Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Imho this would get better traction if Discs 1 (not-uninteresting political podcast) and 2 (good old-fashioned rock 'n roll) were flipped.
Honestly, for a massive, pretty-samey southern country rock album drenched in a consistent sound I'm usually only partially into, I really loved this thing. There was something so down-to-earth and sincere about the lyrics and vocalists; there's a twisted, amateurish and blunt edge to them that's very similar to a group like Modest Mouse or Jason Molina, mixed with the beefy southern fuzz of the Blue Oyster Club. It's really easily digestible in that sense, despite its daunting length - a sort of record you can throw on and get lost in an emotional rollercoaster of topics, music and themes. And oddly enough, I found I enjoyed the end of this thing just as much as the beginning. The lyrics here were especially poignant and very vivid, and feel like clever deconstructions of southern-rock clichés and ideas. 'Ronnie and Neil ' is one of many (MANY) songs that take this almost neutral stance on Lynyrd Skynyrd and their impact on the image of the South. The "image of the South" is probably the biggest theme here, from a racial edge especially, with 'The Southern Thing' and the very in-your-face but dramatic 'Three Great Alabama Icons'. Also, car accidents and young stupidity come up in pretty dark ways, like with the striking and graphic album opener 'Day of Graduation' and the tragic 'Plastic Flowers On The Highway'. It's a generally pretty melancholic album all things considered; songs like the gorgeous yet hopeless 'Zip City' and 'Women Without Whiskey' had this very dead-end feel to them. And the closer, 'Angels and Fuselage' doesn't exactly end things on a happy note; it's maybe the saddest thing here. I mean, yeah, it's super samey when it comes to the instrumentals; I will admit that. Especially by the second disc. But I just didn't mind at all; there are so many other things to chew on here, from the themes to the melodies to the lyrics. And again, I just got so lost in this thing, especially in its many moments of beauty - the guitar tones here are super fuzzy and bright throughout - it's addicting. A massive album that I'll for sure be revisiting; really surprised by this.
Ambitious nonsense.
Bello anche se non l'ho finito, il titolo è esplicativo quindi se piace il genere piacerà l'album
I enjoyed this only slightly more than the Kid Rock album … and by enjoyed I mean I will never listen to this again.
It’s perfect for what it is but it feels almost satirical in how it matches southern rock
How many times are they going to reference Lynyrd Skynyrd??
It dragged a bit. Some clever storytelling songs, but just too long for me. 2.5
I saw a 90 minute long southern country rock concept album and genuinely groaned out loud. And my fears were correct. Couldn’t even make it past halfway
Sonically sharp and impeccably produced, Drive-By Truckers’ Southern Rock Opera succeeds as a consistently well-recorded showcase of stellar guitar work and ambitious storytelling, even if its sprawling runtime occasionally gets in its own way. The album’s high points are undeniable: atmospheric openers like "Days of Graduation" set a compelling mood, tracks such as "72" and "Birmingham" deliver memorable guitar solos and hooks, and the standout spoken-word piece "The Great Alabama Icons" brilliantly captures the complex political duality of Southern identity. Yet, despite infectious grooves on cuts like "Let There Be Rock" and "Shut Up and Get on the Plane," the record suffers from noticeable filler, with tracks like "Dead Drunk and Naked" and "Zip City" bringing down the overall momentum. Ultimately, while the mixing and mastering remain top-tier throughout, cutting the tracklist roughly in half would transform this decent, guitar-heavy double album into a far tighter and more impactful rock opera.
Liked this much more than I thought i would
AI generated music (techniquement pas mauvais mais je vais faire un test et voir si dans 6 mois j'ai pas complètement oublié cet album)
Southern Rock Opera Drive-By Truckers 2001 Genres: Country, Rock Styles: Southern Rock 1. Days Of Graduation (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Un accidente de auto la noche de la fiesta de graduación mata al mejor amigo del protagonista. Al otro día corre la leyenda urbana de que cuando llegó la ambulancia todavía sonaba "Free Bird" en el estéreo. Hood la escribió para enganchar ese rito de iniciación (la primera muerte de un compañero) con esa leyenda, y así marcar el tono del disco desde el arranque. 2. Ronnie And Neil (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Cuenta la amistad real (y malentendida como rivalidad) entre Ronnie Van Zant y Neil Young, ida y vuelta entre "Southern Man"/"Alabama" y "Sweet Home Alabama". Hood la usó también para hablar por primera vez de la escena musical de su pueblo, Muscle Shoals, donde músicos blancos grababan con Aretha Franklin y Wilson Pickett en plena lucha por derechos civiles. 3. 72 (This Highway's Mean) (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Sobre la Ruta 72, el camino obligado para entrar o salir de la zona de Muscle Shoals/Shoals Area donde se crió la banda. 4. Dead, Drunk And Naked (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Hood la escribió sobre un excompañero de trabajo, "el ejemplo perfecto de por qué no hay que inhalar pegamento en la secundaria". Un personaje que pasó por rehab, adicciones y ahora predica sobre cómo vivir mejor sin haber resuelto nada. 5. Guitar Man Upstairs (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Contada desde el punto de vista de un vecino viejo y rezongón que llama a la policía cada vez que el de arriba toca la guitarra (hasta acústica, a la tarde) pero tolera cualquier otro quilombo. Cooley la escribió justamente desde el lado del "enemigo", algo típico de su forma de narrar. 6. Birmingham (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Reescritura de un tema viejo de su banda anterior, Adam's House Cat. Cambiaron el final y gran parte de la música para hablar del renacimiento de Birmingham después de la represión de Bull Connor y el estancamiento económico. 7. The Southern Thing (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: La escribieron casi al final de la grabación porque sentían que faltaba el tema que atara todo el Acto I y explicara de qué se trataba el disco. Grabado en el centro de Birmingham, epicentro de la lucha por derechos civiles, lo que según Hood influyó en la letra. Es, musicalmente, el tema más "southern rock" del álbum. 8. Three Great Alabama Icons (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Pieza hablada, no cantada. Según Hood es la más históricamente precisa y personal del disco: repasa la dualidad del sur, su relación (de rechazo) con el fútbol americano, y confirma un dato que chequeó varias veces: Wallace ganó la elección de 1982 con más del 90% del voto negro. 9. Wallace (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Ambientada en el Infierno, en septiembre de 1998 (cuando murió el ex gobernador George Wallace), narrada desde el punto de vista del Diablo, que lo recibe con "hospitalidad sureña". Hood la escribió la misma semana de su muerte. 10. Zip City (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Historia de un romance adolescente frustrado por el padre religioso de la chica. Cooley dijo que es "al menos 90% verdad". Hood la nombró como su canción favorita de todo el álbum. 11. Moved (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Escrita por Rob Malone. Habla de mudarse de Alabama a Georgia escapando de la adicción y de vínculos autodestructivos, buscando llegar limpio "a las puertas del cielo". Hood la describió como la canción más solitaria del disco, y dijo que suena como el cuarto en el que la grabaron. 12. Let There Be Rock (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Relato autobiográfico de Hood adolescente: ácido en un recital de Blue Öyster Cult, alcohol, choques evitados de casualidad, shows de Molly Hatchet, 38 Special, AC/DC. Nunca llegó a ver a Lynyrd Skynyrd en vivo. Hood cuenta que ir a shows de arena rock fue lo que lo mantuvo a flote en esa época. 13. Road Cases (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Sobre esas cajas de flight-case indestructibles con el nombre de la banda pintado, que representan el éxito. La letra sigue la parábola completa: se compran cuando explotás y se venden para pagarle al dealer de cocaína cuando se te acaba la fama. 14. Women Without Whiskey (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Cooley la describió como su exploración del amor verdadero y el alcoholismo: la idea de que la botella no obliga a nada, solo habilita. 15. Plastic Flowers On The Highway (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Tributo a Chris Quillen, amigo y excompañero de banda de varios de los Truckers, que iba a integrar el grupo pero murió en un choque en auto pocas semanas antes del primer show de la banda. 16. Cassie's Brother (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Tributo de Rob Malone al guitarrista de Skynyrd Steve Gaines y a su hermana, la corista Cassie Gaines, ambos muertos en el accidente aéreo de 1977. Kelly Hogan hace la voz de Cassie en el tema. 17. Life In The Factory (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Cuenta directamente la historia real de Lynyrd Skynyrd: el "Hell House" donde ensayaban 12 horas por día sin ventilación, girar sin parar, tocar con The Who, hacerle sombra a los Stones en Knebworth. Hood la usó para atar los cabos del Acto II antes de la escena final. 18. Shut Up And Get On The Plane (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Basada en el mito de que Cassie Gaines había comprado un pasaje en vuelo comercial porque el avión de la banda había tenido problemas de motor la noche anterior, y que Ronnie Van Zant la convenció de devolver el pasaje y subirse con ellos. Cooley la escribió desde la idea de que, mito o no, "vivir con miedo es solo otra forma de morir antes de tiempo". 19. Greenville To Baton Rouge (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Narra el vuelo final en sí: un Convair turbohélice de 1947, ex avión de línea, que ya habían usado Kiss y que Aerosmith rechazó por mal mantenido. Incluye el episodio real de un motor prendiéndose fuego la noche anterior en Carolina del Sur. 20. Angels And Fuselage (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Ambientada dentro del avión después de que se apagan los motores, en el silencio total antes del impacto. Kelly Hogan vuelve a hacer la voz de Cassie. Es el cierre del álbum. -TOTAL = ★★★☆☆ (3)
Wow, this was boring. 1 1/2 hour with bland southern country rock. Why do they have so many songs about Lynyrd Skynyrd?
Woah, what's this album cover? Very Americana with the highway sign, not to mention the red eyed black owl. Cool stuff. Might just move it in my favorite album covers list! Act One: 4/5 Act Two: 4/5 Overall: 4/5, solid southern rock, very solid.
Southern Rock in alternative rock dressing. Yikes!
6/5, the soundtrack to my 2000s e: I am aghast at this album's rating on here, 2.8 ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!?!?! STICK YOUR LEONARD COHEN AND MICHAEL JACKSON UP YOUR ASSES!!!!
HAHA top comment zei: i am european. same het is gwn mid rock
dit is gwn wat ik denk dat ze in texas luisteren de hele dag
This band is probably quite good. Still though, at the end of the day, even their references lean southern rock and I am bluntly, not a big fan. I have zero bad feelings or animosity towards southern rock bands, it is as basic as it gets, I just don't favor the genre. I was, however entertained by this band and this album. So even if I don't favor a genre, it does not mean I disrespect it or simply dismiss it. For those who might favor or enjoy southern rock a bit more than I, I think this could be a hidden gem of sorts. So yeah, go for it.
5⭐️ (escúchatelo de camino del pueblo amor)
I mean I like Lynyrd Skynyrd too but not nearly as much as these guys... I try not to complain about album lengths too much but this one would definitely benefit from some trimming. It's a solid Southern rock album and a nice tribute to Skynyrd but nothing exceptional. Reminded me of the Eagles at times. Favorite track: Ronnie And Neil
Country Motorhead done poorly? Pinball Wizard concept album wannabe? I can see what someone else was saying about Three Great Alabama Icons at least being different but after listening to the story once and wanting to fact check what reason does one have to listen to it twice? This makes me want to listen to Convoy. Or the Allmans, anything for a sweet release. But not Freebird, no one has time for that. Sun Darts. 2.
