Eddie Hinton is among the most overlooked artists of the last 40 years. He was an incredible songwriter, a near-legendary session guitarist, and one of the finest soul singers of all time. He was also a deeply troubled man whose personal demons frequently threatened to undermine his enormous talent. Nine years after his death, his legend continues to (slowly) build. These reissues will add fuel to the fire.
Hinton is best known for his accomplishments as part of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section; he played on many of the classic songs of that era. He played the lead guitar break on the Staple Singers’ classic “I’ll Take You There” (though it was credited to Pops Staples), and was the guitarist on Boz Scaggs’ “Loan Me A Dime”, overshadowed by the slide solo of Duane Allman (considered by many of his fans to be his finest recorded performance).
If Allman’s place in the soul story is the maverick pushing the boundaries of what a guitar player can do within a soul song, Hinton was a more traditional player, though hardly less a genius. The Songwriting Sessions discs are among the Holy Grails of lost soul classics (along with Dan Penn’s “missing” album). Stripped of the studio slickness that marked (but in no way diminished) his “official” releases, these records find Hinton pouring his heart and soul into each performance.
The songs are some of the finest ever written. Hinton’s playing is never flashy but is undeniably complex. And he’s one of the all-time great soul singers (after Otis Redding’s death, Redding’s widow enlisted Hinton to give their children singing lessons).
While Volume 1 is the most cohesive, Volume 2 gets points for better demonstrating Hinton’s versatility and range. The songs, which span a longer period of his career, at times show off his more rocking and garage roots, while never short-changing his stature as a soul artist.
The packaging is a little clumsy and hard to read, but the information included is worth the trouble. Legendary producer Jerry Wexler’s quotes about watching Bob Dylan interact with Hinton are worth the price of admission.
