Southern Rock Opera

It just didn’t get this. Some nice tunes, great voices. But perhaps I need to see the rock opera being performed?

Perhaps the most grand and ambitious "southern rock" has ever been.

Great guitar tone, weird album!

She was looooong

I actually didn't mind this, despite its length.

I do like some progressive country music here and there. This one has nice ideas and a certain groove. However, I wasn't too impressed by it. At some point it just sounds relatively standard to my ear.

Over all I really enjoyed this album. Some great rock and a little knowledge added in with "Three great Alabama icons".

Not great, I trudged through the double album, bearable but nothing to grab my attention

Certainly not something I'm in a hurry to listen to again, but it was more interesting than I expected it to be. There's certainly some solid guitar playing on here. Going to round up from 2.5.

I got about halfway through & stopped listening cause it got boring. I love Southern rock, but this feels like an ode to Southern rock not the actual thing. 2.5 stars

Liked this a bit better than I thought I would. But even then, it got to be annoying about half way through.

Not bad, just basic southern/country-rock; it’s best moments are when it leans towards the rock side. A bit too, long.

I could have done without it being a double album. Too long. Interesting evaluation of the dichotomy within ‘The South’. If it had been half as long I would have been more engaged but even though I enjoyed the country rock more than I expected as well as the socio-political delvings I had way more than a bellyful by the end. Less is more, chaps!

When I started listening to this album, I was thinking I was gonna give it at four. But the sheer length of the album diluted my enjoyment. I really like the soliloquy and subsequent song about George Wallace. They are pretty fun band to see live.

I do enjoy some southern fried rock and roll. However a two disc concept album is more often miss than hit, and this one fits the typical mold -- some good ideas but a little overlong perhaps even self indulgent. I like the music, I find the tone a bit weird in places but there's some good story telling in here. However by the end of Wallace I felt like I had the gist of what they were trying to say. I don't know if the extra disc adds much to either the argument or the arc. Move the closer to the first disc, ditch Zip City or Moved, and you would have a real winner. 3.5

Lynyrd Skynyrd obsessives run amok in this double album epic about the supposed misunderstandings of the South, particularly Alabama. Drive-By Truckers do their best to ensure that the audience's attention is tethered to their mission statement and, with this record, they do it pretty well, especially on the song Three Great Alabama Icons, an absolute highlight. Favorites: Days of Graduation, Ronnie and Neil, Dead, Drunk and Naked, The Southern Thing, Three Great Alabama Icons, Wallace, Moved, Let There Be Rock, Cassie's Daughter, Life in the Factory, Shut Up and Get on the Plane, Angels and Fuselage.

I didn't have much use for this slack, grunged-up and meta Southern Rock music. Neither the content nor execution of the lyrics much impressed me.

On one hand, I fucking love rock music, and I enjoyed listening to their perspective on the story of Lynyrd Skynyrd and growing up in a rural area. On the other hand, I think it kind of downplayed racism in America and the music wasn't original whatsoever. I think I would listen again though.

points for ambition. probably won’t listen again for awhile though

- Never heard of this before - When I saw it was a 90 minute long country rock album, I thought I'd hate it, so I was pleasantly surprised to think it was actually decent - Still think it's far too long - Never known an album to mention Lynyrd Skynyrd as much as this - Fav songs: Dead, Drunk and Naked; Birmingham; Angels and Fuselage

Honesetly hated it first. Far removed from what I like and the singing was sometimes really bad. But the heart is in the right place on this album, I feel and it somewhat grew on me when it ended. Weird one.

De bons rifs de guitare étonnamment pour un album sorti en 2001. Une voix anglaise directement sortie des bayous avec son accent du sud, mais c'est pas dégueux. Le genre d'album que certaines chansons méritent une 2ème écoute pour se faire une vraie idée.

Perhaps it’s my northeastern coastal elitism shining through, but I’ve always felt the Truckers are better when they’re more concise. For every “Let There Be Rock” here you have to slog through a “Three Great Alabama Icons” as well. I get where they’re coming from and admire the cultural introspection, but the history lessons get a little draggy across a double album like this. I’m sure they’d say the same about “The River,” though — all’s fair.

Definitely prefer to listen to a few songs here and there opposed to the whole album. Left me missing life on the farm

This album is an interesting look at southern life through the eyes of some guys raised in the 1970s on a steady diet of Lynyrd Skynyrd. I really like their concept of the 'duality of the southern thing' but I think there's enough lost cause mythology here to make the overall conclusion feel underdeveloped and hollow. I appreciate how it must feel to be looked down upon based on perceptions of southern entrenched racism, and I know there are genuinely kind people on the right side of history in the south, but like many of their southern brethren, they just don't quite seem to be able to reckon with the horrors of history. Musically, this album only works as a whole. The individual songs aren't quite strong enough to stand on their own. I really like the Lynyrd Skynyrd through line as I was also raised on Skynyrd. The album's length didn't bother me too much, but you really have to listen to it is a whole for it to work.

Liked it but 90 minutes is a lot.

Une exploration originale des contradictions du Sud des ÉU, dans un package rock bien entraînant pour faire passer la pilule.

Dit lijken wel twee albums in 1, die elkaar ook nog per nummer afwisselen. Een rock album dat opzich best aardig is en veel potentie heeft, en dan een country album dat vrij beroerd is. Vooral ook doordat de zanger van de country nummers echt dramatisch is. Hier had dus veel meer ingezeten, maar het is prima genoeg voor 3 sterren.

Some good tracks, did it need to have a run time that would make James Cameron blush ...no. Some tracks sounded like Lemme from motorhead which I liked.

Didn’t really engage with the music, the spoken word singing distracted from a lot of the tunes. It was an interesting listen, but probably not one I’d revisit.

Loose Southern Rock concept album about Alabama with lots a references to Lynyrd Skynyrd. And boy it's long. TBH I only heard the first hour but I'm sure the remainder was similar. I like the political slant but cmon guys it really does go on a bit too long....

Starts out on a seriously emo note. Like Pearl Jam, but you can understand the singer. Three Great Alabama Icons reminds me of A7Xs Welcome to the Family. One of the singers sounds like Jake Cinninger These guys love talking about Lynard Skynard This album is long. Not my cup of tea, but the guitar parts are good, like most other southern rock.

