English Oceans Discussion Thread

[Drop D]

Here English Oceans from a Cooley solo show back in June..

Mike Cooley
06/26/2013
The Grey Eagle
Asheville, NC

Who's that on kazoo?

[RevMatt]

I heard "English Oceans" the other night during sound check. The song as played by DBT reminded me of "Ghost Riders in The Sky" with all of the guitars. I heard it last year during a Cooley solo show and thought it was fantastic. Even better with the full band.

[Cole Younger]

I am in favor of something more like Hill "Billy" Oceans in which the boys do a number on Carribbean Queen(no more love on the run), Get out of my Dreams and in to my Car, and When the Going gets Tough the Tough get Going.... Sort of a Trinadad and Tobago Rock Opera.... I swear I had to google those song titlles

I would actually really love to hear Cooley do a cover of Carribean Queen. I mean he did that Adele song as what I'm assuming was a joke and it was awasome so why not?

I doubt it was a joke*. He seems to take the music he plays pretty seriously. And though I've only heard the hits, Adele kind of kicks my ass.

*though I didn't hear it, so take what I say with a big block of salt

Maybe so. I guess his laughing after singing the first line and the audience laughing with him threw me off. He certainly has a good sense of humor but maybe he was being serious and thought of something funny while he was singing.

And I think Adele is very talented. One of my buddies makes fun of me for it but I don't care.

[GuitarManUpstairs]

reminded me of "Ghost Riders in The Sky"

I thought the same thing when he played it at Athens' Americanafest earlier this year.

[Slipkid42]

Some weird titles:
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... To a Blind Horse - Faces
Goat's Head Soup - The Rolling Stones
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Beatles
Brain Salad Surgery - ELP
Weasels Ripped My Flesh - The Mothers of Invention
The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars - David Bowie

English Oceans doesn't sound weird to me. I think it sounds intriguing.

[John A Arkansawyer]

Some weird titles:
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... To a Blind Horse - Faces
The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars - David Bowie

Serious question: What's weird about those two? The first is an old saying and the second is a straightforward account of a rock band's career.

[Zip City]

There's nothing English about DBT

[Cole Younger]

This thread is just a product of the fact that all of DBT's records have been discussed at length. As have all of Jason's records, the dvds, the documentary, every little contraversy and faux contraversy surrounding the band and former memebers. In short, we've finally just about run out of stuff to talk about. So we over analyze a possible title for a record that isn't even out yet. But what else is there to do?

[Drop D]

This thread is just a product of the fact that all of DBT's records have been discussed at length. As have all of Jason's records, the dvds, the documentary, every little contraversy and faux contraversy surrounding the band and former memebers. In short, we've finally just about run out of stuff to talk about. So we over analyze a possible title for a record that isn't even out yet. But what else is there to do?

Nail on head.

[beantownbubba]

This thread is just a product of the fact that all of DBT's records have been discussed at length. As have all of Jason's records, the dvds, the documentary, every little contraversy and faux contraversy surrounding the band and former memebers. In short, we've finally just about run out of stuff to talk about. So we over analyze a possible title for a record that isn't even out yet. But what else is there to do?

Yes.

[Slipkid42]

Some weird titles:
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... To a Blind Horse - Faces
The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars - David Bowie

Serious question: What's weird about those two? The first is an old saying and the second is a straightforward account of a rock band's career.

I was looking at them as titles that may have scared off prospective listeners (as bubba alluded to). I don't think those titles dissuaded anyone from buying those records, anymore than I think English Oceans would turn away prospective customers.

[John A Arkansawyer]

This thread is just a product of the fact that all of DBT's records have been discussed at length. As have all of Jason's records, the dvds, the documentary, every little contraversy and faux contraversy surrounding the band and former memebers. In short, we've finally just about run out of stuff to talk about. So we over analyze a possible title for a record that isn't even out yet. But what else is there to do?

Yes.

You have a good point. Tales of Topographic Oceans doesn't make much sense either.

[RevMatt]

I haven't heard a preview of the new record but everyone who has tells me it is excellent. Yes, at this point anyone privileged enough to hear the new record will speak glowingly about it. However, the "buzz" at this point seems stronger than it was for TBTD and GGB four months prior to the release date.