I sort of understand why the editors went with this one because journos and critics can't resist an album with a story, and it is a good story. Definitely worth reading up on this one as you listen from reliable sources. I get it some reviewers are going to take the surface route with their prejudices and hear Skynyrd, Wallace and southern rock and roll and think this is an album displaying the worst of the south. But even one or two of the more attentive listeners seem to think there's an attempt at redemption for Wallace on here? I can't hear that at all. There's literally a song from the devil looking forward to tormenting him. I think DBT have made better albums, certainly ones that would be more approachable in a single day's listen. Like a lot of concept albums it can feel like the concept is restricting the songwriters a little here in terms of melody. But you can't fault its audacity especially when they have a song called Let There Be Rock that is referencing the AC/DC song of the same name.
Yeah, it was fine. VERY southern states fixated, as you could have epected. Yeee and indeed Haw!
I would honestly rather listen to Lynyrd Skynyrd, and that's saying something because I hate them. Southern rock is one of my least favorite genres, and these guys are the worst version of it. Every singer is bad, but one of them sounds like nails on a chalkboard to me, I had to skip all of his songs. What a steaming pile of garbage.
Interesting concept, but just barely climbs into the three star bracket.
A little over- long, but this was enjoyable. Strong narrative that avoided being too twee or cheesy
A past workmate named Shoes really liked this band. Many times he advocated for them. But the guy could never seem to get laid at the time, so it was hard to rate his recommendations. Seems he’s sorted that bit out, so I’m sure Drive-by-Truckers weren’t the problem. There’s something very comforting about straightforward guitar-driven Southern rock’n’roll. It reminded me very fondly of the Beat Farmers. This album might rate higher over time.
Firstly, this is a bad album both in concept and execution, and they should feel bad for making it. Secondly, this also reminded me of a guy called Shoes who loved them for some reason. Shoes is incredibly charming, quick-witted, warm, and observant. He is a gifted conversationalist and generally good guy. However, this blessing is also a curse because he hates social gatherings, hates talking to people, and generally hates leaving his house. It’s like he was built for the schmooze, but a bit of him died inside every time he used his talents. Anyway, Shoes decided that he was going out for a Drive-By Truckers show, and he suggested that other people come along. And we all went “Hell yes. I don’t know a single thing about this band, but if it means even five minutes of pub time with Shoes, that’ll be worth the price of entry”. And that’s pretty much what happened. We went to the pub after work, listened to Shoes do what he was built for (pub banter), then saw some music. No regrets.
I thought about giving this three stars, but I'm going with four. I'm not huge on southern rock generally, and this all sounded pretty similar, and 90-ish minutes is maybe too long for my tastes. But all that said, I enjoyed this and would like hearing it again some time, and I really like the album artwork.
Me seeing that today's album is a country rock opera: "Oh no" Me seeing that it is about Lynard Skynard: "Oh no" Me seeing that it is over 90 minutes long: "Oh no" Me seeing that the top review is a one star review that just says "I'm European": "Oh no" Me after listening to this for 30 seconds: "Oh no" I tried to give this a chance, I really did, but this genuinely has very few redeeming qualities. I wanted to stop listening 2 songs in and there was still over 85 minutes left. I stopped when I got to the track that had actual audible mic feedback.
The Wall if Pink Floyd were from Alabama, and less vainglorious.
Je suis d'accord pour un 4.
L'intro a l'envergure de U2. La voix du gars me fait penser à Mick Jagger. J'avais des préjugés négatifs à voir seulement le cover art... ça me faisait penser à Meatloaf et j'étais pas trop dans le mood d'un opera rock aujourd'hui. Mais j'avoue que le southern rock is growing on me. Le 2e side est un peu plus country rock, c'est bien aussi. Heye ça parle beaucoup de Lynyrd Skynyrd icitte, j'en apprends beaucoup sur le mythe.
Adoré ça. Je vois là une inspiration claire pour Craig Finn et Hold Steady, un de mes band favoris (et google semble me confirmer que c'était une influence massive sur lui). Un autre album qui me fait aimer le southern rock un peu plus, et le storytelling. Beaucoup aimé spoken word de "three great alabama icons". Encore une fois, est-ce justifié un album double? Pas sur.
The curse of the double album strikes again. Why is it always the worst ones that make 90 minute albums? Ugh. The second part was better than the first but this was just not good overall.
A formative album in my transition to alt country as a musician. Saw DBT live on Dirty South tour shortly after and it was one of the best live shows I have ever seen.
I found this a real slog! Musically it was passable, and not outside my wheelhouse but I found it very uninspiring and it was just so long!
Aight
As a southerner, this shit is embarrassing. Cliche, “good ole boy” music. Nothing original or artistic at all about this. It’s cringe inducing through and through.
Exactly like the truckers sing on the first song "You know free bird is a very long song", this quote also describes Southern Rock Opera perfectly well. Just bland old southern rock drenched in Skynyrd references and never really gets exciting.
meh
How do you guys say it in the States? It’s like going to a campaign rally and being subjected to 90 minutes of talk about values, conservatism, the rise of - I don’t know what else… Clearly, this isn’t meant for anyone outside the U.S., let alone a list of albums to listen to before you die! Once again, I find myself wondering about the criteria behind the choices made by whoever wrote this book/list - there’s no way this thing has any universal appeal! Albums like this are only of interest to those who share the nationality and values represented in them. And there you go, bring on the next wave of hate for my opinion :-( EDIT: After 40+ minutes, I gave up and went to listen to the “Reddit: Songs to Hear at Least Once” playlist on Spotify instead. Now that’s a more balanced playlist ;-)
Mochte den speech Gesang und das hinter manchen Songs starke politische Meinungen eingebracht wurden
I'm way too British for this derivative murica crap
I saw a 90 minute long southern country rock concept album and genuinely groaned out loud. And my fears were correct. Couldn’t even make it past halfway
Boring, ignorant Southern Rock. Real "heritage, not hate" vibes.
Liked this vibe liked the guitars - liked the spoken word parts more than I thought I would when they began - not many songs stood out but I liked it overall together high 3
an album so bad it retroactively makes me want to bump up my other 1/5 albums
Très bon, le format histoire rajoute un petit quelque chose.
Entre médiocre et pourri
Vraiment mid
Started as a 1 or 2 but grew to a 3
Not all of the songs are super memorable but what it lacks in catchy, it makes up for in thematics. I really appreciate the stereotype breaking “southern thing” through line. As for tracks, the album really shoots out of the gate with Days of Graduation. Then the three stellar tracks are: The Southern Thing Three Great Alabama Icons Wallace Absolutely outstanding.
Very tame, middle of the road rock. Not bad just mid 3/5
Decent guitar music. Not always my favorite, but I did enjoy this. The Drive By Truckers are in a weird place where theyre almost like a jam band, at least the way they tour, but they are pretty stuck to their roots.
Shut up about lynyrd skynyrd!
Legends. So lucky to have seen the band in this era, multiple times. And amazing that they’ve had such staying power. Are they the American Stones?
Would have been three stars if it wasn't so long.
5/10… roots rock / *2001
like 3.5/10 = was really not what i was expecting and i was a little upset because i actually really liked the first song and thought it was going to be a trick and not fully country but then it shifted into a weird country parody type thing that would be in a jackass skit #notmycountry
not my taste
Sehr cool
I don't have enough sweet tea on hand for this
Had high hopes. Very disappointed.
Intense. Took me half of the first part to get into it, but oncew I did it was completely engaging. Interesting. I love the stories, like on "Let There Be Rock" where he describes not really being into the whole Skynrd thing in high school, he's speaking for me. A great work of art, I will definitely listen again. Love the second part especially... heavier emotion, heavier music. Great stuff.
(White) Southern progressives, as Lynyrd Skynyrd had been in their earlier renditions, Drive-By Truckers are by nature a band I'm liable to recommend w/o hearing one track of theirs. But this goes beyond ideology & is really a matter of Hood/Cooley being the necessary, impossible fusion of Ronnie Van Zandt & Neil Young, w/ a little added Lucinda Williams there for style & lyricism, & the fact that Southern Rock Opera is somehow long - real long - & conceptual but isn't overly experimental or indulgent. Nah, this is just an hour & a half of a lot of good songs. & yeah, the politics are mostly good & clean, if at times overly simple. 'Ain't about the races, the crying shame / To the fuckin' rich man / All poor people are the same.' & you learn to boot.
Through this list I've become a little partial to 70's Southern rawk. This album doesn't quite hit the same spot - a bit too much country, a bit too bland and lacking killer songs and far too long. Some nice moments - but too much meh in between and I'm not really down with Southern rebel revisionism.
Self-indulgent drivel. Do not care enough about the southern states of USA to warrant an ode to a region that seems pretty f'ed-up. And trivially pedantic, not sure why they get to claim one of 4 points on a compass without geographical context (you know every place in the world except the South Pole has a south). There's a decent guitar reverb rock melody in there, but 90 minutes of trying to extract 4 minutes of a good tune is a bit tedious.
What an excellent album. Is this the greatest Southern rock album ever made? Well no, because CCR’s Cosmo’s Factory exists, and so does At Fillmore East by the Allman Brothers. But honestly, this might take the third spot. As a guy from the South, who has a really complex relationship with the area, this album really nailed it. It’s like, I really hate that place. But I *get* to hate it because I lived there long enough to understand its complexities, the richness of its terrible history, the survival of some goodness through various currents over time, the pathos in the self-hatred of those people. This album captured all that really well. Never thought I’d give an album like this five stars, but here we are. Must-listen #379.
Not my vibe but I could see some of its tracks being used in movies and tv shows.
Listened before?: nope Days of Graduation - 4/5 Ronnie and Neil - 5/5 72 (This Highway's Mean) - 4/5 Dead, Drunk and Naked - 4/5 Guitar Man Upstairs - 3/5 Birmingham - 3/5 The Southern Thing - 4/5 Three Great Alabama Icons - 4/5 Wallace - 3/5 Zip City - 4/5 Moved - 3/5 Let There Be Rock - 4/5 Road Cases - 4/5 Women Without Whiskey - 4/5 Plastic Flowers on the Highway - 3/5 Cassie's Brother - 2/5 Life in the Factory - 3/5 Shut Up and Get on the Plane - 3/5 Greenville to Baton Rouge - 3/5 Angels and Fuselage - 4/5 Average score: 3.6/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ love how they keep mentioning Lynyrd Skynyrd like 100 times while... basically sounding like Lynyrd Skynyrd?? i mean, i suppose i'd rather hear these guys over Skynyrd but still
this classic is 25 years old this year. still sounds fresh and urgent
Not too bad. He sounded kind of like Kid Rock
I didn't listen to the lyrics very closely and I think that's the point, but this was nice background for my arxiv submission(!)
7/10
My feeling is kind of like when I first saw the American Gothic painting, I didn’t like it, but I knew it’s a good pic.
I quite enjoyed the playing on this album and I actually like a decent amount of Southern Rock. What bothered me is that I didn’t think any of the signing matched the strength of the playing / songs. Still not bad. 3 stars.
Double-albums are almost universally a bad idea. You can get away with it on a live album or a greatest hits album, but other than that it's almost definitely a bad idea. Either you're bad at editing and let too much filler into the final product, or you had a bunch of legitimately good stuff...in which case you should have split the damn thing into two albums. All that to say: this is getting dinged for being overlong. It's fine. There are some good songs, but not 93 minutes worth of good songs. A tighter version of this gets a 4; two separate albums probably get a forgettable 3 each. 2.4
Live music at a country bar vibe, no outstanding song but no song thats bad. I like the theme and concept, the interlude "three great alabama icons" is cool, but im interest in american history and culture so probably not for most. I can see myself returning one day and listen to it like a movie. A 3 for now could get higher.
