DBT Albums Week 10 - The Dirty South

[cortez the killer]

This album was my gateway into the band. My sister bought me Green Day's American Idiot for Christmas. I returned it for The Dirty South.

[Iowan]

This album was my gateway into the band. My sister bought me Green Day's American Idiot for Christmas. I returned it for The Dirty South.

This brings up a thought I've had while reading through this thread:

Is The Dirty South the most accessible DBT album, at least in terms of getting people interested in the band?

[Kudzu Guillotine]

This album was my gateway into the band. My sister bought me Green Day's American Idiot for Christmas. I returned it for The Dirty South.

This brings up a thought I've had while reading through this thread:

Is The Dirty South the most accessible DBT album, at least in terms of getting people interested in the band?

Going by what I've seen here and on the DBT's Yahoo Group over the years, I'd say I see Decoration Day listed most often but I imagine The Dirty South would work for many of the same reasons, mainly the Isbell factor. At least that was my experience with a lot of friends who like the Truckers but were often put off by Patterson's voice.

[McButton]

This album was my gateway into the band. My sister bought me Green Day's American Idiot for Christmas. I returned it for The Dirty South.

This brings up a thought I've had while reading through this thread:

Is The Dirty South the most accessible DBT album, at least in terms of getting people interested in the band?

Going by what I've seen here and on the DBT's Yahoo Group over the years, I'd say I see Decoration Day listed most often but I imagine The Dirty South would work for many of the same reasons, mainly the Isbell factor. At least that was my experience with a lot of friends who like the Truckers but were often put off by Patterson's voice.

To me, it seems like whatever the first DBT album you heard ends up being the favorite. DD for me. Edited to add that I had DD first, then got SRO and AAW and TDS was my first new release as a fan and it took me a few spins to get warmed up to a few songs like sands of Iwo Jima, but it didn't take long to realize that I had caught on to DBT in the middle of a run of unbelievable albums. In fact, I'd credit TDS for locking DBT in as my favorite band.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

To me, it seems like whatever the first DBT album you heard ends up being the favorite. DD for me.

Understood but I believe what Iowan is getting at here is what album most folks consider to be their most accessible. To me, that's an entirely different thing than which album is my favorite. I love the early stuff but for a new fan I think Decoration Day and The Dirty South would probably be more accessible. I don't know what everyone else's experience has been but mine is that a lot of folks are turned off by Patterson's voice as well as the lo-fi production quality of Gangstabilly and Pizza Deliverance. If I'm playing them for a person that likes the gritty, unadulterated kind of stuff, I'm sure those albums would be fine but I don't think that's what Iowan is referring to.

[McButton]

To me, it seems like whatever the first DBT album you heard ends up being the favorite. DD for me.

Understood but I believe what Iowan is getting at here is what album most folks consider to be their most accessible. To me, that's an entirely different thing than which album is my favorite. I love the early stuff but for a new fan I think Decoration Day and The Dirty South would probably be more accessible. I don't know what everyone else's experience has been but mine is that a lot of folks are turned off by Patterson's voice as well as the lo-fi production quality of Gangstabilly and Pizza Deliverance. If I'm playing them for a person that likes the gritty, unadulterated kind of stuff, I'm sure those albums would be fine but I don't think that's what Iowan is referring to.

Yeah, I missed the mark a bit with my comment, I definitely agree with DD and TDS being the most accessible, they are definitely the ones I play to hook new listeners (or to decide a friend doesn't know what good music is if they aren't DBT converts in relatively short order upon hearing these albums.) I tend to lead with DD, probably for reasons mentioned above.

[Smitty]

I know about every redneck around here owns The Dirty South. It's right there beside Bocephus at parties/bonfires. Definitely the most popular among folks who normally wouldn't dig DBT.

[lotusamerica]

I think DD edges it for across-the-board outstanding quality of songs, SRO is more expansive and lasting, BTCD has more subtlety and GGB more maturity, but TDS remains my favorite Truckers record partly because (while I love Patterson songs) it's not a Hood and the Gang record, but a complete band of three singer/songwriter/guitarists and tight rhythm section cooking on full heat. This record should've won them the world, and they seemed to know it.