Listened to it while grilling so wasn't fully paying attention but I was a great album to have on while grilling. I liked the story telling aspect that's always cool when albums have that Seems like they would be a fun live show Going to relisten again to get the full experience but my original thought is that it's good not great

Epic rock, un po' malinconico.

Interesting

Surprisingly entertaining.

You know what, this is an interesting concept and I think it was executed relatively well. It was originally written as a semi-autobiographical screenplay on growing up in the South, covering race politics and most importantly, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Personally, I love Lynyrd Skynyrd and the guitar part of "Free Bird" so I have zero complaints there, and the music itself was solid as well. I would totally return to listen more closely to the whole shebang, because I think they are addressing some serious sh*t.

kinda an interesting one the Lynyrd Skynyrd references are everywhere

Muutamia tosi hyviä biisejä ja normipituisena tästä vois ehkä saada neljänkin tähden setin. Mut sen verran on toistoa nyt, että max kolme.

Solid album

It was okay, but it kind of drags on for too long. That one spoken word but in the middle of the album was incredibly boring.

Really nice rock opera, even though I enjoy other genres more than this one. I still find this record quite interesting anyway.

ну вообще не фонтан....

Country rock done very well

S'écoute bien considérant je ne suis pas fan de southern rock. Respect pour leur dénonciation fréquente de racisme.

Man, I had a hard time with this one. Entertaining at the least. Had to hear before I die? Not sure. 2nd go trying to give this group a try and still not sold. More like a 2.5, but it had enjoyable moments so I'll go higher.

Have the Drive-By Truckers ever made a bad record? This one is fine but not my favourite (would go for some later album). It is a bit exhaustive, and the vocals have been better on later records as well.

Good southern rock sound, but wasn't convinced by the vocal performances.

Great riffs, a tad monotonous, too lengthy

Rating: 6/10

A Worthy successor to Lynyrd Skynrd! With better attitudes! Nice.

Just soooooo long. Great music, super vibes and recording but just got a bit bored towards the end. Prefer something like Songs for the Deaf for that travel concept album

This album sure does take you on a journey through the south. I feel like I'm missing quite a bit of context but I started to get into this album a bit more on the second listen. Favourites are 72, Three Great Alabama Icons, Let There Be Rock, and Dead, Drunk And Naked . The closer, Angels and Fuselage, feels like a good late night song.

Bit of a slog to get through, this one - think I prefer the second disk that has less narration as it's easier to have on in the background. It could probably be a bit more overtly judgmental, for my namby leftist tastes. Fave track - "Women Without Whiskey", perhaps, or "Plastic Flowers on the Highway"...

one long song

3.5, it was fine. Better than I thought it was - Think of it as a southern rock type album

Not at all what I was expecting, I liked more of it than I thought I would. Not something I'd play regularly but still interesting

A bit too Lynyrd Skynyrd-ish for my tastes, but an impressive piece of work to be sure. I did gain a better appreciation of the south though. 3 stars.

Very Lynyrd Skynyd and unashamedly so - no bad thing. Good to hear their opinion on southern things and the obvious race-related perception that people like me can't help but feel. Politics aside, this rocks along in a good ol' boys southern country bluesy boogie.

Not bad. Sounds like a garage bad or a band you would hear live at a local festival. Not a polished album, but I kind of liked that about it. Had some hints of Tom Petty and maybe some Counting Crows. I don’t like some of the songs, particularly the ones where the lyrics are all spoken instead of sung. 2.5 stars

Pretty catchy riff rock, double album which maybe worked against it in my mind although probably would have done for the concept if it had been one disc. Wavering between 3 and 4 stars - would be a 3.5/5 for me

It was alright

Interesting at a lot of times. Other times it felt draggy. Also, a lot of the ones that were interesting likely wouldn’t be interesting on multiple listens.

Long album, but some very interesting monologues along the way

No way was I listening to an hour and a half of this but it wasn’t bad. Maybe 3.5 or even 4 sometimes

Managed to select the wrong album so ended up listening to two never-ending Drive-By Truckers albums.... I think I preferred to the other one (The Dirty South) but this one is ok. Bit Neil Young, a bit of a Southern version of the Hold Steady, (which I guess makes them Southern Springsteen-lite). Imagine they'd be quite good to see live.

This or a desert drive? Difficult choice.

I had no idea what to expect. The first track was pretty cool and the next few were interesting. I didn't get through the whole thing because of life. I may revisit to figure it all out.

Like going into an Alabama bar and hearing people sing about sensible things

This was good but could easily have been trimmed down a bit.

I appreciate the effort that went into writing an hour and a half worth of songs, but the songs themselves were just not for me. I am not a southerner, so I didn't get some of the references in this. And I don't really like Skynyrd either. Anyway, I respect the guys for trying something interesting

I thought I hated this one but listened to the lyrics across the whole album and ended up liking this more than I thought I would. I'm glad I gave it a listen.

Rock sureño

Its a cool concept but 93 minutes is a bit much.

I wasn't really in the mood for yet another double album today, especially 90 minutes of generic Southern rock by a band whose name sounds like a parody of generic Southern rock bands. But you know what, they kinda won me over. 'Three Great Alabama Icons' was the track that piqued my interest; it's more of a history lesson than a song. From then on I paid more attention to the lyrics, did some research and realised that this is an opera *about* Southern rock (Lynyrd Skynyrd in particular - plus attitudes towards the Deep South etc). After that it became much more engrossing, and it's arguably the most fully realised 'concept album' that's come up so far.

Not really sure why this album is necessary prior to leaving this particular plane of existence, until "Three Great Alabama Icons", when the complicated history of Alabama politics is summarized. It is a well spoken summary. Drive-By Truckers is however, quite unique, but this album has difficulty generating or maintaining interest outside of a historical perspective. Perhaps "A History of the South" was a little too forward, but "Southern Rock Opera" would earn more curious listeners. The latter is certainly true, but the album delivers the former. Albums that carry chips on the shoulder and get really preachy without really delving into making the message profound tend to fall flat. Falling flat is what happens more often than not here, but for reasons of nostalgia and some familiarity with Southern culture, there's no lack of moments for a 'Hell yeah' or 'Damn straight' or 'Roll Tide!' from the southern accents in the vocals, to the overall feel that this is a southern rock album. One could fully expect this to be the background music in an Alabama bar that everyone talks over until "Free Bird" comes on. That being said, without a genuine interest in the subject of the opera, the album is mediocre at best, nothing to be disappointed with or upset about. It is Southern Rock in its most recognized presentation, and it is nicely performed, but that is it --- the promise of a Southern Rock opera is made good on, but maybe it was a clever excuse for the album's demanding length at being a double-album.

