Loud is the Night

LOUD IS THE NIGHT

Hacienda has two albums on Alive Records to their credit, Loud is the Night (2008) and Big Red and Barbacoa (2010). The first album includes a lovely cover of one of Sonny and Cher’s earliest hits, “Baby Don’t Go” – “Baby Don’t Go” was actually released before the duo’s signature hit “I Got You Babe” just after they stopped recording under the name Caesar and Cleo. Both albums are excellent, but the second is more self-assured and seamless in its sound.

(January 2011)

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Since this post, Hacienda released a third album in 2012, Shakedown. Dan Auerbach has been involved with their albums from the beginning, producing both of their first two releases, Loud is the Night and Big Red and Barbacoa. This time out, Auerbach also co-writes the songs with the bandmembers. I haven’t picked up their third album yet; but Allmusic complains that this time, Dan Auerbach is beginning to overshadow the band’s own personality with that of his band, the Black Keys.

Several YouTube videos by Hacienda are available. Here is a music video for the opening track on their first album, Loud Is the Night, “She’s Got a Hold on Me” that is an ideal introduction to their style: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEHVMiGEh4w .

(January 2013)