[Cole Younger]

I haven't heard a preview of the new record but everyone who has tells me it is excellent. Yes, at this point anyone privileged enough to hear the new record will speak glowingly about it. However, the "buzz" at this point seems stronger than it was for TBTD and GGB four months prior to the release date.

I don't know Rev. I was bored last night and just went back through this part of the board looking for something interesting. I ended up in a thread that predated the release of GGB where everybody was speculating on what they thought it might be like. There was about as much buzz about it as this one. I personally hope this one is better. I like GGB ok but just ok. Nowhere near the top. I hope this one is really a home run because the last two haven't been among my favorites.

[Zip City]

I don't feel like there's all that much buzz about this new one at all. What am I missing?

[Cole Younger]

I don't feel like there's all that much buzz about this new one at all. What am I missing?

Maybe that's the wrong word. Anticipation maybe? Clearly there is that. If this thread's existence doesn't prove that I don't know what does.

[Zip City]

I don't feel like there's all that much buzz about this new one at all. What am I missing?

Maybe that's the wrong word. Anticipation maybe? Clearly there is that. If this thread's existence doesn't prove that I don't know what does.

I'd say we're desperate for a new record. Is desperation the same as anticipation?

[beantownbubba]

Some weird titles:
A Nod Is As Good As A Wink... To a Blind Horse - Faces
The Rise & Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars - David Bowie

Serious question: What's weird about those two? The first is an old saying and the second is a straightforward account of a rock band's career.

I was looking at them as titles that may have scared off prospective listeners (as bubba alluded to). I don't think those titles dissuaded anyone from buying those records, anymore than I think English Oceans would turn away prospective customers.

OK, so this is way out of control and it's may fault and I guess I at least ought to try to fix it. First of all, a really not too important post got way more attention than it deserved. I do think I had a point worth making, it's just not that big of one. I'll try once more to explain it.

Admittedly my point, such as it is, makes no sense if you don't think that English Oceans is a strange sounding title. It strikes me as being way too precious and like i said previously, the kind of name I would associate w/ something like an emo album or something by Belle and Sebastian (I like Belle and Sebastian, btw).

But let's say you do think the album title just doesn't fit the kind of music you're expecting. We're already talking about a band that has a name that some people find off-putting to the point of not being willing to listen to what's inside the wrapper because they don't think they're going to like it. The Faces didn't have that problem. And let's say that band w/ the funny name has a history of releasing albums that some people turned off to w/out listening because, again, they completely misunderstood what they were looking at. Think e.g., Gangstabilly, that cutting edge fusion of rap and bluegrass. If anything, given Bowie's audience, Ziggy Stardust is a name that would intrigue or interest potential fans, not confuse them or turn them off.

It's not that album titles sell records. And it's not that unusual album names generally make a difference to anybody or that there haven't been hit albums w/ strange names. It's just that we're talking about a band that has actually had this kind of problem before (although it's certainly not an end of the world type problem). That's pretty unusual and all things being equal I'd just like to see the band have everything possible going their way and creating or adding to their momentum, not slowing it down, even a tiny bit. But it's just not that big a deal and it truly is the kind of thing that even I would only come up w/ because there hasn't been much new to say about the band lately.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I don't feel like there's all that much buzz about this new one at all. What am I missing?

Outside of the diehards like ourselves that have followed the recording progress via Patterson's posts on FB, I doubt the casual fan is even aware of little more than the fact that the recording process is over. If you're referring to the "buzz" here, that would have everything to do with this board not attracting the numbers it once did prior to the rise of FB. I'm not sure what the projected release date is but I'm sure once the publicity machine behind the record gets rolling in earnest, you will see more interest in the album being generated. At this point I'd say it's far too early to be expecting any kind of buzz as they only recently completed the recording sessions. Once folks start pushing 2014 releases, I can only imagine that the new record (whatever it may be called) will be significantly publicized.

[gerg]

The judging the title with no context schtick is good stuff. JFC.

[linkous]

English Oceans sounds like an album title by somebody like Roy Harper, John Martyn, or Fairport Convention. It doesn't sound remotely like an album title by a band like DBT.

