Reviews (page 7 of 8)
I didn't know what to expect having never heard of this band before. I was definitely not disappointed with this album.
Good album
Good album .
I know I'm supposed to love it, but... some great songs, some not that great. And too long. 3.5
The Three Great Alabama Icons is a fascinating listen - I really enjoyed it. The album is pretty long, but definitely good quality music. 3.5
I did kind of like the feeling of sitting at a bar having a guy tell me his life story and where he came from, but then sometimes there's that point where it has gone on quite a long time and you realize you're trapped, still smiling and nodding as he keeps talking about himself and getting repetitive. "Did I mention Lynyrd Skynyrd?" This gave a strong point of view, theme, and story, but as it got longer and longer, I noticed I hadn't been enjoying the singing and music so much.
I decided to listen to this while putting Christmas away. It was not actually a bad soundtrack for the activity. I was jamming to the southern rock. After getting almost everything put away, I figured it had been at least an hour, probably a bit more. So, I checked to see how close to the end of the album I was. When I looked, I was on Track 3. WHAT?!? Apparently I had been on shuffle. Not sure how many tracks I had heard. So, I tried again, this time in order, and found many of the tracks to be quite appealing and none of them to be repulsive. I do think it better to hear the album in track order, for sure!
This is epic. I was daunted by the 90-minute running time and put it off until time to make dinner. I put it on while I cooked and wasn't really listening, wasn't really enjoying it. After dinner, I put my headphones on and started where I left off, at The Three Great Alabama Icons, at which point I realized that I needed to start it over. And I'm glad I did. It is definitely long but there are lyrics worth really hearing and an appealing southern rock sound throughout. Moreover DBT really stick the landing --- I was riveted through most of the second act. I don't think that this will necessarily become a favorite album but it certainly fits the brief of being an album to hear at least once, especially having read the origin story. Glad the band was persistent in its efforts to get it made.
I’ve heard of but never really paid attention to Drive-By Truckers. On the one hand, having my first exposure be their giant two-album Southern Rock Opera seemed like maybe jumping into the deep end and fraught with peril. On the other, this was referred to as their magnum opus. This was a very good thing. I loved this album. These guys have that southern country rock thing down, write about interesting subjects from the grave to the mundane, and sound fantastic. I love a good road song and this had plenty of that, while also exploring expected subjects like whisky, relationships, death, longing, and lots of personal touches clearly reflecting their lives. A really great collection of music that never did wear out its welcome despite the long runtime.
5/10. Interesting talky bits, and a few cool songs, but a lot of the music was rather meh
This was really bad but I definitely liked it less listening to it on an airplane. 3/10
Not really for me.
Ganske kjipt
Hmm
Some great songs
Not for me. Two stars only because of the song about perceptions about southerners being driven by George Wallace.
It's alright, not really my style
Meta version of country bands I don't particularly enjoy
Garbage modern country
Didn't get it. Not Southern enough
01) Days of Graduation - 6,5 02) Ronnie and Neil - 6,5 03) 72 (This Highway's Mean) - 6,5 04) Dead, Drunk, and Naked - 6,0 05) Guitar Man Upstairs - 5,5 06) Birmingham - 6,0 07) The Southern Thing - 5,0 08) The Three Great Alabama Icons - 6,0 09) Wallace - 5,0 10) Zip City - 5,0 11) Moved - 4,5 12) Let There Be Rock - 4,5 13) Road Cases - 5,5 14) Women Without Whiskey - 4,5 15) Plastic Flowers on the Highway - 4,5 16) Cassie's Brother - 4,5 17) Life in the Factory - 4,5 18) Shut Up and Get on the Plane - 4,5 19) Greenville to Baton Rouge - 4,5 20) Angels and Fuselage - 5,0 TOTAL: 5,22 (52/100) Oh God! Another one I have to listen on You Tube :rolleyes When you think you're finally done, there's a second part, because why not. Well, at least I had enough time to learn something about George Wallace, Lynyrd Skynyrd and the city of Birmingham, Alabama... Wikipedia is my friend. I started to lose patience half way through the second part. God, this is sooo booooriiiiing!
Southern Rock that's too long.
I listened to half of this. I’m not sure what to make of it. Musically it’s okay, I guess. The fact that it announces itself as a “rock opera” or concept album made me think I should pay attention to the lyrics which are all about Neil Young and Lynrd Skynard. I don’t know. It seems more of an oddity than a classic album?
Not sure how I really feel about this one, interesting history lesson in parts, some nice tunes but not sure it will stick with me long term….
Quite good 👍
This seems to be an attempt to rewrite 'Sweet home Alabama' a dozen times and failing every time. The general sound of the album is good - I love guitar music generally, but this just isn't good enough to hold my attention. Less emphasis on the concept and more on the individual songs would have helped. Southern Temperance and Blackberry smoke both do it better. Sorry guys, it was a worthy motive but the delivery isn't up to scratch.
Bardzo fajny rock. Podoba mi się. 4/5
Very political which I wasn’t expecting. Still not for me.
This is a weird one for me. I really like them as a band, but the album is far too long. Probably would have been a solid 45m min album.
I like this type of music, but the songs didn’t seem to go anywhere
1,5 h? Even as a curiosity, it's a waste of time to listen to this album.
It aint it
Not for me
Excellent album. Really smart and funny songs that also rock. The opener “Days of Graduation” was a surprise. Cool vibe and dark energy, and I definitely wasn’t expecting it to end with a “Free Bird” joke. The other spoken-word song, “Three Great Alabama Icons,” was mesmerizing. Fascinating story about the former governor of Alabama. Incredible opening line too: “I grew up in north Alabama back in the 1970s when dinosaurs still roamed the earth.” Lots of funny vignettes and plenty of memorable songwriting. And I think it’s cool that about half of these songs form a loose concept album about the legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd. It’s an interesting idea and ties the songs together. I want to buy this on cd so that it can live in my car because it’s a very long album and all of these songs are interesting and deserving of repeat listens.
