"Bizarre, hilariously funny." "A particularly amiable
street crazy." "Readily describable but almost totally
undefinable." "Definitely perverse and infinitely lovable."
"A deranged, alternately acerbic and subdued performer."
"Devilish, unpredictable, and sometimes very creepy."
"Dangerously insane."
These are but a few of the words that critics have used to describe rock performer Joe Hall. And these are the critics who think he's relatively normal.
Many have watched him perform-attend to his striking lyrics and unique stage presence and have come away unable to describe or explain what they have seen. So they come back. It's the quality of the man's mind, and the music it produces, that attracts them. After all, where else could they hear, perhaps in the space of ten minutes, a hilarious horror extravaganza like "Vampire Beavers", a poignant Nazi waltz like "Lulu Take Me Dancing", and a bizarre mime performance called "Baby Take Me Shopping"?
Much of what Hall says and sings is explicable only on the hypothesis that he was deported from some other galaxy. A related theory maintains that he is of obscure German origins, and was influenced by, on one hand, writers like Dylan, Cohen, and David Blue, and, on the other, genuine show-biz lunatics like Screaming Jay Hawkins, not to mention the vast unexplored field of German cowboy music. Essentially self-taught on voice, guitar, harp, and piano, Hall has been writing and performing a long time, but it's really only since early 1977, and the now legendary house band gig at Toronto's Black Bull Tavern, that people and the press have noticed. He is now actively pursued by fans and collection agencies wherever he goes. His day-pass has also been extended, and he's gone on to play bigger and better jobs: the El Mocambo, the Edge (Toronto), Barrymore's (Ottawa), Gary Taylors (Vancouver), Harpo's (Victoria), the Refinery (Calgary) and many points between. Over his career he has served as an opening act for Joe Jackson, George Thorogood, Taj Mahal, Boz Scaggs, John Martyn, Levon Helm, Carolyn Mas and the Little River Band.
Hall's first three albums "Joe Hall/H.J. Boenke" (1977), "On The Avenue" (1979) and "Rancho Banano" (1980) all met with unanimous critical acclaim. These were followed by "On The Outside" (1988), "Direct to Delete" (1988), "Skeleton Key" (1992), "Rapture" (1993) and "Fresh From Rehab" (1996) showing that the man has not lost a thing. "Travelling Without Deodorant: Best of Joe Hall (1972-1988)" (1999) contains material from the early albums as well as previously unreleased live recordings from various locations around Canada.
His stage patter appears spontaneous: otherwise one might guess that it was co-scripted by Woody Allen and the Marquis de Sade. His animated facial features, which look like they are made of some bionic allotrope of Silly Putty, match his unduly expressive voice, which sings, snarls, drawls and quips its way through compositions that no-one else could possibly have written. Songs with titles like "Bohunks in Motown", "How Many Miles to Babylon", "Who's Going to Win the Human Race", and "Vampire Beavers" feature streamlined tight-rock sounds.
If this makes Joe Hall and the Continental
Drift sound like the musical equivalent of Hieronymus Bosch -
well, maybe they are. But this needs to be qualified, first, because
they are also capable of an intense tenderness, playing ballads
that are sweet without being cloying like "Lulu Take Me
Dancing", or the country-flavoured "If It's Just
the Whisky Talking", second, because the music whatever
else it might be, is always tight, professional and off-centre
(like "Nos Hablos Telephonos", a jangly parody
of spaghetti westerns, or the split tempo "Psychology
of Human Relationships"), the music never lets go of
its solid, expert groove. If there is rock and roll on Mars, it
may sound like this.
The rest of the Toronto-based Drift consists of Hall's long time accomplice, Tony Quarrington, a versatile and flashy guitarist, his brother Paul Quarrington and Martin Worthy, on base and drums respectively; a recording duo in their own right, who contributed such sweet harmonies to Hall's lead that it could sound like the Eagles backing Jimmy Durante.
Though comparisons to Frank Zappa and Tom Waits are frequent, Hall as an artist and singer is entirely himself. His wide popularity is based on a well founded and enthusiastic underground following. He was at one time the most-played single artist on Radio CKUA (Edmonton), and in 1979 "On The Avenue" was voted the number one album of the year by the listeners of WCUW (Worcester, MA). "Vampire Beavers" has been frequently played on the US radio network-based Doctor Demento Show over the years.
His songs have been recorded by Renee Claude, Judy Lander, Quarrington Worthy, Humphry and the Dumptrucks, and by the German band, die Gebruder Blattschuss. Some of his lyrics have been anthologized in a English textbook.
In the June 1999, "Retrospecitive of 100 years of arts and entertainment in Toronto" Mitch Potter of the Toronto Star wrote - "...as for Yorkville itself, the scene wasn't as seamlessly idyllic as rose-coloured hindsight might suggest. It may have given rise to such oversentimental voices as Dan Hill, but Toronto would also find room for the likes of disaffected genius Joe Hall and his Continental Drift (once staffed by novelist Paul Quarrington), a prickly auteur destined for fame if he wasn't too busy snarling at its outstretched hand."
"First
DAVID WIFFEN joins the True North roster. Now Cordova Bay/Ragged
Pup Records has signed fellow '70s folk hero JOE HALL. First up
in the deal is an anthology focusing on Hall's career with THE
CONTINENTAL DRIFT, the band that included Juno-nominated producer
TONY QUARRINGTON (who helped compile the new package) and brother
PAUL QUARRINGTON (the Governor General Award-winning author of
Whale Music who penned the liner notes). A new studio album from
Hall is slated for sometime next year ..." - Jeff Bateman,
The Record
Hall's November 1999 release of "Travelling
Without Deodorant - Best of Joe Hall" on Cordova
Bay/Ragged Pup Records features 21 of his best loved songs
between 1972 and 1988. A CD release of new works will be released
in the Fall of 2000.
Back to Paul Quarrington's Home Page