English Oceans Discussion Thread

[RoyHandcuff]

Iv'e had English Oceans since friday 28/2 (released earlier in Sweden for some reason) and opinions have begun to materialize. So here it goes. Not the universal truth, but my personal feelings about new album; track by track.

1."Shit Shots Count"
Good Cooley rocker with lyrics that draws me in instantly. Not in same league as his Birthday Boy or Get On The Plane but very good none the less. Good album opener. I like the horn section at the end.

2."When He's Gone"
Has all the ingredients, sound-wise of a great DBT tune, but ultimately falls flat for me. I can't put my finger on it, I guess the lyrics doesn't really draw me in and it seems a bit flat dynamically. I like the chord progressions and the nice harmonies. I just feel that maybe the pot maybe wasn't stirred enough..

3."Primer Coat"
One of my favourites off the album! Great song and great playing all the way through. Jay absolutely NAILS the lead!

4."Pauline Hawkins"
I really like this song, I'm even warming up to Cooley's wierd lead on it, ha! My only complaint is that it feels like it's way too long, and I'm not too fond of the coda at all. Pretty much runs it in the ground for me and by time it has ended I don't feel any urge to play it again.

5."Made Up English Oceans"
Cooley goes Ennio Morricone! This really is a grower for me, and the lyrics are really starting to intrigue me. Very evocative.

6."Part Of Him"
Good but without being really great. Reminds me of Steve Earle, and that's always a good thing!

7."Hearing Jimmy Loud"
I like the lyrics, and the chorus is kinda catchy but apart from that..not so much.
Playing not up to snuff here and the leads makes me cringe to be honest. I think Cooley has got a lot of absolutely killer leads in his catalogue, but to me this is not one of them.

8."'Til He's Dead or Rises"
The melody to me, is a cross between Proud Mary & some Springsteen track. Is it Hungry heart? Beyond that, It feels weird hearing Cooley sing Hood. I haven't really gotten accustomed to that idea yet. No, this doesn't do much for me really.

9."Hangin' On"
Feels to me like a leftover from "Heat Lightning" sessions. Not a bad track by any means, but not great either. I can see this becoming a skipper for me.

10. "Natural Light"
This caught me by suprise, Cooley as a Barroom Crooner! Very cool track and very different than what I expected from him. I like his leads here which has a smoky bar kind of feel with a kind of Johnny Thunders vibe to them. I have a hard time getting past the high-pitched tape noise, though. Makes it unlistenable in headphones for me, unfortunately.

11."When Walter Went Crazy"
Ace Bunny Killer! Top notch Patterson Hood and this reminds me once again of why I love this band. It just feels like watching a 90 minute movie in four minutes and Patterson does this so well. I love this song.

12."First Air of Autumn"
Top class Cooley track. Song-wise I love everything about it, really. The high-pitched noise
in the background just kills it for me though. It seems to be even worse and at a higher pitch than on Natural Light. Big bummer. And whiny as I may portray myself here, I REALLY miss John Neff here.

13."Grand Canyon"
For my money, one of the best DBT tracks ever. Monumental. This alone is worth price of admission ten times over. A beautiful and fitting tribute to a lost friend. Guitar solo could have been better, but still good. Love the drone-ish outro. Hoping to see it expanded even further at The Rock Show. Awesome.

Overall; Good album with a couple of standout tracks. To me it feels a little bit rushed and I wish they would have taken a little more time working out the arrangements, leads and getting the dynamics right. This won't get in top five tier of DBT albums for me, but still a pretty solid effort. I have to confess I
do miss John Neff quite a bit. I am nonetheless very grateful to have a new Truckers album in my hands. Again these are just my personal feelings. Let's discuss!

[Clams]

There's tape hiss, amp hum, bleed through from playing in a live room. I love it all

I don't mind any of those. It's the high pitched squeal on Natural Light and the sibilance on First Air of Autumn (that would be easy to ignore if it didn't cut in and out)

I think the squeal on natty light is Cooley's guitar amp. And First Air Of Autumn all I hear is the organ seemingly playing endless whole notes?

I still haven't a clue what you guys are talking about. I don't hear any of that stuff.

[RolanK]

I don't mind any of those. It's the high pitched squeal on Natural Light and the sibilance on First Air of Autumn (that would be easy to ignore if it didn't cut in and out)

I think the squeal on natty light is Cooley's guitar amp. And First Air Of Autumn all I hear is the organ seemingly playing endless whole notes?