I've heard this band name for years but never listened. It's a cool sound I guess, not totally my thing but I think this style of country / hard rock deserves some spots on this mix and I don't know if we've had much of this specific sound yet. I can tell that they swap through singers a bit, just 4 songs in and I think I'm up to hearing 3 different and distinct vocalists. That's pretty cool. The guitar playing is pretty nice too; good tone and good riffs that know when to shine and when to let others in the band shine. "Guitar Man Upstairs" is a pretty funny some lyrically.. it's about the law and living in the town and dealing with people and how the protagonist is just an old man who has someone who moved in upstairs who plays guitar and drinks all day. Kind of funny for a musician to write a song about this from this perspective hahaha. I went into this being like "ugh country rock" and left with a better result than expected.
Nyt oli yllättävä. Hurja määrä bängereitä ja cool ja orginelli meno ylipäätään. Inspiroivaa. Ehkä 2h on vaan pikkasen liikaa, eikä ihan kanna koko matkaa.
it has an interesting context and it's enjoyable musically. but it's a bit long
Kick ass kick ass kick ass
Nothing worse than southern nostalgia, and that is all this album is.
Holyyyy, why is 90 minutes. You gotta have better music to justify that, this could have been a mediocre 30 minute album. Will I listen to again: 0%
What a gem! I guess this stuff didn't make it to my 14 year old ears and I am not certain I would have got it then... not sue I do now fully. I do know it's an abolute treat.
Okay Rock album. I’ve never been a fan of double albums.
loved it
This was a tough listen. Some melodies and jams but the writing lacks depth, so much so that it makes a lot of it boring and unlistenable.
I fine album that uses the story of Lynyrd Skynyrd to tell the story of southern music and politics, and growing up listening to the music of the time. Given the subject matter it is probably DBT's 'rockiest' album, covering the spectrum of southern rock, hard rock and punk. slightly uneven so not an absolute classic but a fine album nonetheless
This had some bona fide tones and juice!
Good quality southern blues rock. Some overlap in song sounds, a couple were very Mary Jane's Last Dance-ish. Good content, interesting concept for an album. Did drag on a little bit into the second part.
nothing new to see here, double denim man rock
More Rock… This time from 2002 though so hopefully a bit refreshing. 1hr 33 minutes though! It’s alright, quite like the backing music. Vocals in the first one weren’t for me and it was pretty dark, but quite funny at the end. Another meh one so far. I do quite like the ironic and left-wing lyrics but isn’t enough to change my general vibe with it. 3/5
I never thought I'd like an album by a group called "Drive-By Truckers" but I actually dug the southern rock sound they had quite a bit. Fun album.
I wasn't sure how serious this would turn out when compared to the original major rock operas, but over the listen it built itself up. There is a constant and important narration that reflects the story through a few different songs, and the music is written with appropriate emotion. This album is at its' best when attention is paid to the lyrics and the various subjects they talk about. My favorite being the section on people from Alabama, most specifically George Wallace. It's not Tommy or the Wall, but an interesting result of their effect in rural America
I like Southern Rock. This isn't Southern Rock. This is watered-down versions of a Kid Rock/Outlaws/Kenny Wayne Shepherd/Skynyrd cover band. Even their attempts at blues-based music fell flat. This is such a tired genre. The more that I listened to it the more I wondered if they were parodying the genre. Spinal Skynyrd?
Some great, some average. A very bloated album that could have been thinned out.
Spicy
Every song sounds the same and the album is so long that I just lost interest halfway through and skipped to the most popular songs to see if they stuck out. They didn't.
Expecting shallow rockabilly, but this is pretty good, kinda deep-south AC/DC. Did not outstay its welcome despite its length.
One finds this enjoyable enough and just fine musically and, speaking as a Southerner, credibly Southern lyrically, vocally and instrumentally. The gritty country-fried guitars def need a side of biscuits and gravy. But it doesn't feel particularly distinguished in its Southernness. Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt are more worthy candidates and about several other ABB or Lucinda albums, plus Jason Isbell's [DBT bassist] solo work in the years hence. Hell, even Molly Hatchet is more seminally Southern. Charlie Daniels Band or the Dixie Dregs would have been a more creative or counterintuitive choices. One admires the ambition of the work here, and the combo of fan-fiction and freak-flag-flying, but doesn't get particularly moved by or even very much engaged with the storyline or heroic arc. And too many songs are just redneck-y rockers. And sure there is some fine guitar playing -- how could there not be given the sheer quantity of it? One is tempted to round up for feelings of homesickness, but feels obliged to keep it real.
So this is definitely not my favorite thing, but it did grow on a me a little bit over the course of the album. I think the biggest issue here is that I'm clearly just not the target audience. The overarching theme is about growing up in the South and the experiences and misconceptions that come with that (fed though a Lynyrd Skynyrd lens). I found it at times to be an interesting perspective, but not one that I could relate with very well. I also just don't think I love the singer's voice (it's a bit raspy) and I found the non-lyric part of most of the songs to be a bit generic twangy rock. It's certainly ambitious though, and I appreciate the storytelling throughout. I found the back-to-back tracks "Three Great Alabama Icons" and "Wallace" pretty interesting. The former is barely a song, and more like a documentary overview of George Wallace, Bear Bryant, and Ronnie Van Zant and their impact on Alabama. Then it leads into the latter, which is about Wallace and how he's in hell (but a fairly nuanced perspective on him). Then the second half mirrors the plane crash that killed a lot of the Lynyrd Skynyrd band members. The closing song "Angels And Fuselage" is particularly striking and has a much more somber tone than what led up to it. There's definitely a lot going on here, it's ambitious. It's long (93 minutes), and long concept albums (which this definitely is) can be a bit hit or miss. This one isn't really for me, but I get why it makes the list and am glad I listened. Two interesting side notes about this album. First is that Jason Isbell was not involved in the production of this album, but he joined the band for the live touring and then was part of the band for their next few albums before launching his solo career. The other one is that this was set to be released on 9/11/01, but ended up getting pushed back a day after the attacks. Favorite song: Zip City Other: Dead Drunk And Naked, Wallace, Angels And Fuselage 11/14/23
3/5. The idea of the rock opera is very cool, and the southern history lesson was pretty neat, but the music was still a little lacking for my taste.
