English Oceans At Six Months

[RevMatt]

During the initial release period of an album the loyal fanbase is usually overwhelmingly positive. It is all part of the excitement at hearing new songs for the first time and a tour in support of the record. Six months later, however, is the first real test as to whether or not a record can live up to that initial euphoria. Most people here have had English Oceans for at least six months. The first half of a year of heavy touring is finished with Drive By Truckers taking a well deserved breather before gearing up once again with a fall tour of both primary and secondary markets.

How is English Oceans holding up for you?

I still maintain that this record is a home run for the band. But I look at it a bit differently.

English Oceans is the first album since Alabama Ass Whuppin' and Southern Rock Opera where Cooley and Hood are the primary guitar slingers. From Decoration Day onward the band has had a high profile guitar player in the lead spot. We tend to look at Jason Isbell as primarily a songwriter but he was brought on board back in 2001 primarily for his lead guitar work which is fantastic. (If there are any doubters as to just how great a lead guitarist Isbell is, go to YouTube and catch some of the encores The 400 Unit did back in the summer of 2013 where Jason channeled his inner Mick Taylor on "Can't You Hear Me Knocking".) John Neff, of course, is absolutely exquisite on slide and pedal steel. No matter how bad it ended between Neff and DBT, when the band first played Austin City Limits they had a world class pedal steel player on the stage. I think this has caused many fans to underestimate both Cooley and Hood's prowess on guitar.

English Oceans proves that the Hood/Cooley duo is not only pretty damned good but along with Brad Morgan has created one of the best rhythmic signatures this side of Doug Clifford and the Fogerty brothers. This sound was first forged back in the eighties when the two guitarists bonded over The Replacements and 70's era Stones. English Oceans runs the whole stylistic gamut of Drive By Truckers. Six months ago it was all about interpreting the lyrics. Six months later, however, it is the playing that has kept English Oceans at the top of the stack of vinyl on top of the speaker.

[Zip City]

Still good, though I don't listen very often.

[cortez the killer]

This six-month reflection was so profound it didn't belong here?

[RevMatt]

This six-month reflection was so profound it didn't belong here?

Move it then. The originator of a thread can't kill it.

[Markalanbishop]

I'm with the good Reverend on this one. I rarely go more than a day or two without listening. Lately I've been cranking the CD in my car at extreme volume with the treble and bass controls maxed out. Hear all kinds of new stuff all the time this way. I would add Jay to the lead guitar analysis. I love his solos and how well thought out and musical they are. Was also thinking about how the rhythm section is charting new territory, and how bright the future is if they keep this lineup for a while. The whole band seems to be pushing each other to be better musicians and I think they are definitely listening to each other more and are refocused on serving the song first and foremost. Not that this hasn't always been their philosophy but with fewer members there are fewer chances to "hide" and let someone else carry the load for a song or two. It's like the old joke about apologizing for the length of a letter because you didn't have time to make it shorter. Intensity is notably higher on this record, IMO. Just an incredible album.

[Cole Younger]

I feel like I did after I first heard it.

Very good. Not SRO-TDS good but definitely ABAAC (I like that one), BTCD good. Probably better than either of those actually and A LOT better than TBTD and GGB.

Love the leaner sound being back and love getting so much Cooley. I definitely feel that this is Cooley's record. It's not that I don't like Patterson's songs. I do. He just seems to sort of fade into the background a bit on this one. I think that just has to do with the fact that Cooley has so many more songs than normal.

Some of these songs are among my favorites now.

[backroads]

It's still in my CD rotation in my truck. I've found the more I listen to it the more I like some of the other tracks that didn't catch my attention the first time I listened to it.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Though I'm sure it'll return to the rotation at some point, it was displaced fairly early on by Lydia Loveless' Somewhere Else.

[OkieinTexas]

To these ears, EO displays the "mature" side of DBT and makes me feel confident the band will be releasing meaningful music as long as it sees fit. Don't get me wrong, it rocks when it wants, but for the first time I appreciate the mid and slow tempo songs more than the harder songs. Could just be me though.

[dbtfan4life]

i love it! I find it moving up on my TOP dbt ALBUMS list if we do another one of those!

[Clams]

2014 has been a really, really good year for new music. English Oceans is still in my rotation and is one of my favorites from this year. Six months in, my favorite songs are Primer Coat, When He's Gone and Pauline Hawkins, also Walter, First Air and Grand Canyon.

[Iowan]

It's still in my CD rotation in my truck.

This exactly. It has a handful of songs that are absolutely top-shelf DBT (Shit Shots, Primer Coat, and Grand Canyon) that I never, ever don't want to listen to, and when I sit down with the album, or just let it roll on a longer drive there isn't really anything I skip. Occasionally Hanging On gets skipped, I guess.