Rate: 7/10
Through this list I've become a little partial to 70's Southern rawk. This album doesn't quite hit the same spot - a bit too much country, a bit too bland and lacking killer songs and far too long. Some nice moments - but too much meh in between and I'm not really down with Southern rebel revisionism.
Southern Rock Opera I really like the idea behind this, a concept album based around a Lynyrd Skynyrd inspired protagonist could have been truly awful, but it isn't at all, the duality of the south and the mix of pride and disillusionment is an interesting, and universal, theme, especially when it comes to George Wallace - although I appreciate their honestly delivered perspective take I do feel like they under represent his racial virulence in asking him to be re-appraised, but even so Three Alabama Icons is a very good track. Musically there’s some great stuff on here, and I like Patterson Hood’s Don Henley-esque vocal tone contrasting with Mike Cooley’s more conventional country drawl. However, and although I’m quite partial to a bit of Southern Rock, the stylistical limitations of the genre do mean that a double album of it does feel pretty dense and a bit samey - and it’s arguable that there are enough good songs to justify it being a double - and although it's not necessarily a slog to get through it certainly feels like a full 94 minutes. Storywise as well it probably doesn't quite justify that length, although the loose narrative does suit the musical style well. There’s elements of Steve Earle, particularly on Cooley’s songs like Guitar Man Upstairs, and a bit of Nebraska-era Springsteen on something like Moved, and you can hear bits of Tom Petty and Jackson Browne throughout, as well as a decent dose of Black Crowes, especially the slide on Life in the Factory. Outside of those Ronnie and Neil, Birmingham, Road Cases, Life in the Factory and Angels and Fuselage are the standouts for me. In many ways the thematic concept demands a sprawling, lengthy journey through southern rock and Alabaman identity, but that length does diminish it as a full listening experience, putting it on the border of 3 and 4. While there’s much to admire, not least that the concept is actually interesting, it does get musically quite samey after an hour, and really there aren’t enough good songs over the 20 tracks, so I think I’ll stick at a 3; I can see myself coming back to it, but it's not going straight into rotation. 🛻🛻🛻 Playlist submission: Angels and Fuselage
I listened to this about 20 years ago. Didn't much impress me then, nor does it now. At an hour and a half, it simply can't sustain its monotonous approach: big distorted chords, repetitive two-chord verses and a difficult to follow concept. Musically they're desperate to emulate their heroes. 'Birmingham' feels like an attempt at 'Alabama' but without the conviction or melody - it's actually like 'Sweet Home Alabama' if an emo had written it. 'Life in the Factory' has good energy, and 'Guitar Man Upstairs' is welcome throwaway ZZ Top-style bar rock, while the stripped-back 'Moved' hints at decent Songs: Ohia territory. But these moments are overcome by the sheer sprawl and lack of variety of the album. There just aren't enough memorable tunes. It almost feels a study in presenting the same song twenty times.
the audacity of this album being an hour and a half………… not good
An unhealthy obsession with Lynyrd Skynyrd and the way southerners are seen. Some interesting perspectives on former governors. But overall the production which is mostly flat, undynamic and dense made it a hard listen. It wasn’t bad but hard for me to penetrate.
Not my thing
pls i cant hack anything country adjacent let alone 1.5hrs long
actually not bad, just too long and a little tedious. really liked "the three great alabama icons" though!
I tried, and gave up. This is horrendous to my ears.
2.5/5
2.5/5 I like their sound on some songs but the lyrics are kind of cheeks.
This was fascinating. It's a manifesto in defense of the south while also recognizing that there are legitimate reasons as to why the perception exists. Such is the dichotomy of the southern thing, I suppose. The image of the Devil making some sweet tea to prepare for George Wallace's arrival is haunting and so cool.
some real nice Modern southern rock but not amazing like Lynyrd , Byrds , Almans or others of the 70s , i liked the monologue tribute though
1001 albums to hear before you die.. A leonard skinner parody album - yes i know how it is spelt. Honestly what the fuck? Its from 2001. I guess in the way space odyssey was 2001.
I really don’t know what to make of this: it seemed like a bit of an attempt to massage the reputation of Lynyrd Skynyrd (and the perception of Southern racism) by claiming they were misunderstood, or that it was just the times, and I wasn’t really comfortable with that. I admit I am not an expert in this area and it may be they are offering some informed insight that most aren’t aware of but I suspect it is just a bit of apologism for something which was (and still is) a stain on America. At times I did like some of the music, but I had to switch off any attention to the lyrics. It was way too long - even splitting it into two chunks felt laborious - and did not have the variety and nuance to carry this running time.
Having read their wiki and some of the progressive causes that they support, I’m disappointed that many of the songs here have the same musical playbook as a number of the other problematic Southern US bands have. Maybe it’s trying to reclaim the music as something that better repeat their views, maybe it’s trying to be apologetic for what came before, either way, I disliked it and is not something I’d be keen on listening to again.
Ok - this was awesome. I love southern rock. Maybe a little generic but it was engaging. Loved the various singers - none great but again really kept my interest. Surprised I never heard of this - I listened heavily to the screaming cheetah wheelies - another southern rock band who should have been big but never hit it. I’d have loved to see these guys live. Really cool stuff great find. I’m gonna listen to this record again. Hmmm I had a liked song in my playlist. Must have been on some recommend tracks after a song. I was right about doing that. From another album. Gonna listen to that collection too. Oohhh they still active. Noice.
I just struggled to see the point. I tried to stay open minded through the overlong run time. There was a bit at the end of the first disc where I learned a little about modern American history, that was nice.
Southern rock. Not bad music but not exactly my cup of tea
Southern Rock 🤢 🤮
This doesn't really need to be a double album, does it? You don't need a whole hour and a half to showcase music with the nuance and subtlety of a Classic Rock cover band.
I’m gonna be honest, I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by this album. Despite having heard a few songs by DBT and enjoying them well enough, a double album built around the concept of the south and Lynyrd Skynyrd didn’t exactly sound like a good time to me. Still, in the spirit of the project, I gave this an honest go, and I am so glad I did. This truly was a thought-provoking adventure from front-to-back. I was smart enough to have the lyrics at hand while I listened, and that was a crucial step to really allow me to experience this album to the fullest. The first half takes a complicated look at the south, both its beauty and its flaws. The people trying to make things better, and the people actively making things worse. I appreciate the complex way it looked at racism, not excusing it but also saying “hey, other places are racist too and don’t get the shit for it that we do”. The second half is more or less a retelling of the rise and fall of Lynyrd Skynyrd, which I enjoyed more than I do that band itself haha. I found it to be slightly weaker than the first half, but it still ripped and had me at full attention the entire time. Lots of blistering guitar solos and interesting melodies. The last track “Angels and Fuselage” is a beautiful set of lyrics that accept the fact that you are dead and the angels are here for you. This was an absolutely wonderful listen.
As someone raised in Georgia, I was primed to be biased against this album from the start with that many mentions of Bear Bryant and Alabama. Never thought I’d hear George Wallace mentioned this much (if ever) in a song. Too close to country for me to ever like it, and too many depictions of Southern life (of varying degrees of accuracy) for me to care. Also, I almost always automatically dislike any album that uses another band or celebrity’s fame to prop up their own. It feels lazy and disingenuous to do so, with rarely a good enough reason behind it.
The first side of this album is good faith, if somewhat naive, attempt by the Drive by Truckers to reconcile their love of their home, with its horrific past (the duality of the southern thing). In contrast to the willful ignorance of bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, they acknowledged and explicitly grapple with the racist history of the south. They paint a picture of the average white southerner as a fundamentally decent person, and lay the blame for racist atrocities solely at the feet of opportunistic politicians such as George Wallace, while decrying northern judgement of southerners as a product of classism. While there is some truth to the later notion, their central argument is undone by the fact that the same so called "decent people" they earlier described voted Wallace into office. Still, by even attempting to grapple with this issues in a nuanced manner the Drive by Truckers prove more thoughtful than pretty much all of their southern rock contemporaries. Lyrically the first half of the album is a bit of a roller coaster, fluctuating between moments genuine insight and sheer stupidity. Sonically it is fairy straight down the middle southern rock performed competently although not exceptionally. The second half of the album didn’t need to exist. While the first half of the album often missed the mark, it was a genuine and passionate attempt at a creative endeavor. The second half felt like a repository of half baked ideas that weren’t good enough to make the a side. "to the fucking rich man, all poor people look the same". “When I was a young boy I sniffed a lot of glue”
This album was an emotional roller coaster. First I was mildly horrified, then was worried it was some southern pride wave the confederate flag nonsense, then it very much wasn’t? I didn’t like the main guys voice, but found it to largely be inoffensive southern rock musically?
Pre Listen: The album cover looks like something I'd find at a scholastic book fair, and the title fits. Never heard of them, but I am ready. No expectations. Notable Tracks: N/A Post Listen: This is most certainly Trucker music. I can almost hear the 18 wheeler's noises in spirit. I'm a bit low energy as of recent, and this album's tracks really blended for me, so rather than giving specific reasons on why this album was a 3, I'm just gonna rate it a 3 and leave it at that. I am not a Trucker. 3/5
Some good stuff here but that hour and a half runtime is brutal. I had a lot of driving to keep me occupied while I listened to this but it really wasn’t enough and I was getting SICK of the spoken word schlock. Thank God there wasn’t more of it.
Obviously they're great musicians with unique creative ideas, but this "concept album" just didn't work. It was too long, too boring, and didn't have anything that stood out. The idea behind the album was stronger than the execution (lyrics or music). It tried to reach too far and fell short.
I expected to not like this but it was pretty ok. I’m a little hesitant to jump into twangy country so I need to hear what they are actually saying before I made a determination but it sounded good.
*2001. *Really surprising concept album. A modern Southern Rock album that's part history lesson of the American South and part protest album and part just saying as many Southern rock bands/artists as possible. *This is like 90s grunge/alt but make it kinda country? I don't normally like country, but it worked for me. *Pretty gripping lyrics at times. The two spoken-word songs definitely had me listening the whole time. *I listened to this one twice in one day (well, not all the way through because it's 90 minutes, but I was at least compelled to try). *Giving this a 5 likely because I was so surprised I liked it, and it's one that will stand out to me as memorable after I finish this list in another 2 years... RATING - 8/10
Best Track - "Plastic Flowers On The Highway"
Not sure how to feel about this one either. It’s not remarkable, but it’s not terrible either. I guess it gets a mid score for me.
Honestly didn't have time to get through the whole thing, but I like the Southern grunge energy and the open exploration of the complex legacy of the South.
This didn't need to be an hour and a half long, but I liked it quite a bit.
boring, bloated, the first track was very good and gave me hope but the rest of it was completely different and mid
Never heard of them. It says "Southern rock opera" right there on the cover, but it is rockier than I expected - in a good way. Wikipedia says it also gets called alt country - there's a lot that's way moodier than straight rock, in a good way, does that make it alt country? Anyway I quite like the band's tonal palette, and the thorough melancholy on disc 1 (and most of disc 2), and the lyrics altogether are quite interesting enough to read or follow along. Like most double albums, it's a lot to take in one sitting, but the rock opera mode kind of hangs together, my commitment boosted by Christgau's relatively warm endorsement which I read at the outset, and some side reading on Lynyrd Skynyrd. The closing track is suitably dramatic to match its deadly serious subject - it's slow, spacious, starts quieter and gets noisy enough in classic fashion - motivates me to listen again to the tracks I liked best on the way through (but probably not the entire double album again, not in a hurry). Overall, this is an album I can say really does belong in the 1001 - it's serious, considered, sombre, and speaks to a span of place and time maybe even better than the bands they sing about. It's uneven - some wonderful songs and some are only okay, so on balance I'll say it's Very Good, 8/10.