1. Days of grad - 1 2. Ronnie and neil - 2 3. 72 - 2 4. Dead drunk and naked - 2 5. Guitar man upstairs- 2 6. Birmingham- 2 7. The southern thing- 3 8. Three great Alabama icons - 5 9. Wallace - 3 10. Zip city - 3 11. Moved - 1 12. Let there be rock - 3 13. Road cases - 3 14. Women without whiskey - 2 15. Plastic flowers - 3 16. Cassie bro - 2 17. Life in the factory - 2 18. Shut up and get on the plane - 2 19. Greenville to baton Rouge - 2 20. Angels and fuselage - 4 2.45
11/14/23 2:07 S Tier————————— A Tier————————— Ronnie and Neil Wallace B Tier————————— 72 (This Highway’s Mean) C Tier————————— Day Of Graduation
Tuesday 11/14/2023, 2:15, office S Tier————————— Guitar Man Upstairs The Southern Thing Shut Up And Get On The Plane Greenville To Baton Rouge A Tier————————— Ronnie and Neil Days Of Graduation Birmingham B Tier———————— Plastic Flowers On The Highway Road Cases Zip City Life In The Factory Angels and Fuselage 72 (This Highways Mean) Wallace Dead, Drunk and Naked Women Without Whiskey Three Great Alabama Icons Cassie’s Brother Let There Be Rock Moved
I didn't get the overall theme of the opera. Maybe because the songs tended to sound similar? There didn't seem to be a lot of contrast. I liked the intro to "Wallace" and the song itself. Also, "Shut Up And Get On The Plane" was great. "Let There Be Rock" was interesting, but the AC/DC song is better. I mean, it was okay, but I feel like the opera part could have been told better. Maybe I just need to hear it again, I dunno.
This album is both better and worse than you first think. Given its tribute to Skynyrd, I think it's worth noting that they don't take advantage of their three guitar band like Skynyrd did. I still think they have some catchy simple beats (most of the time in fact), but it's not top work or ability there. They have some thoughtful lyrics (and sometimes not) and make a nice attempt at describing "the duality of the Southern thing" (kudos to The Three Great Alabama Icons) to those not in the know, but it's a bit of an exaggeration or trying too hard sometimes. As far as rock operas go, it's probably an A for effort or idea and a C for execution. Again, it's all linked around Skynyrd and the South (with multiple appearances of Neil Young and George Wallace) but it doesn't all come together right. It's a double album with a lot of bloat and with some wandering pieces. They probably could have done it in one album and 30 less minutes. There's a few different vocalists and they are all flawed at best. That said, I think Patterson Hood's scratchy vocals fit the whole sound and at times (like on The Southern Thing) I thought you wouldn't want anything different - like listening to a Dinosaur Jr. album with their flawed but fitting vocals. I preferred side one more (Ronnie and Neil, 72 (This Highway's Mean), Dead, Drunk and Naked in addition to those previously mentioned) though the opener on side two (Let There Be Rock) and a couple toward the end (Life in the Factory, Shut Up and Get on the Plane, Angels and Fuselage) were solid too. At times I thought about giving it a 4 but I think that's maybe a bit too generous. But it's definitely worth at least a 3.
Happy when it was over
Hilariously bad. At some point I gave up and decided to listen to "most listened" tracks, one of which was Zip City. And I immidiately got hit by the 4 most basic guitar chords people learn day 1. Its so bad its actually funny. The guy that was making the list was super fucking high to decide that this is a "very important album".
It's probably not what the band want to hear, but this was 'nice'. The music was good Southern Rock, and really pleasant to listen to for the whole 90 minutes. I gather that the lyrics are quite political, and intended to be thought provoking....but I just liked the music :)
Pretty political and interesting stories told in the lyrics. Heavier southern rock. Interested to read about them as I know they’re very prolific
Don't like country
I somehow finished the first track. I skipped around track 2 to hear the vocals. Ugh.
As much as I ridiculed this at first, there are enough songs I liked that I can see myself returning to this multiple times and it growing on me with each listen. The guitar solos and interplay on songs like Zip City are excellent, and there were some clever lyrics once I got past the twangy delivery. The overarching theme is actually ambitious even if my initial impression was that the whole point was ‘there’s no confederate flag in the back of our pickup so we’re okay.’
I thought I was in for a rough time hearing the spoken word vocals on track 1, but I didn't know how good I had it by the time track 2 assaulted my ears with abrasive vocals, then track 3 hit me with the coup de grace of Southern Pop Country Rock. No thanks.
Robert a décidé de nous compliquer la vie avec cet interminable album de castor-rock uniquement disponible sur Youtube. Fais très attention Robert...
Foutu album de castor-rock, j'ai l'impresison d'avoir passé ma journée à écouter ce ACDC de Wish.
Ya know I think I could like Drive-By Truckers. This was a long album which I had to keep checking how far along I was which is normally a two star but I’m inspired to seek out a different ‘essential’ album so three
Decent Lynyrd Skynyrd knock-off but no way it needs to be almost two hours long.
Not really my thing and felt like way too long of an album. The spoken word stuff felt like it was trying too hard. Maybe two songs out of the whole album I would choose to listen to again.
This band reminds me of the southern rock version of Titus Andronicus. It’s just messy and an information over poetry approach to art…. And where is the piano…. It’s like a pretzel without salt. I love Skynyrd and while informative this feels overly played in its desire to convey southerness rather than letting it naturally flow out of the art they are making. I think you can be southern, artistic, critical and poetic… like Skynyrd…
The ambition of a proper concept album cannot be underestimated, and musically I found the album quite good but could not really follow the story due to my lack of knowledge of American history.
Thought the music was interesting. Could definitely hear both rock and southern style tones throughout each song. Not my style though
Still haven't been able to listen fully after a 2 months....not a fan. All sounds samey with no riffs or lyrics that really draw me in
I'm pretty sure that this album is a practical joke. Like, this is just a joke that everyone misinterpreted. 1/5
Of its place.
As if Lynyrd Skynyrd records aren’t bad enough on their own, here’s a double disc concept album *about* Lynyrd Skynyrd that rarely rises above the level of your friendly neighborhood bar band. Had it been a single disc album…fine, two stars. The fact that it is a double album is what makes it unforgivable.
Really not my thing
country, not in my wheel house
This was fine but I zoned out for a bit of it.
They best keep moving on.
This was an enjoyable romp into Southern fueled rock.
Yeah...this is not good.
