Root Hog or Die (album)

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Root Hog or Die
Studio album by Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper
Released	1989
Studio	Sounds Unreel Studios, Memphis, Tennessee
Genre	Rock, psychobilly
Label	I.R.S.
Producer	Jim Dickinson
Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper chronology
Bo-Day-Shus!!! (1987) Root Hog or Die (1989) Unlimited Everything (1990)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	A-[2]

Root Hog or Die is the fourth and final album by Mojo Nixon and Skid Roper, released in 1989. Subsequently, Nixon released the solo album Otis in 1990. A compilation, Unlimited Everything, was released the same year.

Track listing[]

All songs written by Nixon and published by Tallywacker Tunes/La Rana Music except as indicated.

1. "Debbie Gibson Is Pregnant with My Two-Headed Love Child"
2. "(619) 239-KING"
3. "This Land Is Your Land" (Woody Guthrie)
4. "Pirate Radio"
5. "Chicken Drop"
6. "Tennesse Jive" (sic) (Skid Roper)
7. "Louisiana Liplock"
8. "I'm a Wreck"
9. "Legalize It"
10. "Burn Your Money"
11. "Circus Mystery" (Skid Roper)
12. "She's Vibrator Dependent"
13. "High School Football Friday Night"

6 appears only on the cassette and CD releases of the album; 13 appears only on the CD release.

Critical reception[]

The music critic Robert Christgau, who had previously criticized the alleged misogyny of Nixon's song "Stuffin' Martha's Muffin'", gave Root Hog or Die an A-, calling it "Nixon's finest artistic achievement". However, he was unimpressed with Roper's cuts, calling them "the usual yawn" and commenting that "Mojo's loyalty to his partner, who has-his-own-album-out God-help-us, is one reason I think he's got a good heart."^[3]

Personnel[]

• Mojo Nixon - guitar, vocals, wah-wah guitar
• Skid Roper - bongos, choir/chorus, guitar, bass guitar, tambourine, vocals, washboard

with:

• East Memphis Slim - piano
• Phony Joe - organ
• Jim Spake - saxophone
• Ben Cauley - trumpet
• Bertram Brown, Jimmy Crosthwait, William C. Brown III - backing vocals
• Donna Hauth, Susanne Jerome Taylor - jingle singing

Technical

• Carol Tabor - assistant producer

References[]

External links[]

• Mojo Nixon's home page