It's not on par with the Holy Trinity, but I would grab it ahead of GGB, TBTD, and BTCD and find it more consistent than either GB or PD. I don't really feel any differently about than I did the first time I heard it, but I listen to it less.

[Duke Silver]

I'm not binging on it like I was at first, but I still listen to the whole thing 1-2x per week. I'd probably rank it somewhere in the middle of their catalog. Not quite as good as their best (DD, TDS, BTCD, SRO), but much better than their weakest albums (GB, GGB, TBTD). So, somewhere in the Pizza Deliverance / A Blessing and a Curse range. Overall, a very solid B+ album.

[LastLawson]

It's gotten better for me - #2 on my list behind SRO (though I know it would peeve DBT to hear such a sentiment - they seem to hold SRO in lower regard than many of us). Musically, it's the perfect balance between raw & polished. This lineup with Jay is amazing - can't wait for their next album . Lyrically, it's dynamite, with many chill-up-the-spine moments. First air of autumn leaves me numb...

[John A Arkansawyer]

It's very good, among the best but not my personal number one. I didn't think any of that'd change. What I did think would change was that this record would pull in a different and/or bigger audience for the band. Whether it's done that won't be fully seen for a while.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I'm not binging on it like I was at first, but I still listen to the whole thing 1-2x per week. I'd probably rank it somewhere in the middle of their catalog. Not quite as good as their best (DD, TDS, BTCD, SRO), but much better than their weakest albums (GB, GGB, TBTD). So, somewhere in the Pizza Deliverance / A Blessing and a Curse range. Overall, a very solid B+ album.

Can't say that I've ever thought of Gangstabilly as "weak". In fact, it's my favorite record of theirs with Pizza Deliverance coming in a close second.

[Iowan]

Gangstabilly = simply not enough Cooley

It's a good record, that I some days prefer to TBTD/GGB, but Cooley is really what hooked on me on DBT in the first place. On that front, it comes up short. Plus, I prefer the three guitar rock god shit too.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I'm not really bothered by the lack of Cooley on Gangstabilly. It's stands on it's own (at least to my ears) as it is. It will also always remain a favorite because it's the first album I ever heard by them (along with Pizza Deliverance).

[Mike127]

Am I the only one that doesn't think GGB is a lesser tier DBT album? I'm always surprised how it's taken for conventional wisdom around here that it's something of a misstep. I love EO, but I still place GGB ahead of EO, I don't know - I guess maybe I like DBT best when they emphasize their country & soul leanings (not to mention country soul). I'm a sucker for that Muscle Shoals Sound!

[Iowan]

Am I the only one that doesn't think GGB is a lesser tier DBT album? I'm always surprised how it's taken for conventional wisdom around here that it's something of a misstep. I love EO, but I still place GGB ahead of EO, I don't know - I guess maybe I like DBT best when they emphasize their country & soul leanings (not to mention country soul). I'm a sucker for that Muscle Shoals Sound!

I like how DBT balances rock and country, and haven't been as much of a fan of their album-long forays into either (specifically TBTD and GGB) as I think it plays away from their strength, which is having one foot in each pool. Plus, I didn't think the songs were as strong as typical DBT, especially on GGB which featured two covers, Shonna, and some old Patterson and Cooley songs that had been hanging around for years (although I absolutely love Mercy Bucket).

Within the DBT canon, that combo is going to push an album down the ladder for me. That said, it's still a worthwhile album that I enjoy. Just not as much as the rest of DBT's work.

[Duke Silver]

GGB is a lean, mean 10-song album hiding inside a 14-song fat suit. Cutting Ricky, Weakest Man, Assholes and Thanksgiving Filter greatly improves it for me.

As far as Ganstabilly, "less strong" probably would've been a better description than "weak." It's all relative.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

On the heels of the release of English Oceans, I kept hearing Go-Go Boots and The Big To-Do being referred to as "bloated". Funny, I don't recall anyone ever using that (or similar terms) to describe those records when they were new. Perhaps it had something to do with English Oceans being touted as a return to a lean and mean DBT's even though they were only down by one member.

[beantownbubba]

Am I the only one that doesn't think GGB is a lesser tier DBT album? I'm always surprised how it's taken for conventional wisdom around here that it's something of a misstep. I love EO, but I still place GGB ahead of EO, I don't know - I guess maybe I like DBT best when they emphasize their country & soul leanings (not to mention country soul). I'm a sucker for that Muscle Shoals Sound!

No.

I agree w/ Duke that it's actually too long but to these ears it's "Fireplace Poker" that has to go.