Brani Preferiti: - Nessuna preferenza Note: Mi ritrovo nelle parole lette da un commento relativo a questo album, ascoltare questo album con la consapevolezza di quel che si va incontro è da considerarsi una forma di masochismo soprattutto nel sapere che stai per subirti un manifesto politico agli stessi livelli dei comunisti che ti trovi di fronte alle scuole superiori... ma Dio se è affascinante. Apprezzo ascoltare fatti storici, quindi non mi è dispiaciuto scendere nella storia del "Southern Rock" e al mythos che è l'Alabama. Sono venuto per ascoltare un nuovo album consigliato, ma sono rimasto per subirmi storie morbose e una battuta sulla durata di Free Bird. Mi trovo in serie difficoltà sul come valutare questo album, da un lato è stato un album avvincente e originale, dall'altro prese singolarmente non c'è una canzone che mi piace particolarmente, però tutte sembrano funzionare all'interno di questo disco inutilmente lungo.
Best enjoyed as, well, a Southern Rock Opera. Loved it all.
Not that good
If Tom Petty and Blue Hammer smashed and created a child that ought to have be drowned at birth.
Exactly what it says on the tin. Do you like southern rock? Do like it enough for an hour and a half worth of material? Southern Rock Opera is for you. It was around the song The Southern Song that I got the nagging feeling that this was trying to the The Wall really bad. I don't even like The Wall that much, but any attempt to match The Wall is a fruitless attempt. I think this works better as a love letter to the south and it's developed culture, while also being aware of the social and historical implications (specifically regarding race). My position on long albums is unwavering: you do not need more than 50 minutes. Ideally you wrap it up at the 40-minute mark. It's clear that Drive-By Truckers are quite passionate about southern rock and had enough material to make a double album, but I'm not passionate enough about southern rock to listen to Southern Rock Opera again in one sitting.
Meandering, occasionally engaging but disjointed concert album.
Some good fun listening to this, with surprising depth and history to the lyrics layered between good alt-country tunes. Will give their other albums a try!
It was ok
Did not care for it. Did not listen. 5/10
Solid, wish I’d heard it at the time
Oof, I dunno if I’m gonna make it through this long-ass album (which clearly is the basis for Kid Rock’s entire musical catalog, except he’s so fucking edgy bro). #4 this fucking sucks. Patience waning. Nah man, I’m out, listening to the hits as ID’d by Spotify and then I’m moving on.
hootin, tootin AND hollerin calm vibes and nice guitar, but maybe not the biggest fan? 2*
This was a lot more enjoyable than I thought. A few great riffs throughout
i didnt like this, too slow
Off key
The union won
No, tampoco.
fucking awful couldn’t finish
This might be the most confusing album on this whole list. It's not terrible I guess but there is nothing good about it either. If your friend told you he made this album you'd be pretty impressed but it really is nothing special compared to actual musicians. There is no historical significance to this album that I can see either so what the fuck.
Ok
Too long
The guitar playing absolutely carries this band. Song structure sucks, vocalist(s?) suck. Most of the songs sound exactly the same. Didn’t finish it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 2/5
Okay I was expecting to dislike this record but I actually loved it. The story-telling is incredible, and the instrumentals are top-tier.
i think its a good piece of southern rock ie lynard skynard(which is frequently referenced) Some really enjoyable guitar licks and didn't hate some of the lyric writing. but not my genre of music usualyl
This album is what I imagine the people I went to middle school with listen to when they’re shotgunning beers on their daddy’s boats on the lake. The *idea* behind this album is interesting but good golly Miss Molly if you want me to listen to the lyrics you have to make it sound at least a little bit good.
Weirdly liked it? Am I the problem..
I didn't like this... at all
If the chip on a white southern man’s shoulder could write and produce an album, it would be this one. Fans of Kid Rock will adore this.
I'll start by saying that this album, musically, is not very good, and at over an hour-and-a-half long, that is not a good thing. Sometimes you'll get a guitar lick or a hook that is pleasing to the ears, but otherwise you're either getting stereotypical country rock, or Lemmy doing stereotypical country rock. It gets old fast, and whenever the lyrics are just like "I got drunk to Lynyrd Skynyrd hyuck-hyuck" the worst of the album shows. I understand that it may be relatable to some guy in Alabama who grew up in the 70s and 80s, but for most of the world, it verges on parody. However, I must admit, despite not wanting to, that I don't hate this album. Especially not enough for a one star. There are lyrical nuisances here that show more deptch and humanizing of the American South than their "culture" has ever shown, and the looking inside the album tries to display at times is endearing at worst, but genuinely interesting at times. Not every song does this, mind you, but after years of Alabama being the butt of every joke you've ever heard, to see someone actually from the state talk about their thoughts and opinions on various topics can be genuinely thought provoking, and they can definitely tell jokes that are more clever than just "Alabama lol". Needing all twenty fingers and toes to "hold the closet door closed" is one that is especially clever as a comment of the stereotypes of the state. Most of this is not good, and I'd rather not hear this again, but I have to give credit somewhere. This is too long, though, were half of these songs necessary? Still, expected worse. Looking into this album a bit more, I'd say just listen to disc one, as disc two is the part of the storyline where the fictional band of the story "Let there be rock" and while most of the decent parts musically come from this section, nothing on this back half will stick with me.
Love these raw, heartfelt songs. Jason and company takes us on a crusade over the south. They taught us about history, traditions, love, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and alcohol for over 90 minutes. Great passionate voice and tasty guitar tone. I cannot ask for more in a rock and roll album.
Gäsp!!!
Good
not as bad as I thought it'll be
Zalig album. Toffe sfeer
Favourite songs: Greenville to Baton Rouge, Shut Up and Get on the Plane, The Southern Thing, Women Without Whiskey, Plastic Flowers on the Highway, Road Cases, Let There Be Rock, Ronnie and Neil, Zip City, "Dead, Drunk and Naked", Guitar Man Upstairs, Life in the Factory, Angels and Fuselage Least favourite songs: Birmingham, Moved 4/5
# 64 : Good musically and the concept behind the album was great but the singer wasn’t my favourite. I was bored while listening. if you're going to do 90 minutes, you at least have to have a few songs that GRAB you, which this doesn't have. It just goes on and on and on remaining passable but never great. Guitar Man Upstairs
I've heard of this band before, but had never listened. Not surprisingly, they sound exactly like a band called "Drive-By Truckers" should sound. Not a big fan, but also didn't hate it.
