Drive-By Truckers Album Poll

Ranking their six best.

Seeing them again this Saturday. And by again I mean again and again, because it's quite possible I've seen them more than any other act. 30 times? 40? Who can tell. The last time I saw them they were as good as I'd ever seen them. In 2002 or so I left a Bob Dylan show early to see the DBTs somewhere else. The first time I saw them was in Texas where they were on the same bill as ... Black Eyed Peas?

My tops remain Southern Rock Opera and Brighter Than Creation's Dark, but honestly there is not a single disc of theirs without its share of pleasures, passion and surprises. Maybe "A Blessing and a Curse" is the one I come back to the least? Even a lesser album like "Go Go Boots" has "Used to be a Cop," which is eerie and evil as fuck. And the early albums are remarkably assured and diverse and funny and powerful and smart.

I'm trying to remember, when was it that the band had its van stolen and solicited replacement music and mixtapes from friends and fans to make their drives more tolerable? Priorities!

Soto's ranking otm (never heard the pre-Opera albums). Creation is a marvel despite no Isbell tunes and the fact that I generally stop at "Checkout Time in Vegas"

Sime vital tracks pre-Opera, but at the least give "The Living Bubba" a listen. Incredible song, one of their best. Possible the first song Hood wrote for the DBTs? He once told me that if he was feeling off or not excited about a show he would start with that song, and by the end everyone was ready to go.