Those shows are pretty futhermucking loud, though. On night two I occasionally popped in earplugs, which I never do. Do I smell a thread? "Earplugs at Shows?"
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 15 October 2003 12:40 (twenty years ago) link
― largehearted boy (largeheartedboy), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 13:03 (twenty years ago) link
― Jeanne Fury (Jeanne Fury), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 13:37 (twenty years ago) link
― teeny (teeny), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 14:53 (twenty years ago) link
She had three televisions just like Elvis, the King, used to have...
― ModJ (ModJ), Wednesday, 15 October 2003 15:00 (twenty years ago) link
1. The Company I Keep2. Love Like This3. Whiskey Without Women4. Sink Hole5. Wife Beater6. Dead Drunk & Naked7. Nine Bullets8. Guitar Man Upstairs9. Margo & Harold10.Marry Me
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 16 October 2003 03:11 (twenty years ago) link
― Haikunym (Haikunym), Thursday, 16 October 2003 03:19 (twenty years ago) link
― Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Thursday, 16 October 2003 04:00 (twenty years ago) link
― elle (elle), Thursday, 16 October 2003 14:23 (twenty years ago) link
>Playing the new Drive By Truckers album *Dirty South* now. It sounds even more tired than their last one; they've totally given up on trying to be Skynyrd, which sucks. Not horrible, though. Better than Patterson Hood's solo CD, I guess. So I bet it gets very good reviews.<
I'm now convinced, by the way, that *Dirty South* is their worst album ever, by far. The first song rocks okay, but just about everything else drags drags drags, almost 100 percent ballads, damn near no fucking memorable melodies, no fucking energy, nothing. Track #4 is okay, probably some others here and there, I forget which ones. Sometimes the high singing is kinda pretty, and the thing definitely is better to play at work than in a car, since the record does not move AT ALL. "Carl Perkins' Cadillac" strikes me as pandering bullshit. Track #9, "Cottonseed," is one of the most tedious, interminable songs I've heard all year. If somebody really believes I'm missing something, I wish they would explain what it is. Their three EARLY albums (as in pre Southern Rock Opera) blow this one out of the water, if anybody's curious.
― chuck, Saturday, 19 June 2004 19:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 19 June 2004 19:27 (nineteen years ago) link
― chuck, Saturday, 19 June 2004 19:37 (nineteen years ago) link
― Mr Deeds (Mr Deeds), Sunday, 20 June 2004 03:23 (nineteen years ago) link
― TheNewJMod (JMod), Sunday, 20 June 2004 03:32 (nineteen years ago) link
Chuck's description doesn't worry me one bit if he really thinks "Cassie's Brother" is better than Decoration Day.
And yes, JMod, I agree - one of the loudest (and best) live shows i've ever seen.
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Sunday, 20 June 2004 05:32 (nineteen years ago) link
Now, I haven't heard the Dirty South yet so I guess I can't sufficiently respond, but what I'd heard live sounded terrific.
Mr. Deeds 100% OTM about "Daddy's Cup" - blew me away live, and honestly unless they TOTALLY changed the demo version on the website and the way they play it live for the record, I'm really surprised Chuck wouldn't like "Carl Perkins" 'cause it's got such a GREAT poppy riff on it, one of the catchiest I've heard all year.
"Where the Devil Don't Stay" was a great rocker live as well, and "Danko/Manuel" was a terrific ballad to these ears. I will admit that Patterson's songs did sound kind of weak in comparison to Cooley and Isbell, and of course again I haven't actually heard the album so I might be totally off base altogether.
― Josh Love (screamapillar), Sunday, 20 June 2004 06:56 (nineteen years ago) link
I will say however that I agree with Chuck about missing the humor and playfulness of the first three rekkids, the Truckers definitely do take themselves a little too seriously from time to time nowadays and I'd sure love it if they'd inject a little bit of that Panties in Your Purse/Steve McQueen/Too Much Sex (Too Little Jesus) spirit into their newer stuff.
