I might not think the history lesson was such a bore if it was, say, "Michael Murphey's Cadillac, actually -- which would be way more clever, too, given Geronimo's and all. (Plus, the Kentucky Headhunters did a better song about Carl Perkins on a way better Southern Rock/country album LAST year. And it was easily one of the lesser songs on *that* album.)
― chuck, Monday, 21 June 2004 21:57 (nineteen years ago) link
― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Monday, 21 June 2004 22:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― Debito (Debito), Tuesday, 22 June 2004 02:19 (nineteen years ago) link
I honestly can't remember the last time I was actually excited to meet a band - comes with the territory of being a rock journo I guess
Anyway, I wholeheartedly disagree with chuck upthread - and if you miss the lighthearted stuff, well, there's two songs about Walking Tall, fer chrissakes!! What do you want?? What's more lighthearted than Walking goddamm Tall? :)
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 10 September 2004 15:41 (nineteen years ago) link
They were on Conan last night and they did an Isbell song I think. How old is that kid? His lyrics are just too much. So well written and so fucking defiant. He was all dressed up and looked like an American Idol contestant singing about his sort of fucked up/backwoods life and how he doesn't (or can't, I guess) give a shit. It was pretty perfect.
He knows his southern writers I guess.
― danh (danh), Friday, 17 September 2004 15:03 (nineteen years ago) link
god, i love them truckers.
― Peter Watts (peterw), Friday, 17 September 2004 15:14 (nineteen years ago) link
― gabbneb (gabbneb), Friday, 17 September 2004 15:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― Peter Watts (peterw), Friday, 17 September 2004 15:19 (nineteen years ago) link
(judging from the song samples I heard on Northern State's site he's dead on about that album though)
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 17 September 2004 15:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― kephm, Friday, 17 September 2004 15:40 (nineteen years ago) link
― danh (danh), Friday, 17 September 2004 15:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 17 September 2004 15:51 (nineteen years ago) link
― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 17 September 2004 16:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 17 September 2004 16:01 (nineteen years ago) link
you are PSYCHED my friend.
I wish I was seeing them tonight, but I hafta wait until the 9th
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 17 September 2004 16:06 (nineteen years ago) link
― danh (danh), Friday, 17 September 2004 16:26 (nineteen years ago) link
― stephen morris (stephen morris), Friday, 17 September 2004 17:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― Don Allred, Wednesday, 22 September 2004 01:18 (nineteen years ago) link
Southern Rock Opera rocks beautifully, which is hard to find sometimes. Some of Hood's stuff on that is incredible. The thing I like most about it, though, is that it really captures the Skynyrd soul AND mythology .. the whole "heroes that nobody gathered were heroes that die in a fiery crash ... only to be seen as heroes posthumously" narrative. The music even reflects that, and the whole thing turns weirdly meditative. Boom.
With Decoration Day, I was expecting more of said channeling, which made that record shocking when I first heard it. As Matos points out, the weariness drips all through it but so does this call for transcendence -- "Rock and well means well but it can't help telling young boys lies ... don;t call what your wearing an outfit." Isbell's songs sum up the whole record's theme, love your neighbor even if your neighbor is fucked up. It's one of the smartest rock records in ages. Hmmm, y'all.
The intelligence with DBT is scary. So point is, I bet I'll dig the new one when I catch up ...
― Chris O., Wednesday, 22 September 2004 01:46 (nineteen years ago) link
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 03:02 (nineteen years ago) link
― Don A, Wednesday, 22 September 2004 05:10 (nineteen years ago) link
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 05:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― Don A, Wednesday, 22 September 2004 06:13 (nineteen years ago) link
Caveat: Do not listen to the Buford Pusser trilogy ever again. They think the answer to Walking Tall is to try and glorify the other side of the coin, when really they should be talking about how BOTH sides are fucked up. Plus "Cottonseed" is indeed terminable and worthless. The whole thing fucks with the real point of this album, which is to express their politics the same way Decoration Day expressed their personal relationships and Southern Rock Opera expressed their sense of identity. And their politics are far too nice guy (liberals who believe in learning from your elders - it's kinda Field Of Dreams, kinda hey hey Neil Young and the Coog) for them to convincingly come off as southern mafiosos. Tracks 8-10 simply do not exist. Kogan does that shit all the time, right?
They're definitely becoming more comfortable with their verbosity, which is making their songwriting less anthemic than it was back in the day. I think they're making up for this with SOUND. Cut out the Pusser trilogy and I think this album actually has more swing than Decoration Day, but again, in a Crazy Horse kinda way. I was scared by Chuck's initial review, but Isbell's songs are much less staid here. I don't think he's the second coming and he is way too alt-country for the flashtastic, but they do shuffle now. Cooley's pretty cornpone too (while your at it never listen to "Daddy's Cup" again either, it's right after the trilogy) but when the band's behind him he's certainly got more sense than the Coog did back on "Justice & Independence '85."