I still haven't a clue what you guys are talking about. I don't hear any of that stuff.

Me too don't hear it. But I've got high a pitch squeal in my ears (or head) all the time, regardless of what I'm up to. Listening to music, eating dinner, trying to sleep etc...

[Iowan]

I don't mind any of those. It's the high pitched squeal on Natural Light and the sibilance on First Air of Autumn (that would be easy to ignore if it didn't cut in and out)

I think the squeal on natty light is Cooley's guitar amp. And First Air Of Autumn all I hear is the organ seemingly playing endless whole notes?

I still haven't a clue what you guys are talking about. I don't hear any of that stuff.

Me either.

[Flea]

I've got high a pitch squeal in my ears (or head) all the time, regardless of what I'm up to. Listening to music, eating dinner, trying to sleep etc...

Does yours sometimes encourage you to do bad things? I find that happens too frequently.

[RolanK]

I've got high a pitch squeal in my ears (or head) all the time, regardless of what I'm up to. Listening to music, eating dinner, trying to sleep etc...

Does yours sometimes encourage you to do bad things? I find that happens too frequently.

No, not really. Other than exposing myself to music that is played so loud that it for a few hours overwhelms the squeal.

[beantownbubba]

I've got high a pitch squeal in my ears (or head) all the time, regardless of what I'm up to. Listening to music, eating dinner, trying to sleep etc...

Does yours sometimes encourage you to do bad things? I find that happens too frequently.

I recommend a tinfoil hat. Out of fashion, but effective.

[RolanK]

Iv'e had English Oceans since friday 28/2 (released earlier in Sweden for some reason) and opinions have begun to materialize. So here it goes. Not the universal truth, but my personal feelings about new album; track by track.

1."Shit Shots Count"
Good Cooley rocker with lyrics that draws me in instantly. Not in same league as his Birthday Boy or Get On The Plane but very good none the less. Good album opener. I like the horn section at the end.

2."When He's Gone"
Has all the ingredients, sound-wise of a great DBT tune, but ultimately falls flat for me. I can't put my finger on it, I guess the lyrics doesn't really draw me in and it seems a bit flat dynamically. I like the chord progressions and the nice harmonies. I just feel that maybe the pot maybe wasn't stirred enough..

3."Primer Coat"
One of my favourites off the album! Great song and great playing all the way through. Jay absolutely NAILS the lead!

4."Pauline Hawkins"
I really like this song, I'm even warming up to Cooley's wierd lead on it, ha! My only complaint is that it feels like it's way too long, and I'm not too fond of the coda at all. Pretty much runs it in the ground for me and by time it has ended I don't feel any urge to play it again.

5."Made Up English Oceans"
Cooley goes Ennio Morricone! This really is a grower for me, and the lyrics are really starting to intrigue me. Very evocative.

6."Part Of Him"
Good but without being really great. Reminds me of Steve Earle, and that's always a good thing!

7."Hearing Jimmy Loud"
I like the lyrics, and the chorus is kinda catchy but apart from that..not so much.
Playing not up to snuff here and the leads makes me cringe to be honest. I think Cooley has got a lot of absolutely killer leads in his catalogue, but to me this is not one of them.

8."'Til He's Dead or Rises"
The melody to me, is a cross between Proud Mary & some Springsteen track. Is it Hungry heart? Beyond that, It feels weird hearing Cooley sing Hood. I haven't really gotten accustomed to that idea yet. No, this doesn't do much for me really.

9."Hangin' On"
Feels to me like a leftover from "Heat Lightning" sessions. Not a bad track by any means, but not great either. I can see this becoming a skipper for me.

10. "Natural Light"
This caught me by suprise, Cooley as a Barroom Crooner! Very cool track and very different than what I expected from him. I like his leads here which has a smoky bar kind of feel with a kind of Johnny Thunders vibe to them. I have a hard time getting past the high-pitched tape noise, though. Makes it unlistenable in headphones for me, unfortunately.

11."When Walter Went Crazy"
Ace Bunny Killer! Top notch Patterson Hood and this reminds me once again of why I love this band. It just feels like watching a 90 minute movie in four minutes and Patterson does this so well. I love this song.

12."First Air of Autumn"
Top class Cooley track. Song-wise I love everything about it, really. The high-pitched noise
in the background just kills it for me though. It seems to be even worse and at a higher pitch than on Natural Light. Big bummer. And whiny as I may portray myself here, I REALLY miss John Neff here.

