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fell asleep to this last night on conan, but i was beat, i'm interested though

― kephm, Friday, 17 September 2004 15:40 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Those aren't even the best songs on the record.

― danh (danh), Friday, 17 September 2004 15:50 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I really want to hear a Jason solo album. Cooley too.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Friday, 17 September 2004 15:51 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

Seeing them tonight in NYC!

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 17 September 2004 16:00 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

(And here's to an Isbell solo record, that would be great).

― 57 7th (calstars), Friday, 17 September 2004 16:01 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

57, you'll have a blast. It was easily one of the best shows I've ever seen (and the best I've seen them, as well) - get there early and stand in front, stage right, in front of Shonna and Cooley.

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 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

I'll be there too. I haven't been this excited to see a band in a while.

― danh (danh), Friday, 17 September 2004 16:26 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

There's an Isbell solo album on the way. I was visiting family in North Carolina this August and had the distinct pleasure of wandering in a dive bar where Isbell was playing a solo show. He played a couple trucker songs but mostly solo stuff, and it all seemed pretty damn great, so we've got that to look forward to.

― stephen morris (stephen morris), Friday, 17 September 2004 17:28 (fourteen years ago) Permalink

How tragically, atypically, nay, uniquely fos re DS both CE and Matos are! Chuck, who has a big, big love for Brooks and Dunn (who are to Hall and Oates as the Eagles mostly were to prime Byrds: a harmony group who can't sing), and Montgomery Gentry, who have their moments, buts, especially on new album, but are too often, as on "Hell Yeah" doing *exactly* the kind of pandering and namedropping deplored aboove, and doing it ineptly(a Skyn-de-facto-homage band with hookless, uncatchy, tuneless singles? Please! Although "You Do Your Thing" is a great Ah-know-Ah'm-gon'-dah-for-another-fucked-cause anthem/unthem, as Ronnie Van Zant and Randy Newman and the Truckers mist be coverting rat now. Toby is no doubt pissed, as always). So don't think he always gets it right, anymore than I do, or MG does, the Truckers do. All of their albums are uneven. (Haven't heard GANGSTABILLY,nor the Adam's house Cat tracks PH reportedly carries around on his hard drive, but n.d. have their poo-spots). All that I've heard are also well worth hearing.(Listen before you buy if possible, as with everything by everybody.)DIRTY SOUTH has a few problem areas (mostly PH's whinier vocals and lyrics, but also "Carl Perkins' Cadillac"), but at least 10 damn-good-to-near-greats, the latter mostly but not always courtesy of Jason; 10 out of 14, fifty-something worthy minutes out of seventy(and rocks a bit more than equally worthy DECORATION DAY). Peace all, yall.

― Don Allred, Wednesday, 22 September 2004 01:18 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I STILL haven't heard Dirty South (I know -- it's an f'n crime.), but I love SRO and DD equally, but for different reasons.

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 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I bet you will too

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 03:02 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Sorry about the typos. Yeah, I wouldn't say SRO is even "good" pandering, because unlike any pandering, it doesn't settle for button-pushing (although I could live with out the one about rock as a"factory", which is kinda true, but they don't find or seem to look for a way to to twist the cliche). They have a knack for getting me to think again about stuff I take for granted, living in the South (nad more and more I see that "South" is their lens for the cussedness of all human nature). Still wish they could be funny again, and they really need to write about the trickiness of race rlations/attitudes; has any white Southern songwriter gotten beyond platitudes and other readymade aspects?? Van Zandt did some like "The Walls of Raiford" that *implied* a plight that cut across race-lines, but his "Ballad of Curtis Loew" was disappointingly sentimental.Though, in terms of open sympathy with/praise of a black nan, he sent a message (as George Wallace liked to say), to certain other lawnhar Johnny Rebs (like David Allen Coe).

― Don A, Wednesday, 22 September 2004 05:10 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

i love me some townes but i'd rather listen to David Allen Coe in most situations

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Wednesday, 22 September 2004 05:36 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

yeah DAC can be great; I've written about him at voice.com and freelancementalists.blogspot.com, but he also more than panders to racheds at times, in some club appeaances and on certain disgusting bootlegs i didn't know about when writing. Might've busted him then, but even now wonder if I'm not giving too much free advertising by even mentioning. Just another ahole problem.

― Don A, Wednesday, 22 September 2004 06:13 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Man I wanted to write this tomorrow but I'm not going to be able to sleep if I don't get this out. I've been listening to this album all day and I think that rathat than Lynyrd I think the two touchstones that people (ESPECIALLY Chuck) should be thinking of when listening to The Dirty South are John Mellencamp and Neil Young & Crazy Horse. What isn't Mellencamp (spec. "Rain On The Scarecrow")about "Putting People On The Moon" is Crazy Horse. And what isn't Crazy Horse about "Joe Perkins' Cadillac" is Mellencamp.