I don't see why "Pulaski" being an older song makes a difference to the quality of the album. It's not like it (or any of the older songs) was officially released before GGB.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Am I the only one that doesn't think GGB is a lesser tier DBT album? I'm always surprised how it's taken for conventional wisdom around here that it's something of a misstep. I love EO, but I still place GGB ahead of EO, I don't know - I guess maybe I like DBT best when they emphasize their country & soul leanings (not to mention country soul). I'm a sucker for that Muscle Shoals Sound!

No, I absolutely love GGB and still listen regularly after 3 plus years. I think it features some really strong songs especially from Patterson , Shonna's strongest vocal as a DBT in Where's Eddie and, maybe most importantly, hit it's mark as country soul record that perfectly captures a certain era of the band. For a couple of years I considered it my second favorite DBT record and at this point most days I'd call it no worse than 4th after DD, EO & SRO. To me there's a pattern in those for album in that they all achieved something relatively difficult in spectacular fashion. SRO was a Rock opera made a shoestring budget when no one was making Rock operas, DD was a thematic record that attempted to balance three extraordinary songwriters and both BTCD and EO were reboots that balanced great songs with new vigor and enthusiasm. All succeeded at what the set out to do and none of them were guaranteed to do that. Now, in terms of GGB, I can understand not ranking it that highly if the country soul vibe is your least favorite element of the band but I don't look at the whole body of work that way at all. I like the care that goes into the records and the results achieved from that care and the makeup of the album in terms of sounds is not as important to me. The records I love most seem to benefit a bit more from that care and heartfelt enthusiasm and GGB and the other 3 I mentioned all reflect that.

[RolanK]

Am I the only one that doesn't think GGB is a lesser tier DBT album? I'm always surprised how it's taken for conventional wisdom around here that it's something of a misstep. I love EO, but I still place GGB ahead of EO, I don't know - I guess maybe I like DBT best when they emphasize their country & soul leanings (not to mention country soul). I'm a sucker for that Muscle Shoals Sound!

No.

I agree w/ Duke that it's actually too long but to these ears it's "Fireplace Poker" that has to go.

I don't see why "Pulaski" being an older song makes a difference to the quality of the album. It's not like it (or any of the older songs) was officially released before GGB.

One more vote for GGB. I have a hard time rating albums in general, and especially from bands I am into like DBT, so I seldom participate in such exercise. But I think I get what they were aiming for with GGB and I think they nailed it.

[Tequila Cowboy]

GGB is a lean, mean 10-song album hiding inside a 14-song fat suit. Cutting Ricky, Weakest Man, Assholes and Thanksgiving Filter greatly improves it for me.

As far as Ganstabilly, "less strong" probably would've been a better description than "weak." It's all relative.

I've said this many times but I think one of the strengths of DBT is that they have songs that are favorites to some and least favorites to others. I really think that speaks to quality, a song may not be your cup of tea but since that same song might be someone else's favorite it's pretty hard to say it's not a good song. this is my longwinded preface to saying that Assholes and Thanksgiving Filter are two of my favorite songs on the record.

[Clams]

On the heels of the release of English Oceans, I kept hearing Go-Go Boots and The Big To-Do being referred to as "bloated". Funny, I don't recall anyone ever using that (or similar terms) to describe those records when they were new.

Not sure if that word was used, but I recall lots of folks arguing that one record with 6 or so songs from each would've been better than releasing them both.

Personally, I like all the records just as they are, warts and all. Do I absolutely love The Presidents Penis is Missing, all of Shonna's songs, and other "lesser" DBT songs? No, but even though they don't always hit the mark, I'd rather have them than not have them. The more DBT songs the better.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Personally, I like all the records just as they are, warts and all. Do I absolutely love The Presidents Penis is Missing, all of Shonna's songs, and other "lesser" DBT songs? No, but even though they don't always hit the mark, I'd rather have them than not have them. The more DBT songs the better.

This. Absolutely this.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I have a hard time rating albums in general, and especially from bands I am into like DBT, so I seldom participate in such exercise.

I've pretty much quit doing so as well. I do have favorite songs, albums, concerts, etc. but trying to assign some sort of rating to art seems more like an exercise in futility.

[Mike127]

Am I the only one that doesn't think GGB is a lesser tier DBT album? I'm always surprised how it's taken for conventional wisdom around here that it's something of a misstep. I love EO, but I still place GGB ahead of EO, I don't know - I guess maybe I like DBT best when they emphasize their country & soul leanings (not to mention country soul). I'm a sucker for that Muscle Shoals Sound!

No.

I agree w/ Duke that it's actually too long but to these ears it's "Fireplace Poker" that has to go.

I don't see why "Pulaski" being an older song makes a difference to the quality of the album. It's not like it (or any of the older songs) was officially released before GGB.

I came to the band late and hadn't realized this had been kicking around for awhile, but "Pulaski" is probably top 5 Cooley for me.