I really like DBTs and this may be sacrilege but this is really not their best. Individually, some of their best songs are here - Ronnie and Neil, Zip City, Women Without Whiskey - but it’s too long and too self consciously focused on explaining “the duality of the southern thing”. At their best (The Dirty South, for me) they do this through their excellent songwriting without needing to interrupt albums for extended monologues about George Wallace or whatever, which you’ll inevitably skip on repeat listens.

It's a good album. I'd have to say that I think it is just too much. Never heard of these guys before, but I enjoyed it. It just kept going on endlessly... 3/5.

The Truckers cover a lot of ground on this one, and until admirably near the end stay sonically engaging. I'm not convinced one way or another on the wisdom of the ground covered; The project is certainly a little sprawling, though.

Southern rock/country-feeling album. Cool historical subject matter for a good part of the album. Three Great Alabama Icons was very interesting to listen to. The music itself just wasn’t that great, making this one not a huge desire to listen to over and over.

As mentioned country isn’t my usual genre but this was quite listenable. 3*

I did like it. I also felt like it needed to be concentrated on which I didn't do. Or maybe I was expecting more from it... not sure.

Wasn't expecting much from this but enjoyed it. Goes on far too long though. I'd probably give it 3.5 if I could but doesn't quite tip towards 4 stars so it's a threebird from me.

Enjoyable album, not one of the best, but in the media

It was very tempting to give this a pass, since 1) I've always despised Lynyrd Skynrd 2) thought that Sweet Home Alabama as a rebuttle to Southern Man was racist 3) I've never liked Southern Rock and 4) I haven't been feeling too much love toward truckers this winter. But I decided that maybe I could just listen to it enough to trash it. The first song seemed to be poking fun at the south and at LS so I kept listening. The singer has a great voice that he can adapt to the different styles (country or rock), the song-writing was great, and there's some good guitar playing. The decision to reconstruct LS riffs was a nifty idea. They address my issues with Neil & Ronnie and provide a southern perspective on many of the hot topics that defined the human rights movement & still plague America today. Their sketch of George Wallace is similar to what I've read about him in the past. I would give this a 4 but but not without a deep dive into the lyrics first.

Some guitar riffs & a couple of tracks that have grown on me but I mostly didn’t enjoy this album, it’s just not my kind of music. But then ‘Angels & Fuselage’ came along & honestly it’s one of the most moving tracks I’ve ever heard.

A little all over the place but not bad

I like that the idea came from a screenplay, but the concept album didn’t translate well enough. Cool riffs and lyrics, but never anything exceptional.

Interesting and unique concept that ends in a double album of average country rock that fails to leave an impression

Huh. Well, I can honestly say this album is truly like nothing I've ever heard before. Very well thought out and aptly named. Though I have to admit, I don't really love this genre so though it's unfair, minus one star for that. Still, a solid listening experience. Fave track with Three Great Alabama Icons. This band really has a lot to say, and props for that. ❤️

While I never heard of them before, I will admit their music is quite nice. Yet not exceptional enough for me to remember it come tomorrow.

"Southern Rock Opera" is the third album from Drive-By Truckers and it's their semi-autobiographical, magnum opus, double album. The album's musical story discusses how the band grew up in the South - especially Alabama - and touches on the Lynyrd Skynyrd plane crash that almost ended that band's career. This alternative country / southern rock album was financed by loans from friends and fans, to be released in 2001, but after the buzz of attention garnered at release by this amazing work, a record deal was struck to re-release the album in 2002. The quality of this album cannot be understated. The songwriting tells a beautiful story, intertwining southern charm, coming of age, and a hearty dose of rock music, that formed this band - the Drive-By Truckers. The music is overall soothing with some heavier parts sprinkled in, and I enjoyed listening to it while working. Seems like this band came out of nowhere with this album, but they definitely made a big splash.

Well, now THIS is interesting...

This album is an experience. I listened to the first few songs cold, no previous knowledge of the band or album. I couldn't get into it. So I gave it a day before trying again, but this time I researched a bit beforehand. I also read along with the lyrics as I listened to each song. Both of these things helped me appreciate the ambitious project that is SRO. From a songwriting perspective, there are so many interesting characters and great imagery, and overall I found it to be lyrically thought provoking. Though I get the stylistic choices here (I think), my personal preference would be for a more rhythmic as well as melodic approach to delivering those lyrics. For me, this is less of a casual listening album and more of one that I'll sit and give my full time and attention to from start to finish, like watching a movie. I like any album that can provide that kind of experience. Here's a snippet from a Stereogum article (for my own notes): "Throughout the album, Hood returns repeatedly to a concept he terms “the duality of the Southern thing,” his way of attempting to balance pride in his home with the worst parts of the region’s troubled history. By his own admission, Hood wasn’t always successful in this, which is part of the reason the band now rarely plays Opera track “The Southern Thing” in concert."

Didn't finish disc 2 but this was pretty good, very ambitious. And I love a concept album.

Well made southern rock with an actually somewhat interesting narrative

Nice message, basic music.