13."Grand Canyon"
For my money, one of the best DBT tracks ever. Monumental. This alone is worth price of admission ten times over. A beautiful and fitting tribute to a lost friend. Guitar solo could have been better, but still good. Love the drone-ish outro. Hoping to see it expanded even further at The Rock Show. Awesome.

Overall; Good album with a couple of standout tracks. To me it feels a little bit rushed and I wish they would have taken a little more time working out the arrangements, leads and getting the dynamics right. This won't get in top five tier of DBT albums for me, but still a pretty solid effort. I have to confess I
do miss John Neff quite a bit. I am nonetheless very grateful to have a new Truckers album in my hands. Again these are just my personal feelings. Let's discuss!

Cool, but I find I disagree with you in quite a few of these. Too late at night to go in depth on each of them but I think it boils down to where you seem to not dig the some of the songs itself I am excited by how this band sounds these days and how they attack them, especially by the boys in the basement. And I like the raw and "primitive" solos. I don't miss Neff on any of these songs.

[Flea]

I've got high a pitch squeal in my ears (or head) all the time, regardless of what I'm up to. Listening to music, eating dinner, trying to sleep etc...

Does yours sometimes encourage you to do bad things? I find that happens too frequently.

I recommend a tinfoil hat. Out of fashion, but effective.

Dammit! All I have is aluminum foil.

[beantownbubba]

Dammit! All I have is aluminum foil.

Relax. You're good. I just carbon-dated myself. "Tin foil" is an old-fashioned (and possibly regional, I'm not sure) reference to aluminum foil.

[linkous]

There's tape hiss, amp hum, bleed through from playing in a live room. I love it all

I don't mind any of those. It's the high pitched squeal on Natural Light and the sibilance on First Air of Autumn (that would be easy to ignore if it didn't cut in and out)

I still haven't a clue what you guys are talking about. I don't hear any of that stuff.

Anybody who can't hear this is either deaf from all the rock shows, or has a shit hi-fi, probably both
It is more pronounced if you are listening through headphones, but is still audible through speakers.
I am not well enough versed in the mechanics of making a record as to know where in the process this hiss and bleed could be omitted, if indeed it could. I would be amazed if Barbe and the band didn't hear it at some stage when the finished album was played back in the control room or where ever. That is why I prefer to believe it is meant to be there in all its imperfect glory!

[Duke Silver]

FWIW I don't hear it either, and I was the first one to pick up on the background noises in Grand Canyon. Closest thing I hear is the tape machine firing up at the beginning of Natural Light.

[one belt loop]

email from one of the inventory guys:

"You probably already know this, but the Drive-By Truckers are going to be on Conan tonight!"

email from the LA rep:

"drive-by truckers featured on NPR this evening, FYI. You probably already know, but just in case…."

text from my sister

"DBT are on NPR right now!!!"

me: "good review, right?"

Sis: "Very. ' Major album from a major band.' Or something like that."


I just listened to the Christgau....wow.

[Zip City]

FWIW I don't hear it either, and I was the first one to pick up on the background noises in Grand Canyon. Closest thing I hear is the tape machine firing up at the beginning of Natural Light.

Natural Light is the one it bugs me on. You hear not only the tape hiss at the start, but I high pitched drone. Scientifically speaking, you probably can't hear it if your older than 45, or if you've had a lot of ear abuse from work or rock shows. I'm damn sure no one in the band can hear it

[one belt loop]

The Swedes against the Norwegians! Cage match!

[Markalanbishop]

FWIW I don't hear it either, and I was the first one to pick up on the background noises in Grand Canyon. Closest thing I hear is the tape machine firing up at the beginning of Natural Light.

Natural Light is the one it bugs me on. You hear not only the tape hiss at the start, but I high pitched drone. Scientifically speaking, you probably can't hear it if your older than 45, or if you've had a lot of ear abuse from work or rock shows. I'm damn sure no one in the band can hear it

What?

[Southern Efficiency]

On Tuesday morning, my LP order was showing "processing." Yesterday morning, it said it shipped, with a 7- to 10-day delivery window. Today, it arrived! So have some hope, all you "processing" people!

[one belt loop]

On Tuesday morning, my LP order was showing "processing." Yesterday morning, it said it shipped, with a 7- to 10-day delivery window. Today, it arrived! So have some hope, all you "processing" people!

(hey, your dog is adorable.)