[RevMatt]

Most days it is my favorite Truckers album though BTCD gets more spins. "Goddamn Lonely Love" is my favorite song of all-time.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I think DD edges it for across-the-board outstanding quality of songs, SRO is more expansive and lasting, BTCD has more subtlety and GGB more maturity, but TDS remains my favorite Truckers record partly because (while I love Patterson songs) it's not a Hood and the Gang record, but a complete band of three singer/songwriter/guitarists and tight rhythm section cooking on full heat. This record should've won them the world, and they seemed to know it.

One of my favorite parts of The Secret To A Happy Ending is the scene where they're in the middle of "Lookout Mountain" and the camera is right in the center of all the action onstage. I'd love to see that entire clip.

[jh13]

Excellent write-up of my favorite Drive-by Truckers album. Interestingly enough, I also discovered them by reading a bunch of rave reviews of the band on a Pearl Jam message board. I had an iTunes gift card, so I headed over and read the album descriptions and decided on TDS and was immediately in love.

[Cole Younger]

I don't know which one I would call most accessible it doesn't seem like TDS to me. My first instinct is to say DD is it because of OUtfit. So many people that I have talked to got into the band because of that song. But most accessible? A record that opens with a song about incest, features two songs about a suicide, and another about a blood feud between two families that has resulted in multiple murders? I love that record but it seems hard to believe that it would be most accessible. I can tell you that the two really good friends of mine that are as big a fans as anybody on this board both got hooked by SRO.

[RolanK]

Great writeup for a great album, although it's not the one that I listen to the most. Can't really say why it's so.

[Steve French]

Why hasn't this album sold 10 million copies?

indeed.

Great job Mr Iowan.

It connected straight with my guts the first time I heard it. In fact, the best thread I ever started on the internets (on the 7th of February 2005) is called "Music Recommendations" and recommends TDS and says "Who else has heard something cool they would like to share"......

[linkous]

The confidence/arrogance/bravado, call it what you will, to leave songs of the stature of Lookout Mountain and Goddamn Lonely Love till the final two tracks of what is by no means a short album is breathtaking. Flip of a coin for me which is the best album, this or Decoration Day, but it's a bit like saying do you prefer milk or dark chocolate, red or white wine - its all good!!

I remember when they played Glasgow in April 2006, Where The Devil Don't Stay was the second song in the set(after a blistering Feb 14), and Cooley just nailed that song big time. If I remember correctly the smoking ban had just been brought in fairly recently in Scotland, somebody must have forgotten to tell Cooley Other highlights from TDS that were played that night were Puttin People On The Moon, The Day John Henry Died, Carl Perkins Caddilac, Lookout Mountain, and Never Gonna Change. Truly one of the best gigs I have ever attended, and I've been going to gigs since 1973.

[UncleFrank23]

I haven't seen the number shows that many of you have. I think I'm up to 11. But this is the only album where I've seen every song live.

[bigblockdodge]

Awesome write up Iowan. I'm also a big time Who fan, so I hear ya. The Dirty South was the first Truckers CD I bought after seeing Cooley solo at the Earl in Atlanta in Feb of 2005, bought it at the merch table on the way out. From the first listen it blew my mind. I was more of a classic rock kind of guy, but this shit kicked my ass. Saw the band for the first time at Thanksgiving 2005 in both B'ham and Atlanta. And the rest they say is history.

I remember reading a review of The Dirty South where the reviewer referred to it as that" nuclear bomb of a record" , I guess that you're first is always the best but I love me some Dirty South.

Nice review and great personal touch Iowan.

[Swamp]

Love your take Iowan.

[Swamp]

From the half Dirt half Rawk show in Asheville

[BiloxiParish]

This was the first album I bought from them after seeing them play at Voodoo Fest in New Orleans in 2006.. The song that did me in was God Damn Lonely.. I never heard of them before and saw Jason singing this song, the song hit me and was stuck in my head for about a week before I bought the album. I will admit at the time I couldn't get into the fact that I was listening to a band like this.