30/11/2021 - 29/03/2022 Leggendo il titolo di quest'album mi aspettavo di trovare al suo interno becere canzoni che glorificassero supremazia bianca e schiavismo, per poi piacevolmente scoprire che questo doppio disco, che deve la sua esistenza al crowdfunding, è proprio pensato per chi, come me, vede degli stati del sud USA solo quanto fatto passare dalla cultura mainstream. Prima di questo disco, infatti, del South conoscevo "Sweet Home Alabama" come colonna sonora di atti incestuosi o razzisti, "Furore" di Steinbeck (finito di leggere proprio mentre esploravo questo disco) e la bandiera confederata. Sono sicuro che molti di voi siano nella stessa situazione in questo momento - d'altronde a chi verrebbe di ricercare la storia del sud USA, specialmente tra il pubblico italiano, se non a Southerners stanchi dei pregiudizi come i Drive-By Truckers? Ricordate l'utopia di Sufjan Stevens di comporre un disco per ognuno dei 50 Stati degli USA? Ecco, "Southern Rock Opera", in mancanza di un candidato migliore, mette l'ipoteca sull'Alabama, togliendo un po' di lavoro al fin troppo prolifico "Subaru": così come nei dischi "patriottici" di quest'ultimo, infatti, i Drive-By Truckers si imbarcano in un disordinato tour su quello che è / è stato l'Alabama e sulla cultura del South in generale, focalizzandosi su luci e ombre (la ricorrente "duality") dell'una e dell'altra cosa, ma perdendosi nel provare a farle passare attraverso la storia di una band immaginaria che non si chiama Lynyrd Skynyrd ma che fa le stesse identiche cose del gruppo Southern per eccellenza - un artificio narrativo davvero innecessario, dettato forse da motivi di copyright ma comunque lontano dall'essere ben riuscito. Come anticipato, stiamo parlando di un doppio album che risulta lascamente suddiviso in un primo atto dedicato alle storie e alla storia dell'Alabama e in un secondo dedicato alle vicende dei Betamax Guillotine (leggesi Lynyrd Skynyrd). Il primo atto si apre con la storiella fine a se stessa ma comunque ben costruita di "Days Of Graduation" e prosegue con canzoni easy-going e carine, specialmente "Ronnie And Neil", dalle liriche a tratti iconiche (ma che si prestano, come poi riscontrato dagli stessi DBT ai loro concerti, a fraintendimenti che non sono in nessun modo colpa di chi quelle liriche le ha scritte), per raggiungere l'apice nella prosa di "Three Great Alabama Icons" (vera lezione di storia americana - rottura della quarta parete a parte - che mi ha aperto gli occhi sul vero obiettivo dei Drive-By Truckers, anche grazie alla buon'anima che ha scritto per essa ottime notazioni su Genius) e in "Zip City" (in cui l'esplosione di "Maybe it's a twenty-six mile drive..." suona come una presa di coscienza davvero commovente). Il secondo atto è molto più grande nelle ambizioni rispetto al primo ma non è altrettanto ben riuscito, eccetto che per il trittico finale che narra l'epilogo della storia dei Lynyrd Skynyrd "originali" (che, giusto per ricordarlo, non esponevano bandiere confederate ai loro shows come fanno i loro eredi), culminante nella struggente e cinematografica "Angels And Fuselage" ("I'm scared shitless of what's coming next" è un'affermazione brutalmente onesta). Tuttavia, per arrivare all'ottima canzone conclusiva, si passa attraverso canzoni dimenticabili non perché brutte, fatta eccezione per la pessima "Cassie's Brother", ma perché uniformi a quanto sentito fino a quel momento, e che quindi non catturano l'attenzione. Per la prima volta da quando mi sono imbarcato in questa "1001 albums you must hear before you die" challenge ho da dire qualcosa sul mixing: "Wallace" e "Moved" sono equalizzate in maniera estremamente piatta - non che avessero il potenziale per diventare grandi canzoni se mixate bene, altrettanto, però l'errore a mio avviso è evidente e costringe a distrarsi per alzare il volume, danneggiando l'esperienza di ascolto. Parlando strettamente di musica, invece, posso dire fieramente che "it's not my cup of tea". Alcuni passaggi, anche oltre a quelli citati sopra, mi sono piaciuti ma trovo il pattern delle canzoni abbastanza ripetitivo e non mi ci vedo a riascoltare questo disco per puro piacere, anche e soprattutto perché nelle liriche mi ci rispecchio davvero poco - resta da dire, però, che il Southern Rock (con le giuste distanze da posizioni strane su temi politici delicati) non è male come pensavo, anche se non ha molto da offrire dopo i primi ascolti. Grazie a questo ambizioso lavoro dei Drive-By Truckers, accompagnato da liner notes sintetiche ma illuminanti e piene di errori ortografici che forniscono un assist ai pregiudizi sull'Alabama, ora so come la pensava davvero chi ha scritto la famigerata "Sweet Home Alabama", quale triste fine ha fatto e in che controverso stato ha vissuto la sua breve vita - ciò non toglie che, approcciando una tale mole di materiale, mi aspettavo di uscirne più accresciuto nella conoscenza del South, e soprattutto con due o tre canzoni in più da ascoltare regolarmente. Purtroppo molto di quanto portato nel corso del disco a sostegno del fatto che l'Alabama non sia poi così un brutto posto è la solita, seppur sempre necessaria, richiesta di "non fare di tutta l'erba un fascio" - qualche insight storico in stile "Three Great Alabama Icons" in più avrebbe reso il disco molto più interessante e avrebbe portato argomenti più credibili a favore di un riscatto del South, a patto che ne rimangano altri oltre a quelli enunciati nel corso del disco. Will South rise again?

Started, but never finished. Lost interest about halfway through, so that shows how much I liked it

didn't love it as much as it's hyped

3/5 Not really extraordinary, sounds like the radio

Had not heard of this band or heard their music. I like it. I enjoy quite a bit of what is usually categorized as "Southern rock," but I don't spend a ton of time in that subgenre because, like country music can to my ears, it can sound too similar to itself. This has nice doses of edge and darkness at times, and, dang, some real fine musicians plying their craft (those guitarists, and that drummer, for example - wow!). I imagine I'll come back to this one for another listen.

Feel-good country music. I liked the mood of this album

Not bad. But I can't recall any memorable songs. Actually, Angels and Fuselage is awesome.

Prima klassieke Southern Rock, ik mag dit wel. Heb zelfs de band wel eens live zien spelen.

Wel een lange zit, maar vond dit best goed te pruimen.

Nog niet heel goed kunnen luisteren maar wat ik hoorde maakte me af en toe wrl nieuwsgierig naar meer. Al was de stem van de zanger ook weer niet altijd je-van-het. Beetje een Hillbilly-Lemmy.

It’s fine I guess.

Lyrically and musically good, let down by average vocals. Credit for being socially aware.

Strange album, a bit too spoken word for me. Not terrible though.

No Can imagine this being played in an American bar in the mid west. Hints of ZZ top, Guns and Roses Alright but not for me

Buen rockabilly y con toques algo country. Música con un estilo muy definido. Se puede escuchar tranquilamente, aunque te deja un tanto frío. Pasable

Some good toe tappers in there but too many Skynard references.

Liked it more than I expected but still not a big fan of southern rock. I wish the vocals would steer away from the over the top southern drawl a bit more. When they did, I found myself enjoying it much more.