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 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Another thing: when trying to explain my fondness for Wilco I tell people that I think Jeff Tweedy is what Neil Young would be like if he was starting out after the concepts of culthood and punk were engrained in rock culture. If it wasn't for the sense of stardom he achieved with Springfield, Harvest, and CSNY as well as a child of the '50s sense of rock as redemption, I think Young would probably shirk into sound and abstraction more frequently. Where Wilco just implies that, Isbell's "Danko/Manuel" actually acknowledges that schism between the '60s and today nakedly. Neil can sing "Rock'n'roll is here to stay" and Isbell sings "just another thing to not believe in."

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 26 September 2004 06:41 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

oh and haha Isbell's always kind of out of sync with Cooley and Patterson as to what the album's theme is. Isbell's singing about poppa on Decoration Day even though they already covered that on SRO. Now he's singing about "Goddamn Lonely Love" cuz he's still one step behind.

― manthony m1cc1o (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 26 September 2004 06:43 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Rat on, Manthony! "Comfortable with their verbosity" in *deed*: this is mostly Patterson's prob though, and not just cause he's most prolific. Jason's singing about just one more thing not to believe in reminds me of Lennon's anthem re/to all the things he daosn't believe in, on his greatest (prob only great) solo alb ever, leading hm to 'just believe in you." More than one way to inspiration, as Jason's songs prove too. Another DBT influence, mostly Patterson's, for better and worse, seems to be the Eagles. They did have their moments, most of 'em on ON THE BORDER, but DBT's never as *sanctimoniously* malicious as the Eagles: if he wants to ill, he just does it. His present whine does remind me of theirs though. Yeah, burn the best (the most), ditch the rest, as they'd prob approve, and if they don't screw 'em.

― Don, Sunday, 26 September 2004 12:38 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

while trying to sleep I threw on Decoration Day and if any album should be throwing Chuck into an "OMG my boogie band is going ALT-COUNTRY!" snit it should be that one. The production's flatter, more ballads and twang and since his stuff doesn't move its harder to ignore Isbell's bump-on-a-log historical references. But again (this is key) you cannot listen to tracks 8-11 ever again.

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 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

two weeks pass...

They sure kicked ass in Nashville last night, as usual. They played for THREE HOURS! Managed to hang out with them again afterward, too.

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 10 October 2004 18:36 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

Did you get in town early enough to see the in-store at Grimey's? I almost got off my ass and went to that, but football prevailed.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Sunday, 10 October 2004 18:47 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

no - didn't even know about that!!

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 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

I talked to my friend Corey about it. He had to go to some kind of work seminar in Florida this week, but he said he's sending me a cd-r when he gets back. It's coming, my friend.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Sunday, 10 October 2004 19:27 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

you're the man. lemme know what you need in return!

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 10 October 2004 19:58 (thirteen years ago) Permalink

one year passes...

Dirty South kind of kicks Decoration Day all over the place, no? This is killing me tonight.

― dan. (dan.), Sunday, 12 February 2006 03:18 (twelve years ago) Permalink

from the country thread, for whatever it's worth:

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

I love the new album. Love it. Hood's never sounded better, and Isbell's songs are fantastic.

― a. begrand (a begrand), Sunday, 12 February 2006 05:02 (twelve years ago) Permalink

It's funny I guess but all of the criticisms of drearyness directed at Dirty South seem more appropriate in talking about Decoration Day. I kind of heard Dirty South as way more intense and angry and slow burning, following up what was almost a folk record with a couple of clunky rockers that really didn't rock.

― dan. (dan.), Monday, 13 February 2006 03:41 (twelve years ago) Permalink

Their best song is still "Zip City," as far as I'm concerned, by the way.

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 shit
When you don't put out
And Zip City's so far away...

I got 350 heads on a 305 engin
I get ten miles to the gallon
I 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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

i don't understand the appeal of this band. nor big n rich for that matter. someone kindly explain?

― Vintage Latin (dog latin), Monday, 13 February 2006 04:31 (twelve years ago) Permalink

dbt are light years beyond what big and rich are doing. after royal trux and crazy horse, respectively, i'd say DBT are the greatest rock band in the world. i guess you either get it or you don't, but i'd say try downloading some of the songs recommended above - check out Danko / Manuel (Isbell), Dead Drunk and Naked (Hood) and Marry Me (Cooley). If those songs don't do it for ya, I'd say you're a hopeless case my friend.

SO psyched for the new one!

― Roger Fidelity (Roger Fidelity), Monday, 13 February 2006 07:17 (twelve years ago) Permalink

it's good AND dreary!!!
me likey long time.

― eedd, Monday, 13 February 2006 14:29 (twelve years ago) Permalink

I've only heard 3 songs, but they're all great. Best band of the 2000s.

