Drive-By Truckers – "The Big To-Do"
Much like the title of their new record suggests, “The Big To-do” by the Drive-By Truckers feels like a grand affair. Thirteen hard-charging tracks, loaded with guitars, cleaver lyrics and the rock and roll swagger we’ve come to know and love from our beloved DBT. Yet, forgive me, but I feel a bit underwhelmed. Not that the record is a disappointment by any means, it is just at this point in their career, there isn’t much more DBT can really floor me with. They are a lot like the Quentin Tarantino of music to me. Examining Quentin’s early works like “Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction” catapulted my interest into film the way no other filmmaker has been able to do. Ten-fifteen years later though, he can’t really turn my crank any more. “Inglorious Bastards” is probably a better movie than most of his recent efforts, but at this point I know what I’m getting with a Tarantino film, and while rest assured it is going to be a “good” film, I know that it won’t shake me like his early work. And you know, whatever…If I’m Patterson Hood and the gang I feel alright being compared to Quentin Tarantino, right?
And DBT is the sole reason this blog exists. Without them, we wouldn’t be fans of Lucero, Glossary, Ryan Bingham, etc. Our introduction to the Drive-By Truckers catapulted us into all things “Southern”, and for that reason alone they are the single most important “institution” to Front Porch Musings. Upon hearing “Decoration Day” for the first time, my life was changed musically. To the present they have been able to shock me over and over whether showcasing seven Mike Cooley tracks on “Brighter Than Creations Dark” or simply melting my face at various live encounters over the years. And last year, when DBT and The Hold Steady came together for a Fall Tour, I walked out of a Sunday night show at the famous Fillmore and proclaimed it was the single greatest night of my life. Losing my virginity be damned…
So “The Big To-do”…what can I say?…I know this; If I had never heard The Drive-by Truckers before, this would be a great introduction that would immediately convert me to a fan. The opening “Daddy Learned to Fly” is so Tom Petty that it sounds like a classic late 70′s FM anthem, complete with soaring guitars and a real lyrical innocence that only a guy like Patterson Hood can achieve. From there you’ll find tracks loaded with alcoholic immagery, death, court cases, more drinking and a killer song about prostitutes. This is about as good of a record as a band can make when this is your 8th proper release. Until John Neff starts expieramenting with turn tables it is going to be hard for the band to do something all that different. And that is a GOOD thing. Like I said, DBT is an institution as far as I’m concerned. I guess the moral of the story here is to go into this one with an open mind.
The first side of the record is as good of a display of raw Trucker power as we’ve seen. Songs like “Drag the Lake Charlie” and “The Wig He Made Her Wear” are drenched with murder, lies and deciet, harkening back to “The Dirty South” sound. Patterson is particularly strong on this album and his beautiful “Sante Fe” is by far my favorite track of the moment. Keyboards, slide guitar and a driving melody signal a nice change of pace from this rocker as you wind down the record to a whisper. Mike Cooley’s “Eyes Like Glue” is a simple melody penned for his kids but his other two contributions are also total standouts. In typical fashion, Mr. Cooley doesn’t fail to deliver. While I’m not crazy about the studio version of “Get Downtown” that much, I’m sure it is going to be an awesome track to hear and see live when they come through town in a few months.
So yeah, all in all, a solid release. It isn’t the best thing I’ve heard from the band, but I’m really digging it. Patterson and the gang have become a well-oiled machine and there is no sign of slowing down any time soon. A great addition to our favorite catalog…
Lots of bloggers are being asked to take down the studio MP3′s so we aren’t gonna bother with it…sucks I know but wacha gonna do?…
“After the Scene Dies”
“This Fucking Job”
“Daddy Learned to Fly”