Great road trip record, rocks hard

19. No meio da palha, as minhas calças fazem um batimento típico dos inseguros. Verifico de forma frenética as minhas notificações, como se de um advérbio de modo se tratassem. Somos todos rafeiros, se puxarmos o tempo bem atrás. MotA: "Three Great Alabama Icons" "Bobby went out for a joy ride with my best girl"

it was good even if im not a big fan of the genre

Pure southern rock energy, a must-listen for fans of the genre.

I get the point of the talking sections but I feel like they distract from the pretty decent music of the album. Enjoyed the duality of the vocals.

Good rock album. Cool concept. Not a huge fan of the guys voice though. Long album.

Zip City

Very interesting. I enjoyed the dialogue incorporated - reminded me of Slint. I’d definitely play this in the middle of a desert or somet

solider Rock

I was going to gloss over this and glad I did not. Super enjoyable to put on and do other things. Hopefully that is not a put down...it isn't in my book.

A Little Rock country…..

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Dead, Drunk And Naked; Guitar Man Upstairs; Angels And Fuselage Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Not going to convert a sceptic of the genre, but that's not what this album is looking to do. Nuanced celebration of southern rock's sizable impact. 3, not for any lack of quality (the lyrics are really well done) I'm just not the biggest fan of the genre and 90+ minutes is a lot.

This is a long album. I like the genre, but the songs are mostly unmemorable. 0RS

Good Southern Rock!

Rocked pretty hard. I also liked some of the songs’ lyrics because they felt very real, but the pretty heavy political messages were also challenging while listening to it only in the background

rocky parts were good, too hillbilly overall

Kolejna pozycja ktorej nie udalo sie dorwac na spotifaju, wiec ratujac sie jutubowymi zrodlami, w tym wypadku jutub muzyka odwalil ladna robote tworzac plejliste z wszystkimi 20 trakami w poprawnej kolejnosci, widac ducha czasu platformy, samej bandy calkowicie nie kojarze, tytul albumu rowniez nic nie mowi, a jedynie napawa niepokojem przed kkonowa opera, jesli mialbym do czegos porownac ten seansik, to do odpalenia radia X z san adreasa i przemierzania na krosowcu krain kurczakow i wsiokow, kawalki sa bardzo rowne pod wzgledem tego jak sa grane, 3 gitarki, basik, drumy, z czego ten basior jest mocno wyrazny, tylko na jednym traku slyszalem harmonijke, a spodziewalem sie, ze jednak country influencje beda tutaj o wiele mocniejsze, poludniowy rock, to jak dla mnie polaczenie przystepnego grania, ktore moze cieszych ucho kazdego w radiu, czy podczas sluchawkowego odsluchu, z narracja liryczna podobna do tej z bluesa, czyli nacisk na storyteling najczesciej z elementami dotyczacymi samego autora/spiewajacego, bo nawet mozna szukac wiekszego konceptu southernowej rokowej operetki, jako historii zycia bandy czy jej czlonkow, mocno naszpikowanej alkoholem, problemami z nim zwiazanymi, narkotymkami, muzyka, policja, nieszczesliwa miloscia, oderwaniem od rzeczywistosci, czyli co tu robic, jesli nic nie ma sensu, zwlaszcza na poludniu, bo poludnie to poludnie, takie glowne themy pojawiajace sie na tym poteznym double lpku, po ostatnim dosc przekombinowanym punkcie na liscie, przyjemnie bylo posluchac czegos prostszego, a rownie zadawalajacego, nie bede rozpisywal o poszczegolnyc trakach, bo musialbym znowu jutubowac plejke, a i tak nic nie dodam, ale wsrod bardzo zyciowych poludniowych kawalkow, znalazloby sie cos z czym mozna sie konektowac

OK - It’s a good sound

I've heard a few southern rock groups but not the drive-by truckers (or maybe I have and didn't realize it). I found myself actually enjoying the more talky songs than the actual music ones especially The Three Great Alabama Icons. Love this album cover too with the spooky owl.

Rock sureño

I thought I'd like this, but it got a little repetitive.

It was enjoyable

Entertaining southern rock with some conscious lyrical content

Otro disco que no está completo en Spotify y tampoco en YouTube Music, menos mal que la vida se abre camino. Ha sido un descubrimiento, me gusta la Americana music pero no soy experto y se me escapan muchas cosas. Esto tiene mucho de Lynyrd Skynyrd y Neil Young. Recomendable, trataré de oir más cosas suyas.

Cool southern rock album. Little long. 7/10

2 stars for sound, 4 stars for lyrics and content. Generic raspy southern rock, with a true rock opera story about the birth and death of lynyrd skynyrd, perceptions of the south, political, moral, and racial issues

Alt country like Devo is alt folk. Really good concept album.

I actually enjoyed the song that came on from a different album more than this one. This was another one that I found okay but not really compelling.

I have always found this band exhausting, so I was dismayed to find that it's 90 minutes of music. I did find the monologues quite compelling, which surprised me, usually that kind of thing doesn't work. But, more than ready for the album to be over by the end.

I’m glad I gave this a shot. I’ve heard a song or two by DBT but never a full album. Guitar sounds great, awesome musicianship!

It’s good for what it it, just not my cup of tea.

As I listened, I kept wondering if this album and band were pro-Alabama, or not. Maybe it strikes the balance of criticism with love? Hard to tell, although I did like a few of the stories, and disliked the repetitive mention of Lynyrd Skynyrd. This was country rock that I could listen to again.

I appreciate the ambition and the idea of a southern rock opera but it gets a bit old for me. I know a few songs by them though that I do like but I was unfamiliar with this one.

I respect the craftsmanship here, especially for a band so indie and meager in its economics at the time of production. I just don't think I buy into the myth of southern rock enough for this to really click with me though. I'm also not sure about the idea of northerners only thinking the South is racist because of George Wallace, but on the other hand there's a song here about the devil welcoming a freshly dead Wallace to Hell, so it almost balances out.

'Opera' is an appropriate label for this album. It's lengthy, and I often found myself feeling that length. The musicianship on this album is often noteworthy, and a number of the tracks, including 'Zip City', are stand-outs. That said, I can't say I loved this album, nor do I think I'll find myself listening to this again anytime soon. Worth an initial listen if you're wanting to hear a slightly alternative take on southern rock.

Would like to listen again, seemed like a cool idea but 90mims was just a bit too long for today.

Südstaatenrock, aus Alabama. Typisch Rockig, Mit Country Einflüssen.

long and monotonous. some ok moments decent instrumentation. 2/5

Not really

Couple of decent tracks in there but 94mins? Jesus wept

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.

