Bill Kirchen, Hammer of the Honky Tonk Gods, (Proper)

 

Guitarist Bill Kirchen was the picker who played the iconically twangy guitar on Commander Cody’s “Hot Rod Lincoln,” so it’s no surprise that the title track to this album celebrates the Fender Telecaster. The album is more than just a guitar demonstration, though. In fact, it’s very much a song album, and the songs seem effortless. He shifts gears from honky-tonk to country to pop and R&B easily, never losing his sound or the song in the process. Like so many sideman albums, Kirchen’s could use a more clearly defined personality, but his unassuming manner and respect for rock and soul traditions is endearing.