I grew up on the Beatles, U2, and Nashville Pop Garth Brooks stuff from my folks. So when high school hit I rebelled hard and started listening to Alternative and Grunge. Anything that sounded southern or country I would ignore totally even though I grew up in Mississippi and have about the biggest redneck family along with some Coon Asses on the Louisiana side.

I bought TDS first followed by SRO, they were good albums to me at the time but I put them aside for other indie stuff at the time like Arcade Fire or Spoon. It wasn't until after college and getting married I got really into Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash a few years later became obsessed with Americana music and music that reminded me of my family, home, Mississippi, New Orleans.. DBT was first one the list of bands I digested and loved. They paved the way for me bands like Old Crow Medicine Show, North Mississippi All Stars and so on.. So TDS was the album that did me in..

With that said the songs I usually skip are John Henry and the Buford Pusser songs..

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Newbury Comics is offering an exclusive edition of The Dirty South on colored vinyl limited to 200 copies. More info here.

[brett27295]

Newbury Comics is offering an exclusive edition of The Dirty South on colored vinyl limited to 200 copies. More info here

Oh bloody hell, do I really need another copy of this? Probably...where's my wallet?

[beantownbubba]

Newbury Comics is offering an exclusive edition of The Dirty South on colored vinyl limited to 200 copies. More info here

Oh bloody hell, do I really need another copy of this? Probably...where's my wallet?

Since I don't need this and don't collect this sort of specialty item, I'll leave it to serendipity: If it's in stock when I get there on Friday morning to pick up multiple copies of AB, I'll buy it. Otherwise I'll just have to regret not acting more quickly.

[brett27295]

Newbury Comics is offering an exclusive edition of The Dirty South on colored vinyl limited to 200 copies. More info here.

Fuck it, I just ordered. I generally HATE manufactured rarities like this but TDS is my favorite DBT album and I'm a sucker for colored vinyl. Besides I won't be on my death bed saying "I sure wish I hadn't purchased that colored vinyl version of The Dirty South"...

[Clams]

The Dirty South turns 15 years old this summer. Kudos to the author of this excellent piece for a song-by-song interpretation that sheds lots of new light - something I wouldn't have thought was possible at this point given the extent to which we've all dissected these songs over the years. Kudos to the author also for weaving in a few words (dyspeptic, hagiography, triptych, equanimical to name a few) that I've never even seen before and had to look up, lol.

http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/201 ... h-turns-15

[Sterling Bigmouth]

Speaking of which, Patterson tweeted this today:

https://twitter.com/pattersonhood/statu ... 0044073984

Not gonna lie, an expanded edition of The Dirty South with Great Car Dealer War and everything else that was cut sounds incredible, whether it’s released in 2024 or any other time.

[RolanK]

Speaking of which, Patterson tweeted this today:

https://twitter.com/pattersonhood/statu ... 0044073984

Not gonna lie, an expanded edition of The Dirty South with Great Car Dealer War and everything else that was cut sounds incredible, whether it’s released in 2024 or any other time.

Anyone know which other songs were dropped from the final version? And who are "they" in this context? New West Records?

[Smitty]

Great piece.

[Swamp]

The Dirty South turns 15 years old this summer. Kudos to the author of this excellent piece for a song-by-song interpretation that sheds lots of new light - something I wouldn't have thought was possible at this point given the extent to which we've all dissected these songs over the years. Kudos to the author also for weaving in a few words (dyspeptic, hagiography, triptych, equanimical to name a few) that I've never even seen before and had to look up, lol.

http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/201 ... h-turns-15

As much as I think many things today are overly analyzed, that was a great piece and concers with my theory of geometry and human psych.

[RolanK]

Great piece.

I read your original post which seems to have been edited out. Didn't get the chance to reply, but based on your list and those that didn't get cut, would be interesting to play around with the sequencing and see if one can find the narrative of the "editors cut" version PH is talking about in his tweet.