Why are there so many double albums on this list?

It's a long rock opera, but without a hook.

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.

Americana schlock. No thanks. 2/5

Feel like a country boy in the USA. Some of the songs were interesting but nothing stood out as a defining song.

It's so long and ends up all sounding the same.

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.

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.

Can’t make it through this whole thing, sorry. Not for me.

This might be Dad rock at its finest, I was bored but I'm not a Dad so....

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

Nå slags trucker jänkar rock lynard skynard zz top.

Bruce Springsteen influenced southern rock, not terrible, not particularly remarkable. Oh and an unhealthy obsession with Lynrd Skynrd.

I’m starting to think these guys like Lynyrd Skynyrd.

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.

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.

this album screams "what the hell is a kilometer?"

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.

At least they're not racist...

This is... Poor. And derivative. Seriously. Shut the fuck up about lynard skynard

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 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’.

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.

Wow, I felt nothing! Best song was the spoken word one because I liked the history lesson. 2/5

After ploughing through the first hour of this, I'm not too enamoured of this retro rock style.

++: 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

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

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

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.

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.

Too southern

Absolute cliche redneck cowboy rock and roll

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 alright. I wanted to like it, but I kinda just got tired of the sound. Too deep-fried. Two stars.

"Southern Rock Opera" is an enigma of an album. On one hand, I think how they portray the duality associated with being a southerner to be fascinating. The tracks "Ronnie and Neil" and "The Southern Thing" are the most interesting. I appreciate the story of it all. On the other hand, this album is over NINTY minutes long, offering little variety (especially on "Disc 2"), and constantly resting on the laurels of southern greats of the past (eg Lynyrd Skynyrd). By the end of the second disc I was so tuned out. Overall not garbage, and interesting perspectives, but would have been better to release a parred down version of disc 1 as the album. 2/5

I like the concept here, but an hour and a half of singing about Lynyrd Skynyrd just doesn't hit for me.

Drinking challenge: Take a shot every time they mention Lynyrd Skynyrd. Seriously, why are they so obsessed?

muy redneck

Not for me

Rang hollow, although perhaps I was expecting Outlaw Country. A pleasant distraction, but nothing more. No depth.

What a strange album. I'm not sure how I feel about a southern rock opera, but I don't like concept albums as a rule anyway. It's too long and as much as I enjoy Lynyrd Skynyrd, I'm not sure I need them to be mentioned in nearly every track! Neil young gets a few mentions too. There were some bits that I thought were quite good though. Think my favourite was "three great Alabama icons". It's too long too 2.5

С претензией на говно

Better than the actual Lynyrd Skynyrd album on the list, at least. Still didn’t need to be a double album, though.

Never could get into it. I should like it since it has all the elements of music I would like but just don’t think the songs are that good and the voice doesn’t do it for me

Not sure why we needed a 90-minute album roleplaying a plane crash with reminding us that racism is bad

Not for me today

If an album is 90 minutes long it is doomed to fail. Nothing can keep anyones attention for 90 minutes, certainly not forgettable song like these. The album cover is ugly as well.

4/10 The GREATEST artists ever struggled to make good double albums, so whatever possessed DBT to take it on was clearly a particularly mischievous imp. They don't have the songs or musical inspiration to fill a short single album, let alone 90 flippin minutes. And I like chugging Dad rock! Embarrassing.

Liker egentlig Lynyrd Skynyrd, men syns det er cringe hver gang de nevnes her.

Hybris! Det är min första tanke när jag lyssnar på denna skiva. Men vid den andra låten, Ronnie and Neil, tänker jag, "kanske de lyckas". Tycker det är en rätt bra låt. Men sen dröjer det läääänge innan jag känner så igen. Baton Rouge är bra. Finns ok element där emellan. Men satan vad slätstruket det är överlag. Bra röst. Men för trist. Pga hybris med att släppa en dubbel-rock opera-album blir betyget en tvåa!

spoko country rock, ale kurde... tylko country rock

Album 74 Top 3 favorites off the album: Shut Up And Get On The Plane, Three Alabama Icons/Wallace, Guitar Man Upstairs I think the album title is funny, and I had to stop listening to this at work because I needed to actually tune into what the lyrics were. I'm going to cheat. I'm pairing two songs as one favorite because the commentary leading into them contributes a lot to the experience of the songs themselves. Case in point: Three Alabama Icons into Wallace. The variation in sound was good. Neutral leaning enjoying it for sure.

This is sort of a weird album. There are some interesting tracks. Then there's some songs that aren't really even songs. Three Great Alabama Icons was a dissertation loosely set to music about George Wallace. As a piece of art, this album is interesting and possibly has a message to tell. As a piece of music, it doesn't lend itself to repeat listens.

I wonder if these guys drew any inspiration from Skynyrd.

This was so southern rock sounding that it almost didn’t feel serious. The length is horrid for nothing to stand out. Not interesting, southern rock is good but this just felt like hmm. Not unlistenable but I think I could’ve die without knowing this exists

meh, and long

Decent enough. Wouldn't play it again on my own accord though

It took me two days to get through it. It wasn’t awful, but nothing stood out as particularly memorable. Plastic Flowers in the Highway possibly came closest, but probably wouldn’t listen to that again. The whole record was just too long.

Inconsistent and definitely too long. There were some decent songs but nothing that really stuck with me. There was stretch where they were really starting to dig into the "duality of the Southern Thing" that I thought might have promise, but then it ended up kind of just fizzling out and turning into more generic 00s alt rock country.

Would have been a low 3, but 93 minutes of it can fuck off.

This goes on a bit too long and never really grabs you by the short and curlys. I wouldn’t say it’s bad really, more just done better before and a bit bland.

Right band, Wong album. Check out the dirty South or Decoration day.

I've never heard of this album or this band but I feel like I know what I'm getting into before it even starts. We'll see...90+ minutes seems like a big ask for an album with this cover. "Hey Lynyrd Skynyrd can we copy your homework?" "Yeah but change it a little so the teacher doesn't know." "Oh yeah. Totally." And then they go on to mention or reference Skynyrd in like every song. And Alabama. Honestly I guess the music isn't bad, it's what you'd expect for southern rock and is super derivative. But the lyrics and vocals sound like a parody. Songs about whiskey, trucks, good ol' boys, Lynyrd Skynyrd (of course) and more! Sometimes (usually) all in the same song. And good god why on earth does this album need to take up 90 minutes?!?! I think I might actually appreciate some of this if it was half the length but as it is, no it was a struggle before the first half was done. I was really close to turning this one off before it was done. I probably would have given this a generous 3 if it weren't so long. Knocking it down to 1.5/5

No way I’m listening to all that

2 out of 5. Surprisingly got a little better in the second half and the Alabama history lesson gave me something to think about.

