American Band reviews

[ramonz]

Love Each Other, MotherFuckers

I want to start a campaign to get this guy to homecoming. I want him to meet Patterson. Who is with me?

IN

[Gator McKlusky]

love this kid.

I don't wanna rain on his god given talent for reviewing records, but maybe he could get outside and run around a bit too?

Hey dipshit, the kid has muscular dystrophy.
He's autistic as well.

[potatoeater]

Joshua Kirk is a somebody. A friend told me about him and his story when he ran across his SRO album of the day video.

Here is the link my friend sent me where I first learned about Joshua. COS actually has a whole write-up on the guy!

http://consequenceofsound.net/aux-out/t ... music-fan/

[beantownbubba]

Just a little piece of housekeeping. I figure that if I want to look back on this in a year or whatever I'm more likely to find it here than where I originally posted it. No doubt I'd write it differently today but I don't think my conclusions would vary much at all. I love this album.

The only question about American Band is whether the Holy Trilogy is now a Quartet. AB is without a doubt DBT’s best album in years and one of their best, period.

First, some historical perspective: How many rock musicians have made an album that was anywhere close to their best work 20 years after their first album? I’m sure I’m missing some and y’all will be happy to let me know about it, but this is what I’ve come up with:
Neil Young
Bob Dylan
Buddy Guy
Bonnie Raitt
Peter Wolf (An odd case since his later work is his best)

Arguable:
Bruce Springsteen (The Rising)
David Bowie (I don’t know his later stuff that well but many people who do say it measures up)

That’s all I got and that's some pretty serious company. It is also significant that every one of those performers is a solo artist (w/ the possible exception of Springsteen depending on how one characterizes his relationship w/ the E Streeters). The overwhelming majority of rock music “careers” especially rock band careers are over in well under 20 years and the creative portion of those careers is an even smaller window. Elvis had his big comeback only 12 years after releasing his first album and was unrecognizable and about to be dead after 20. The Beatles lasted 8 years. So the mere existence of an album this good by this band at this time is pretty damn rare and is a fantastic achievement whatever the details. Mad Respect.

This is a band out to make a statement about the world and the band’s place in it starting with the album title and cover. It ain’t bragging if you can back it up and with American Band DBT stakes its claim to being THE American band making the best, most authentic, most real, most important American music. And this album is about nothing if it’s not about America.

Hood and Cooley are at the top of their respective games throughout the album. The rhymes, wordplay, insight, depth and breadth of the writing make American Band what it is. Cooley's phrasing remains a marvel and Patterson is singing better than ever (though I'm not sure what to make of that vocal hiccup on “sitting” in “What It Means”). Both sing with great passion; these songs obviously matter to them.

One can't talk about AB without talking about its political bent. Hood and Cooley take on a remarkable breadth of difficult, complex topics and get to the heart of each in trenchant and powerful ways. The unifying theme that courses through these songs is inevitably the eternal “American dilemma” of race. Patterson and Cooley make their way through that particularly difficult and sensitive minefield with rare precision and understanding, their eyes always on the prize. From Cooley’s knowing “like in mind and like in skin” to Hood’s defiant “I guess that means that you ain’t black,” the message is “we know who you are, we know what you’re really up to and we’ve had enough.”

Patterson and Cooley have often addressed similar subjects in different ways that come together as a coherent whole and this dynamic is on full display on AB. The ties that bind, say, “Surrender Under Protest” and “Darkened Flags” or “What It Means” and “Once They Banned Imagine” seem clear. For two writers working separately to create such thematic consistency over such a challenging range of topics is itself an achievement and reinforces their messages in a compelling way. Couplets and verses leap out at the listener and virtually demand repeated listening. Of many examples, here’s one favorite:
And for six long generations it’s been told

