Yet another positive review for the new album.  I am eternally grateful for the positive response.  If you haven’t purchased it, yet, you are obviously missing out!!!

–Doug

Eleven Alive: The Doug Hawk Proposition Ascends to Greatness

by Jason Hedrington (as submitted to www.thevalleybeat.com)

The Doug Hawk Proposition is a true musical trifecta: they stimulate body, mind and spirit. Tight grooves move you and thought-provoking lyrics feed your head as they uplift the soul with tales of advancing the human condition.

ELEVEN ALIVE (recorded live) presents itself as a perfect Saturday night soundtrack to set the low light and wine scene for gettin’ it on. Except that the lyrics constantly demand your attention and prevent the mellow grooves from becoming background music.

The supporting cast Hawk has amassed (Mike Lorenz, Lee Clarke and Paul Wells) to lay down the smoothness beneath his strong philosophic stances is a rock solid unit. In fact, if there is any complaint casual listeners may have it is that they are flawless…flawless to the fault that untrained listeners may believe the songs all sound the same. The DHP formula is unflashy pocket drums that do exactly what they’re supposed to, classic jazz-funk bass that is often felt and not heard, rhythm driven by steady keyboards rarely comping beyond eighth notes, and brilliantly understated guitar that rarely steps into the spotlight.

But that is hardly criticism: being perfectly and professionally in the pocket.

Besides, DHP brings the heat when necessary. Journey to album’s end and you’ll be rewarded when the band finally unleashes with old-school Jazz-Rock-Fusion riffs and hard-driving Disco Funk. Why put the best last? Maybe the concept is that the best things are worth waiting for–like Hawk’s lyrics that promise the best is yet to come if we practice right thinking and action as he takes flight with flowing scat vocals that serve notice to all other singers in the valley that the bar has officially been set for what a voice and lyrics can do.

Indeed, these extremely talented musicians have traded rock adventurousness and egotistical soloing to focus on bringing messages to the masses, and Hawk definitely seems destined to disseminate the most important possible information upon the populace. Lyrics are often a band’s Achilles heel, but Hawk’s poignant lyrical gamut flows from proper diet amidst a broken food industry to death of family members to the most controversial of political and religious thought. Even the CD cover art (rows of robot monkeys) speaks to Hawk’s thoughts on the state of Americans (delivered in minimalist environmentally-conscious packaging). He even journeys into bold conspiracy theory in “Kings” when he calls out our warring leaders and pulls out the stops with a David Icke soundbite that points the blame for our sorry state at world bankers. It’s a refreshing and exciting brave move.

But amidst his rage against the machine and rise above consciousness, Hawk can also masterfully get on his knees in humbleness to ask “Teach Me Please” as delicate guitar perfectly compliments his honest lyrics. And whether ruminating on our slave nature, cabbalistic mass indoctrination, unempathetic bloodlines poisoning the planet or the nature of love, Hawk does not just SING these lyrics. The listener FEELS the effortlessly conveyed yearning, frustration, loss, anger, pain and ascension via Hawk’s vocal skills.

The bottom line here is just as Hawk sings in “NASA” when he pines “Remember when we used to do things good? Remember when we used to do good?” Some of us remember and are cheering along to this master lyrical manifesto in the hope that Hawk continues to lead the charge to change the world for the better. The Doug Hawk Proposition is not just worth catching live–most importantly they are a band whose spiritual mission is more worth your support than any other band on the scene.