After a couple of readings of Hyden's article, I'm getting mixed messages. On the one hand he calls EO the best album since BTCD and rightly points out that the Truckers' body of work stands toe to toe with any rock band of the past 20 years. But in the same paragraph he says that DBT only has two options--keep playing or break up and disappear forever into an unmarked grave. Surely he doesn't mean that their influence and legacy would disappear if they broke up, but that is never addressed. He calls Patterson's songs fantastic and Cooley's awesome. But then he spends a lot of time on the past and former members and interpersonal drama between Patterson and Cooley which I guess is a good history lesson but.... He describes the EO version of Grand Canyon as ponderous (and described Friday night's Homecoming performance as lumbering) and those are pejorative terms no matter how you slice it. And he ends by totally panning Friday night's show and then dismissing his criticism by saying in effect who cares, there's always another show. I don't know, the whole thing left me feeling kind of melancholy. And since I'm being negative, so far the DBT twitter feed has not re-tweeted the link to Grantland and the Book of Face page doesn't reference it either. Am I nuts here?

Instant edit: I bet I'm feeling cranky because I'm convinced, without any basis in fact, that Patterson is moving to Portland after the EO hoopla and tours die down. I know that doesn't mean the end of the band, but still, that would suck.

I certainly hope not

Huh, I thought that the message in the article was that DBT will go on in spite of the challenges... Sort of a "Look at all the shit we've been through, and we can still put out a great album."
I don't mean to diminish the guys, but if they were to throw in the towel it's not like there'd be a new "Greatest Hits" record coming out every 5 years or so. They're only option is to keep playing.

Markalanbishop wrote:After a couple of readings of Hyden's article, I'm getting mixed messages. On the one hand he calls EO the best album since BTCD and rightly points out that the Truckers' body of work stands toe to toe with any rock band of the past 20 years. But in the same paragraph he says that DBT only has two options--keep playing or break up and disappear forever into an unmarked grave. Surely he doesn't mean that their influence and legacy would disappear if they broke up, but that is never addressed. He calls Patterson's songs fantastic and Cooley's awesome. But then he spends a lot of time on the past and former members and interpersonal drama between Patterson and Cooley which I guess is a good history lesson but.... He describes the EO version of Grand Canyon as ponderous (and described Friday night's Homecoming performance as lumbering) and those are pejorative terms no matter how you slice it. And he ends by totally panning Friday night's show and then dismissing his criticism by saying in effect who cares, there's always another show. I don't know, the whole thing left me feeling kind of melancholy. And since I'm being negative, so far the DBT twitter feed has not re-tweeted the link to Grantland and the Book of Face page doesn't reference it either. Am I nuts here?

Instant edit: I bet I'm feeling cranky because I'm convinced, without any basis in fact, that Patterson is moving to Portland after the EO hoopla and tours die down. I know that doesn't mean the end of the band, but still, that would suck.

No doubt you're correct that the article wasn't 100% positive (which I think is a plus). I was totally surprised by his panning of the Friday night homecoming show because I thought that was the best of the 3 that wkend and a truly great rock show but that's show biz i guess.

On the larger point, I think he's applying the basic fact that DBT has never made it big and is unlikely to now. This has nothing to do w/ their actual and potential influence/legacy. It has to do w/ money. I don't know if it's literally true that a DBT "reunion" down the road would not be an economic bonanza (I know jimmyjack disagrees), but as metaphor it's certainly true - it wouldn't be like Cream or Led Zep getting back together. And they sure couldn't live off the royalties if the band stopped playing both live and in the studio. They've fought long and hard to make a living doing things more or less their own way, but it's a tenuous living and while they have built up a strong brand (sorry, but that's the way it is in 2014) it ain't coca-cola, either. The brand's value is in the continuation of the band and given where they are in their personal and musical lives, the band is the best bet for its members continuing ability to earn a living (as opposed to solo careers, new bands featuring one or more of the principals, etc). That all seems right to me, though I continue to root for the mythical "breakthrough" (bad for me as a fan of a cult band, good for the band and its members).