[Zip City]

FWIW I don't hear it either, and I was the first one to pick up on the background noises in Grand Canyon. Closest thing I hear is the tape machine firing up at the beginning of Natural Light.

Natural Light is the one it bugs me on. You hear not only the tape hiss at the start, but I high pitched drone. Scientifically speaking, you probably can't hear it if your older than 45, or if you've had a lot of ear abuse from work or rock shows. I'm damn sure no one in the band can hear it

What?

As you get older, you gradually start losing your high register hearing. Frequent exposure to loud sounds will accelerate the process.

The frequency on Natural Light is high enough in pitch that anyone who is middle-aged or older probably can't hear it, especially if their hearing has been damaged

[Southern Efficiency]

On Tuesday morning, my LP order was showing "processing." Yesterday morning, it said it shipped, with a 7- to 10-day delivery window. Today, it arrived! So have some hope, all you "processing" people!

(hey, your dog is adorable.)

Thanks! He's a hyper border collie mix, but when I put the English Oceans on my brand-new 35-year-old record player, he lay right down. He likes guitar solos (true story).

[Cole Younger]

I can't hear these noises that are bugging people either. I'm glad I can just enjoy the album free of distraction. I also don't have any complaints with the leads. They sound great to me.

And I have an idea for a drinking game. Read through any random few pages of this thread and drink every time you read the word "coda". You will be smashed.

[Markalanbishop]

[/quote]As you get older, you gradually start losing your high register hearing. Frequent exposure to loud sounds will accelerate the process.

The frequency on Natural Light is high enough in pitch that anyone who is middle-aged or older probably can't hear it, especially if their hearing has been damaged[/quote]

Sorry, I meant what? as in I can't hear you. Bad joke. After 20 years in rock bands in my youth, my high frequency hearing is pretty much non-existent. And forget about conversations if there is a lot of ambient noise in the room. Somewhat paradoxically, it's the low frequency sound waves that damage your hearing the most, as in a giant ocean waves (bass) pack more force than ripples (treble) do. Even though high pitch sounds are way more annoying, as you obviously know.

[bigdex]

are you listening on cd or vinyl? is it possible you have a defective copy?

I had this thing cranked tonight, I heard some hiss at the start of a few songs, but nothing out of the ordinary

[Smitty]

I haven't heard the vinyl/CD version, but there is a horrible "buzz' going on in "First Air of Autumn", and this comes from someone with only about 30% hearing in his right ear.

[bigdex]

I haven't heard the vinyl/CD version, but there is a horrible "buzz' going on in "First Air of Autumn", and this comes from someone with only about 30% hearing in his right ear.

I heard what sort of sounds like the guitars causing the drum heads to vibrate in some parts, not sure if thats what it actually was or not....

it's almost like the sound of the drummer playing brushes

[RoyHandcuff]

Iv'e had English Oceans since friday 28/2 (released earlier in Sweden for some reason) and opinions have begun to materialize. So here it goes. Not the universal truth, but my personal feelings about new album; track by track.

1."Shit Shots Count"
Good Cooley rocker with lyrics that draws me in instantly. Not in same league as his Birthday Boy or Get On The Plane but very good none the less. Good album opener. I like the horn section at the end.

2."When He's Gone"
Has all the ingredients, sound-wise of a great DBT tune, but ultimately falls flat for me. I can't put my finger on it, I guess the lyrics doesn't really draw me in and it seems a bit flat dynamically. I like the chord progressions and the nice harmonies. I just feel that maybe the pot maybe wasn't stirred enough..

3."Primer Coat"
One of my favourites off the album! Great song and great playing all the way through. Jay absolutely NAILS the lead!

4."Pauline Hawkins"
I really like this song, I'm even warming up to Cooley's wierd lead on it, ha! My only complaint is that it feels like it's way too long, and I'm not too fond of the coda at all. Pretty much runs it in the ground for me and by time it has ended I don't feel any urge to play it again.

5."Made Up English Oceans"
Cooley goes Ennio Morricone! This really is a grower for me, and the lyrics are really starting to intrigue me. Very evocative.

6."Part Of Him"
Good but without being really great. Reminds me of Steve Earle, and that's always a good thing!

7."Hearing Jimmy Loud"
I like the lyrics, and the chorus is kinda catchy but apart from that..not so much.
Playing not up to snuff here and the leads makes me cringe to be honest. I think Cooley has got a lot of absolutely killer leads in his catalogue, but to me this is not one of them.

