Gotta Let This Hen Out

With his band The Egyptians providing genuine firepower, Robyn Hitchcock essays a wild set of tunes that come to new life in the live setting. Hitchcock's melodies are strong and indestructible and up for the challenge of a backing group that can swerve to the edge without falling off. Hen was recorded at the London venue Marquee just after the release of the fantastic Fegmania!, when Hitchcock was building a notable following beyond his Soft Boys days. The extra instrumental workout of "Brenda's Iron Sledge," the pounding attack during "Sometimes I Wish I Was a Pretty Girl," and the brittle, electric crunch of "Kingdom of Love" bring out the primal urges in Hitchcock's songs. The track selection is stellar, featuring the best of early solo Hitchcock (especially "America," "Heaven," and "My Wife and My Dead Wife"). Several bonus cuts are added to the reissue, with "If You Were a Priest," from the then-forthcoming Element of Light, sounding compact, powerful, and rushed, like a punk number with harmonies.