"Proud of the glory, stare down the shame Duality of the southern thing" Some good ol' Southern Rock balancing a nuanced view of the history and culture it comes from. As a concept rock opera it lacks range. There are a few stand-out tracks. However, much of the album sounds similar and it could benefit from more variety. I don't dislike a single song but I doubt I'll be listening to the entire opera as a whole again.

2- Stars (4/15)

I found the Talkie parts about George Wallace and stuff interesting but I don’t really need a book report and it was at least twice as long as it needed to be competent playing though and not completely unpleasant.

This is one of those albums where I think that it's exactly what they hoped for. I think that this product is to them, and probably their fans, the best they could have done and achieved the vision they set out for. Unfortunately that vision was a crunk rock opera glazing Skynrd. Who cares, if your goal is to make the shiniest, stinkiest poop, it doesn't make your ass a genius.

There are 3 types of songs on this album 1) <bad thing about the south> BUT 2) Misadventures of doing something stupid in the south (ALABAMA) 3) You wouldn't understand because it's the south It really is the lyrical content that ruins this, otherwise it'd be a forgettable middling country rock album. Instead it's a really stereotypically poor country rock album. An hour and a half long one.

Didnt love this- it was an odd assortment of country songs. Too many cheesy and stereotypical, not enough bringining something new or fresh. Not sure if I am missing something, but not for me.

I fully appreciate that Lynyrd Skynyrd deserves their place in this challenge. I am far less convinced about a 94 minute rock opera from the early 2000s about Lynyrd Skynyrd and in the style of Lynyrd Skynyrd but not as good as Lynyrd Skynyrd. There's an audience for this and more power to them, but I really didn't feel like I needed to hear this one.

Love the guitar but hate the singer voice, You can clearly see the inspiration from Lynyrd Skynyrd, also as a European, the lyrics are so hard to understand, I'm pretty sure it's because of the accent but still ?? Could be featured in the "Cars" movie (the first one) or "Bolt" like in any Disney / Pixar movies that include a road trip.

I get it. Not all southeners. and racists aren't just in the south. Do I really need a double album that tells me this? It's too long and too much. I think we protest too much.

Tonight, as I had some urgent work to do I was listening to this album and it was the great as background music, because it's not distracting, it's very standard Southern rock/country rock, and pretty inoffensive music. Those 1.5 hours went by quickly and basically all the songs sounded pretty much the same. That being said, it's not the kind of music I would listen to with much pleasure, because it doesn't have much variety and I don't really feel the southern rock vibe either. I don't want to be harsh on this album, and I would give it 3 stars, but I'd rather round it down to 2, / 2+ as there were better 3-star albums on this list before that I enjoyed more.

If it was half as long it’d be great. If every 2nd song didn’t sound the same it’d be great. But it’s neither of those things. I’d listen to Plastic Flowers on the Highway again, but that’s about it. Lucero is what this band is trying to be, but done far better.

The album had a cool sound but not one that I really enjoy.

Not the worst album on this list, but definitely will not be listening to again.

Not really my cup of tea. I stopped listening after the first disc because I didn’t feel the need to keep going. Some good guitar work and they are clearly talented, so it’s not entirely bad. Just not my style.

The best rock operas always do an incredible job at keeping me captivated and invested in the story. This one sort of manages that for the first few songs, but then it does get pretty boring pretty quickly. I get that the right wing butt rock sound is ironic, but when it's that constant for that long it does get hard to ignore the irony.

These guys are obviously really big fans of 70s southern rock music. They're just not very good at copying that music themselves. For all this went on for over 90 minutes, there was very little of interest to be found, no stand out solos or catchy tunes, just plodding and redundant songs. It's too dull to give any more than two stars I feel.

Crap

Honestly? I’d have disliked it less if it ended at track 12.

not for me!

When I'm in a Lynyrd Skynyrd mentioning competition and this is my opponent 🙁

This did not need to be so long.

Like the cover art, this is a legible, sincere passion project, far more skilled than I could ever be, and yet, for the real world, not actually good. Great respect for their dedication to doing their (not very good) thing, from the relentless SOUTHern pedantry, to the crowd-sourcing, to the completely stupid 90'+4' length. Chase your dreams, ignore the haters.

A for effort, B for content.

Nada de nada

Not my vibe

What in the fake bon jovi is this

I wouldn't say I loved this, but I appreciated it as a concept. Though the story is told through the eyes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, it really is a fairly apt depiction of the average life in the south -- at least from my United States southern-adjacent point of view. I don't agree with nor condone American South sentimentality, but I do understand that for a lot of the people living it, things are muddled or ingrained without them even realizing it, and this album does a good job of painting that perspective. Fortunately, the album also speaks on leaving the bubble of the South and seeing the rest of the country's perspective. Really, I appreciated this more as a concept than I did the actual music.

Not quite my thing. Too much guitar grunge

the first two songs were pretty good but the rest hell nah

OK.

not as bad as expected but still not good

Wasn't a big fan of this one unfortunately

A 90 minute album is a tough sell. A 90 minute rock opera about Lynyrd Skynyrd and life in the south is even tougher. There are a few decent songs here but most aren’t that good. The best ones are the spoken poem/songs and not where the lead singer is trying to sing. Maybe this would be better if I grew up in the south or like Lynyrd Skynyrd, but neither of those are true and this album isn’t really good enough to cross cultural boundaries

First time intentionally listening to country rock/ alt country. I appreciate the guitar lines and digestible melodies, but not sure if I like the genre overall

As someone who as ill advisedly released a double album i feel qualified to say there are very few records that should be double albums. Very, very few. And this isn't one. My favourite thing about this band is Jason Isbell - and he hadn't joined them yet. 90+ mins for an album is usually a slog and this is no exception.

Interesting story but musically not for me

Bodacious dude at times. Other times they really want to be Lou Reed, Tom Petty, the Stones and even Tom Waits at the opening. This is, though, monotonous, long, and does not justify inclusion in a greatest albums list.

