The Criminal Under My Own Hat

The Criminal Under My Own Hat is an album by T Bone Burnett that was released in 1992. It received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album.

Reception

Music critic Mark Deming of AllMusic said the album was "easily T-Bone Burnett's strongest album since Proof Through the Night, and a rare pleasure for thinking music fans". Trouser Press critic Ira Robbins called the album a "huge improvement" over Burnett's previous one, observing that "The Criminal Under My Own Hat largely abandons the slick pretensions of The Talking Animals and returns to the modest rootsiness of [his 1986 self-titled album]." Despite a few weak tracks, Robbins hailed it as "Burnett’s best album or at least his most underrated one."

Track listing

All tracks written by T Bone Burnett; except where indicated

1. "Over You" – 2:20
2. "Tear This Building Down" – 4:37
3. "It's Not Too Late" (Burnett, Elvis Costello, Bob Neuwirth) – 4:26
4. "Humans from Earth" – 2:48
5. "Primitives" – 3:15
6. "Criminals" – 3:44
7. "Every Little Thing" (Burnette, Neuwirth) – 2:53
8. "I Can Explain Everything" – 1:53
9. "Any Time at All" – 3:03
10. "I Can Explain Everything (Reprise)" – 3:19
11. "The Long Time Now" (Burnett, Neuwirth) – 3:00
12. "Kill Switch" – 2:55

Personnel

• T Bone Burnett – vocals
• Jerry Douglas – dobro
• Edgar Meyer – bowed bass
• Van Dyke Parks – accordion
• Marc Ribot – guitar
• Billy Swan – background vocals
• Jim Keltner – drums
• David Jackson – bowed bass
• Mark O'Connor – mandolin, violin
• Dean Parks – slide guitar
• Jerry Scheff – bass
• Harry Stinson – bass drums
• Andrea Zonn – viola
• Roy Huskey, Jr. – bass

References