First, glad to see the Truckers on the list. Second, hadn’t listened to this one, at least all the way through, before. Quite ambitious! Interesting concept to tell your backstory essentially. Or at least that’s what it seems like they are doing. Musically, it’s good… but I wouldn’t say great. Enjoy some of their later work more. Also, the lyrics are really good and poignant in spots. I love the concept of the duality of the South. Having grown up in the South, I get it. Really want to give this a 4, but musically speaking it’s good but not great…a 3 Lyrically and concept was it’s a 4.
Pretty nice
I found this to be an interesting take on a "concept album". Although I found the overall sound somewhat mired in a sameness throughout and wished for better lyrics as well, it was ok and I think belongs on a list like this. Although my rating for the album as song and lyrics is just a 3, I am giving a +1 for the idea of the album which I think mostly works.
Надо будет переслушать но с текстом
Could not finish
Started with some charm, but became a bit samey as it went on. If this were condensed into a single album, I think it could be much better.
Midwest rock
Enjoyed it more than I thought I would
Southern Rock Opera was a surprisingly very good album. I'm not well acquainted with this band as i haven't heard much of their stuff before this but they still sounded exactly like i expected them to sound. I really do like this album for a variety of reasons. The lyrical themes are very interesting from stuff like racial politics to Lynyrd Skynyrd, The production is top notch, the guitars sound great, the vocals fit well and in general, It sounds exactly like a country rock album from 2001 should. The only thing holding it back is the fact that it is an hour and a half long which i think is a bit too long for this album, That being said though, i really enjoyed my time with it. Best Song: Zip City Worst Song: Days Of Graduation
Was redet der denn die ganze Zeit von Lynyrd Skynyrd? Aber egal die Musik ist nicht so übel.
long and monotonous. some ok moments decent instrumentation. 2/5
3.5
I absolutely love this album. A very 90s Petty meets Skynyrd sound. I especially like the Paterson Hood song who has a conscientious protester vibe about him I absolutely love. Reminded me of Kevin Kinney's approach in Drivin' N Cryin'. I absolutely dug both the music and themes. This might had been flirting with a five star, but it does go on a bit long. I was really feeling the length by the middle of the second act. There is not a lot of variety to the music structure so 95 min does feel a bit long. But the music is solid and killer. (9.6) ★★★★½
It is good, but too long. 3.5 stars
Despite not being the Truckers' best, I think this is a really good album, and despite being a double album, it's super consistent in quality. Hood and Cooley are both strong songwriters, and there's some interesting lyrical themes here, and I especially like how the story of Lynyrd Skynyrd runs through the album and serves as a backdrop to songs about growing up and living in the south. Some of the highlights for me are "Dead, Drunk, and Naked", "Guitar Man Upstairs", "Zip City", "Shut Up and Get on the Plane", and "Angels and Fuselage". 4 stars.
A bonus star for the owl on the cover. Minus 4 stars because it’s crusty dull southern rock with Ernest P Worrell/Slinky Dog on vocals and there’s two discs of it. Would be better if it was Drive-By Tuckers where a fleet of Malcom Tuckers go up to random people, get worked up and shout abuse in their faces for about an hour and then speed away. It would be one act of an In The Thick Of It Opera.
What a wild journey I am on right now hahaha I don't think I will finish this album but am so glad to know that it exists out there.
Great album. Saving 5 stars for perfect albums. 4 stars
Not really
Not bad but VERY LONG
Couple of decent tracks in there but 94mins? Jesus wept
Come on now
Sweet home Alabama but weirdly compelling
Best Song: Zip City I think the message for this album is Lynard Skynard. If you don't believe me, just give it a listen. Lynard Skynard is mentioned in each song a good 780,025 times. I don't mind Skynard but I surely will not write a 90 minute opus to, what to this band seems to be, the greatest southern rock band in their lives. I don't have quite the same hatred for this as some reviews I read but I will have to admit it is rather stock rock n' roll. I can see what it was included and I can even see why some people may really like it but for me, it started ok but is just too long to keep the momentum. If they had shaved 40 minutes, it would have gotten a 4 but they didn't so a 3/5 it is.
# Album Name: Southern Rock Opera # Artist: Drive-By Truckers # Rating: 1/5 # Comments: Absolutely awful. There should be a law against shit bands making double albums. # Top Tunes: # Would I listen to it again? No
Not bad for a country rock opera.
Big fan of rock operas so had high hopes for this album. Southern rock just isnt my favourite, but it was thought provoking at parts and undeniably pretty groovy.
I really respect the vision and effort that went into this, and some of the songs are decent. The guitar work is stellar at times. But I will never listen to this again, as it's on the whole pretty unimpressive southern rock and there are no real standouts on the album. I wish novelty wasn't reason enough to get on this list.
This was an interesting listen. Reading about how the band funded the album was unique as well. While at first I thought the novelty would wear thin, heading into disc 2 I still appreciated the themes and storytelling through to the conclusion of this rock opera. It was sprinkled with standouts that caught my attention through the lyrics and storytelling and ultimately took me on a Southern journey with music I enjoyed throughout. I would love to see this album turned into a stage show. Grateful to the AOTD journey for the exposure.
moj brat imao je nekakvu igračku ritam-mašinu, u principu komad plosnate plastike na kojem su bili nacrtani bubnjevi i ovisno o tome na koji bi se dio pritisnulo začuo bi se zvuk toga dijela bubnjeva. teoretski su se mogli "svirati" bubnjevi barata li netko vješto svima prstima po toj ploči. fora igračka, no s jednom manom: imala je nekakvu "sempl" tipku pritiskom koje krenula bi, uz jasno izraženu pratnju bubnjeva, neka generična američka kantri rok pjesma koja je bila neopisivo loša i nesnosna. čitav ovaj album (koji nipošto nije opera kao što naslov upućuje) zvuči upravo kao taj sempl, samo što umjesto dvadesetak sekundi traje sat i pol. užas
Decent concept album leaning all the way into southern rock. I enjoyed the musical references to Lynyrd Skynyrd; several songs either use LS riffs or start to reference those riffs before changing it up. Favorite track was probably Shut Up and Get On the Plane. Didn't care for the vocals and vocal mixing in a lot of the songs though.
2.8
Totally understand the negative reviews. Definitely has 'Merica vibes to it... I generally don't pay too much attention to lyrics but based on the reviews I pulled them up as I listened and... yeah. Not really my scene. Several of these songs rocked. (72, The Southern Thing) Several of these songs really sucked. (Three Great Alabama Icons, Wallace) And this album is too long, and it all started to sound the same after a while. Also found it curious which were the more popular songs on this album based on play count. But love me some strong guitar riffs and the southern rock sound. Music > lyrics in my book. (3)
I love the Truckers and own this album, but it is not their best and probably not the right pick for this list. Southern Rock Opera is maybe the 4th or 5th best DBT album but it gets points for ambition and this is the album where they really codified their sound. There's definitely some skippable tracks though and this is a classic case of a 2LP that could have been a 1LP. IMO The Dirty South is a better album in every respect... better songs, more concise, Jason Isbell. That album doesn't have Zip City. Let There Be Rock or Angels & Fuselage though and those songs are worth the price of admission here. 4.5 rounded up
Are we fucking deadass having us all hear this 1 hour and 30 minute Drive-By Truckers album.... Oh well, mama didn't raise no bitch so you know I tanked this whole thing down just so I could continue to move through this list. I have listened to a lot of music in my time and the singer for Drive-By Truckers has got to have one of the worst sets of vocals I have heard in a minute. If you thought Lemmy from Motorhead or Bob Dylan or any other mumbling and grumbling artist was bad, you simply haven't heard this shit because it is rough. The music here is so repetitive and devoid of any sort of character or emotion outside of some "southern accenting" of the music. Everything here feels like such a drag to get through and I absolutely despised all 1 hour and 33 minutes of this album with a lot of malice in my heart. If I can give this album one positive thought it would be the track Three Great Alabama Icons, it wasn't a song I particularly enjoyed but the message it held stood out more than anything else here. It managed to turn a song into a lesson, and a lesson in Southern history at that and I don't usually see that done ever let alone done right so I will give credit where it is due. With that being said though Three Great Alabama Icons is not a good song and continues to add to the problems of really sloppy songwriting, boring compositions, and a singer that desperately needs someone else to take over vocals. I am sorry to any Drive-By Truckers fans out there but this was not good at all, hell I'd even say this was pretty bad.
Why are there so many double albums on this list?
It's a long rock opera, but without a hook.
no lo terminé de escuchar, definitivamente no es mi estilo, me sonó un poco a mana pero mana si la arma.
2026.06.29.
As far as swamp rock/southern country rock goes, this isn't bad. It just seems really unrefined and raw. It reminds me of something you would find on one of those one-off streaming services for bands that didn't quite make it that were popular in the early '00's. Poor production quality. I'm not sure where they dredged this group up from. They just feel like a band that might have a decent following in whichever college town they are from, but are in no way good enough for mainstream coverage. How they made this list is beyond me.
What country music should be
Very little have I desired to feel like a trucker on the American highways, and this album has not convinced me any further. Fave track: n/a
Americana schlock. No thanks. 2/5
Southern white American culture might be the worst culture of all time, and the music it produces tracks completely. The last thing I need is 90 minutes of retreaded Skynyrd, 0.5/5.0: Unlistenable
this was something. there is a lot of good here but the length of the album and the dedication to the concept was a huge hindrance
Wow. This is truly terrible. Bad reductionist versions of .38 Special, Skynyrd, etc. and nothing memorable about any songs. Same riffs and tone on almost all the tracks, and vocals that grate on eardrums. I’ve complained that this list is way heavy on Britpop but when you came across the pond, THIS is what you chose? Ugh.
It’s kinda good kinda mid. Not sure what to make of it
An essay on Southern rock and sensibility led by music inspired by Lynyrd Skynrd and the Eagles. A wonderful, powerful love ballad. 4.5/5
Feel like a country boy in the USA. Some of the songs were interesting but nothing stood out as a defining song.
A concept double album, fictionalizing (and grandurizing) Lynyrd Skynyrd? Fuck you in the ear all the way back to the hell from which you were spawned. I'll bet a quarter that confederate flags outnumber U.S. flags in the stale-beer-soaked parking lots outside their shows 10-1. When they manage to get Skynyrd's cock out of their mouths for a song, they go hard on George Wallace of all things. Skynyrd famously locked themselves in a shack in a swamp and practiced until they got good. These clowns dropped out of high school and hit the road. Zero hits, zero influence, zero intangibles, take a 2 on quality, and I could not hate this more.