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

this is what i posted in that same country thread, after seeing the boys live a few weeks ago, just a few scattered impressions:

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 unpleasant
2 - refrain is "don't be so easy on yourself" (Isbell sings this one, I liked it)
3 - "Blessing and a Curse" - not very memorable
4 - Gravity's Gone - Cooley sings it, lyrics about handjobs I think and waking sunny-side-up, this one's good
5 - "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 record
6 - "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 decent
8 - 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 evocative
9 - "World of Hurt"

― Josh Love (screamapillar), Monday, 13 February 2006 14:59 (twelve years ago) Permalink

three weeks pass...

i like all the hood songs on the new one, hate the isbell songs (one sounds like eddie money, i swear to god), and am ambivalent about the cooley songs. this does feel like their most "indie rock" album. i'm not totally feeling it, but then the dirty south ended up really growing on me, so i'm reserving judgment until i live with it a few months.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 16:21 (twelve years ago) Permalink

It's a good record, I just wish Cooley and Isbell had more songs. 7-2-2 isn't a good songwriting split for a Truckers record.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 16:26 (twelve years ago) Permalink

Agreed that Isbell's songs aren't quite on par with his previous stuff (wouldn't say I hate them at all though, "Daylight" is still pretty gripping), and Cooley's "Space City" is still maybe my favorite on the whole album, but I'm mostly just disappointed at the disparity b/w Hood songs vs. the other two. The last couple of albums were way more balanced, the split on Dirty South was 6-4-4 in favor of Patterson but this record's 7-2-2 I think. I do like some of Hood's stuff on here too (esp. "Aftermath USA" and "Feb. 14") but it's still a shame that two of the best songwriters alt-country's got (which really needs all the help it can get) are being consigned to just a couple of tunes per album - in other words, where's Isbell's solo already?

xpost, exactly.

― Josh Love (screamapillar), Tuesday, 7 March 2006 16:37 (twelve years ago) Permalink

this one's been on repeat for a couple of weeks now, and it's got some good un's and some clunkers...
seems like they're gettin away from their 'bar-band' roots and tryin to write more singer/song writer type ditties...

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

two months pass...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEZ-bIfeM4E

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 (twelve years ago) Permalink

one year passes...

'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 (ten years ago) Permalink

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 (ten years ago) Permalink

three months pass...

'A World of Hurt'

*Ducks rocks*

― Fer Ark, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 21:19 (ten years ago) Permalink

Brighter Than Creation's Dark is uneven like their others, but higher highs than the last one (lots of discussion on Rolling Country)

― dow, Tuesday, 29 July 2008 21:46 (ten years ago) Permalink

My soon to be former roommate just gave me 7 of their CDs to rip. Oh boy oh boy.

― RabiesAngentleman, Wednesday, 30 July 2008 06:24 (ten years ago) Permalink

I saw them at First Ave in Mpls just a little while back and they were incredible. I must have been one of like three people dancing the entire time.

― RabiesAngentleman, Wednesday, 30 July 2008 06:25 (ten years ago) Permalink

God I hate when people brag about dancing at shows.

― Reatards Unite, Wednesday, 30 July 2008 08:31 (ten years ago) Permalink

one of the statues huh

― RabiesAngentleman, Wednesday, 30 July 2008 08:36 (ten years ago) Permalink

God bless the man that dances at a DBT show.

― myndbloom, Wednesday, 30 July 2008 14:18 (ten years ago) Permalink

You should have been at Nottingham last night.

DBT do attract White Trash. God bless em.

Do DBT attract Trailer Park in the USA?

― Fer Ark, Friday, 8 August 2008 18:59 (ten years ago) Permalink

Brighter Than Creation's Dark is uneven like their others

They've been getting more-and-more uneven over the course of their last few albums. Before that, the three-disc run of Southern Rock Opera -- The Dirty South was pretty special.

― Daniel, Esq., Friday, 8 August 2008 19:07 (ten years ago) Permalink

Skipping 102 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

I mostly like the riff and the faster than usual tempo. I also like Hood in righteous mode.

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 15 November 2017 23:04 (ten months ago) Permalink

xpost that's a great essay, I love his honesty.

― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 15 November 2017 23:16 (ten months ago) Permalink

He's a fantastic writer.

― kornrulez6969, Thursday, 16 November 2017 02:17 (ten months ago) Permalink

three weeks pass...

Something about the wrinkle in your forehead
Tells me there’s a fit about to be thrown
If we get the van out of the ditch before the morning
Ain’t nobody gotta know about what I’ve done

― calstars, Saturday, 9 December 2017 04:27 (nine months ago) Permalink

three months pass...

As good as I have ever seen them tonight, and I've seen them a lot!

― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 7 April 2018 03:23 (five months ago) Permalink

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