago Tribune deemed the album "glorious rock 'n' roll for the misanthrope in all of us."[12] The Ottawa Citizen wrote that "Wilder has an uncontrolled B-movie mentality that takes his Chuck Berry licks through detective thriller and Sci-Fi territory."[14] The Edmonton Journal called Hybrid Vigor "snappy, off-the-wall, way cool hard rock written by people who know the definition of irony but also know when to lay off and simply turn the volume up."[16] Trouser Press panned the often "hellish metal-country experiment."[17]

The Globe and Mail determined that "Webb sound[s] fresh in comparison to all those other grave-robbing, heritage-hawking roots rockers."[18] The Vancouver Sun considered it "a pedal-to-the-metal blast of trashed-up rhythm and boozy rock, all nasty licks and hilarious little lyrics."[19] The Houston Chronicle noted that the album "threatens to out-Stone the Stones with its raunchy, twangy, hard-charging attack that adds up to pure unadulterated rock 'n' roll."[20]

Track listing

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No.TitleLength
1."Hittin' Where It Hurts" 
2."Human Cannonball" 
3."Do You Know Something (I Don't Know)" 
4."Cold Front" 
5."Safeside" 
6."Wild Honey" 
7."What's Got Wrong with You?" 
8."Ain't That a Lot of Love" 
9."Skeleton Crew" 
10."Louisiana Hannah" 

References

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  1. ^ Popson, Tom (11 Aug 1989). "A familiar act in Chicago clubs, Nashville-based Webb Wilder...". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
  2. ^ Takiff, Jonathan (19 Sep 1989). "Buzz Bands". Features. Philadelphia Daily News. p. 35.
  3. ^ Harrison, Tom (14 Dec 1989). "It's 100-proof rock and roll moonshine". Entertainment. The Province. p. 71.
  4. ^ Pick, Steve (October 15, 1989). "'Hybrid Vigor' – Webb Wilder". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 4F.
  5. ^ a b "Hybrid Vigor Review by James Chrispell". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Crunch rocker has broken out of the mould". Calgary Herald. Knight Ridder. 9 Dec 1989. p. C8.
  7. ^ Burliuk, Greg (24 Nov 1989). "The Credo of Webb Wilder". Entertainment. The Kingston Whig-Standard. p. 1.
  8. ^ Wyman, Bill (September 15, 1989). "Webb Wilder's a real rock 'n' roll hybrid". Weekend Plus. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 25.
  9. ^ Sandmel, Ben (January 12, 1990). "A Witty Walk on the Wilder Side of Music". The Times-Picayune. p. L6.
  10. ^ Menconi, David (11 Dec 1989). "Rock 'n' roll rises in odd Southern style". Austin American-Statesman. p. B8.
  11. ^ Bourke, Brian G. (January 7, 1990). "New Music". Stars. Herald-American. p. 26.
  12. ^ a b Kot, Greg (7 Sep 1989). "Recordings". Chicago Tribune. p. 17F.
  13. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1230.
  14. ^ a b Erskine, Evelyn (8 Sep 1989). "Webb Wilder Hybrid Vigor". Ottawa Citizen. p. D6.
  15. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 765.
  16. ^ Metella, Helen (10 Sep 1989). "Record Reviews". Edmonton Journal. p. D9.
  17. ^ "Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks". Trouser Press. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
  18. ^ Dafoe, Chris (14 Sep 1989). "Hybrid Vigor Webb Wilder". The Globe and Mail. p. C17.
  19. ^ Mackie, John (12 Dec 1989). "Roots music Wilder's thing". Vancouver Sun. p. B7.
  20. ^ Racine, Marty (September 24, 1989). "Records". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 18.