3*
Long, très long, trop long mais.. c'est vraiment pas mal. Le thème ne me touche pas vraiment personnellement et doit être plus adapté à un ricain. Au delà du thème, la musicalité est sympa mais redondante de par ces 1h30. Le rock sudiste ne m'a jamais interessé plus que ça. Et je comprends pourquoi ici: bonne vibe mais pas beaucoup de variation / inventivité à mon goût. Ça reste un album agréable à écouter si on fait des pauses pendant l'écoute. Je me verrais bien écouter ça lors d'un roadtrip sur les longues routes américaines. Quelques très bon highlights mais le reste est oubliable. 1) Let There Be Rock 2) Plastic Flowers On The Highway 3) Angels and Fuselage
Putain de truck (petite vanne) d'américain
Exactly as advertised on the label
It's so long and ends up all sounding the same.
I enjoyed this enough while it was playing. The guitar work is pretty good and it rocks, although not much really stuck in the mind
solid - good songs but sound a bit the same
This is going to be an interesting listen... I will be evaluating this both as an album and as a representative of what the southern US is like(granted, I live in suburban Florida, so my knowledge of these places is probably limited). A lot of this album is very mediocre classic "Southern rock" that was well out of the musical mainstream by 2001. They are surprisingly good at evoking the classic sound of the style, but don't really do anything particularly interesting with it. The lyrics go for poetic and deep explorations of what it means to be a Southerner, but mostly fail at this and end up very superficial. For some reason, there's a spoken word song about Alabama's history and former racist governor. The singer sounds incredibly bro-country, oftentimes reminding me of the local bar bands of the northern Florida coasts. While this album is not bad by any means, it is incredibly derivative. I don't think it does enough to transcend the Southern stereotypes and sonic constraints of its chosen genre, leaving it to essentially be a rock revival act that's not better than the originals. This is the #16 ranked album of the 17 2001 albums on the list. Other 2001 albums rated by me: Is This It(1/17)-4 Gorillaz(3/17)-3 Vespertine(8/17)-4 Gold(15/17)-1 Bright Flight(17/17)-3
Was honestly dreading a 90 minute country album and based on the reviews I didn’t think I’d like it but I ended up quite surprised. Found it to be quite good. Ronnie and Neil was my fav song and first listen of the album. Birmingham and Plastic Flowers On The Highway were my other highlights
I was really anticipating hating this, but was better than expected. A love letter to the South and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Crunchy guitar tones, strong hints of Sweet Home Alabama, with notes of Jack Daniels. Could do a bingo game with the southern references. Okay guitar riffs and solos, but no standout ones, but with some noticeably bad ones too. I lost count of the Lynyrd Skynyrd references - it's not just the lyrics, it's the overall sound. The album itself is not a rock opera in the way you might expect. It's vaguely a concept album, but not too on the nose, like Pink Floyd might do. Just a few monologues, and lyrics describing the duality of southern culture, with a focus on a love for southern rock. This duality which is discussed throughout the album can be simplified to this:- southern hospitality vs "The South Will Rise Again" racism. The exploration of racism might be a bit woke for some modern audiences, but for everyone else its quite interesting to learn about segregationists like Wallace and what it was like to grow up in such a divisive time. That said it mostly focuses on the more nuanced facets, and rock history, of a culture which is to often demonised for it's dark past. Enjoyable, but 2 CDs worth of it was a bit much. but if that's your jam then this is 4/5, but for everyone else 3/5 at best.
This is an ambitious album, but one that is not for me. I did not know who George Wallace was before this album and would have preferred if all 90 minutes were about him, as that was the highlight for me.
isso é um lynyrd skynyrd pra jovens dos anos 90 que queriam uma guitarra um pouco mais distorcida né no geral eu achei mei ruim, mas plastic flowers on the highway e cassie's brother me pegaram pra caralho
a premissa de recontar a história do lynyrd skynyrd, enquanto perpassa pela vivência sulista, PARECE meio xoxa. e é um pouco mesmo, assim como o lynyrd skynyrd é uma banda xoxa. PORÉM, ENTRETANTO, é interessante, até. todo mundo sabe que o sul estadunidense é/era um poço de racismo e etc e eles debatem isso e outras 500 questões nesse album. dito isso, o spokenword em "three great alabama icons" traz uns pontos interessantes pra discussão, papo de me deixar encucado até. o problema eh ser a OITAVA MÚSICA e termos que aguentar uns alt country meia boca antes. mas aí que tá. a segunda metade do album eh BEM boa, na real. zip city tem umas guitarrada digna de dinosaur jr (numa das fases recentes deles, mais tranquilinhas), coisa que eu aprecio muito. dá pra ver onde wednesday, mj lendermann e outros rock barulhentos puxados prum countryzinho se inspiraram, né. achei que ia odiar mais, mas eu achei decente demais, bem bacana até.
Listen, I appreciate the spirit of the album and we're its coming from. There is even some of that late-era Mountain Goats conceptuality that I really dig and that ties the album together. But this is rough. The vocal performances are bad, and not in a indie rock imperfect vulnerability kind of way. Especially one of them, I think Hood, made me cringe real bad. And the production regularly fails to impress. There are some highlights, but only relative to the general quality of the albums. I enjoyed a lot of the lyrics, but the music just isn't there.
Not a fan, this album is way too long for what it is, the songs a very generic that emulate a style which was perfected by lynard
Didn’t know what to expect but totally loved it.
3.5
Can’t make it through this whole thing, sorry. Not for me.
This was interesting at moments
This might be Dad rock at its finest, I was bored but I'm not a Dad so....
"Southern Rock Opera" is a hit-and-miss album with a few gems. The best one being "Dead, Drunk and Naked". There are some great guitar solos on "Southern Rock Opera", especially on "Plastic Flowers on the Highway". As for the bad songs, they're simply forgettable. I'm not keen on any of the singers' voices; their lyricism makes them a bit more bearable. 3 stars for "Southern Rock Opera".
Wow. Three great American icons. Amazing.
This all bled together really fast...if it was just 10 songs it might have been more bearable?
Album #177 Drive-By Truckers I really don’t take pride in giving out this review, but unfortunately I have no choice. First off, what even is Southern Rock? Is it just rock music with a twang and a banjo? The brutal irony of ‘Southern Rock,’ of course, is that the best band of that genre comes from California. Even though I’m not from the South, or even the United States for that matter, I like to think that I hold no biases against the region. Townes Van Zandt is one of my favourite ever artists, and he is as southern as it gets. That being said, I’ve always been more of an introspective, rebellious Southern music fan, less so a fan of the bombast, patriotic Southern rock; more Southern Man, and less Sweet Home Alabama. I really can’t tell where this album lands on that scale, and it really should be easy because they have a whole fucking song dedicated to that contrast. In fact, they have about 20 different songs about Lynyrd Skynyrd, despite the singer explicitly stating that he didn’t grow up with that music, and it doesn’t mean that much to him. I get that they were trying to form an overarching narrative, but the same subject matter time after time, especially when it’s about how great another band is, just leaves me thinking I should be booting up some Free Bird instead. Saying that though, I really didn’t hate the album. In fact, the first disc was actually pretty good; but the issue with that is, there was still like 40 minutes left of worse material. I do understand a lot of the album is meant to be a social criticism, with some irony layered in, and the band is clearly talented… But ultimately, I don’t care about the South, and I really don’t care about it enough to be captivated for over 90 minutes. Best Songs: Zip City, 72, Women Without Whiskey Worst Song: Cassie’s Brother Score out of 10: 5.5
Finally, an album that answers the question: What if Kid Rock was a theater kid?
Nå slags trucker jänkar rock lynard skynard zz top.
3 de 5 Aclamado por su ambiciosa narrativa y sonido crudo de triple guitarra, es un disco doble fundamental del rock sureño. Utilizando la historia de Lynyrd Skynyrd y una banda ficticia, explora la dualidad del Sur de EE. UU. para examinar temas profundos como la política racial, la clase social, el orgullo y la vergüenza de la identidad sureña, reflejando una intensa y brillante reflexión sobre lo que significa el rock de estadios de los años 70. A destacar: Track 2 - Ronnie And Neil Track 3 - 72 (This Highway's Mean Track 4 - Dead, Drunk And Naked Track 5 - Guitar Man Upstairs Track 7 - The Southern Thing Track 8 - The Three Great Alabama Icons Track 10 - Zip City Track 1 - Let There Be Rock Track 6 - Life In The Factory
Bruce Springsteen influenced southern rock, not terrible, not particularly remarkable. Oh and an unhealthy obsession with Lynrd Skynrd.
Esta divertido por momentos. Creo que es tan largo que por momentos se siente monótono. Un poco me aburrió tanta refe a lynird skynyrd en lo personal pero entiendo que no soy de alabama asi que bueno. No queda guardado pero me alegra haberlo escuchado
Well… I am not a fan of the double album, generally. I AM a fan of Drive By Truckers. I was, in fact, unfamiliar with this particular release before the exercise. And sad that it is the only offering on the list. I think the concept is… awesome. But the execution… less so. Which is always the thing with the double album. What I find interesting is how little people who ostensibly listened to all this seemed to understand it. Or cared to. The fact that its rating is hovering below 3 tells me that it’s fairly misunderstood. But you know: Do You Like American Music, I Like American Music, Don’t You Like American Music, Baby? 4 Boolean: Yes, I am glad I listened to the whole damn double album
This was a lot better than I'd expected, especially considering the 93 minute runtime. I especially enjoyed some of the historical monologues that really added some depth to the album. It's still not my style, but I enjoyed it which surprised me. Favourites: 72 (This Highways Mean) Three Great Alabama Icons Angels and Fuselage
I’m starting to think these guys like Lynyrd Skynyrd.
This was surprising. I like these guys but didn't know about this album. Very cool.
much ado about lynyrd skynyrd
(3/7) I don't get the obsession with Lynyrd Skynyrd
I thought it was satire, and when it became apparent that it wasn't, I quickly checked out.
Some really good songs hidden away but I could do without an ode to Bear Bryant and George Wallace
While southern rock is not a go-to, this was an enjoyable listen with interesting talking bridge sections
Unfortunately it would be much better without the Rob Malone songs, but other than that, this is a very strong outing from them - not their best (that's the next one) but extremely high point in their discography.
Cool concept. Raw, energetic country tunes. Too long.
310526 22:05 3
I was already familiar with this band and some of this album. I listened to some of it, but I'm not a huge fan.
Standard fayre. Listenable southern rock boogie.
Highlights: Ronnie and Neil, 72(This Highway’s Mean) 2.8
Too long and some of the songs weren't great. Some were pretty decent.
Before listening, I had assumed Drive-By Truckers were an older 1970s Southern rock band, but I could hear a strong garage-rock revival and 2000s alternative rock influence, especially in the guitar work. The riffs on Birmingham and Plastic Flowers on the Highway were my favorites. At the same time, the album felt far too long overall. It often felt like “this is kind of cool” stretched on for too long without enough focus.
this album screams "what the hell is a kilometer?"
liked ts, sounded older than it actually was
There are a few good songs on here, but it’s mostly very mediocre, musically speaking - just bog-standard hard rock, with too much country tinge for my taste. Lyrically, the “South vs everyone” culture war stuff gets old fast. It’s crazy how much they appear to both worship Skynyrd and offer apologetics for the South’s reputation of racism and poor education (including trying to argue that George Wallace maybe wasn’t entirely racist, just a political opportunist??), they don’t address the elephant in the room about Skynyrd: their use of the Confederate Battle Flag, which is still hotly debated. I get that the south has a troubled past and at times on this record they call out the racism, but they are also very defensive about how white southerners are seen, and they only seem to half-assedly engage with the negative side of the reputation they are fighting against. At the end of this, I still don’t know what the “Southern Thing” they’re defending is, but I do know they’d like people to stop talking about the South’s past transgressions.
