See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.

10 used & new from £2.99
See All Buying Options
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Choochtown
 
See larger image 
Share your own customer images

Choochtown

~ Hamell on Trial
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


4 new from £6.90 5 used from £2.99 1 collectible from £14.99

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Tough Love

Tough Love

~ Hamell on Trial
4.4 out of 5 stars (5)  £19.99
Mercuroyale: The Best of the Mercury Years

Mercuroyale: The Best of the Mercury Years

~ Hamell on Trial
5.0 out of 5 stars (1) 
Songs for Parents Who Enjoy Drugs

Songs for Parents Who Enjoy Drugs

~ Hamell on Trial
5.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £9.79
Raising Sand

Raising Sand

~ Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
3.6 out of 5 stars (129)  £4.98
Foo Fighters

Foo Fighters

~ Foo Fighters
4.3 out of 5 stars (26)  £5.28
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Audio CD (29 Jan 2001)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Evangeline
  • ASIN: B0000525N3
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 139,281 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Track Listings

1. Go Fuck Yourself
2. When Bobby Comes Down
3. Hamell's Ramble
4. I'm Gonna Watch You Sleep
5. Uncle Morris
6. Disconnected
7. Nancy's Got A New Boyfriend
8. Choochtown
9. Shout Outs
10. Lottery
11. Long Drive
12. Judy
13. Joe Brush
14. Mall
15. Bill Hicks (Ascension)
16. Bill Hicks

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
Hamell On Trial--a nom-de-plume for an American songwriter known only as Hamell--are one of those acts who seem to be begging for a new genre to be created in their honour. Hamell On Trial's two albums prior to Choochtown have earned such epithets as acoustic punk and anti-folk; Choochtown, for its part, sounds more than anything else like the pathfinding work of gangsta country. These are angry, bitter songs, weighed down by Hamell's sonorous drawl and densely packed lyrics. Recorded mostly in a variety of Brooklyn basements, the songs are either or both gloomy stories and fervid rants, recalling comedians like Denis Leary or Bill Hicks as much as they do kindred musical spirits like Sixteen Horsepower or (though the comparison would surely cause Hamell to pop an artery) Shawn Mullins. It's somehow appropriate, then, that this fine record closes with a hymn to the effect that "I wish Bill Hicks was alive". --Andrew Mueller

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags
 

Customer Reviews

4 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Guilty as Sin, 19 May 2003
By Mr. C. A. S. Marsh "Kranz 78" (South East England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I've been living with this album for the best part of two years now and it still makes me smile, swear and furrow my brow in wonder at how one man and one guitar can sound so loud every single time I listen to it. I buy this album for my friends as birthday and Christmas presents so that there will be more of us who can talk about Bobby, Chooch, Nancy, Joe Brush and the rest of the characters that provide the back-bone of what is an essential album. Indeed quotes from songs have been littering our conversation for a while now with our particular favourite coming from "When Bobby Comes Down"

Words and characters that litter Hamell's Mean Streets of New York are easily reflected in British cities from Brighton to Bradford. The ever-present undercurrent of drink, drugs, sex and violence make this a vital album full of memorable punk/accoustic tracks full of "that Geezer must have 8 fingers to pull that off" guitar. I've seen him live and I intend to do so again. And Again.

You will never tire of this album. You may forget it for a few months. You may even lend it to a CD stealing friend. But you will return to Choochtown, just like a favourite bar, town or holiday destination.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Great, Original, Low-Budget Music., 24 May 2001
By A Customer
While I agree with the previous reviewers, in that it is a great album, I don't really agree with their anaylsis. I think Hamell's influences go further back than Spike Lee and Quentin Tarantino movies. Cultural touchstones for this album are Private Eye detective novels - from the likes of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett - more than anything else. In fact Hamell himself admits he was reading alot of them as he was making the album. Sure some of the characters could have come straight off the set of Goodfellas and Mean Streets, but the perspective and turns of phrase used in the songs are more Philip Marlowe and Sam Spade.

Looking at the track listing, this album seems angry and quite dark - "Go Fuck Yourself" is the first tune - however humour always comes out on top. So Joe Brush, a charcter in one of the songs, cuts his own fingers off, ala Van Gogh, and "now plays a mean slide guitar"! The songs have a definite cinematic aspect to them, being narratives concerning the lives of low-lifes, small time gangsters, hustlers and bar flys - and charcters keep popping up in different songs. Indeed they frequent the Toddle House, a bar which plays a key role throughout the album. But Hamell does not just criticise and show up his subjects lifestyles. While he satirises them, I think he also feels a certain fondness for his subject. The low-budget sound of the music just adds to the mood, with Hammel's harsh guitar pounding out the songs. In all a great, original, funny album.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Buy - you know you want to...., 19 Mar 2001
Picture, if you will, the lovechild of Lou Reed, Quentin Tarantino & Telly Savalas.... You have that in mind? Buy this album & this bizarre hybrid comes to life in the form of Hammell on Trial. A narative lyric set on an acoustic backdrop which is is closest comparable to 'Rock'n'roll Animal'/'Berlin'-era Lou Reed combined with a subject & language derivative of Quentin Tarantino's pop-shock culture films, means that this album is a classic. Above all, this album is great fun!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a vibrant, driven story-telling album.
This is something new. Reviewed by 'Uncut'as album of the week, this is a confident rhythmic run of tracks which has the feel of a Spike Lee film. Read more
Published on 17 Mar 2001

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums
  • music  (843 discussions)
  • pop  (369 discussions)

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Fun for Everyone

Christmas Gifts
Achieve over 15,000 RPM with our great range of Powerballs.

›Shop the Powerball store

  

Beauty without the Beast

Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream
From au naturel to party glam, we have all the best names in cosmetics and skincare.

›Discover Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

  

Train Hard...Play Hard

Nike, Gola, Converse, and more
Gear up with up to 60% off athletic and outdoor shoes.

›Shop now

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (76)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (464)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (165)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (85)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates