To me, the Atwater song stories are okay but they don't excite me so much. To each his/her own. They just seem like general, politically-specific observation songs. They don't make me care one way or another. Compare to Puttin' People on the Moon, a political song that makes me care a lot. Or to A Ghost to Most, a song with (seemingly at least) a lot of political references. Both of those songs personalize the issues - they mean something to the narrator. Neither of these songs seems to really matter much, though I do like the twitching on the floor bit quite a lot just because it makes me want to twitch and laugh. Musically, MUEO reminds me kind of a Spaghetti Western cross between Daddy's Cup and Cartoon Gold, both of which I like better.
Interesting point about the distance of the approach these songs take. I think that's right. Now that you made me think about it, I also think they works in part because of that. I think the actions described benefit from the amused irony of the narrators. Neither song is "PPOTM," I definitely agree w/ that too, but I think they're going for something else in these songs and I think they hit the target(s) they were aiming at. Having already quoted what I think is a very cool line from "Part of Him" I'll let Cooley ride this one home. Any song w/ a verse like this can play through my speakers anytime:
Only simple men can see the logic in whatever smarter men can whittle down till you can fit it on a sticker Get it stuck like mud and bugs to names that set the standard, They’ll live it like it’s gospel and they’ll quote it like it’s scripture
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard
Grand Canyon Shit Shots Count When He's Gone Hearing Jimmy Loud The Part Of Him Made Up English Oceans First Air Of Autumn Hanging On When Walter Went Crazy Pauline Hawkins Natural Light Till He's Dead Or Rises Primer Coat
And I knew when I woke up Rock N Roll would be here forever
I can't do the ranking, I just can't. I love the whole record so much that I can't pick it apart that way. That being said Pauline Hawkins is my favorite on the record most days with Shit Shots Count usually coming in second. Hanging On, MUEO, When Walter Went Crazy and Primer Coat are all songs that sometimes make me reevaluate my top two.
We call him Scooby Do, but Scooby doesn’t do. Scooby, is not involved
Tier 1 - All so good, could be interchangeable Pauline Hawkins Shit Shots Count When Walter Went Crazy Grand Canyon Primer Coat First Air Of Autumn Hearing Jimmy Loud Till He's Dead Or Rises Natural Light The Part Of Him
Tier 2 - still SO good Made Up English Oceans When He's Gone
Tier 3 - has become a skipper, even though it's pleasant Hanging On
I can't dance a lick but sometimes I can flat rock and roll
Tequila Cowboy wrote:I can't do the ranking, I just can't. I love the whole record so much that I can't pick it apart that way.
Yeah, this is probably what i should have said.
Speaking of primer coat, i forgot to mention this: "He's staring through his own taillights and gathering speed." Oh man, how good is that? Or maybe I'm just old so it hits me just so, but damn!
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard
TW_2.0 wrote:Tier 1 - All so good, could be interchangeable Pauline Hawkins Shit Shots Count When Walter Went Crazy Grand Canyon Primer Coat First Air Of Autumn Hearing Jimmy Loud Till He's Dead Or Rises Natural Light The Part Of Him
Tier 2 - still SO good Made Up English Oceans When He's Gone
Tier 3 - has become a skipper, even though it's pleasant Hanging On
Damn. I'm almost in the same exact boat. Shit Shots and Primer Coat might be in a separate upper echelon. Might.
Last edited by Iowan on Wed Apr 30, 2014 7:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Tequila Cowboy wrote:I can't do the ranking, I just can't. I love the whole record so much that I can't pick it apart that way.
Yeah, this is probably what i should have said.
Speaking of primer coat, i forgot to mention this: "He's staring through his own taillights and gathering speed." Oh man, how good is that? Or maybe I'm just old so it hits me just so, but damn!
I'm 28 and that line has given me a lump in my throat.
Tequila Cowboy wrote:I can't do the ranking, I just can't. I love the whole record so much that I can't pick it apart that way.
Yeah, this is probably what i should have said.
Speaking of primer coat, i forgot to mention this: "He's staring through his own taillights and gathering speed." Oh man, how good is that? Or maybe I'm just old so it hits me just so, but damn!
I'm 28 and that line has given me a lump in my throat.
Tequila Cowboy wrote:I can't do the ranking, I just can't. I love the whole record so much that I can't pick it apart that way.
Yeah, this is probably what i should have said.
Speaking of primer coat, i forgot to mention this: "He's staring through his own taillights and gathering speed." Oh man, how good is that? Or maybe I'm just old so it hits me just so, but damn!
No it has nothing to do with age bubba. That line hits me like a baseball bat between the eyes.
Shit Shots Count When He's Gone Primer Coat Pauline Hawkins Made Up English Oceans The Part of Him Hearing Jimmy Loud Til He's Dead or Rises Hanging On Natural Light When Walter Went Crazy First Air of Autumn Grand Canyon
> >
“Excited people get on daddy’s nerves.” - M. Cooley
I think I may have jumped the gun a bit initially in saying that it's my favorite since Decoration Day, but a damn fine album nonetheless. As far as ranking goes (for the time being):
Primer Coat First Air of Autumn When Walter Went Crazy Grand Canyon Shit Shots Part of Him Natural Light MUEO When He's Gone Pauline Hawkins Hanging On Hearing Jimmy Loud Til He's Dead or Rises
I am clearly in the minority here, but Made Up English Oceans was the only song I absolutely loved the first time I heard it. It is still my favorite, on an album with many legit contenders. When He's Gone and Pauline Hawkins are probably my other most faved. Grand Canyon is a great song, but does not stand out above the rest like it does for so many around here. MUEO struck me like Eminence Front did the first time I heard it. Different than anything else they ever recorded. I was soooo glad Roger did not sing that after I first heard that amazing intro on EF. The only Who song with Kenny Jones that I love.
I'm diggin'; Grand Canyon When Walter Went Crazy Primer Coat Made Up English Oceans
Like the songs...the takes/playing/tape hiss(NL & FAOA)..not so much; Shit Shots Count Pauline Hawkins Hearing Jimmy Loud Natural Light First Air Of Autumn
And I like these just OK; When He's Gone Hangin' On 'Til He's Dead Or Rises Part Of Him
I've been playing this album incessantly for months and it never gets old. I'm not skipping a single song. Not a lot of my records fall in that category. Great writing, great playing across the board. I'm sure I'm projecting a little bit, but the intensity and positive energy with which this record was made jumps out of the speakers. This and AAW are at the top of my DBT play list.
I can't rank the songs either. Too soon. I can say without a doubt that SSC is my favorite and Hanging On is my least favorite. It just sounds too much like it should have been on Heat Lightning to me. I like Heat Lightning a lot and don't dislike Hanging On it just doesn't seem to fit.
And MUEO is a good song but I like it a lot better live than on the record.
Cole Younger wrote:I can't rank the songs either. Too soon. I can say without a doubt that SSC is my favorite and Hanging On is my least favorite. It just sounds too much like it should have been on Heat Lightning to me. I like Heat Lightning a lot and don't dislike Hanging On it just doesn't seem to fit.
And MUEO is a good song but I like it a lot better live than on the record.
Cole Younger wrote:I can't rank the songs either. Too soon. I can say without a doubt that SSC is my favorite and Hanging On is my least favorite. It just sounds too much like it should have been on Heat Lightning to me. I like Heat Lightning a lot and don't dislike Hanging On it just doesn't seem to fit.
And MUEO is a good song but I like it a lot better live than on the record.
So in other words you're saying...
Shit Shots Count
English Oceans
Hanging On
Not quite. Lots of other songs there that fall into various places I guess. The only thing I know is SSC is my favorite and Hanging On is my least favorite.
Driving down to Georgia Southern University today for my youngest daughter's college graduation---staring through my own tail lights and gathering speed the whole way. Gulp.
Markalanbishop wrote:Driving down to Georgia Southern University today for my youngest daughter's college graduation---staring through my own tail lights and gathering speed the whole way. Gulp.
Bittersweet i know, but congratulations and enjoy!
PS Your banker called to congratulate you too
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard
Last year Isbell had a career defining album with Southeastern. The momentum from that album hasn't stopped as he sold out three shows next fall at The Ryman. This year DBT put out English Oceans. Eight weeks into its release, it has garnered great reviews and the consensus among the diehard fans -- many who have had the album since January -- seems to be that it is a top shelf Truckers album.
So, how would everyone here compare the two albums? I think Cooley has as many great songs on EO as Isbell has on SE. As a songwriter Patterson seems to be mining lots of the same territory -- marriage and the importance of relationships -- but his songs are pretty dark here.
I have nowhere else to go. There is no demand in the priesthood for elderly drug addicts
I don't think it's really fair to compare the two, though for some, I guess it's inevitable and to those folks, maybe even necessary. For one, they're both two very different records. The potential convergence of themes aside, one is a singer/songwriter album and the other is a group effort.