― Josh Love (screamapillar), Sunday, 20 June 2004 07:01 (nineteen years ago) link
― chuck, Monday, 21 June 2004 14:16 (nineteen years ago) link
― chuck, Monday, 21 June 2004 14:28 (nineteen years ago) link
― chuck, Monday, 21 June 2004 14:31 (nineteen years ago) link
the key line
― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 21 June 2004 14:41 (nineteen years ago) link
― Je4nne ƒury (Jeanne Fury), Monday, 21 June 2004 14:49 (nineteen years ago) link
― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 21 June 2004 14:53 (nineteen years ago) link
― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 21 June 2004 14:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― chuck, Monday, 21 June 2004 15:07 (nineteen years ago) link
― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 21 June 2004 15:13 (nineteen years ago) link
― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 21 June 2004 15:14 (nineteen years ago) link
I'll agree with this. Ah well, can't really argue with Chuck on this until I gets me a copy of Dirty South myself.
And I really like Isbell BTW, I thought his two contributions to Decoration Day were among the best on the album, and at least when I saw it performed live, I thought "Danko/Manuel" was absolutely haunting.
I can see Chuck's point about pandering as far the Dixie Chicks are concerned b/c that song did seem specifically geared to orient themselves in the "don't make 'em like they usedta" camp, but I don't see it with "Carl Perkins' Cadillac" - I mean, that's what the song's about, y'know? It doesn't seem to me to be contrived in the least, certainly it is a "history lesson" and maybe that's a bore for some, but I don't see it as pandering at all.
Funny you mentioned "Long Time Gone" Chuck b/c I referenced that song in my Stylus review of Gretchen Wilson today, how she's big-upping Bocephus while the Chicks prefer Hank Sr.
http://www.stylusmagazine.com/review.php?ID=2093
― Josh Love (screamapillar), Monday, 21 June 2004 15:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― roger adultery (roger adultery), Monday, 21 June 2004 20:51 (nineteen years ago) link
― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 21 June 2004 20:55 (nineteen years ago) link
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiDs_Rr6YDk
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 11 April 2023 15:24 (one year ago) link
This song gives me the chills.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 11 April 2023 15:26 (one year ago) link
This is a touchy subject for me because this band meant more than any other to me from roughly the very long years of 2002 to 2010 but the new vocal sounds horrible in comparison, sounds like they re-recorded it recently rather than using an alternate track from the era.
― zacata, Tuesday, 11 April 2023 18:15 (one year ago) link
one of my favorite songs off the album & from their catalog i dunno if i am ready to hear the reworked vocal. will have to work up to it maybe.the imperfections is part of what i love about the original.
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 11 April 2023 18:36 (one year ago) link
Yeah, I haven't been a place where I can listen to that, but I was really excited about the reworking - until I got to the part about redone vocals.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 11 April 2023 18:54 (one year ago) link
It sounds fine. Changes a couple of words here and there. Loses the falsetto bits, which I guess Hood didn't like but which I never minded. And minus a full re-recording it still (imo) fails to nail the way the song sounds live.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 11 April 2023 18:56 (one year ago) link
Horrible might have been too strong but the beginning is out of sync and there are plenty of places in the second half where he’s just overdoing it a bit. Sounds like someone swiped the vocal track from one of their live performances and pasted it on the original. Just have a hard time imagining this as the ‘definitive’ version and will sound a bit out of place in the middle of the other original studio tracks. Of course I’ve heard the original a thousand times and anything different probably wouldn’t have sounded right to me.
― zacata, Tuesday, 11 April 2023 19:03 (one year ago) link
Yeah, that's fair. If you're going to re-do it, re-do it. Swapping in a new version of a song for the old, for mostly cosmetic reasons is, as the kids say, sus.
― Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 11 April 2023 19:30 (one year ago) link
if Pat’s happier doing it this way i’m happy for him, and on its own merits he does a good job of recreating the angerbut i don’t need it to be at a 10 the whole way through. it needs the quieter bits to make the yelling parts pay offimo
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 12 April 2023 05:20 (one year ago) link
also lol @ jason
No not at all- Hood sent me mixes as soon as it was done and it’s fantastic. Which record did Ozzy cut me out of though that sucks https://t.co/PuODlIqSio— Jason Isbell (@JasonIsbell) April 11, 2023
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 12 April 2023 05:28 (one year ago) link
lol call him Pat at your own risk ...
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 12 April 2023 11:47 (one year ago) link
Jason just consistently proves himself to be one of the best dudes - funny, great songwriter, standing up for the right things and completely unafraid to push back against trolls and actively piss off "fans" by telling him he doesn't want their hateful views around.