Life is too short to listen to dull music
At least they're not racist...
This is... Poor. And derivative. Seriously. Shut the fuck up about lynard skynard
No thank you.
they keep talking about Lynyrd Skynyrd which is pretty annoying. A few decent rock songs on here though
I liked this album. So sue me
I don’t mind the music of Jason Isbell, who was a member of Drive By Truckers at one point after the recording and release of this album so I assumed this was going to be more of that kind of alt-country kind of thing, maybe more like Uncle Tupelo or something. And that is not at all what they did on Southern Rock Opera, and it’s a much more interesting album for it. The idea here is ridiculous: a musical exploration of the American South through the perspective of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Somehow this is better and more engaging than that first sounds. Is ninety minutes of that too long? Yes. Does part of the structure of a rock opera require a certain amount of bloat? Also yes. I don’t see myself going back to this because it’s a lot but I think it’s an album worth hearing and I’m happy I did.
Not my favorite overall, but has a couple high points. I enjoyed some of the production and band efforts, but some of the vocals were subpar / annoying at times. Rating: 3/10 Favorite Song: Dead, Drunk, and Naked
Southern Rock Opera is an ambitious and compelling double album that blends Southern rock, country, and storytelling into a rich exploration of identity, history, and myth in the American South. Drive-By Truckers balance personal narratives with sharp social commentary, creating a sprawling, heartfelt record that stands as one of the defining works of alternative country and roots rock.
I kinda vibed with this not gonna lie. Was sad when it was over
I did not enjoy this. It was like a bad parody of a southern rock band.
Talk about a band and album that gets in the way of itself. The ridiculous amount of Skynyrd and Alabama references was just silly, and really catapulted this into the realm of being a parody. Daddy this, mama that, whiskey this, southern that. And I certainly don’t need 90+ minutes to be convinced of the “southern duality thing” they try ever so hard to make you understand. Occasional choice moments unfortunately don’t help this enough, and if you’re in the mood for southern laced rock, you might as well just listen to the bands they’re trying to sound like: Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Eagles, Tom Petty, Drivin’ n’ Cryin’.
This is a tough one. Some solid southern rock but what’s up with the obsession with Ronnie Van zant and Neil young? Every lyric seemed to be talking about Alabama or a town in Alabama or some other band, or going to a concert of another band…or lynyrd skynyrd. I’ve heard of these guys but I’m not too familiar. I expect they have a modest but very loyal following. For me, don’t think we needed 2 discs, 20 songs and 90 minutes. 2.75
Did I google to confirm these guys aren't racist? Yes. Is the album way too long? Yes. Should they CHILL OUT with all the southern references. Yes. But despite all that, I found myself enjoying much of this album. Cut it down by half and I may be rounding up. 3.25/5
Une très... très longue écoute, malheureusement si je devais le refaire ce serait comme bande sonore de fond. Je peux citer trois chansons qui m'ont quand même bien plu: Three great Alabama icons, poème conscient bien mis en musique; Moved, belle ballade blues et Greenville to Baton Rouge, avant dernière piste qui finit cet opéra en apothéose et d'une plutôt belle façon.
A long but good listen. I did not dive into the companion literature but on its own it’s a fun, wide ranging album. I found the George Wallace stuff interesting.
Three-guitar, classic southern rock with a message and a conscience. The story is a little hard to follow at times, but this about growing up in the deep south when you're not exactly like everyone around you. While the references are to Lynyrd Skynyrd, it's equally as much about Patterson Hood and his band wanting a life in rock and roll. Every song is it's own story of how to get there.
Wasn't sure if I'd give this a five, but it gets there. Wonderful tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, the South, and the mixed and complicated legacy of living both for the band. The solo in "Greenville to Baton Rouge" sounded like it was taking parts of the "freebird" solo which was a cool way to integrate things. The commentary on the band's website was immensely helpful. Great guitar tone too, crunch yet clean at the same time which was cool.
bof
I see a lot of people on this page complaining about yet another British rock band making it onto the list. But when we are forced to listen to ONE AND A HALF HOUR eulogy about Alabama that’s fine?? Alas my dear friends across the pond, I’m at a loss to understand how this album made it here. It was fine, tolerable, but way too long and the endless rambling about Wallace had me bored. Don’t get me wrong, I tried to overcome my initial snobiness about southern rock, hey, maybe they have a story to tell and it’s deep. It wasn’t awful, but I couldn’t finish the album for the sake of preserving my own piece of mind and listening to thousands of other better songs to fill my ears on a precious rest and relaxation day.
Pretty enamored by this album for some reason! Nicely done.
Wow, I felt nothing! Best song was the spoken word one because I liked the history lesson. 2/5
Light 3
The cowboys got their hands on an electric guitar
Better than I thought it’d be. Some really charming moments.
This is ass and fuck double albums. Very rarely do artists have enough good material to fill a double album and these guys barely have enough to fill one.
I like these guys, but this really was an entire od to the south, which myself I do not know what he's talking about
strangely enjoyable. but i'm not really a fan
After ploughing through the first hour of this, I'm not too enamoured of this retro rock style.
An extremely pleasant suprise had no idea what to expect and was given a perfect country rock album that felt reminiscent of lynrd skynrd. Really fun listen, with some high energy tracks
Nice
It sounds like something a bunch of dudes I know from high school would make (complimentary), in an alternate universe where we're all from the south. But it's sooooo long!!! Coulda been a 4-star contender, but I must deem you a 3.
Thoughts before listening: Oh man. This is going to be a 5. One of the most important bands of all time for me. I discovered the Truckers in college and they kicked off a love of country leaning alt-rock that has stayed with me for 25 years now. I probably prefer their next two albums that include Jason Isbell, but SRO is still an all time classic. Review: As someone who grew up going to punk shows but also was surrounded by 90s country and southern rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Truckers were a revelation. I knew a few bands by this point that were blending punk and alt rock with country twang like Wilco and Reverend Horton Heat, but the Truckers were where the whole thing coalesced in my mind. I first discovered them through Decoration Day and The Dirty South, but I soon went backwards to SRO. This album really highlights their unique ability to write catchy country alt rock songs that also mythologize the region, its people, and its history. Patterson Hood rightfully gets a lot of the focus for this album, leading the narrative around Lynyrd Skynyrd and the "Southern Thing", with my favorite of his albums being the powerful slow burn "Angels and Fuselage" closing out the album. However, I have always LOVED Mike Cooley's contributions here, especially with "Zip City" and "Women Without Whiskey", but also "72 (This Highways Mean)", "Guitar Man Upstairs" and "Shut Up and Get on the Plane". So much Stones meet punk rock swagger in those songs. With this being a double album there are a couple throwaways, but for the most part, this is a perfect album. 5-stars
4.5
Didnt give it the most thorough listen. Liked some didnt like other. Very long
I've heard this before, and i am angry that i am committing to giving everything a fair full listen on this list. This could potentially be a longer slog, but it's hard to imagine. People go dramatic on the Ella songbook, but an hour and a half of this bullshit feels twice as long as that could possibly feel. It's funny, and deeply unfair, to get this right after Johnny Cash, because it's such a contrast. Simple powerful songs vs whatever this is. I have zero time for Skynyrd Apologism even if it isnt in garbled, meterless lyricism. Yeah, yeah. I am sure the stars and bars dudes didn't meet any racist pieces of shit. But when this isn't confederate apologist music for catalytic converter thieves with a bachelor's degree, it's still just mediocre southern rock. It is so crushingly mediocre. Having this album on the list at the exclusion of more women and people of color is why DEI exists… it's War of Northern Aggression rock, and it does it's damnedest to decouple the human rights abuses of the last 300-500 years from Just Alabama Culture. The “duality of the southern thang” is a classic tactic to forgive a reality that is still absolutely drowning the American South, to pay loud lip service to equality but refuse to stand against the bits that have been instrumental to preventing it. You don't get to sing “Robert E Lee” next to “Martin Luther King” as though they're just two important southern historical figures. At least the average abject bigot countryboy doesnt try to hide it. If you need to understand that better, they conveniently give a shitty rundown in Three Great Alabama Icons, which tries to whitewash the racism of the three shitty humans he talks about, all while INSISTING he, the “singer”, was not a bad guy, not him, no. “Racism has existed since recorded history”... OK. But we're talking about this particular aspect. George Wallace ended up no better or worse than most white men of his generation? That's southern cope if ever there was, even ignoring the reality that racism is systemic and present all over america. Id say I digress, but the drive by Truckers don't. This is music for folks who heard Strange Fruit and said “well sure, but also there are peaches! Real delicious peaches! Just ignore the “strange fruit,” it's terrible but it's just PART OF THE SOUTH.” and there are just so so so many things that sound better than this without playing that card. And that's just the first disc. The second disc is when you start realizing that this isn't a rock opera about the south, which has been bad enough, but an opera about southern rock, specifically skynyrd. And that just somehow makes it all stupider. 1*
++: Days of Graduation, 72 (This Highway's Mean), Guitar Man Upstairs, Moved, Cassie's Brother, Angels and Fuselage +: Ronnie and Neil, Let There Be Rock, Shut Up and Get on the Plane +-: Dead, Drunk, and Naked, The Three Great Alabama Icons, Wallace, Zip City, Road Cases, Plastic Flowers on the Highway, Life in the Factory, Greenville to Baton Rogue -: Birmingham, The Southern Thing, Women Without Whiskey 4,2/10
If you grew up in the South in the 70s and 80s you completely understand this concept album. Having grown up in Georgia this album nails the duality of the Southern Thang. It is a Southern rock masterpiece by one of the most influential southern rock bands of my generation.
I was quite liking this at the start, the first 2 tracks were great. It started to go downhill for me after that and I never got back into it. I was thoroughly bored of it by the end. Top Track - Ronnie And Neil
long af
I was not expecting so much of this album to be about segregationist presidential candidate and Alabama Governor-for-life George Wallace specifically. It’s probably a better album than I’m giving it credit for with its intense reckoning with southern atrocities but this kind of alt country music has just never been my thing
299/1089 okay so this is gonna be aggressively american and they’re spending a lot of time talking about Skynyrd at the start of the album ig i kinda like the laid back and thoughtful spoken word vibe of Three Great Alabama Icons Started disc 2 and Lynyrd Skynyrd have already been name dropped again omg like give it UP. i think referencing pop culture etc is generally fine and can be used effectively to tell stories etc but this is ridiculous. Okay SO, i just read that these songs are meant to be through the “context of Lynyrd Skynyrd” which kinda explains it but also makes the name dropping still feel pretty weird Angels and Fuselage is a highlight, but overall i think this album is too american for me, and too long faves: angels and fuselage, three great alabama icons 24/100
This did not have to be two disks. The music itself is not bad, but it’s an overly long bloated album. Pros: this would make a good drinking game. Take a sip anytime they say Lynard Skynard or Alabama.
The production was weak but enjoyed the songs in spite of it.
if it wasn't about semi-recent events with a little talking storytelling put in, probably woulda been a 2, but its a 3 for me
fan boy Lynryd Skynyrd but not done very well. It was too long and was bored by the end of disc 1.
This was such a let down. The name set me up for something great, and it was an hour and a half of the Sweet Home Alabama riff wearing disguises. It wasn't all bad, some sound fun but the length drained any pleasure from it. Sounds like a bad Bryan Adams.
Liked this a lot more than I expected to. The second disc is really strong.
Grew on me as it went on. But it really did go on.