A pretty cool album dealing with the tumultuous history of Lynyrd Skynyrd. A good story put to some good tunes. I particularly liked the moments of reflection on the rest of the world's impression and stereotyping of the south, an issue that is quite nuanced and I think paints a good picture well with its example of George Wallace, even though I personally find it a little misplaced. All in all, a good listen, pretty interesting, and a cool rock opera, as the title of the album advertises.
It’s unrefined and that’s its niche. I’ve been a distant listener for a while, and it’s safe to say that while I enjoy the guitar work and composition of the tunes, that I’m still not going to be anymore than a moderate fan.
I’m not a huge fan of double albums and I still wasn’t a huge fan of it here but overall I liked the sound and vibe of this album. It felt similar to the black keys but with worse vocals and went on 45 minutes too long. I was also a lil drunk when I listened to it which may have biased me but the couple of songs I relistened to I still mostly enjoyed. It gets a very qualified 4.
Too. Long. It's like they did a lot of cocaine one night and said what if we took the song length of Freebird and correlated it to an album? It didn't work for me.
This aint for me.
First of all, I couldnt finish this. I was hopeful that something would click or it would get better but it just wasnt happening. It sounded like Kid Rock, The Presidents of the United States and Florida Man had a baby. And their baby was this album.
I absolutely loved this. I didn’t think I would but then I just kept listening. Loved it.
I'm a sucker for southern rock, but an hour and a half might be taking the piss a little much. I like the production, especially the guitars, and I like the singers changing out every few songs. Helps keep things fresh. Could probably do without the defense of George Wallace, even if it does seem to be coming from a good place (or maybe that's just me). Favorite tracks: "Ronnie and Neil", "Dead, Drunk and Naked", "Shut Up and Get On the Plane"
This sucks. And there's a lot of it.
Sounds the same
At an hour and a half this album is about 45 to 50 minutes to long. Parts of it I liked but I felt like it was never going to end.
Southern Rock Opera. Un poco rollo
good album but did not much for me
Ick.
Nou, je kan zeggen wat je wilt, maar ik ga flink mn muzikale comfortzone uit met deze albums zeg. Southern Rock opera, nou was de laatste Rock opera(Meat loafs Bat out of hell) fantastisch dus er zijn verwachtingen aanwezig! It's southern rock, thats it. Thats the review. Niet een heel opvallend album, vind er niet heel veel aan eerlijk gezegd. De andere reviews noemen Lynyrd Skynyrd veel, maar ik heb hun eigenlijk nooit echt geluisterd De tering wat is dit album laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang Laatste nummer: Angels and Fuselage vind ik misschien het prettigste. Wat meer country, bijna bluesy voel ik deze eigenlijk wel. Dit bewijst weer dat ik er geen verstand van heb omdat de meeste reviews de 2e helft zwaar afkraken. Favo: The Southern Thing, shut up and get on the plane, Angels and Fuselage
Jeetje houdt de Rock dan nooit op? Een heftig epos over het zuiden van Amerika. Ik denk dat mijn relatief beperkte aandacht en gebrek aan kennis over Alabama niet helpen. Verder is het wederom scheurende gitaren, fijn. Oh ja, en anderhalf uur vind ik toch wel pittig lang voor een album, al snap ik in dit geval waarom men het nodig vond Favorieten: Zip City, Cassie's Brother
I'm not sure what about this is supposed to be notable. It was fine to listen to but none of the tracks stood out to me.
Quite nice, all album creates a vibe that a story is told, instead of it being a collection of songs.
Terrible, I’ve heard kids in the garage sound better than this.
Lynyrd skynyrd tribute act
"Anyone who's ever been on it, knows exactly where it's at" This album is all about the lyrics and the guitars. The sound is traditional guitar rock with the odd country-twinge. When it dials in the three guitar attack is a blistering force of distortion and harmony. The vocals aren't virtuoso or anything but perfect for the songs, raspy and hoarse with a heavy accent. Great songwriting overall, and all tied together through an exploration of 'the duality of that southern thing' and a radical act of self-mythologizing, projecting the band into the southern rock cannon in Skynard's wake. Though the valiant effort to articulate an anti-racist Southern heritage and de-exceptionalize the south as THE site of American racism sometimes comes across as mostly self-exculpatory. The personal songs and family stories are the strongest. I love Cooley's songs on this album: Highway 72's verses, Women without Whiskey's jangly guitars, Zip City's yearning angry vocals and squeaky squirrely solo. A bit too much of a good thing though; the double album drags on a bit even though the quality of the songs doesn't dip, it's a bit samey. Decoration Day would be my pick for a DbT album instead. It makes sense they've released so many live albums, as this is really a band you have to see to believe.
Actually a few good songs but nothing that caught my attention. Was a really long album, could have done without the full 1hr 33min. Got bored towards the end and just became background music in the end.
ok this might sound crazy considering all the other reviews on this album but I thought this was excellent. it's going to take a lot to convince me to pay attention to a 93-minute double album, but I thought the rock opera/concept album approach worked very well here. listening to each song and reading through the background/explanation and lyrics via DBT's website and Genius annotations really helped to contextualize what I was hearing. obviously, you'll need to have a penchant for southern rock, lynyrd skynyrd, or late 20th century US history to get the most out of this album. but even without those, it still evokes a mood and time period very well. it handles a wide variety of concepts and themes in a moving and respectful way, and definitely deserves your time and attention. favorites: about half of these honestly. in disc/track order, ronnie and neil through the southern thing, zip city, let there be rock through plastic flowers on the highway, angels and fuselage
lynerd skynerd kinda sound big shrugs
I liked the music and style, singers had good voices, the album told an interesting story / established a good atmosphere. I do think 90 minutes was excessive.
It was long. But I finally got to dig in to this band and really enjoyed it. I want more. I also want to discover more about the concept. Redefining and defending southern culture while also sarcastically roasting it is a fine line that probably gets misinterpreted pretty regularly.
Not really my type of music, this kind of country is a little boring for me
Beer boy bar band boogie. It's OK, but there is no nuance or melody
Southern Rock Opera by Drive-By Truckers is an ambitious album that merges southern influences with a rock spirit. Released in 2001, it's a sprawling narrative about the South's complexities. Tracks like "Ronnie and Neil" and "Let There Be Rock" capture the band's fusion of storytelling and rock energy. However, the album's pacing occasionally falters, leading to moments that feel sluggish. The marriage of southern drawl with rock attitude is compelling, but this blend doesn't consistently maintain momentum. While some tracks shine, the album's slower moments can test one's patience. Southern Rock Opera is a mixed bag, with high points in its southern charm-meets-rock fusion, but it's hindered by its uneven pacing.
