tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post7503909388750454727..comments2023-10-05T20:30:21.364-07:00Comments on Things That Don't Suck: Drive By Truckers: Go Go BootsBryce Wilsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-66290884164471274432011-03-04T11:17:41.743-08:002011-03-04T11:17:41.743-08:00Well done Troy. I never made the Glenn Campbell co...Well done Troy. I never made the Glenn Campbell connection with Cooley but damned if you're not right. <br /><br />Like I said, I would have liked to hear Tucker have a bit of fun as well. And Everybody Needs Love struck me as repetitive. Other then that it was top notch. The more time I listen to "Used To Be A Cop" The more impressed I get.Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-39698157364566502962011-03-04T10:07:56.113-08:002011-03-04T10:07:56.113-08:00Listened to it a few times the last day and a half...Listened to it a few times the last day and a half...here are my thoughts.<br /><br />Hood's work is always my favorite (I envision him as the reincarnation of Ronnie Van Zant). I can do without the opener, even as it does get things of to a fast paced note, but "Go Go Boots" is a great song that typifies the style that Hood's music excels at -- a mix of country storytelling, religion, aggressive, reckless youth, and murder. "Ray's Automatic Weapon" is another fantastic story that Hood tells. I do like when he uses the more gutteral, lower register for a song to get across the desolate nature of it ("Tornadoes", from The Dirty South is a favorite of this style). He changes it up with the much more soulful "Everybody Needs Love," a nice break from the murder and depression of the previous songs. "Assholes" and "The Thanksgiving Filter" are fun songs that actually sounds all too autobiographical for Hood :) "Mercy Buckets" is a glorious piece of buttrock to close out the album (and shows that 80's hair bands like Poison were surely indebted to Lynard Skynard and the like). His two longest tracks might be the best -- "Used to Be A Cop" and "The Fireplace Poker" both tell vivid and detailed stories. These are songs that implore you to listen to the lyrics, something I typically never do.<br /><br />I've mentioned it in a review of a Jenny Lewis album, but I'm simply a pushover for a song with a female singer and an organ in the background. Shonna Tucker's songs have that and she has the whole Patsy Cline thing down pat, making her really stand out from other similar countrified female singers like Lewis or Neko Case -- she has a pretty voice but with a decided edge that makes you believe that she's lived through some tough shit. "Dancin' Ricky" and "Where's Eddie" are awesome.<br /><br />Mike Cooley's songs, "Cartoon Gold," "Pulaski," and "The Weakest Man" provide a good change of pace from the other two singers, giving a much more folksy, 70's country ballad style to things -- it's hard not to see a definite Glen Campbell influence in his songwriting and singing style. Yet like that 70's country music, there's still room for an underlying cynicism that belies the cheery exterior. I like his songs as the breather they usually supply in the albums, but they do tend to be the ones that have the least staying power for me.<br /><br />So as a whole, 14 songs and maybe 1 or 2 are "just" average. This album reminded me why DBT are so great -- the fact that you get three distinct voices on the album, yet the overall aestetic stays very unified. I'll need some more listens to see where I'd place it in their overall ouvre (probably behind my four favorites, <i>Gangstabilly</i>, <i>Southern Rock Opera</i>, <i>The Dirty South</i>, and <i>Brighter Than Creation's Dark</i>, and <i>Murdering Oscar</i> too, since that is a Drive-By Truckers album in spirit, at least), but slightly better than <i>The Fine Print</i> and lots better than <i>The Big To Do</i> and definitely great, great stuff.Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-35477905861000737712011-03-03T10:47:42.445-08:002011-03-03T10:47:42.445-08:00My experience exactly. ButoOnce you start listenin...My experience exactly. ButoOnce you start listening to them you don't stop. <br /><br />Drop back by when you give it a listen. I'd like to know what you think.Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-83898385477536259442011-03-02T16:51:50.651-08:002011-03-02T16:51:50.651-08:00I've attempted to get my friends to listen to ...I've attempted to get my friends to listen to Drive-By Truckers and have failed -- I think they can't get past the name or something. I've only gotten into them in the last 2 years or so, but they've quickly jumped to the top of my mind when I list my current favorite bands.<br /><br />I'm amazed at how prolific they are and that just about all of it listenable. I'll go along with the "eh" nature of The Big To Do. Haven't listened to Go Go Boots yet, but am about to give it a go (I had forgotten it was released until I read your review). Sounds promising.Troy Olsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14843741571724231174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-53757701498004847722011-03-01T17:13:14.904-08:002011-03-01T17:13:14.904-08:00@ Mark: I don't know I kinda liked The Big To ...@ Mark: I don't know I kinda liked The Big To Do's cover. <br /><br />@ Andrew Green: Without a doubt best live show I've ever seen. I was nearly killed on my way there and it was totally worth it.<br /><br />But that's another story...Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-17753185405248544902011-02-28T21:07:41.850-08:002011-02-28T21:07:41.850-08:00A friend of mine just saw them live the other nigh...A friend of mine just saw them live the other night in Chicago....<br /> He said they blew his mind.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517857978576422454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8121497265402071351.post-47464939114159670212011-02-28T11:51:34.457-08:002011-02-28T11:51:34.457-08:00And it's certainly got a better cover.And it's certainly got a better cover.Mark Kardwellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17791352096505994671noreply@blogger.com