Me enganou muito bem. A canção introdutória te engana completamente. Achei que seria um disco alternativo bem psicodélico, com letras obscuras e instrumentais reservados. Totalmente errado. É só Black Crowes novamente (um álbum que peguei recentemente e detestei), só que dessa vez com os vocais temperados de country. Péssimo. Uma hora e meia? Para. Simplesmente uma armadilha de nostalgia pra conquistar boomers na virada do milênio. Intragável. Admito que discos como esse estragam minha integridade do projeto 1001, porque acho fisicamente impossível não ouvir esse álbum pulando as faixas. Seria uma tarefa de derreter o cérebro. Lynyrd Skynyrd mas sem graça e sem charme algum. Não, obrigado. A capa é legal. Só. 1/5
Christ, this album sounds like it was written with AI. It starts off okay, nothing particularly wrong with it, but it flows into the most uninteresting, cliche Country Rock album known to man. Every song sounds like it's written without soul or imagination, just plucked off the Country Rock shelf to be repurposed into a long ass album. And if you make me listen to 90 minutes of music, you better make it worthwhile. Unfortunately this record became extremely tiresome to listen to. Oh, it's also WAY too American.
If I was from the American south I'm sure this would be a 5 stars, as it was this was a chore as it has been every time I have tried DBT. This is despite being a Jason Isbell fan. Maybe if he had been the singer I might have liked them more, somehow Patterson Hood just doesn't click for me. I preferred the spoken word story songs.
I listened to this album 2 months ago, and despite it’s hour and a half runtime, I completely forgot what it sounded like nor could I remember anything about it. Pretty forgettable stuff I guess.
I was ready to give this a 1 based on the cover alone. It made me realize one shouldn’t judge an album by its cover…or title….or band name. Surprisingly deep and progressive.
I originally thought I would like this more than I did, and kinda came around in the end (okay partially related to their politics). It's a rock opera, but besides two songs (the one leading into Wallace and then Wallace) I didn't really know if they were related. Wikipedia didn't have a summary! Glad I heard them though.
Too southern
nice enough
Absolute cliche redneck cowboy rock and roll
I prefer Decoration Day, old mates got better when Isbell joined. Truckers rule though, happy to see them here.
Yeah... not really for me. I'm not a huge fan of southern rock, so over 90 minutes of it is not something I particularly enjoy. Especially when the music itself is not very unique and is referencing all these things and people that I just don't really know about. 2 stars because I never really hated it but I didn't like it either and it is not something I would ever come back to.
Look. Full confession. I'm (probably) by all accounts 'southern'. Kentucky isn't associated with money or wealth, it's still mostly rural, and most everyone here has an accent. It's southern. It's where I'm from, where I've lived most of my life, and where a bunch of my family is. This album -- with its prodigious handjobs for 'southern' rock bands/singers and some opportunistic stereotypes -- feels embarrassing. 'Arena Country' (most modern country music, basically) does the same thing, but doesn't dress it up as something special or deep. That stuff is deeply cynical and corporate. A mass market panacea for ignorant masses and jingoistic cash grabs. This pretentious bullshit thinks it's something special, while spewing similar crap. Yeah, 'its hot here' isn't a fresh take, man.. Why in the hell does **everyone** need to drive a truck, huh? 'Mean highways'? You been down a rural route before? It's just a bunch of nothing, soul-crushing poverty, disaffected & scared white people, and crumbling towns filled with Dollar General leeches. There's nothing 'romantic' about it, and basically never has been at least in my lifetime. There are a few efforts on the record to paint a more realistic picture, but I guess because it's all around me, anyone who picks at the scab gets yelled at. Plus, it's SOOOOO long. (2/5) from a self-hating southerner. Maybe I projected too much on to this, but music is supposed to evoke an emotional response. This is mine.
The singers, man. It's like your bearded cousin learned how to bend a guitar chord and called all the aunts and uncles up to do karaoke. Aunt Sally can definitely belt it, but gets a little overzealous at times... But goddamn it, it's Thursday morning, Danny, and nobody's drunk enough for this! Honestly, I've heard some this before and thought these guys were good enough for a local country bar band ("keep it under an hour, okay fellas?"), but for a bunch a Brits to include it in a list like this is just... Flabbergasting. But my buddy likes it so I'm feeling generous enough to round up to a 2/5.
Variety: 1 Adequacy: 2 Listenability: 2 Uniqueness: 1 Emotionality: 1 = 1.4 rounded down to a 1 "You know, it's a very long [album] ..." Don't know much of anything about these guys. Think I've heard a few tracks way back when, but they didn't leave much of an impression on me apparently. I may have confused them with The Eels at one point? I get the impression of bearded dudes wearing too much denim. Maybe that's way off base. Maybe these guys have a totally normal relationship with denim. I do know that so-called "rock operas", especially ones that are called that by the artists themselves have a tendency to annoy the fuck out of me. It can usually go one of two ways: 1. Your band has enough leftover songs that weren't good enough to go on a normal album so you decide to use every part of the buffalo and release them as a thoroughly mediocre 20-30 track marathon under the guise that "it's deep man, it's all tied together" and hope that the "story" and haphazardly connected lyrics pull the album up by its bootstraps to at least some critical acclaim ( see Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by the Flaming Lips) 2. You're actually pretentious enough to go in with your core idea of the concept album, and proceed to write a bunch of nonsense that probably generates a few great songs, and holds together well enough, but ends up being mediocre as well because the great stuff barely makes up for the filler. And there's usually a TON of filler ( see The Who's Tommy). But then there's also a third way - a group of great songs that probably wasn't intended as such, but that is dubbed a "concept album" and the artist just goes with it ( See Bowies' Ziggy Stardust). From what little I've read, I'm betting on #1. THE TRACKS Disc One "Days of Graduation" - Musically I'm on board. The atmosphere is working for me as well, but the spoken word shit does not bode well for things to come. Possibly not fair of me to drop this in the lowlights as it could barely be called a song, but they chose to list it as its own track, so... "Ronnie and Neil" - At least we get a real song here. Decent enough, even if I have some slight issues with the message. The church bombings and Muscle Shoals history of integrated music recordings are hardly equivalent things when it comes time to balance the checkbook, and I can feel more than a little bit of defensiveness in the lyrics. Maybe a mention of some of the Civil Rights actions instead? "72 (This Highway's Mean)" - I'm fairly certain all the band members are from the South. Why does the vocalist here sound like he's putting on a voice? Is this a parody of late 90s pop country fare? The playing seems purposefully sloppy and tuneless as well. "Dead, Drunk, and Naked" - This goes down much easier. Getting some Neil Young meets Tom Petty vibes here. The ragged vocals and the general al-country feel is more of what I was expecting, and this is a fine example. "Guitar Man Upstairs" - Ugh, this guy again. Not sure which vocalist this is, but he's delivering a very grating parodic performance. If that's just his natural voice, then... wow. Either way, the material isn't there either. This is like something I would expect to hear at a tiny ass bar in the middle of nowhere on a Friday night, by some band who you appreciate more for their energy than any quality of the music. Maybe that's intended? Mission accomplished I guess. "Birmingham" - The raspy dude is back with more Tommy Petty sounds, and I'm back on board. This was very good. But maybe it's a little shinier by comparison with the other stuff. "The Southern Thing" - Raspy dude is sounding to me more like Don Henley started taking voice prep tips from Paul Westerberg. This was ok, but a bit too bombastic musically for me. Going for the big 70s southern rock sound though I guess on this one. "The Three Great Alabama Icons" - Love the opening to this one. But holy shit, this dude again... And he's doing this dumb spoken word garbage again. At least his speaking voice sounds more authentic. When you need to stop and pull up a powerpoint explaining your album, maybe it's not going so well? "Wallace" - Is this a third singer? This guy is not as offensively stereotypical as the Guitar Man Upstairs, but he's trying VERY hard (unsuccessfully so) to put some soul into things. He's coming across as more Brett Michaels and less Ronnie Van Zant though. A rare DNF from me. "Zip City" - Alt-country in the sheets, Hee-Haw in the streets. This guy is getting on my last nerve and we have a whole other disc to go. He would sound so much more at home singing about his sexy tractor. "Moved" - Over-soulful guy is back and is gonna stretch the fuuuuuuck out of those vowels. He sounds like Trey Parker when he sings in his "America Fuck Yeah" voice. Or maybe a drunk Chris Cornell trying to make the other Soundgarden guys laugh after playing a show for some unappreciative rednecks? Disc Two "Let There Be Rock" - What a song title. Tenacious D could pull that off maybe. This was too sincere by half for the Guitar Man Upstairs to pull off with his mainstream pop country voice. Switch him out with Don Henley and this might have been decent, as teh instrumentation is perfectly fine. "Road Cases" - Someone listened to "Mary Jane's Last Dance" a few times before this one. I think maybe both Henley and Guitar Man are singing together on this. Sounds like some unholy mixture of their voices to me. Guess it balances out a bit though. "Women Without Whiskey" - Musically again there's some interesting stuff here, but Kenny Chesney Jr. takes another big ol shit in the tank. "Plastic Flowers on the Highway" - Don Henley returns for an ok, but very middle of the road number that was all verse and no chorus. "Cassie's Brother" - Oh dear lord. Brett Michaels is back. You should only be allowed one Ringo song per album. Even a double. This one feels right out of an awful jukebox musical where some cityfolk decide to try and belt out some authentic country blues rock number. "Life in the Factory" - There's some life yet left in this old dog. We get some uptempo alt-rock that would not sound too out of place on a lesser Replacements album. Or Soul Asylum maybe? "Shut Up and Get on the Plane" - Even for Kenny Chesney Jr. this sounds like a parody of a modern country song. The end is in sight though. Thank god. "Greenville to Baton Rouge" - Bit punkier in attitude here, and we're back with good old Raspy Don and his alt-country stylings. Quality stuff. "Angels and Fuselage" - And he brings us home on this last one, which works quite well. A nice note to end on. HIGHLIGHTS - "Dead, Drunk, and Naked" - "Birmingham" - "Life in the Factory" - "Greenville to Baton Rouge" - "Angels and Fuselage" MIDLIGHTS - "Ronnie and Neil" - "The Southern Thing" - "Road Cases" - "Plastic Flowers on the Highway" LOWLIGHTS - "Days of Graduation" - "72 (This Highway's Mean)" - "Guitar Man Upstairs" - "The Three Great Alabama Icons" - "Wallace" - "Zip City" - "Moved" - "Let There Be Rock" - "Women Without Whiskey" - "Cassie's Brother" - "Shut Up and Get on the Plane" FINAL THOUGHTS This was a super mixed bag. As a concept, a failure on all points. But there were some gems to be mined ( far and few between), especially most of the stuff from Don Henley with laryngitis. At times this almost sounded like some kind of Outkast type experiment where two guys went off and made their own albums, and instead of separating them more or less to two different discs, they mixed them all up. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONShe two main vocalists. - Seperate the into two albums, each focusing on the two main vocallists. Then trash the one. You know which one. The remaining one might get a 3 if I was feeling charitable. FURTHER LISTENING - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco - No Depression by Uncle Tupelo - Trace by Son Volt - Tennessee by Lucero
"Lord they get off so much / They pick me up when I'm feelin' blue, now, how'bout you?" Reckoning with my own Southern Heritage and any associated pride for the region has been a life long journey for me. Being from the rural South I grew up around a lot of Lynyrd Skynyrd. It may not have been 'Bama South, but Appalachian Eastern Kentucky was still lousy with Skynyrd posters, Confederate Flags, and trucks playing Call Me the Breeze at loud volumes. My high school graduating class, even in the late '90s, selected "Free Bird" as our class song. True story. Not me, I voted for "N.W.O." entrance music, also because it was the late '90s and I was into professional wrestling. That one may or may be not a True Story, my memory is fuzzy but I want to remember the N.W.O. entrance music on the ballot for our class song. Of course my best friend ended up leaving Eastern KY and attending the University of Alabama, became a convert in the church of "Roll Tide!" so I got to learn about Bear Bryant too. I enjoyed the Southern Fried rock music of it all, but as I grew older I came to detest the full throated Southern Pride that Skynyrd, and others like Hank Williams, Jr. seemed to represent. It irked me in ways I couldn't articulate at the time. I got into rock music not celebrating Southern-ness. Skynyrd didn't like Neil Young. Well, you know who did like Neil Young, Fucking Pearl Jam. I left Lynyrd Skynyrd, and country music, and Southern Pride behind. I let MTV rescue me away to Seattle, or Southern California, or wherever. Just as long as it was away. Then I did leave. I left for college, I explored a bit. And a funny thing happened out in the world. Whenever I encountered people who wanted to put down the South, or Appalachia I'd grow angry. Yeah, I've got lots to complain about the region I grew up in too, but you're never invited to share your real lived complaints, often you're just invited to mock as well. "To the fuckin' rich man all poor people look the same." So, you find yourself defending the South. Defending Appalachia. So when the Drive-By Truckers speak about the Duality of the Southern Thing it hits home. HARD. Surprisingly, I'd never heard of these guys until today. It kicked off quick, and kicked ass, in my opinion. The first disc resonated with me a lot! Southern Fried rock riffs, raspy voiced bar singing, and a few self-hating naval-gazing anecdotes thrown in. I felt like I knew all the characters that populated these tracks. I'd met them at church dinners, high school ball games, and family reunions. Who cares that the guitars sound the same on most of these? And if the album had only been that first disc, this review might have flirted with being a solid 5 for me. No joke. But it went on to disc 2. It ran out of juice early on disc 2. We lost the plot here. The album lingered long enough for you to be annoyed by the long-winded stories and personalities. "Plastic Flowers on the Highway" was the breaking point for me. I know they were going for a serious sentiment, but the songwriting fumbled the handoff, which the album failed to recover. All in all, I'm glad to have listened to this one. It provided more language in my toolbox for talking about my Southern Pride. Again, "The Duality of the Southern Thing" is a phrase I will employ. That said, it did not end on a high note. These guys played way too late into the evening. Its a (3.5) that I'm going to round up to a (4) for how much I enjoyed that first disc. Also, I'm going to end with a page out of a friend's playbook and give a Further Listening recommendation. For reckoning with being Southern but can't abide the embarrassing performative Southern Pride go listen to: Tyler Childers Yeah, he's a Kentucky boy so I'm playing home favorites here. Still highly recommend.