I'm European.
Decent music, but this is too much of a "good" thing. Lost interest pretty quickly and there were still 12 more songs.
Drive-by Truckers fan, so yeah I really do like this album, it does get a little long and a bit repetitive on the narrative and the music. So it's not quite a 5 stars and I do like some of there other albums more but it's probably the right choice for this list.
There is one really good southern rock albums worth of songs here.
A good throw back to 70s southern rock. Enjoyable, but they sure do like talking about Lynyrd Skynyrd.
A throwback to 70s Southern Rock and done very well. There's a few tracks that I could do without, I find most double albums could use some editing, but overall I was pleasently surprised. This is not a band that I would've thought that I would like before giving them a chance. Surprises are good.
Raw, over-driven, and honest. A great effort by DBT to present their version of the south, with a great homage to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines. Something else.
90 minutes?!?!? There is absolutely no justification for the length of this album and really needs to go with the less is more approach. Generic country rock in so many songs, drowning out the decent ones 3/10
<3
Hmmmm. Not as dreadful as some of the reviews indicated but not that special to listen to either. Somewhat bland southern-fried rock I guess.
Solid
I thought I would enjoy an album inspired by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Turns out this album is pretty bland. All flash no substance, led by a mediocre vocalist. Even guitar solos are drowned in the mix.
Of all the mediocre albums I have ever heard in my life this might be the most mediocre of them all. I have listened to the first 7 songs and haven't heard anything that excites me at all. I will not finish this listen because it bores me to no end.
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.
This was actually very great. I never heard of them before but I like their mix of southern rock, punk and country.
Great guitar tone, weird album!
absolutely fucking hilarious. sounds like a very unimaginative parody. southern rock opera is an “appropriate” name. fav songs: i dont know i fell asleep everytime i tried to listen through it in one sitting
She was looooong
This was a SLOG. Disc 2 seemed a little better at least, but man.
I actually didn't mind this, despite its length.
Ja wat moet je hier van denken. "Dead, drunk and naked" is een lekker nummer. De zanger klinkt als een redneck pannenkoek maar dat is denk ik een beetje de grap. Op sommige nummers wordt een lekker potje gitaar gespeeld. Anderhalf uur is wel echt te lang. Na een nummer of 5 a 6 had ik het eigenlijk al wel gezien en dan blijft het zich maar als een hagedis zonder achterpoten over de stoffige grond voortslepen. In het begin kijk je er gefascineerd naar, maar na een tijdje wordt het wat sneu.
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.
Cool lecture. Tried reading the lyrics, but still found them hard to follow, because I can't English
first song had me amped as fuck, it sounded great and i was ready for something heavy another genrehopping album ZZZZZZzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzz it was pretty good all things considered. Days of Graduation was really good and Three Great Alabama Icons was really nice, it reminded me of H2O Gate Blues by Gil-Scott Heron that we listened to album #72
Reminds me of college. This album is top 20 in the pantheon of left-country.
4.0
This was an Interesting and ambitious concept overall for an album. I can’t say that it met it’s mark in the end. I was not a fan.
Buckle up: this is a long one... And I already saw this had universal approbation among the group, so I'm excited. Opens on a slog with Days Of Graduation -- ominous bass with a weirdly condensed spoken word deluge. Reminds me of something, but I can't place it. Honestly I'm into it so far. Complete change of pace following the opening into much more traditional southern rock sounds. 72 (This Highway's Mean) is a pretty solid jam. Not gonna lie, while this is fine, it really doesn't sound that far from something that you could find in just about any country dive bar on a weekend. Sure, the production is cleaner and there are some better than average guitar licks, but there isn't a ton so far to separate it. Three Great Alabama Icons brings back the spoken word thing... I don't know if it intends to be funny, but it is in the delivery. I do appreciate the history lesson on Alabama leadership and the race issue as perceived from someone who grew up there. Alright the whole second side did just about nothing for me. Fine enough in the background, but this album is way longer than it has any right to be. And the final song docks a full point from my score for being both terrible and way too fucking long. So with that, I don't think this is a complete steaming pile of dog-shit, but I still don't want it on my shoe. 2 / 5.
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.
Well, I was all over the map on this one. Liked it, disliked it, loved it, was put off, couldn't always figure if I was on the side of the narrator or not. It's long, took me 4-5 listens to get through it, but at the end, I have to give a 4 with a caveat that it needs another listen to solidify whether that's right on or too low or too high. But it made me think, made me listen, made me wonder... I enjoyed the high-minded intelligent narrative, the spoken-word tunes stood out, and while some of the fraught vocal stylings sometimes approached grating on my nerves, there was an earnestness that always kept me connected and interested, even if it wasn't always exactly pleasant.
I did not care for this. Not a fan of Southern rock. I especially did not care for that one throaty guy's voice. The one song about George Wallace was interesting.
I approached this with trepidation. The band name sounded vaguely familiar but when I started the album, I quickly realized I was not familiar with them. I dismissed the first couple songs and wondered how I'd get through this double-album commitment. Then...Three Great Alabama Icons hit and I was enthralled. Wallace followed and I was fully on board. I spent the rest of the album by the river with my dog, which felt like a perfect place to spin this record. By the time I got to Let There Be Rock, I realized I had heard of this band, or at least this song, before. A lot of the songs and indeed the album would benefit from the kill-your-darlings approach but I'm happy to have listened to this and think I'll spin Great Alabama Icons again right now.
What could’ve been a absolute one-hour slog of a country album here is instead raised to a gripping sonic narrative thanks to some of the strongest lyricism I’ve encountered on the list yet. Though there’s a fair share of straight yokel tunes played for laughs, the dark heart at the album’s middle goes straight for some brutally honest evaluations of humanity through a Southern lens. I’m probably right in the target audience given my upbringing in the Bible Belt, but it was still refreshing to hear a genre that’s commonly associated with evangelism and exclusion warped back on itself for what honestly borders on spoken word slam poetry about problems which still plague American society today. Overlong? Maybe. On the nose? Definitely. But there’s a prescient sense of warning and prophecy wrapped up in this country album, and it’s an intoxicating mix I’ll venture no one else has come close to replicating since.