― Maxmillion D. Boosted (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 12 April 2023 14:36 (one year ago) link
From blog notes soon after first release:
...14 songs, 8 damn good, 2 pretty good, 4 too tawky, and the tawk aint that stimulatin'...Patterson's the culprit, as always, but more so here. Ideas, or at least topics, or at least *words,* don't lead the music, or follow it either. And that tight dry little cigarette voice, which can/could be effective, kind of in there between mosquito zingers of Eddie Hinton and 5 0'clock-shadow-tonsils of Steve Earle, but here it's closer to not-so-Mighty Mouse (and a cracker-barrel-retiree-Steve E.). Still and yet and yet and still more than compensated for/effectively contrasted by the sinuous writ x performance of Jason and Cooley. Brad's big bass drum, Shonna's bass guitar (and her voice, back there in the mix, but adding good thin sharp edge thereby, *when* audible: I keep listening for it, never taking for granted), also mucho gracias....Supposedly (according to some sources), DECORATION DAY was a "follow-up" to PIZZA DELIVERANCE, this 'un a f.-u.to SOUTHERN ROCK OPERA. And, before I heard about those alleged relationships, was already thinking how several songs from DS would go good on a really deluxe personal burn of SRO. But *way too many* good'uns to fit that, strictly squinting....(later) I was (somewhat) too hard on Patterson. "Tornadoes" is as eerie as Jason's songs, and it's not like PH hasn't done eerie before.And part of that's his voice, which is *not* shot, as I seemed to imply, without meaning to. It will be shot, or shite, if he keeps squinching it as much as he does on some other tracks. Guess I'm mainly frustrated/spoiled cos of their usual standard, but they're always a bit uneven (as I should've said in the Voice re SRO), so should've been ready to listen around the lesser without shortchanging *some* of the gooder. Frustrated here by the expectation-whettin' way PH presents a triptych of songs re the late hickory-stick totin' Sheriff Buford Pusser, of WALKING TALL mythology. WT was based on BP's *account* of his great deeds, otherwise largely unverified by others, or so I remember reading in the 70s, not too long after film came out. Most impressive aspects: a)Manager of one of the theatres showing it in B'ham taped unique-for-him radio endorsement,"and let me reassure all parents that the 'R' rating is for Violence, not Sex." Also (b) the ending, when Buford has finally been brought low(est).(He started seeming kinda sadie-maso, like Evel Kneivel or latterday Mel G.)Courtesy his old main squeezers the State Line Gang, and congregation runs out of church, to destroy the Gang's main den of iniquity. Somehow seemed prophetic to see them in their Sunday best, ripping that place to shreds, and, though I forgot about it, remembered when Moral Majority first burst through my haze, to hold rally on steps of our nation's Capitol. Well! Patterson, who is younger than me, but writes that he saw the movie back then, and who says he likes to do research, and also make up good stuff, really doesn't follow through. Good spoken intro, good snarly vignette, then Cooley's effective "Cottonseed," then whole subset *ends* with the PH tawky-boring bit of the kind I complained about below.However: one of Cooley's is boring me too (although his have grown on me before, so won't name it yet.) And! PH's "Lookout Mountain" does hold its own with Cooley's and Jason's, in the kill-No-Dozin finale totalizm. But "Lookout" is a pre-DBT, and the latter have recorded it before, haven't they. Still!
― dow, Wednesday, 12 April 2023 20:12 (one year ago) link
what many consider to be our masterpiece,
― dow, Wednesday, 12 April 2023 20:18 (one year ago) link
I would have guessed Southern Rock Opera was the consensus masterpiece
― papal hotwife (milo z), Wednesday, 12 April 2023 20:49 (one year ago) link
I would go for either SRO or Brighter Than Creation's Dark
― papal hotwife (milo z), Wednesday, 12 April 2023 20:51 (one year ago) link
Yeah, I woulda thought SRO, though still wanting to add for inst "Danko and Manuel" for the roots rocker doom theme, and end it all with "Never Gonna Change," which always seemed Lynyrdly as hell, too bad Jason wasn't in the band yet.Let's see what did I say about Brighter:
The Truckers' latest roadkill is uneven as ever, but the best songs are good and numerous enough to put it in my Nash Scene Top Ten…Brighter Than Creation's Dark is not full of sweetness and light, and it is a little too long, like most of their albums, but does seem reinvigorated, after getting past whatever tensions re resulted in the slammed doors and illin' irresolution of A Blessing And A Curse. Also, we got the unexpected emergence of bassist Shonna as songwriter and lead singer on some tracks, a welcome respite from the broody testosterone, and even a few songs, especially the one set in the Grand Canyon, where the drivers-by get out of their truck for a while, and actually seem to enjoy doing so.