Notable Textzeile: You think I'm dumb, maybe not too bright You wonder how I sleep at night Proud of the glory, stare down the shame Duality of the southern thing Ich war selten so froh als eines dieser Alben vorbei war wie bei diesem. Musikalisch könnte mir das ja von der Instrumentierung und den Rhythmen irgendwie gefallen, aber ich mag nichts daran. Nicht die Ähnlichkeit aller Songs untereinander und zu tausend anderen Sachen die es schon gibt. Wer hier einen Funken musikalische Innovation oder Besonderheit findet, vor dem ziehe ich den Hut. Und gebe ihm dann den Hut, denn der passt vermutlich dann sowieso eher zu dieser Person. Was mich aber noch viel mehr abstößt als die Musik ist das „Southern“ raushängen lassen an sich. Ich kann damit wirklich so gar nichts anfangen, bei mir machen sich da nur Assoziationen an Segregation, Rednecks,, christlichem Fundamentalismus, Intellektuellenfeindlichkeit und eine Pseudo-Anti-Eliten-Haltung, die aber allen Konservativen alles an Klüngelei verzeiht, breit. Und dass das hier differenzierter ist, möchte ich gar nicht herausfinden weil es trotzdem so dick aufträgt. Am Ende habe ich dann doch ein wenig nachgelesen, vielleicht entgehen mir da die Nuancen, aber das hier war wohl das Ziel, sagt einer von denen: „The album wrestled with how to be proud of where we came from while acknowledging and condemning the worst parts of our region’s history“ - aber vielleicht wäre es dann ja auch einfach okay NICHT stolz zu sein darauf wo man herkommt, sondern zu sagen: trotz der Furchtbarkeit da wo ich herkomme, wo wirklich fast alles furchtbar war und ist, gibt es auch dort ein paar gute Menschen. Aber sie überwiegen leider nicht. Man ey echt!
Oh nein, meine Review ist nicht eingeloggt worden. Daher Rekonstruktion: Dieses Musikexperiment funktioniert, und ich habe die Referenz in Ronnie und Neil verstanden, weil wir uns all die Neil Young Alben anhören musssten und ich über die Southern Man /Sweet Home Alabama Geschichte gelesen habe. Es geht also um eine Beschäftigung mit dem weißen amerikanischen Süden. Interessiert mich nicht. Southern Rock Musical nimmt dann den Titel sehr ernst und schreibt unzweideutige Texte über Highways, Birmingham,... ich habe dann eigentlich nicht mehr richtig zugehört. Musikalisch ist das sehr lauter Southerm Rock mit Grunge und wenig Vielfalt. Stört mich. Dabei mag ich Jason Isbell, der später zu den Drive by Truckers stößt, und ich bin sicher die Band hat sich dabei auch viel gedacht. Interessiert mich einfach nicht. Ich bin auch durch mit Konzeptalben und langen Alben. Manmanman
A formative masterpiece for me. One of the few to break the double album curse. The loose storylines woven together into an interesting commentary on southern American culture is literary. Plus they just fucking rock. The last era of real rock going out with a bang. The Truckers are great and this one is truly a great musical work.
No! I hated this. Overdone American slop
Alabama is cool actually and not racist and Neil Young went there once and Lynrd Skynyrd etc. etc.
Well, I think they successfully achieved what they set out to do. Personally, I don't see the appeal of a country-rock double-album homage to Lynyrd Skynyrd and southernness in general, but that probably says something about my interests more than anything else. I actually think my favorite track was "The Three Great Alabama Icons," but more as a history lesson than as a song. I don't know, it's a weird one, colored by my own tastes and enjoyment. It's a 2 or a 3... Usually, when I'm stuck between two numbers, I'll give another listen, but I really don't want to listen again, which probably means it's a 2. A high 2, for what it's worth (is that worth anything?).
This was entertaining. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the band name and album name certainly were evocative! It's nice to listen to something truly unique.
Way too long. Too many monologues and spoken word over the top. I get the premise but it was a slog for me. Giving it neutral because unique.
Not too bad, however the album is very long.
This was alright. I wanted to like it, but I kinda just got tired of the sound. Too deep-fried. Two stars.
This had several cool songs, but what is it w/ this Lynyrd Skynyrd fixation? lol In any case, it was fun, but way too long.
Neat album. Took me a while to get through but week's been pretty busy. Missed the next two albums lol. Definitely Southern and definitely rock, and the storytelling elements were nice too like in Three Great Alabama Icons and the first song. Dead, Drunk And Naked has to be my favorite, and the guitar part in Greenville to Baton Rouge was nice too. 6.6/10
😒
Almost Skynyrd.
Hey, this album. I have it in the list of long albums that I intend to assemble pre-written reviews for. It's an hour thirty, apparently. Joy. I'm pretty sure I've seen this album cover before as well, though I didn't know it came from the 2000s. I'd initially corrected my prediction to be an indie rock album with a prominent bluegrass/Americana influence based on the artwork, though the feature-length runtime throws my prediction off even further. I'm not entirely sure what to expect. I'll settle for my initial prediction of bluegrass indie rock anyways. Here goes. Alt-country, Southern rock. I could be getting ahead of myself, but I think I was more or less on the money with my prediction. However, in all fairness the genre was in the album name. While this kind of music isn't exactly in my rotation, I can always get down to some good alt-country - particularly the stuff from around the time this album released. The main singer has a nice voice. Normally I'd drag this chainsmoker, raspy intonation, though he adds a good level of attitude and grit which is befitting of the music and is aided further by the competent songwriting. The instrumentals are my kind of alt-country with their heavy, atmospheric, bluesy sound, though I must admit that they're a bit of a one-trick pony. By the time I was reaching the end of this album I'd heard all that it had to offer about half an hour prior, with the album flat out recycling melodies and vocal hooks at points. Being stretched thin to the point of rehashing material does beckon the question as to why this album is as long as it is, though the stretches I didn't care for were ultimately tolerable. Overall, this was a solid, if belaboured listen. Book time. Tells a story about the rise and fall of rock star as filtered through Lynyrd Skynyrd references and variety of subject matters, apparently. "...championed by some as the best American rock record of 2001." CD 1 of this album is centered around dreams of becoming a rock star, and CD 2 is centered around the reality it entails, culminating in the death of the album's protagonist in a plane crash. Lost Highway signed the band just to put out a reissue of this album in 2002, but they were promptly dropped when it once again failed to land with audiences. Tragic. "...a masterpiece that stands tall next to anything in the Southern rock oeuvre-including that of Lynyrd Skynyrd." Wikipedia says this album was crowdfunded by fans, friends and family of the band. The album was also very well-received by critics, but that's about it. Yeah, I'm favourable to this pick. It isn't prominent or influential, but I enjoyed it and the general sound fits with where a lot of indie music was at during the time. Hopefully I'll come to appreciate it more if I ever get around to giving this album a second listen, though for the time being I'm content with just liking it. I cosign this inclusion.
The album is filled with Southern-rock musical tropes and reveals the state of the genre in 2001. "Three Great Alabama Icons", "Mood", and "Shut Up And Get On The Plane" are great tracks.
3/5 hella long in a bad way
5/10
This is a 9 or 10 song album squeezed into 20 songs, a 45-minute album squeezed into 94 minutes. In short, this album has a little fat around the edges. It especially doesn't help that the lyrics essentially repeat themselves across different melodies and rhythms. Every song seems to cycle between 4 subjects: the complicated legacy of the southern US., the worship of the Southern rock originals (namely Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers,) tall tales not unlike fisherman's stories of wild events out in the great Southern frontier, and the isolationist, reactionary culture of the South. This album might have a theme going through it. Some of the more specific subjects include the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash, where a plane carrying the band from Grenville to Baton Rouge, LA, crashed and killed several band members; it's one of the greatest tragedies in rock history, and Drive-By Truckers somehow turn it into a grandfather's story about how this part of town was once all sticks. It's a very unique way of talking about the subject, I must say. Other than that, the album drifts between the same few styles - alt rock, harder-edged boogie, and of course, some good ol' Southern rock - but the band plays very well into their strengths, with powerful 4 on the floor beats and driving guitars serving up a lot of momentum. It's hard to keep an album interesting for 94 minutes, and Drive-By Truckers somehow managed it. The best thing they could have done though, was keep the songs that mattered the most and trimmed it down, because having 20 songs all about the same few things make few, if any of them, truly memorable. I will give it this: it's probably the best "pure" Southern rock album to come out after that genre's 70s heyday (not that rock itself was ever "pure," let alone the boogie, country and blues-fusion that made the Southern variety.)