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| Southern Rock Opera 2001 |
376 MILES TO GO
Southern Rock Opera
No one tells stories about the South quite like the Drive-By Truckers and Patterson Hood.
Their 2001 double-disc Southern Rock Opera should be a college history course with 2004's Dirty South the second in the sequence.
It's about growing up in Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Wallace, Bear Bryant, God, the Devil, booze, drugs, love, sex, heartbreak and rock 'n' roll.
Hood and co-leader Mike Cooley both write with passion, palpable feeling and tell tales masterfully about characters you know and new ones you want to know more about.
Southern Rock Opera rightfully remains the centerpiece of their 12-record catalog.
It's regional lore and legend bent as hard as the guitar strings are played throughout.
This record is what opera should sound like.
Southern Rock Opera Act I Song For The Soundtrack: Zip City
Southern Rock Opera Act II Song For The Soundtrack: Let There Be Rock
Their 2001 double-disc Southern Rock Opera should be a college history course with 2004's Dirty South the second in the sequence.
It's about growing up in Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Wallace, Bear Bryant, God, the Devil, booze, drugs, love, sex, heartbreak and rock 'n' roll.
Hood and co-leader Mike Cooley both write with passion, palpable feeling and tell tales masterfully about characters you know and new ones you want to know more about.
Southern Rock Opera rightfully remains the centerpiece of their 12-record catalog.
It's regional lore and legend bent as hard as the guitar strings are played throughout.
This record is what opera should sound like.
Southern Rock Opera Act I Song For The Soundtrack: Zip City
Southern Rock Opera Act II Song For The Soundtrack: Let There Be Rock
Running Data For Friday, August 2:
9.03 Miles
1:32:13
Mileage In The Change Jar: 0.73 Miles
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| No Depression 1990/2003 |
385 MILES TO GO
No Depression
For many, Uncle Tupelo's No Depression (1990) is the birth of the alt-country movement.
It's certainly part of the inspiration for the magazine carrying the flag of the genre (No Depression) and one of its top all-time records.
No Depression is a guitar-driven ride through middle America, mostly with a bottle at your side, trading shots with Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy and Mike Heidorn.
Certainly, there are plenty of acoustic moments on this debut record, but No Depression is at its best when it's loud, angry and the musical marriage of country and punk aesthetics. There's also little doubt that this trio knows how to write and play a strong drinking song.
Uncle Tupelo lasted for four records before Farrar split to form Son Volt and Tweedy went on to create Wilco.
The 2003 reissue of No Depression contains six extra songs from the original including three previously unreleased efforts.
It's certainly part of the inspiration for the magazine carrying the flag of the genre (No Depression) and one of its top all-time records.
No Depression is a guitar-driven ride through middle America, mostly with a bottle at your side, trading shots with Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy and Mike Heidorn.
Certainly, there are plenty of acoustic moments on this debut record, but No Depression is at its best when it's loud, angry and the musical marriage of country and punk aesthetics. There's also little doubt that this trio knows how to write and play a strong drinking song.
Uncle Tupelo lasted for four records before Farrar split to form Son Volt and Tweedy went on to create Wilco.
The 2003 reissue of No Depression contains six extra songs from the original including three previously unreleased efforts.
No Depression Song For The Soundtrack: Whiskey Bottle
Running Data For Wednesday, July 31:
5.51:31 Miles
1:01
Mileage In The Change Jar: 0.70 Miles
Running Data For Wednesday, July 31:
5.51:31 Miles
1:01
Mileage In The Change Jar: 0.70 Miles
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| A.M. 1995 |
390 MILES TO GO
A.M.
A.M. is the debut effort from Jeff Tweedy's portion of his Uncle Tupelo divorce from Jay Farrar.
Later Uncle Tupelo alums on A.M. include bassist John Stirratt, drummer Ken Coomer, and multi-instrumental string player Max Johnston.
Wilco plays it straight up on this one with traditional rock song structures and clever songwriting.
Just as A.M. radio is a long way from MP3 technology, A.M. the record is galaxies from Wilco's later spacier efforts such as A Ghost Is Born and Sky Blue Sky.
If I'm tuning into Wilco, I'll take the A.M. band every time.
A.M. Song For The Soundtrack: Box Full Of Letters
Running Data For Monday, July 29:
4.02 Miles
47:26
Mileage In The Change Jar: 0.19 Miles
394 MILES TO GO
Phair's 1993 debut Exile In Guyville adds credence to the claim that the first cut is the deepest.
It's bold, sexy, graphic, potty-mouthed and powerful.
The legend of it being a girl's eye, song-to-song update of the Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street seems a stretch.
But, it makes for a great story and that makes Exile In Guyville an even better record.
Exile In Guyville Song For The Soundtrack: Never Said
Evil Stig formed to play a series of benefit concerts for funding the investigation of the murder of former Gits lead singer Mia Zapata.
The name originates from a reversal of "Live Gits."
The Gits were originally formed in Yellow Springs, Ohio, in the mid-1980s before moving to Seattle.
Evil Stig has all the usual hallmarks of a Joan Jett effort, just sped up by The Gits to more of punk rock warp, where Jett's signature yowls are right at home.
Evil Stig Song For The Soundtrack: Drinking Song
Running Data For Sunday, July 28:
10.06 Miles
1:48:34
Mileage In The Change Jar: 0.17 Miles
Running Data For Monday, July 29:
4.02 Miles
47:26
Mileage In The Change Jar: 0.19 Miles
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| Exile In Guyville 1993 |
Exile In Guyville
Whenever I hear Paul Westerberg and The Replacements sing the Left Of The Dial line "Pretty girl keep growin' up, playin' make-up, wearin' guitar," I see Liz Phair.Phair's 1993 debut Exile In Guyville adds credence to the claim that the first cut is the deepest.
It's bold, sexy, graphic, potty-mouthed and powerful.
The legend of it being a girl's eye, song-to-song update of the Rolling Stones' Exile On Main Street seems a stretch.
But, it makes for a great story and that makes Exile In Guyville an even better record.
Exile In Guyville Song For The Soundtrack: Never Said
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| Evil Stig 1995 |
Evil Stig
For this 1995 effort, Joan Jett trades her Blackhearts for The Gits.Evil Stig formed to play a series of benefit concerts for funding the investigation of the murder of former Gits lead singer Mia Zapata.
The name originates from a reversal of "Live Gits."
The Gits were originally formed in Yellow Springs, Ohio, in the mid-1980s before moving to Seattle.
Evil Stig has all the usual hallmarks of a Joan Jett effort, just sped up by The Gits to more of punk rock warp, where Jett's signature yowls are right at home.
Evil Stig Song For The Soundtrack: Drinking Song
Running Data For Sunday, July 28:
10.06 Miles
1:48:34
Mileage In The Change Jar: 0.17 Miles
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