[Slipkid42]

It's not that album titles sell records. And it's not that unusual album names generally make a difference to anybody or that there haven't been hit albums w/ strange names. It's just that we're talking about a band that has actually had this kind of problem before (although it's certainly not an end of the world type problem). That's pretty unusual and all things being equal I'd just like to see the band have everything possible going their way and creating or adding to their momentum, not slowing it down, even a tiny bit. But it's just not that big a deal and it truly is the kind of thing that even I would only come up w/ because there hasn't been much new to say about the band lately.

I get you, bubba. I'm sure there are a few folks who didn't delve into DBT because their name sounds like a novelty act. Unfortunately there are many more folks who didn't delve into DBT, 'coz they never even heard of them. Such is the state of rock & roll these days. If their amazing run of albums had begun in 1978 (or even 1988), instead of 1998; then I'm pretty sure they would be household names right now, even if they had called themselves the Strawberry Alarm Clock. As it happened, they hit the scene right about when radio took a huge shit. The progressive stations that may have played their stuff (like the legendary WHFS in Washington) had been bought up by conglomerates. They foisted well manicured playlists on us & DBT didn't fit their cookie cutter mold. That had more to do with the fact that DBT didn't fit into any particular genre very neatly, than it did with their unusual name. The Butthole Surfers prove that novelty names are not necessarily a deterrent to popularity. The Surfers formed in 1981 & toiled in obscurity for 15 years. They hit it big when 1996's 'Pepper' caught the tail end of the Alternative Rock era (just before radio took that big shit). They are a 1000 times more well known than the Truckers (with not even 1/10 the resume of DBT). Timing is everything. If SRO had been released in 1995, then Let There Be Rock might have become a smash hit. Who knows?

English Oceans as a title might actually help gain them new listeners. Lord knows the redneck soundin' titles haven't exactly propelled them to the top.

[Zip City]

They were on NPR here the day of the show, and I'm pretty sure Patterson have the release date as the last Tuesday of February

[Kudzu Guillotine]

They were on NPR here the day of the show, and I'm pretty sure Patterson have the release date as the last Tuesday of February

If so, I'd say it's probably still a bit too early for ATO to crank up the publicity machine. Outside of here and Patterson's posts on FB about the recording of the album, I haven't read or heard anything about it.

[dime in the gutter]

pirate theme. (english oceans, not ato publicity machine)

[tinnitus photography]

I think they should call it 1,611 Trucker Fans Can't Be Wrong w/ a picture of the boys in gold lame leisure suits on the front cover.

been done (and actually, this is a pretty good record):

[Flea]

pirate theme. (english oceans, not ato publicity machine)

I'm diggin' this! You could take a picture like this



photochop in Cooley and The Hood, and name it

Talk Like A Pirate! with The Drive-By Truckers

[Clams]

I heard "English Oceans" the other night during sound check. The song as played by DBT reminded me of "Ghost Riders in The Sky" with all of the guitars. I heard it last year during a Cooley solo show and thought it was fantastic. Even better with the full band.

I saw the same sound check as you Rev and I swear Ghost Riders was the first song that came to my mind too when I heard them play English Oceans. That's pretty freaky. Also interesting that in one of the Tennessee threads from this weekend, someone mentioned Cooley's Luther Perkins vibe in Sinkhole - and I know exactly the chug-alug riff he was thinking of. Sounds like Cooley's getting into some Cash these days and I'd say that bodes very well for the future.

[beantownbubba]

I think they should call it 1,611 Trucker Fans Can't Be Wrong w/ a picture of the boys in gold lame leisure suits on the front cover.

been done (and actually, this is a pretty good record):

Yeah, it's kind of a cliche, but a good one (imho).

See the original Elvis (50 Million Elvis Fans...), the Phil Ochs parody (50 Phil Ochs Fans...) which i believe was the first one, and there have been many since.

[linkous]

I think they should call it 1,611 Trucker Fans Can't Be Wrong w/ a picture of the boys in gold lame leisure suits on the front cover.

been done (and actually, this is a pretty good record):

Yeah, it's kind of a cliche, but a good one (imho).

See the original Elvis (50 Million Elvis Fans...), the Phil Ochs parody (50 Phil Ochs Fans...) which i believe was the first one, and there have been many since.

Yep, and this the best one imo.