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
Nah, I just got bored.
- 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.
I wish the album was more accurate to its title...I was expecting grandiose hillbilly theatrics
This album made me want to crack a cold one and mow my lawn or wrench on my truck. good ol souther rock. favorite song dead drunk and naked least fav song three great alabama icons
Holy shit this was long and pretty boring sonically. I thought the lyrics were pretty thought provoking though. The only highlight for me was the first track.
This one was bad. Turned on one song and I was done
Narrative so far is basically “we’re not all racist in the south👉👈🥺” Boring good ole boy ass music that adds nothing to Southern/Americana music. Aside from lyrics, the singing sucks and so does the overall sound and instrumentation. Fuck these guys are dumb. Is he trying to say George Wallace wasn’t racist and his worst sin is just being a pandering politician? “Guys I have an idea for an album!! Let’s retell the history of the South that downplays segregation and specifically only mentions white artists. Their chord progressions and guitar playing definitely weren’t inspired by black blues musicians 20 years before them so no need to mention their accomplishments. White people have such a proud history in the South and only telling their stories is the best way to retell the history of the south.” This album blows. 👍: none Neil young >>>Lynyrd Skynyrd
Definitely prefer to listen to a few songs here and there opposed to the whole album. Left me missing life on the farm
When I’m in a meat riding competition and my competition is Drive by Truckers. Dude this guy has a VALLEY GIRL ACCENT it’s so fucking annoying. Can’t finish this. Three great Alabama icons isn’t awful I guess
I can say I listened to this, but that's about all I can say. I know this is an album that should be consumed with focus, listening intently to every song. Its essentially telling a story. But I couldn't do that, not at this length. It played in the background and I felt like it was halfway decent. Would prob give a two if it was a reasonable length. maybe even a 3 if I really focused on the story and enjoyed it. This album is an ambitious one, Ill give it that. And for the right listener, I could see it being a real hit. But I fear those listeners are few and far between. This is just nowhere near as interesting as it needs to be to justify its length. No best and no MMM because I only listened once and nothing stuck with me at all
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.
Album was too long, was just shit
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.
Awfully boring rock. I don't know, I just can't stand this album
I want to give this -5 stars. Muddy, badly produced, all sounds the same dirge that goes on for about 76 hours. I listened to it just because I feel I have to. But fuck ME it's shite.
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.
I wasn't a big fan of this cowboy rock style in the first place, but by the time "Moved" came up, I really wanted to turn it off. And that was only halfway. None of it is objectively bad, but there's too much of it. Favorite song: dead drunk and naked
Nicht meins Decent 2/10
Nah. It’s not the Crowes.
Way too long, couldn't get over the young vs vanzandt shit, mediocre songwriting. Terrible introduction to this band (and Jason Isbell) for the Salt Disciples.
Meh, rock? I guess some of them. To me this is country with a bit of pep and a few less dogs dying. Hard to concentrate on the entire thing.
Dudes are obsessed with Lynyrd Skynyrd. I couldn't finish this one. The music was ok for the songs I listened to but I can't listen to this guy blat out another one.
Was not a fan of this at all. Would be probably the worst 2 I would give, but there's a number lower than that too. Just too yeehaw and too long
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....
No me disgusto, solo un poco difícil entender las letras en ese acento, y demasiado largo para mí gusto, pero para ser country no esta mal
To be honest, I listened to two tracks and just knew this one wasn’t gonna work for me.
Firmly filing under HARD PASS.
I hated this album
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.
Nope
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
I actually think I could sing better than some of these jabronis. I actually thought some of these songs were the South Park guys but then realized they wouldn’t make incredibly shittty music. Really not my shit minus some guitar work.
Dislike
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.
*BREAKING NEWS* *Recently unreleased conversations between the selectors of all 1001 albums are now being shared with the public* Selector 1 [Mark]: "Hey Joe, I have an idea." Selector 2 [Joe]: "Alright Mark let me hear it." Mark: "Ok so you know my cousin Dave, the one with the Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band?" Joe: "Of course I know Dave. He's still in that band? I figured he would have given it up by now to focus on a real career." Mark: "Yup he's still in it. And he's releasing an album soon. He keeps trying to get me and the rest of the family buy it and recommend to friends but it's so bad I just can't." Joe: "I think I see where you're going with this... you want to put this album on our list?" Mark: "I'm just saying it would be really funny if we did and it would get him off my back. Two birds with one stone kind of deal." Joe: "Haha ok I like it, but we already have 1000 albums picked, which one do you want to bump off the list?" Mark: "That's where it gets really good, we should just make it 1001 albums! Nobody will know and it will make the list seem a bit quirkier by having the extra one." Joe: "Mark. You are a genius! And the best part is that nobody would know!" Mark: "Exactly, nobody would know!" *Joe and Mark were sorely mistaken. We all knew this was proper shit*
I couldn't get even halfway through this, and at first I didn't want to rate an album without listening through the whole thing but you couldn't pay me to revisit this noise pollution.
this dude really just sang about Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd the whole f***ing time. Was this Neil Young? Wtf did I just spend an hour and a half on?
Little to like
kinda an interesting one the Lynyrd Skynyrd references are everywhere
Countryrock, sydstatsting, for langt
Diggaan näist välitarinoista, mut ei tää nyt oikee potki. Jos tää olis stoner -bändi joka tän tekis niin tää varmaan olis erimainio 2/5
Muutamia tosi hyviä biisejä ja normipituisena tästä vois ehkä saada neljänkin tähden setin. Mut sen verran on toistoa nyt, että max kolme.
Vähän turhan pitkä ja muutenkin vähän ihmeellinen Lynyrd Skynyrd-tribuutti. Jotkin biisit sai suupieleen puolihymyn mut taitaapi kakkoseen jäädä.
Maybe if they mentioned Skynyrd another couple hundred more times. Sounded like a crap country band that tried a rock album and failed miserably. Plus 90 minutes of this? No thank you
This band is regarded quite highly among alt-country circles, which this being the first of their golden era. However, there's not much country going on in this record, focusing on a greater southern rock sound trying hard to sound like Lynard Skynard and Tom Petty (and they don't try to hide this). It's decent, but pretty forgettable and inconsistent with the rotating songwriters and vocalists, with almost none of the tracks standing out. Favorites: Dead Drunk & Naked, The Southern Thing, Zip City
3.1 - I appreciate the honest ambition to give voice to a Southern POV that’s too often/readily dismissed because of a segregationist past. But the songcraft is mostly uninteresting besides a few tracks in the middle: “Three Icons…”, “Wallace”, “Zip City.” Also, at 75 minutes it’s just too damn long.