8."'Til He's Dead or Rises"
The melody to me, is a cross between Proud Mary & some Springsteen track. Is it Hungry heart? Beyond that, It feels weird hearing Cooley sing Hood. I haven't really gotten accustomed to that idea yet. No, this doesn't do much for me really.

9."Hangin' On"
Feels to me like a leftover from "Heat Lightning" sessions. Not a bad track by any means, but not great either. I can see this becoming a skipper for me.

10. "Natural Light"
This caught me by suprise, Cooley as a Barroom Crooner! Very cool track and very different than what I expected from him. I like his leads here which has a smoky bar kind of feel with a kind of Johnny Thunders vibe to them. I have a hard time getting past the high-pitched tape noise, though. Makes it unlistenable in headphones for me, unfortunately.

11."When Walter Went Crazy"
Ace Bunny Killer! Top notch Patterson Hood and this reminds me once again of why I love this band. It just feels like watching a 90 minute movie in four minutes and Patterson does this so well. I love this song.

12."First Air of Autumn"
Top class Cooley track. Song-wise I love everything about it, really. The high-pitched noise
in the background just kills it for me though. It seems to be even worse and at a higher pitch than on Natural Light. Big bummer. And whiny as I may portray myself here, I REALLY miss John Neff here.

13."Grand Canyon"
For my money, one of the best DBT tracks ever. Monumental. This alone is worth price of admission ten times over. A beautiful and fitting tribute to a lost friend. Guitar solo could have been better, but still good. Love the drone-ish outro. Hoping to see it expanded even further at The Rock Show. Awesome.

Overall; Good album with a couple of standout tracks. To me it feels a little bit rushed and I wish they would have taken a little more time working out the arrangements, leads and getting the dynamics right. This won't get in top five tier of DBT albums for me, but still a pretty solid effort. I have to confess I
do miss John Neff quite a bit. I am nonetheless very grateful to have a new Truckers album in my hands. Again these are just my personal feelings. Let's discuss!

Cool, but I find I disagree with you in quite a few of these. Too late at night to go in depth on each of them but I think it boils down to where you seem to not dig the some of the songs itself I am excited by how this band sounds these days and how they attack them, especially by the boys in the basement. And I like the raw and "primitive" solos. I don't miss Neff on any of these songs.

Great, man. I would love to hear you tear me to shreds, haha. Maybe you can talk some sense into me. When The Big To Do was released, I didn't really get it at all until several months later. Now it's one of my favourite albums, if not my #1.

[Drop D]

The frequency on Natural Light is high enough in pitch that anyone who is middle-aged or older probably can't hear it, especially if their hearing has been damaged

At last! Justification for a mis-spent youth and a reason for embracing middle age!

[RolanK]

Cool, but I find I disagree with you in quite a few of these. Too late at night to go in depth on each of them but I think it boils down to where you seem to not dig the some of the songs itself I am excited by how this band sounds these days and how they attack them, especially by the boys in the basement. And I like the raw and "primitive" solos. I don't miss Neff on any of these songs.

Great, man. I would love to hear you tear me to shreds, haha. Maybe you can talk some sense into me. When The Big To Do was released, I didn't really get it at all until several months later. Now it's one of my favourite albums, if not my #1.

Nah, I don't think I'm capable of doing that. I always enjoy reading post that break down and try to analyze each song. Your's as well. But I don't really have the patience to do that myself. I guess my feelings towards this album (as with most stuff that I like) is less "intellectual" (probably not the word I'm looking for) and more based on "feel" or some kind of a reflex. In the beginning lyrics are very often not a huge part of it all (unless it's hopelesly bland). Lyrics start to sink in and shape the way I feel about a song a bit later. For me, with most bands I get into, but especially with DBT, I find it's probably close to how you describe your process with the Big To Do. The albums get better and mature over time. There are songs on every album that don't really stand out on first few listenings, but very often those are the real gems. Pulaski, Goode's Field Road and That Man I Shot come to mind. A lot of the people on this board, me included, have had the leak since around X-mas and also heard some of the songs live a few times. So the "time" factor has probably been at work for a while already.

[Iowan]

I'm 28 and can't hear the high frequency shit at all.

Of course, being as I've been listening to super loud music, blown up a lot of stuff, fired a lot of shotguns, and routinely around very noisy farm equipment my entire life, I probably have some hearing damage.

[Gaetzi]

Pretty sure I know what Zip is refering to but I will hold my comments until I get the CD that I preordered a few months ago.