"Johnny Hickman recalls having four guitarists, an unusual configuration for their pre-Cracker band, the Unforgiven, as they delve back into the Cracker discography and focus on massive, skull-thumping guitar solos."
Getting down to the nitty-gritty, Cracker, the badass band formed way back in 1990, ain't got no issues telling you their secret sauce. In a nutshell, it's a more laid-back version of the Steely Dan model – that's if Steely Dan were buddies since they were teenagers and didn't take things too seriously.
With 18 different players gracing the stage, the band's nucleus remains guitarists-vocalists, Dave Lowery and Johnny Hickman. As Hickman puts it, "Cracker Incorporated is David and me."
These two, despite their occasional disagreements, have figured out a way to keep the peace: they live on opposite sides of the goddamn country! They only connect when they're rehearsing or playing live shows – and that seems to work just fine. Channeling a bit of sibling rivalry, these opposites attract, share a spark of competition, much like the infamous Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, or Tom Petty and Mike Campbell, or even those crazy brothers from Oasis.
When it comes to creative process, Hickman and Lowery have got a simple system: one of them comes up with a keg-sized riff, and the other one wraps it in a catchy melody and sweet, sticky lyrics. This no-frills recipe helped Cracker rule college and alternative radio in the '90s with hits like Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now), Low, and Euro-Trash Girl. In total, the band has put out 9 studio albums over the years, which are all here in the impressive 3-LP vinyl, 2-CD set, Alternative History: A Cracker Retrospective.
However, there's a twist – instead of paying big bucks to their former labels for their old tracks, Hickman and Lowery decided to re-record all their songs, just like Taylor Swift, Def Leppard, Prince, Squeeze, and other smart cats did before them.
"We started this some years ago, on our Greatest Hits Redux album [2006]," Hickman explains. "The guys from Virgin Records – and all the people buying, selling, and buying and selling that entity – own the recordings of those songs. But David and I never let go of our publishing and our ownership of our creative content, which means we're free to re-record them and make new versions for greatest-hits collections or whatever we want."
Revisiting various tracks from their catalog allowed Hickman to add a new edge to his guitar performances. "It's only natural – you go in with new ears and want to try something a little different," he says. "I've kind of got my sound narrowed down to a Creston guitar and a Fender Deluxe Reverb. Of course, I love Strats and Les Pauls; they all have their place in what I do."
Let's dive into Hickman's journey with the guitar, starting with an unconventional beginning. As a young 'un, he took piano lessons due to his parents, but all it took was one glimpse of the Beatles for him to yearn for a six-string. His dad, serving in the military, brought him a tiny, nylon-string guitar made for small hands when they were stationed in Spain. He had to learn to tune it by borrowing a neighbor's ears.
The Beatles set Hickman on the right path, but he quickly moved on to guitar heroes like Jeff Beck and David Gilmour, and band influences like the Kinks, especially in the songwriting department. He became a devotee of British rock but eventually developed a taste for the tunes crafted stateside by American acts like Otis Redding and the Ventures, discovering the true potential of the guitar as a voice.
Before Cracker, Lowery made a name for himself with Camper Van Beethoven, and Hickman was part of the spaghetti Western-inspired band, the Unforgiven. This wacky group had four guitarists to create their distinct sound, which blended the Clash, Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin with Ennio Morricone's signature style.
"We were just a little too weird for the main mainstream," Hickman admits.
Regarding his camaraderie with Lowery, Hickman was once invited to join Camper Van Beethoven, but he wasn't able to relocate to Santa Cruz, where the band was based. Following the Unforgiven's departure, he teamed up with Lowery, forming a dynamic duo that hit the ground running – and they haven't looked back since.
- Cracker, the band formed in 1990, has a similar relaxed approach to Steely Dan, but with a sense of camaraderie as if they were childhood friends.
- The band's nucleus remains guitarists-vocalists, Dave Lowery and Johnny Hickman, with Hickman describing the band as "Cracker Incorporated" and only collaborating during rehearsals or live shows.
- Hickman and Lowery have a simple songwriting process, with one coming up with a keg-sized riff and the other wrapping it in a catchy melody and sweet lyrics.
- The band has put out 9 studio albums, including the recent Alternative History: A Cracker Retrospective, and has re-recorded all their old tracks instead of paying for them from their former labels.
- Hickman has used a Creston guitar and a Fender Deluxe Reverb, along with Strats and Les Pauls, throughout his guitar performances.
- Hickman's interest in the guitar began as a young 'un with piano lessons, but his passion for the instrument was kindled when he saw the Beatles, who led him to guitar heroes like Jeff Beck and David Gilmour, and band influences like the Kinks, Otis Redding, and the Ventures.