Here's a piece that I wrote about Zip City on Star Maker Machine, a group blog with a different theme every two weeks. The current thme is Scrabble Value Letters--songs beginning with Q. X or Z. http://sixsongs.blogspot.com/2014/03/scrabble-value-letters-z-zip-city.html

beantownbubba wrote:

Markalanbishop wrote:After a couple of readings of Hyden's article, I'm getting mixed messages. On the one hand he calls EO the best album since BTCD and rightly points out that the Truckers' body of work stands toe to toe with any rock band of the past 20 years. But in the same paragraph he says that DBT only has two options--keep playing or break up and disappear forever into an unmarked grave. Surely he doesn't mean that their influence and legacy would disappear if they broke up, but that is never addressed. He calls Patterson's songs fantastic and Cooley's awesome. But then he spends a lot of time on the past and former members and interpersonal drama between Patterson and Cooley which I guess is a good history lesson but.... He describes the EO version of Grand Canyon as ponderous (and described Friday night's Homecoming performance as lumbering) and those are pejorative terms no matter how you slice it. And he ends by totally panning Friday night's show and then dismissing his criticism by saying in effect who cares, there's always another show. I don't know, the whole thing left me feeling kind of melancholy. And since I'm being negative, so far the DBT twitter feed has not re-tweeted the link to Grantland and the Book of Face page doesn't reference it either. Am I nuts here?

Instant edit: I bet I'm feeling cranky because I'm convinced, without any basis in fact, that Patterson is moving to Portland after the EO hoopla and tours die down. I know that doesn't mean the end of the band, but still, that would suck.

No doubt you're correct that the article wasn't 100% positive (which I think is a plus). I was totally surprised by his panning of the Friday night homecoming show because I thought that was the best of the 3 that wkend and a truly great rock show but that's show biz i guess.

On the larger point, I think he's applying the basic fact that DBT has never made it big and is unlikely to now. This has nothing to do w/ their actual and potential influence/legacy. It has to do w/ money. I don't know if it's literally true that a DBT "reunion" down the road would not be an economic bonanza (I know jimmyjack disagrees), but as metaphor it's certainly true - it wouldn't be like Cream or Led Zep getting back together. And they sure couldn't live off the royalties if the band stopped playing both live and in the studio. They've fought long and hard to make a living doing things more or less their own way, but it's a tenuous living and while they have built up a strong brand (sorry, but that's the way it is in 2014) it ain't coca-cola, either. The brand's value is in the continuation of the band and given where they are in their personal and musical lives, the band is the best bet for its members continuing ability to earn a living (as opposed to solo careers, new bands featuring one or more of the principals, etc). That all seems right to me, though I continue to root for the mythical "breakthrough" (bad for me as a fan of a cult band, good for the band and its members).

Yes. After further consideration I've decided I'm having my period. Carry on.

good read!!

Tequila Cowboy wrote:http://www.maximumink.com/index.php/articles/permalink/songwriting_records_and_the_problems_with_southern_stereotypes_with_drive-b

I realize this is ground well covered here but the last part of this goes a long way towards explaining why the Truckers have never caught on with a lot of folks I grew up with and most likely never will.

MI: While we’re on the topic, I just got done reading Gregg Allman’s autobiography, and he went so far out of his way to dismiss the term “Southern Rock”. I mean, he hated it.

MC: I do, too, when I hear us described that way, but I’m glad to hear someone who’s totally associated with that genre of music say that.

MI: But, going back to your early album “Southern Rock Opera” and all the songs about Skynyrd, you have to understand where it comes from!

MC: Yeah, we kinda asked for it!

MI: Now, this might just be an Upper Midwest thing, but there’s always some dumbass in the crowd yelling “Free Bird” at the bands. Do you get that?

MC: No! Or at least not in a long, long, time. We don’t really get the rebel flag crowd either. We made sure we weaned them out. Way back around that time, when we were doing those records, we’d see a couple people out there waving the stars ‘n bars, and we’d call ‘em out. I don’t wanna see that shit at my show. And it stopped. That crowd has not really embraced us, and I don’t care if they ever do.

I LOVE that picture!

Still looks like Jay farted and everyone else is disgusted.

LBRod wrote:Still looks like Jay farted and everyone else is disgusted.

Can always count on LB to keep it classy

Kudzu Guillotine wrote:DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS: BLESSINGS AND CURSES


Drive-By Truckers create an emotional return to form

"Fuck that, go play."

Yeah. "Fuck that. Go play" has to find its way into a cooley song before too long.

