Drive-By Truckers
Southern Rock Opera
Play Southern Rock Opera
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AMG Review of Southern Rock Opera
Hal Horowitz
All Music GuideDon't be deterred by the rather misleading title. Not a ock opera in the sense of Tommy or Jesus Christ Superstar, this sprawling double disc is more akin to a song cycle about Southern rock, in particular Lynyrd Skynyrd. Almost six years in the making, the Drive-By Truckers have created a startlingly intelligent work that proudly stands with the best music of their obvious inspiration. Largely written and conceived by lead trucker Patterson Hood (son of famed Muscle Shoals bassist David Hood), who sings the majority of the songs in a torn, ragged, but emotionally charged twangy voice somewhere between Tom Petty and Rod Stewart, these 20 literate tracks encapsulate a remarkably objective look at what Hood calls "the duality of the South." Rocking with a lean hardness, the story unfolds over 90 minutes, but the savvy lyrical observations never overburden the songs' clenched grip. While bands like the similarly styled Bottle Rockets have worked this territory before, never has a group created an opus that's thematically tied to this genre while objectively exploring its conceptual limitations. The two discs are divided into Acts I and II; the first sets the stage by exploring aspects of an unnamed Southern teen's background growing up as a music fan in an environment where sports stars, not ock stars, were idolized. The second follows him as he joins his Skynyrd-styled dream band, tours the world, and eventually crashes to his death in the same sort of airplane accident that claimed his heroes. The Drive-By Truckers proudly charge through these songs with their three guitars, grinding and soloing with a swampy intensity recalling a grittier, less commercially viable early version of Skynyrd. A potentially dodgy concept that's redeemed by magnificent songwriting, passionate singing, and ruggedly confident but far from over-the-top playing, Southern Rock Opera should be required listening not only for fans of the genre, but anyone interested in the history of '70s ock, or even the history of the South in that decade. More the story of Hood than Skynyrd, this is thought-provoking music that also slashes, burns, and kicks out the jams. Its narrative comes to life through these songs of alienation, excess, and, ultimately, salvation, as seen through the eyes of someone who lived and understands it better than most.
Hurry up tomorrow!
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Well, I have just finalized my plans to head to Richmond tomorrow night for a *free* Drive-By Truckers show. Every summer, some of the best music comes to Brown's Island on the banks of the James River. The best part - all of the Friday Cheers shows are *free*. As Ronald McDonald says, I'm lovin' it. I've never seen the DBT; and while I'm sure Jason's presence will be missed, I hear Johnny ...
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A Way to Keep from Having to Deal with My Seventeen-Year-Old Mind All Alone
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Having now been "alerted to the existence of Drive-By Truckers":http://mog.com/morgannels/blog_post/144467, I've been going through their back catalog. I tried The Dirty South next, and was especially impressed with "Where the Devil Don't Stay." Then I got Southern Rock Opera, which seems to be their magnum opus. I can't decide whether the openness with which they wear their Lynyrd Skynyrd w...
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 "Southern Rock Opera")