― dow, Wednesday, 12 April 2023 21:05 (one year ago) link
"Three Dimes Down" is the most fun DBT song ever, "Bob" is the worst, in summary Cooley's songwriting is a land of contrasts
― papal hotwife (milo z), Wednesday, 12 April 2023 21:07 (one year ago) link
Clearly "Let There Be Rock" is probably the most fun (ingeniously downer subtext aside).
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 12 April 2023 21:51 (one year ago) link
Not even the most fun song on SRO! (Or in the top half of that album IMO)
― papal hotwife (milo z), Wednesday, 12 April 2023 22:20 (one year ago) link
shut up and get on the plane!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 12 April 2023 22:26 (one year ago) link
Weird, I think of "Let There Be Rock" as a linchpin of that record, and long one of their surefire live songs. As is "Shut Up," though that one, as it is on the album, feels even more like a victory lap designed for the encore.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 12 April 2023 22:52 (one year ago) link
i do truly love let there be rock thoughone of the first songs that hooked me when i first saw them -i had never heard of them & saw them open for black crowes in 06, no one in the amphitheater but their diehard fans in the first couple of rows saw the devotion of the fans & was intrigued let there be rock was def THE song that hooked me. reminded me of the way my husband and i & our friends talk about music, ie experiences tied to live gigs, tagging a good show story with a related story about a similar band/showi was like “oh yeah, these are my people”
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 13 April 2023 00:35 (one year ago) link
Listening to the Complete Dirty South and I was almost totally overwhelmed by the flood of memories of all the dozens of times I've seen this band and they were exactly what I needed. Or I guess more specifically the first time I ever heard songs like "The Day John Henry Died," "Where the Devil Don't Stay" or "Puttin' People on the Moon." Or the rest it, really. The most remarkable thing to consider is how different Isbell sounds here when he sings lead, like he's already older than his, what, 22 years? 23? What a band.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 30 June 2023 23:00 (nine months ago) link
Oh, and I do like the new remastering/mixing/re-recording/tracklist of "Dirty South," too. It's still too long, but this band (especially this era of the band) does shaggy and shambling almost as well as Crazy Horse.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 30 June 2023 23:55 (nine months ago) link
Yeah it’s pretty greatI’ve come around on the re-do of Sands of Iwo Jima … him dropping the falsetto does make the heartfelt lyrics go over a little better. Maybe he just felt it was weird to sing about his grandad in a high pitched voice lol
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 1 July 2023 00:23 (nine months ago) link
I saw Hood a couple of times last weekend (Cooley was actually playing the same night across town one of the nights, but I opted for double Hood). Good mix of old and new, a nice refresher that early tracks like "The Company I Keep" and (always) "The Living Bubba" show how good he was out of the gate. Best of all I brought three people with me, my pal who is a fan, his sister (who had never heard of Hood) and my friend's 70-year old dad, who came away converted. It's always great to go to shows with blank-slates, people not hindered by baggage or snobbery. They loved it.
― Josh in Chicago, Wednesday, 13 December 2023 03:55 (four months ago) link
A case of sterling bigmouth
― calstars, Sunday, 21 January 2024 23:04 (three months ago) link
i sneaked up them stairs
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 21 January 2024 23:39 (three months ago) link
and puked in the toilet
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 22 January 2024 01:18 (three months ago) link
lol
― calstars, Monday, 22 January 2024 01:25 (three months ago) link
“Don’t call what you’re wearing a sterling bigmouth”
― calstars, Monday, 22 January 2024 01:28 (three 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 (three 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 (three 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 (three 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 (three months ago) link
*drivingAnd she cracked up
hood turned 60 today : /
― mookieproof, Monday, 25 March 2024 00:22 (four weeks ago) link
They are touring Southern Rock Opera this fall.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 25 March 2024 00:23 (four 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 (four weeks ago) link
can’t wait
ticket prices seem ... weird.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 25 March 2024 01:20 (four 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 (four 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 (three weeks ago) link
nice!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 3 April 2024 02:36 (two weeks ago) link