Nice piece from someone who's clearly a fan, but I don't know about this one: "The Truckers have full license to mail it in at this point—their fan base is as loyal they come, one of the most reliable and enthusiastic in all of rock ‘n’ roll, willing to stick with the band through ebbs low and high." I'd say the loyalty is inspired in part because the Truckers don't mail it in. Staying loyal through a disappointing album or whatever is one thing, staying loyal to a band that's lost its commitment would be a very different and much less likely thing, I think.

"I've got to stay on my own ass." So he's both the whupper and the whuppee?

http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2014/03/1 ... -to-pearl/

What's the ad he's speaking about?

LastLawson wrote:http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2014/03/19/from-the-desk-of-drive-by-truckers-throwing-the-ball-to-pearl/

What's the ad he's speaking about?

I wondered the same thing...great read!

beantownbubba wrote:Yeah. "Fuck that. Go play" has to find its way into a cooley song before too long.

Nice piece from someone who's clearly a fan, but I don't know about this one: "The Truckers have full license to mail it in at this point—their fan base is as loyal they come, one of the most reliable and enthusiastic in all of rock ‘n’ roll, willing to stick with the band through ebbs low and high." I'd say the loyalty is inspired in part because the Truckers don't mail it in. Staying loyal through a disappointing album or whatever is one thing, staying loyal to a band that's lost its commitment would be a very different and much less likely thing, I think.

I think I get what he's saying, and you even acknowledge it in part, and that's rightfully recognizing the equity they've built with the fan base. While I don't think that equity is inexhaustible they certainly have wiggle room some bands may not have. Phoning it in was an unfortunate phrase because they would never do that but his point us well taken.

I admit to being confused by this Magnet Magazine. It appears to have brief articles penned by Patterson and Cooley.

http://www.magnetmagazine.com/

Does the magazine do a feature article and then turn the site over to guest writers for a while? Help a brother out.

Here's the link that takes you to all their articles. Love Hood's story between Lester and Charlie. And Cooley goes to the gym?

http://www.magnetmagazine.com/category/guest-editor/

Rocky wrote:I admit to being confused by this Magnet Magazine. It appears to have brief articles penned by Patterson and Cooley.

http://www.magnetmagazine.com/

Does the magazine do a feature article and then turn the site over to guest writers for a while? Help a brother out.

Something like that. If you look back through the past guest editors you'll see where they're allowed free reign for a week. One of the more recent ones was Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate, Steve Wynn and the Miracle 3, The Baseball Project).

http://www.magnetmagazine.com/

I can't for the life of me figure out why this board isn't more abuzz about these daily blog posts from the band.

Tequila Cowboy wrote:I think I get what he's saying, and you even acknowledge it in part, and that's rightfully recognizing the equity they've built with the fan base. While I don't think that equity is inexhaustible they certainly have wiggle room some bands may not have. Phoning it in was an unfortunate phrase because they would never do that but his point us well taken.

Yeah, i think that's what I said. I have no issue w/ the idea of fan loyalty and the "wiggle room" it creates for a band. Except phoning it in was not an "unfortunate phrase;" I think it was wrong and a mischaracterization of fan loyalty.

Rocky wrote:http://www.magnetmagazine.com/

I can't for the life of me figure out why this board isn't more abuzz about these daily blog posts from the band.

Cooley's "Old Asshole" column certainly got a lot of attention here (and elsewhere) but I don't have the answer. Maybe because this board gets less traffic over all due to the popularity of FB, Twitter, etc. By the way, I think my favorite so far has been Patterson's "Once We Get To Memphis" entry. Someone should run with that vignette and actually commit it to film.

For whatever it's worth, this is a direct link to the From the Desk of Drive-By Truckers pieces:

http://www.magnetmagazine.com/category/guest-editor/

Sort of a "brief history of":

Drive-By Truckers Are a Southern Contradiction

awesome awesome read!!!!!!

http://news.radio.com/2014/03/26/interview-drive-by-truckers-tip-their-hats-to-republican-liars-acdc-and-old-school-hip-hop/

Good interview. Predictably, the Facebook response is quite entertaining.

maxjkugel wrote:http://news.radio.com/2014/03/26/interview-drive-by-truckers-tip-their-hats-to-republican-liars-acdc-and-old-school-hip-hop/

Good interview. Predictably, the Facebook response is quite entertaining.

Yes, well what do expect when they've been such sneaky bastards and hiding their true viewpoints for all this time?