1995 Dallas Observer Music Awards (Part I)

If nothing else, Heath utilizes and brutalizes the clichˇs of rock and roll as if they are brand-new, positioning himself as a cross between Jerry Lee and Frank Sinatra--the fighter, the crooner, the lover. His is a music that relies as much on the baggage of legend as upon the revved-up sound of guitar, a doubled-up drum beat, and the slap-and-tickle of the upright bass. Those who consider Liquor in the Front a lesser partner to 1993's The Full-Custom Gospel Sounds of the Reverend Horton Heat do so only because Heath's take on history clashes too uncomfortably with Jourgenson's discofied metal. "Yeah, Right" and "I Can't Surf" (not to mention the unnecessary belch-and-fart remake of "The Entertainer") bust up the flow of the record, sounding like the Ministry but not the Reverend. (According to the Rev's manager, Scott Weiss, Liquor in the Front has sold 135,000 copies in the United States, with an additional 45,000 in Europe.)

In the past few months, the Rev has also undergone a fairly major personnel change (though, presumably, any change is major when you're a trio): drummer Patrick "Taz" Bentley recently jumped ship to join Tenderloin, a frequent opening act for the Rev, to be replaced by Jackopierce's Scott Churilla. But such a shake-up has not affected the Rev's touring and recording plans. The band (with bassist Jimbo Wallace still on board, of course) will begin recording its fourth album May 1-7 at Pedernales, Willie Nelson's old studio in Austin, with Thom Panunzio (of U2, Bob Dylan, and Joan Jett fame) behind the board.

After that, the Rev will head out on the road for two months opening for White Zombie, as part of an odd eclectic bill that will also feature the Melvins (the band Kurt Cobain used to cite quite often as a major influence on Nirvana), then head back into the studio to finish recording. And as it stands now, Interscope plans a September release date for the fourth album--to coincide with the opening of an expected blockbuster movie for which the Rev will contribute three songs, including the title track. We have been asked not to identify the film, but it's well-known around Deep Ellum that Heath was in the Last Beat studios a few weeks ago cutting demos for Ace Ventura, Pet Detective 2--the implications of which are too profound to consider at this particular moment.

--R.W.

LOCAL MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Andy Timmons

Though his name still carries far less recognition than Jim "Reverend Horton Heat" Heath's, and though he has not yet made his long-lasting mark on Dallas music like Texas Tenor Marchel Ivery or rockabilly hero Ronnie Dawson, Andy Timmons easily beat them all for local musician of the year. Whether his win is a surprise or not is a matter of some debate, though there is no disputing the fact the guitar whiz deserves it as much as anyone.

From almost out of nowhere--actually, from a metal-lite band called Danger, Danger, which recorded three albums for Epic Records but released only two--Timmons has gone on to sell more than 8,000 copies of his debut CD, ear X-tacy, since its release last fall and garner rave reviews in almost every guitar-hero magazine in the country. He is among the hardest-working musicians in the city: in the past year, he has lent his playing to albums by Vanilla Ice and Paula Abdul (so he's not too choosy, the man's got bills to pay); performs with the Pawn Kings every Wednesday night at Blue Cat Blues; maintains another trio with bassist Mike Daane and drummer Mitch Marine; sits in occasionally with jazz harpist Cindy Horstman; and is currently trying to record a follow-up to ear X-tacy. (Recently, ear X-tacy was licensed to Sony Music in Japan, and will be released there shortly.) On top of that, the man just got out of a session cutting a jingle for Macy's.

"Like I said," Timmons says with a grin, "bills to pay. But I don't know. The fact the CD sold more than 8,000 copies--no complaints there. Just the fact it paid for itself and now I can pay the other players and make a little money is inconceivable. What a happy accident."

Or perhaps not. Though he is a technical master, Timmons' guitar-playing style has tremendous substance. Unlike Joe Satriani or Adrian Legg or Steve Vai, men who equate emotion with the ability to play a thousand notes a second, Timmons understands the real thrill of guitar soloing is the space in between the notes, the places in which the notes reverberate best. Ear X-tacy contains its share of show-off showcases--the Stevie Ray Vaughan and Hendrix tributes pay so close a homage they're eerily derivative, and a couple of tracks might define Timmons as the Eric Johnson of Dallas--but he possesses a subtlety rare among those musicians who'd call Dallas City Limits their home. He shines best in the oddball moments, such as the galloping hillbilly of "Farmer Sez."

"The first album is primarily a rock record, but I want to keep exploring other areas, keep growing in that area," Timmons says. "That's the ultimate freedom. When I was pinned in and doing this metal thing in New York, I realized I needed to get back to Dallas and do my own thing. Having been locked into this one thing for so many years, I just died creatively and just wanted the freedom to do what I was inspired by, and not be concerned it was going to fit a format or work on the radio.