Reviews
 



Some of these reviews were written prior to the name change
from "Thicker than Thieves" to "3 in the Morning"

DELTA COUNTY INDEPENDENT
December 18, 2002
North Fork News Section


Workin' On A Good Time with Thicker Than Thieves
by Kathy Browning
Staff Writer

   There are always bands that perform good covers of top hits. But it's rare to find a local band that plays predominantly original music and succeeds.  That's the case with resident rock band with blues and folk blendings, Thicker Than Thieves. The band has just released a new CD, "Workin' On A Good Time."  It's receiving good local airplay on KVNF Public Radio. To celebrate the CD, a CD Release Party and Christmas Dance will be held Friday, Dec. 20, from 8 p.m.- midnight at the Blue Sage Center for the Arts. Joining the band as guest musicians will be Howard Berkman, Karen Mills, Rasz, Maren Orion, and Zach Mann.
   Rick Stockton, Helen Highwater and Justin Hess are all formerly from Texas. Stockton and Highwater moved to Paonia in 1996. Hess came three years later.  Rick Stockton plays electric and acoustic guitars, banjo and lead and harmony vocals. Helen Highwater sings lead and harmony vocals and plays bass guitar. Justin Hess plays drums, percussion and guitars, and
handles lead vocals. Filling out the band whenever they can are Randall Utterback who plays fiddle, lead guitar, dobro, and mandolin, and Jim O'Meally on keyboards. Stockton said the majority of songs on the CD are new with a couple  revamped with new lyrics and arrangements.
   'Only Street In Town' is a poetic image composed by Stockton. It's really not about Grand Avenue. 'Say Yes' was discovered by Stockton on an old compilation album from the '80's. It was written by a group in Denmark. "It just jumped out of the album. It sounds like a top 40 hit," said Stockton. "We aren't pushing any single. We allow the radio stations to listen to the CD and let the DJs figure out what to play."
   One song receiving local airplay is 'Cousin John,' which is co-written by Hess and Stockton. Hess had a great tag line, "You had a good thing going. Now you have a good thing gone. "From that line the song virtually wrote itself. If you can't write a song around that, you can't write a song," Hess commented. Highwater sings the lead vocals. 'Sad Sad Moon' also features a smoky, bluesy vocal from Highwater. The song is written by a friend from San Marcos, Texas.
   Hess wrote 'From Now On' five years ago. Original lyrics were about dogs, but now it's become a look at recent world situations. "Now is the time for the song. It's more about life than war. It wasn't written in response to Sept. 11," Hess said.
Life experiences contributed to another Stockton original, 'If She Don't Come Back.' Stockton said the song is "a general statement about loss and carrying on."
   'No Place In This World,' is Stockton's song about disillusionment. "It's about someone who tried to play the game --- do all the things you are supposed to do in life, got a job making money --- but still didn't feel he fit in," Stockton said.
   Contributing musicians on the CD include Joseph Cordi, John Magnie, Steve Amedee, Mr. Rutherford, Rasz, Tyme Mientka, Karen Mills and Steve Dorocke. The CD was recorded, mixed and mastered at Valley West Studios in Paonia.



MONTROSE DAILY PRESS
October 18, 2002
Dave’s Spin Zone

Thicker Than Thieves
Workin’ On A Good Time
Neuf-Angled Records

    Rick Stockton is responsible for a great deal of the local music available on disc.  At his Valley West Studio in Paonia he has recorded Midnight Mesa, Fleeting Moment, Z-Bar Wranglers, Karen Mills, Maren Orion, and many others.  His latest jewel is his own band, Thicker Than Thieves.  This is at least the second disc from Thicker Than Thieves and with some spins on KVNF this band is going to be in demand as local performers.  This band rocks it, blues it, turns you every which way but loose.  When Helen Highwater sings with Jim O’Meally, as he tickles the ivories, it’s shades of Marcia Ball.
    From the opening note of Thicker Than Thieves’, Workin’ On A Good Time, it’s obvious that this is a special piece of music.  “Say Yes” demonstrates what a tight band this is.  Stockton’s tune, “Workin’ On A Good Time”, has a country feel and features outstanding lead guitar from Rick, and string wizard Randall Utterback in featured on dobro.  Banging out a Bo Diddley beat, drummer Justin Hess leads off Just About You”, which is a catchy dance number.  John Magnie, from the Dudes and Three Twins, lends his sweet accordion sound to “If She Don’t Come Back”, adding that momentary sadness.  Highwater belts out the Percy Mayfield blues tune “Watch It Baby”.   Stockton’s guitar rocks and turns in some tasty blues fills.  “ No Place In This World” sound like an outtake form Hair,  great beat and poppy lyrics.  Utterback’s mandolin provides brightness and the percussion gets the booty shaking on the reggae song, “High Tone”.  “Sad, Sad Moon” is a torchy vehicle for Highwater’s moody vocals.  Justin Hess sings the lead on his plea for peace and sanity in, “From Now On”.
    Thicker Than Thieves’ Workin’ On  A Good Time  is a great rock and roll record;  the fact that it was created here on the Western Slope of Colorado makes it that much better.  Thicker Than Thieves is one of the best dance bands around!



MONTROSE DAILY PRESS
October 22, 2004
Dave’s Spin Zone

3 In The Morning
Being There
Neuf-Angled Records

The band formerly known as Thicker Than Thieves is now 3 In The Morning. Their new CD is Being There. 3 In The Morning is from Paonia and is led by Rick Stockton on guitar and Helen Highwater on bass with Justin Hess on the drums. Rick owns and runs Valley West Recording Studio in Paonia.
Rick writes most of the song and sings most of the leads. “Big Blue Planet” which also ended up on the Mountain Harvest Sampler Vol. 2 is a poppy dance tune, typical of Stockton’s songs that are generally positive with bright production. A breezy going down the road rocker “She Took My Money” features Chris Bank on saxophone. Touching on his Texas roots Rick blends a south of the border melody with Greg Cooperman on accordion into the love song “Mexican Moonlight”. Helen belts out the vocal on the bluesy “Strange Attraction”. The rhythm section drives the beat behind Rick’s mandolin on the rootsy “my Sweetheart”. Bluesman extraordinaire Harry Harpoon pulls out his harmonica on the down and dirty barroom blues tune “Half Past Midnight”. Jim O’Meally pushes the sound with his boogie-woogie piano playing and Rick solos on the electric guitar. Getting torchy, Helen sings the slow burning blues “Wrong For Thinking You’d Care”. Rick Stockton has a feel for ’60s and ’70s rock arrangements and this is very evident on the power of “Don’t Talk About Love” which has a wonderful Jefferson Airplane vibe. Singing the poorboy blues Rick takes “Come Out Tonight” over the top. There are many fantastic artists and band right here in the greater KVNF listening area.
3 In The Morning is one of the best, great original bands that will have you up and dancing with talented players, and great production work. Being There is the best so far from 3 In The Morning. They will be playing CD release parties at the Sherbino Theater in Ridgway on November 12 and Boomers in Grand Junction on November 13.