Not my usual but I must have been in the mood. The lyrics were cool and it had a nice feel to it. Will I listen again? Probably not on purpose, but I hope it finds me at random some time in the distant future when I've almost forgotten.
Should have just listened to Lynyrd Skynyrd
When a 20 your album whiffs of 40 year old dad rock. An awful record.
Spooky music
This style has been done before in better ways, which leaves little reason to listen to this one. And then its also waaaaaayyyyy to long. I feel like theres still something here, and who knows, maybe I decide to return to it someday and will love it, but for now, I really dont care about this one.
Solid album
No thanks. Not for me.
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.
Drive-By Truckers HAVE good albums, this is not one of them.
ну вообще не фонтан....
The modern world needs more guitar-driven rock like this. Cool narratives, beefy production and classic electric guitar, bass, drums 'n' balls arrangements.
Country rock done very well
S'écoute bien considérant je ne suis pas fan de southern rock. Respect pour leur dénonciation fréquente de racisme.
Surprisingly thoughtful, with a good narrative throughline and fun tunes.
A bit long, but I am a sucker for a narrative record. And the songs are quality.
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.
Keep my attention through the whole album but I never had the urge to hit the repeat button.
This one surprised me. I actually really liked it and will probably listen to more of them.
Would have been much better if this was condensed into one standard length album, with the rest of the tracks just being in a deluxe edition. Maybe it's because I'm not American (nor have I listened to Lynyrd Skynyrd much) and lack some of the context to fully enjoy this album, but it didn't make a strong impact. Some songs were good and the history lesson made me look up Governor Wallace, but it feels like much of what this record was trying to accomplish was just lost on me. Some of this southern rock is pretty cool, though. Standouts were 72, Women Without Whiskey, and Plastic Flowers on the Highway.
Could not get into it….
Boring, tired, uninspired. Nobody is playing like they want to be there. Really boring songs. Don’t think I’m gonna make it all 93 minutes. 1.5
If you have the business of having a 1.5 hour album, it has to be great. I appreciate some of the topics but I never want to hear any of these songs again.
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
I enjoy a lot of the DBT discography and I have to say that this wouldn't be my top choice from them, it might be as low as maybe 6th or 7th? To be fair they do have a pretty big discography. This album comes right before Jason Isbell would join the band and put out 3 great records even Brighter Than Creation's Dark, made after Isbell left far outshines this. Seriously check out any of those records if you liked this album at all and are intrigued for more. This album has a cool concept, which is its biggest strength. There are good songs and a lot of really average ones. Listening to it in 1 sitting isn't fun. Best to do 1 half at a time. It's like a 3 or 3.5 for me but it's getting a 4 because the band has given me so much enjoyment over the years. I don't know if any of their other albums made this list, but its a shame if this made the list over far superior records by the band.
1.5/5
I get what the topical lyrics are all about. I get that they try to make sense out of the complex legacy the southern US states have had to deal with, between segregation and the old George Wallace supporters among poor white folks... Under that light, I can somehow appreciate the band's intent as they try to reconcile Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd's different takes on such issues. To those it may interest, Neil Young has always been pretty candid about how his song "Alabama" had actually been unfair to the subtleties people who lived there went through--interestingly he never recanted about the overall message of "Southern Man", which might mean he still had a point about southerners' cowardice, at least broadly speaking... But anyway, yes, I "get" what this record is all about. But I *also* get that the music on this album is just damn awful, even with all those topical issues weighing in the balance. Vocals are hackneyed, the music is unoriginal, and the lyrics are on the nose, or heavy like a thesis statement. And ironically. invoking the memory of both Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynird in the first songs only proves one thing: that Drive-By Truckers had none of the latter's skills as songwriters. What a strange way to unite the two, really... Number of albums left to review: 700 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 148 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 70 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 83 (including this one)
Yawn. I mean, it's all a bit samey. Perhaps if I were driving around the back roads of Hicksville USA this might be a good soundtrack, but I'm not so it isn't.
Норм, но не зацепило
Rating: 6/10
Very fun album! From what I (briefly) read about it and about Drive-By Truckers, it is a tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd, and a really good one at that. There are plenty of songs that could have been composed by Lynyrd, the atmosphere, crazy guitar solos and southern-style vocal is really well fitting into composition. Tracks like "Greenville to Baton Rouge" or "Birmingham" are quite on par with monumental songs like "Freebird" (well, maybe a little scaled down though). My only issue is that some of the slower song are getting too much into the country genre, completely losing the southern rock style, which made me really dislike the second part of first half of the album. But otherwise, it was really like a southern rock opera! Movie-like album, great work.
A Worthy successor to Lynyrd Skynrd! With better attitudes! Nice.
4 stars just for the first part: solid southern rock, heavy and with thought-through lyrics. The second part could be fun if you are a Lynyrd Skynyrd fan or enjoy general country themes.
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"...
The mix is so murky, the outright theft of Lynyrd Skynyrd riffs is blatant. This just sounds so good. Days of Graduation made me laugh so much I had to pause the music and gather myself. There is darkness and humour. The correct name for this genre must be Southern Gothic. The Southern Thing sounds like Don Henley on guest vocals. I love the fact that we're getting history lessons. Good history, nuanced history. Then it finishes with the devastating Angels and Fuselages. Who would think that "Scared shitless" would be poetry. This is why I subscribed to this list, it's a totally unexpected piece of genius.
Good southern rock, but long and unlikely to regularly listen end to end like The Wall or Fragile
one long song
Great music here, ambitious, grandiose, melodramatic. Much to query here - an obsession with Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Neil Young feud, the occasional refrain of ‘Yes but the north is just as racist’ and this peculiar revisionism of George Wallace (a poisonous, racist man who degraded political discourse in the US) - but does render an album to get your teeth into. If a little over long but nevertheless some quality south rock.
“Three great Alabama Icons” was interesting. Not being for the south a lot was lost in me.