Lovesick Broke and Driftin'
Thursday, 09 April 2009 08:51 | 
Author: The Grouch | 
I've never been a big fan of Country music. I knew T for Texas T for Tennessee by Jimmie Rodgers (I always thought the next line should be T for Turn it OFF) I was also aware of Patsy Cline and that to the Country fan she was an icon. To me, honestly, these were hillbillies I had no interest in. (Good God, I was a Punk rock snob.)
I did hear some stuff by Charlie Daniels that I liked a lot. The man can really play. What Eddie Van Halen is to the guitar - blazing fast and rock incarnate, Charlie Daniels is to the violin (fiddle). Aside from his blazing riffs I also liked the stories in his songs. As Jamie Fox playing Ray Charles in the movie Ray said "Its about the stories"
This almost brings me to Hank Williams the third. As I have said before a lot of Punks really dig some of the old Country dudes. Johnny Cash was an influence on Social Distortion (Check out their album Live at the Roxy for a really good version of Ring of Fire.) Some of the songs on both Joe Strummer's Streetcore and Peter Wolf's Sleepless have definite Country overtones.
A couple of months ago I received a copy of Lovesick, Broke and Driftin' in all honestly I didn't think I'd like the record much, so it took a while for me to get around to listening to it. Once I did, however, I was stunned - this stuff rocks.
Listen to the album.
This isn't your Dad's Country band. Check out their website.
Listen to the album.
1. 7 Months, 39 Days - really catchy rock-a-Billie groove. Nice bass and drums. The OOO OOO vocals are nice - the violin comes in with a few riffs and then the twang filled vocals come in - the chorus 7 Months 39 days to turn my ways around - more fiddle jam leads back into a verse followed by the chorus. The twang and fiddle combined with the bass and drums make an infectious combination before turning into old school blues at the end of the track.
2. Broke, Lovesick and Driftin' - Sad song from the Country Songs textbook. Sad sounding violin with twang vocals over the top. Living the nightlife is where I belong, drinking with the drunks who don't want to go home.
3. Cecil Brown - my favorite track on the album. Poor Cecil laments about how everyone in town hates him and he doesn't really know why. Very nice string work here - I'm not sure if it's a guitar, mandolin, steel guitar or violin but it has a nice slide feel to it. It sounds like a harmonica is playing around the edges before a guitar goes into a very sad solo. The vocals are intense. This song could suck except it just feels too real, not at all a parody which would be an easy trap to fall into.
4. Lovin' & Huggin' - Nice harmonica work. Good rhythm - drums and bass. There is a Charlie Daniels feel to this track.
5. One Horse Town - old school Country - violin and yodeling - The thing is it actually sounds good. I'm surprised too, but its good. I'm down - in a one horse town. But I'm doin' fine doin' OK I may get by just one more day. The violin - fiddle is really good. Clean playing and emotional sounding. I can see why at one time the violin was considered the Devil's instrument.
6. Mississippi Mud - Charlie Daniels has his prints all over this one. Funky R&B jam about getting drunk and raising hell. Killer harmonica and fiddle runs abound. This is Country Rock - I really like this song. I was raised by a lot of Gatos who taught me how to walk the line - I take my shots straight out of the jug, I like to do a little dance in the Mississippi Mud.
7. Whisky, Weed & Woman - More old school Country. You can hear his grandfather's influence in this one. four minutes eight seconds of slow sadness. Listen to this track - the vocals are wild. I got drunk the day my Pa when to prison - the day my mama died I just didn't care about living.
8. Trashville - Nice guitar intro followed by drums, bass and a booming fiddle that comes in LOUD. Absolutely rocking jam lamenting the state of Country music at the hands of the no good rotten folks in Nashville. Killer guitar and violin riffs. Listen to this track.
9. Walkin' with Sorrow - The yodel is back. You can almost feel the tears flowing along with the really sad strings bending into sliding licks. Good song. The man can play the violin.
10. 5 Shots of Whiskey - Nice melodic picking starts this track off. We move into traditional Country mode. He strums, sings and oozes emotional pain and heartache - Since you've been gone - give me 5 shorts of Whiskey to help ease the misery you've put me through. I really like the sliding string instrument he is playing - I'm not sure if it's a Steel/Dobro/Banjo - but it sounds good.
11. Nighttime Ramblin' Man - Fast rock-a-Billie Jam. Good Guitar - Fiddle. I like the bass and drums too. Hank is going to do some drinking and some toking and raise some hell - all while the fiddle blazes away. Good song.
12. Callin' Your Name - more old school Country - A sad guy in a sad state because his girl has left him. Got to love the Twang.
13. Atlantic City - I like the intro - nice strings and bass/drums. A story about something, I'm not sure what, but there is going to be a rumble in Atlantic City. I like the music and I enjoy the story even though I'm not really sure what the story is about. In any case he wants to meet his girl in Atlantic City. Yee Haw (I really do like the yodel before the music slows down...and Hank starts telling us that he met a mobster who he is going to do a favor for) Meet me tonight in Atlantic City.
All in all I give this album 4 out of 5 scowls. Check it out.