After a few listens, I'm still not quite sure what this is. Is it a concept album? Is it a soundtrack to a film or play? Is it an educational experience? Is it a bit of self indulgence on the part of the Drive-By Truckers? I haven't a problem that they were moved to write an album about Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Wallace and the duality of the Southern US states. Ronnie and Neil kicks the album off well, with a properly beefed up guitar riff, but I lost interest pretty quickly after that. I'm just not sure why I needed to know about this. I'm glad you're not all racist, but I sort of guessed that anyway, just like I don't think you all sit on your porch and play Duelling Banjos. Not bad, but I won't be listening to it again. A low 2

Nothing interesting here

This feels like something I should like on paper—a Southern rock opera would be in my wheelhouse. But it’s so damn long and they’re so obsessed with Skynyrd. I get that’s the entire idea but I do not want to hear someone make a movie-length album about a totally different band.

Kinda basic

I've yet to get a double album on this list that hasn't bored me at some point. They're all get too tedious because they're unnecessarily long. This one is nothing different There were some good bits of this one, with my favourite song being Ronnie and Neil, being so good it gave me such foolishly high aspirations for the rest of the album. I hate the vocals, and the exaggerated glazing of Lynyrd Skynyrd is so annoying. The music itself wasn't anything special, which is criminal for a 90 minute long album.

Do you think this is what he actually sounds like? Or is this a bit?

Too long and too country

like more than a few dudes in athens, this is rambling, pretentious, pretty progressive, and a little too concerned with projecting a preconceived idea of "southernness." a pack of dudes I'd be happy to have rolling around my town being the local color, but i wouldn't want to hang out with too much, and somehow I'm always busy every night they have a gig

Meh. Done many times before.

Not my jam

In the lineage of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Blue Öyster Cult, Drive-By Truckers left me somewhat underwhelmed, though not without a few welcome surprises. Modern southern rock rarely speaks to me. It often feels over-produced, compressed to the point of flatness, and stripped of the grit that once made the genre compelling. Most contemporary southern rock records would, for me, struggle to rise above one or two stars. Southern Rock Opera managed to avoid some of those pitfalls. There was a touch of rawness here, a less suffocated sound, which caught me off guard in a positive way. The songwriting is still fairly straightforward and simple, but at least it breathes a little. Overall, it lands at a solid two stars.

When you sing like Lemmy and think you're the next Lynard Skynard that sounds like Pantera and you create a rock opera that you think is Tommy. It is not. 2/5

Started decent but just went on and on and on and on and on

Long and boring. I’m definitely not the target audience

J’ai pas écouté jusqu’au bout, j’ai trouvé ça looong…. Ça doit être sympa en concert par contre La voix est sympa Ça fait très pearl Jam en moins bien

Bof bof. En plus j'ai oublié de mettre pause avant de retirer mon casque dans l'Open space donc moment gênant 2/5

i'm an australian i'm legit the further away in the world from these problems LMAOOOOO. it wasn't terrible music it just was bland, but had some cool moments. wish it wasn't 90mins either

I like guitar based music in general but I couldn’t relate to this. Not terrible; just not for me.

So first I was like what in the Good Ol' Boys 'Murica f**k yeah is this, this is the first album that's come up for me so far that I hadn't heard of or known the artist before. I actually liked the first track best as it had more of a post-rock vibe than most of the others here, but I reached a point half way through the album where I couldn't cope with any more of it and just skipped to hear short bits of each subsequent track to get the vibe. Having said that, the album has more depth than I would have expected, the Alabama icons bit being particularly interesting. I'm sure people who like southern rock are into it but it's not my thing - maybe I'm too European for this lol. I recommend turning this into a drinking game to take the edge off, 2 fingers at every mention of Skynyrd

A long concept album, that definitely was a project of love and passion by the band and their fans. Southern Rock Opera showcases what you can do with a great support and fan base behind you. Whilst you may not achieve full commercial success, your hardcore fans will always be there for you. Best: Let There Be Rock Worst: Life in the Factory 2.5 Stars

2/5, like, this would be a 1, i wanted to stop early and did stop early but i have to give a point for the ambition. just wish they'd picked any other subject matter and sound tbh

I...don't think this is for me. The southern rock that I've been introduced to in the past has been the 'greatest hits' - and this doesn't really come close to that. It has the same sound - but not the pep - nothing to make me remember any of it. And with it being a double album, there's a lot of songs that I don't remember as soon as they are done. The one that stood out was Three Great Alabama Icons - that was the only one that actually made me stop and pay attention.

Nah.

Not sure if I gave this one a fair listen, but 2 stahs.

Sounds like a perfect album for a western themed restaurant here in UK. Not sure that’s a compliment.

How many times can you mention Lynryd Skynyrd or George Wallace in a song? Not enough apparently. The music itself wasn’t terrible but the lyrics, delivery and overall result approaches it. 2/5 simply because I’ve heard worse. 2/5

Too long and not my favorite genre. I like the album art and the title though!

So odd. Perhaps if I was a man in southern USA and into inexplicably long filler tracks about drinking beer which blend indistinguishably into one another I might get it. But I'm a woman in the UK who prefers music with any kind of notable features. And so I didn't get it.

I wasn't really sure where we were going when this album started with a skull cracked half open. Not sure I would have started it that way since the rest of the album seemed to have a much different tune (if it weren't for this project I wouldn't have kept going). Musically not sure anything really sticks with me (good or bad). Some of the lyrics are interesting. It is their ode to the place they were from and raised, but honestly it makes Alabama sound super boring, slummy and sad, which then almost feels like a parody. I appreciate that they are try to put in some redemption for the small part of the population that might not be racist, but it just leaves me wondering why I would even want to connect with the state, their music, their people or their world.

The only thing keeping this album from being nothing more than an album you’d buy from the local band of beer-gutted hometown guys in their mid 40’s playing on a Friday night at the sports bar where you’re drunk as hell and going nowhere in life is the historical take on George Wallace. That was interesting to a point. Musically, there’s not much excitement going on. I totally respect what they’re going for…a double album about Alabama. With that much space to work with, you’d think a few more of the songs would stand out. “Moved” was moody and ok, and as mentioned, “The Three Great Alabama Icons” was unique. This album mostly ends up feeling like a colossal waste of time and gives me no more or less respect for the State (or Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet, whom are mentioned definitely more than once) than I already felt.

I don't like country sounds.

Rock mes heavy, no es lo meu, pero ni tan mal.