Oh and it took me a while to figure out why I loved "Tornadoes" so much and the answer is that it sounds a hell of a lot like Big Star's "Kanga Roo."
If this album was just tracks 1-7 and 12-14 I think this would be my favorite DBT album. But hey, I have almost every Crazy Horse album and only a cheap Lynyrd comp.
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 26 September 2004 06:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 26 September 2004 06:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 26 September 2004 06:43 (nineteen years ago) link
― Don, Sunday, 26 September 2004 12:38 (nineteen years ago) link
They're supposedly sending a video for "Don't Ever Change" to CMT, and Isbell is now "the face" of the band they're gonna try to push on country markets. You wouldn't have guessed that back on Day.
Oh and just in case SOMEBODY wants to quibble, what isn't Kenny Aaronoff about Brad Morgan is Ralph Molina.
― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 26 September 2004 14:40 (nineteen years ago) link
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 10 October 2004 18:36 (nineteen years ago) link
― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Sunday, 10 October 2004 18:47 (nineteen years ago) link
Jason's solo album will be out in the Spring - psyched!
Johnny, can you still get me some Adam's House Cat stuff?
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 10 October 2004 19:21 (nineteen years ago) link
― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Sunday, 10 October 2004 19:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 10 October 2004 19:58 (nineteen years ago) link
― dan. (dan.), Sunday, 12 February 2006 03:18 (eighteen years ago) link
New Drive By Truckers album, due April 25, sounds...dreary. Surprise, surprise. Only 11 songs, which I commend, but it still kinda drags on and on. I do find myself not reacting negatively to the sort of songs where the guitars and the high-voiced guy (which one is that? I can never keep them straight) goosh out a nice steady stream of Neil Young and Crazy Horse beauty; there are at least two and a half of those (I think, though don't quote me on this, "Goodbye," "Blessing and a Curse," and about half of "A World of Hurt," the other half of which is a sort of monolouge worthy of, I dunno, early Nada Surf or middle King Missile or some other mid '90s alt novelty rock artistes I've forgotten who used to recite deadpan prose over their singing.) The one track I actually actively LIKE is "Aftermath USA", a blatant Stones rip about (hi Shooter) waking up after a chemically fucked-up night to a trashed apartment with crystal meth in the tub and the kids haven't been to school for weeks. Which makes me not feel so bad about my own kid missing school Friday 'cause he said he had a cold.-- xhuxk (xedd...), January 17th, 2006.
>worthy of, I dunno, early Nada Surf or middle King Missile<Both of whom, at least when they recited prose about popular kids and detachable penises, were probably funnier. So no, really probably NOT worthy. (Not that funniness is all I care about. And it does occur to me that titles like "Aftermath USA" and "A World Of Hurt" might mean this CD's supposed to be about current events or something, somehow.)-- xhuxk (xedd...), January 17th, 2006.
So the high-voiced Drive By Trucker is Patterson Hood, right? At least that's what Xgau tells me. Only place on the new one where his Neil Young and Crazy Horse beauty really hits a dust-storm of paydirt, to my ears, is "A Blessing and A Curse." I've decided not to vouch for "Goodbye," which he might not even sing, or "A World Of Hurt." "Daylight" seems to be an awful attempt at Radiohead (via My Morning Jacket?) style nothingness; "Wednesday" is rote bland alt-country; "Space City" another bore. "Gravity's Gone" is a passable second Stones rip (also mentions coke I think -- actually, seems to be about some sort of high-fallutin schmooze party), but not nearly up to the level of "Aftermath USA," probably the only great cut on here (though I reserve the right to change my mind about any of this).-- xhuxk (xedd...), January 17th, 2006.
― xhuxk, Sunday, 12 February 2006 03:38 (eighteen years ago) link
― a. begrand (a begrand), Sunday, 12 February 2006 05:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― dan. (dan.), Monday, 13 February 2006 03:41 (eighteen years ago) link
This may very well still be true. Though upon review I seem to have left it off my POX, which perplexes me.
Cooley remains my go-to guy, though they all have their moments.
"Don't know why I put up with his shitWhen you don't put outAnd Zip City's so far away...
I got 350 heads on a 305 enginI get ten miles to the gallonI ain't got no good intentions."
Hood remains the heart and soul and all, but it's mostly Cooley and Isbell who get me right here...*
*("Angels and Fuselage" excepted)
― rogermexico (rogermexico), Monday, 13 February 2006 04:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― Vintage Latin (dog latin), Monday, 13 February 2006 04:31 (eighteen years ago) link
SO psyched for the new one!
― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Monday, 13 February 2006 07:17 (eighteen years ago) link
― eedd, Monday, 13 February 2006 14:29 (eighteen years ago) link
Of the three I've heard, Cooley's is the best. Gravity's Gone, I think it's called. I'd put it in the alltime COoley hall of fame alongside Uncle Frank, Panties in Your Purse and Zip City.
― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Monday, 13 February 2006 14:44 (eighteen years ago) link
hey xhuxk, saw the Drive-By Truckers last night here in Athens, first show of a three-night homestand - you're the only person I know who's heard the new one (how DO you get 'em so fast? I remember bugging their publicist for two months after you first mentioned Dirty South on here before they finally sent me a copy) - anyway, can you help me fill in a couple of these song titles for the new cuts for a show review I'm writing up for the paper here?1 - "hold my breath until next Wednesday" - I assume this one's "Wednesday" agreed that it's rote alt-country but not entirely unpleasant2 - refrain is "don't be so easy on yourself" (Isbell sings this one, I liked it)3 - "Blessing and a Curse" - not very memorable4 - Gravity's Gone - Cooley sings it, lyrics about handjobs I think and waking sunny-side-up, this one's good5 - "left w/o saying goodbye" - assume this one's "Goodbye" lyrics sound pretty treacly but I liked the bass on this one, hope it sounds as good on record6 - "Daylight" (I think Isbell did this one, oh wait yeah this is the one where he's all full-throated screamy, I guess that's where you're getting the Radiohead/MMJ comparison from)7 - "Feb 14" - slight but decent8 - something like "wonder why it's taking me so long" also think I heard something about getting dirt off your good name, Cooley sang it and I'm fairly certain it wasn't an old song and hopefully not a cover b/c I really liked it, acoustic and very evocative9 - "World of Hurt"
― Josh Love (screamapillar), Monday, 13 February 2006 14:59 (eighteen years ago) link
― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 16:21 (eighteen years ago) link
― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 16:26 (eighteen years ago) link
xpost, exactly.
― Josh Love (screamapillar), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 16:37 (eighteen years ago) link
that being said, live- they're almost w/o equal. saw this past summer and even the "short set" (meaning under 2.5-3+ hours) was a blast.i've turned more people onto this band than any other, i think.and it's worth it...
― eedd, Tuesday, 7 March 2006 16:51 (eighteen years ago) link
VDO my friend cobbled together. People with DBT are mildly interested in working a video for one of the new songs, so if we get enough views for this, he and I might be doing another for realsz.
― Jimmy Mod is a super idol of The MARS SPIRIT (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Saturday, 20 May 2006 02:14 (seventeen years ago) link
'The Living Bubba' - the live version off of Alabama thunderpussy ,or whatever it's called - one of the best grieving songs ever. It just lolls on and on. Fuck off death. You will never beat me. I've got another show to do
― Fer Ark, Wednesday, 16 April 2008 22:17 (sixteen years ago) link
Bob ain't light in the loafers He might kneel, but he never bends over
o_0
― milo z, Wednesday, 16 April 2008 22:21 (sixteen years ago) link
“Don’t call what you’re wearing a sterling bigmouth”
― calstars, Monday, 22 January 2024 01:28 (two months ago) link
BUT I SURE SAW OZZY OSBOURNE WITH RANDY RHOADS IN 82 RIGHT BEFORE THAT PLANE CRASH
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 22 January 2024 01:57 (two months ago) link
I like how he's occasionally changed the bands over the years. I've heard him talking about seeing the Clash, and seeing the Replacements, and seeing Springsteen, etc.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 22 January 2024 02:47 (two months ago) link
it’s one of the first songs i remember from the first time i ever saw them live back in 2006 i thinkpart of what grabbed me was how this song so perfectly reflected that universal language (well within my friendship circle) the way my friends & i talked to each other, and mr veg and i - the stories that go with those great concerts you saw, or the ones you never get to
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 22 January 2024 03:15 (two months ago) link
I was drinking with my ex and the “scared shitless of what’s coming next” came on and she
― calstars, Monday, 22 January 2024 03:25 (two months ago) link
*drivingAnd she cracked up
hood turned 60 today : /
― mookieproof, Monday, 25 March 2024 00:22 (three weeks ago) link
They are touring Southern Rock Opera this fall.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 25 March 2024 00:23 (three weeks ago) link
yes! we put in ticket requests for one of the SF Fillmore shows :D
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 25 March 2024 00:25 (three weeks ago) link
can’t wait
ticket prices seem ... weird.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 25 March 2024 01:20 (three weeks ago) link
$40 each for standing room at the Fillmore felt kinda normal or at least less upsetting than Pearl Jam
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 25 March 2024 01:29 (three weeks ago) link
Bought my tix. They were $45 plus $20 of extra BS for House of (fuckin) Blues. Early all ages show, which is odd. Seeing the second night, because Adrian Belew et al. are the night before, and I am the weirdo that is seeing King Crimson and DBT on back to back nights.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 2 April 2024 20:33 (two weeks ago) link
nice!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 02:36 (two weeks ago) link