that among the fallen was tradition

 that tradition was the mission

 that the wrongness of the sin was not the goal
Does the color really matter

On the face you blame for failure

 On the shaming for a battle’s losing cause

 If the victims and aggressors

 Just remain each other’s others

 And the instigators never fight their own

I had an English professor whose mantra was that literature is “news that stays news” and that's AB's ultimate triumph: It is very much of the moment but it transcends the moment. Only time will tell whether it has the timelessness required of truly great works, but I think these songs have staying power. Most of the songs have a “big picture” point of view and widely applicable insights that extend their reach beyond today’s headlines. “Surrender Under Protest” and “Darkened Flags” are inspired by specific events, but they reach back into history and forward to what’s next or what might be and are not constrained by the literalness of the facts. While “What It Means,” the most topical song on the album, addresses today’s hot topic, it's one that unfortunately has been with us for a long time and that is not going away any time soon. Patterson then takes us beyond those specific concerns to capture very eloquently the foolishness, cynicism and hypocrisy with which we as a society think about issues and the ways in which we talk past each other. Check out this summary of the duality of the American condition: “we're living in an age where limitations are forgotten, the outer edges move and dazzle us but the core is something rotten”

DBT's proud history is evident as characters from previous songs make appearances throughout, which adds to the feeling that this album is a kind of culmination. The soldier stuck in the classroom in “Guns of Umpqua” could be the guy from “That Man I Shot.” The woman in “Filthy & Fried” could be the grandchild of the parents in “Primer Coat” and that family is still coming to grips with the passage of time and generations. The guys in “Ramon Casiano” who'd rather fight than win are the same guys who respond to whittled down bumper sticker sentiments in “Made Up English Oceans.”
“Filthy & Fried” continues Cooley’s string of insightful songs about strong women. If this goes on much longer, his macho rock star shtick is going to be seriously undercut. But even as he describes “kids these days,” his take is wonderfully nuanced and leaves plenty of room for ambiguity and questions. Classic Cooley.

If DBT is the American band, then “Ever South” is the American song. Walt freakin’ Whitman for the 21st century. The genius of the song is that by being so specific it somehow becomes general. I’m nothing close to Scotch-Irish or southern and my family is a relative newcomer compared to Patterson’s ancestors. But this song is my story just like it’s his and just like it’s yours (except for the last verse; that’s a southern devil thing ). A nation of immigrants indeed.

The tension between the pleasant melody and dark substance of “Guns of Umpqua” is exquisite and the lyrics are like a stiletto sliding in faster than you can wipe that grin off your face. “Once They Banned Imagine” is similar in that a melody that whispers lost love or similar personal pain is actually a scathing indictment of how politicians cynically twisted the collective emotional response to 9/11 into something so mean and ugly that even wild dogs would disregard the bones.

“Imagine” reveals its secrets and complexities slowly over repeated listens. Cooley’s reach in this one and the way he connects various strains of American political foibles are astonishing and his anger is palpable. Among other topics, he touches on the failure of generational responsibility; McCarthyism in its original and more recent forms; the need to recognize the fundamentally unchanging nature of evil no matter what form it takes and to stomp on it when it raises its ugly head; the ways in which a traumatized well-meaning public can be manipulated by lying sacks of shit; cynical politicians unmoored from morality and everything but self-interest; and racism. Extra points to Cooley for his disdain for the Patriot Act. Does the intro to “Imagine” evoke “Let It Be” for anyone else? I hope so, because if that connection is really there, that would be insanely clever and satisfying.

Taken together, “Umpqua” and “When the Sun Don’t Shine” are notable for how quickly Patterson has adapted to his new surroundings and absorbed the local gestalt. How does a guy live in a place for a few short months and capture it so well twice in two totally different ways?

The rumor, which I consider more reliable than usual, is that “Kinky Hypocrite” was cut in one take. I hope it’s true because that adds some cosmically karmic rock n roll band aura to the “back to meaningfulness” themes of the album. Others have already noted the “greasy” or Stones/Faces feel of the song. Lyrically, I give the song a few demerits for attacking yet again an overly easy target, but those demerits are easily erased and surpassed by the gold stars I give Cooley for doing it so very, very well. The line about “something lacy ‘tween your business and your poly wool blend” alone is worth the price of admission.

Speaking of the band’s cosmic talents, let’s take a moment to recognize the music and the music makers whose contributions to the album should not be overlooked. There aren’t a lot of solos, jams or musical flash on these tracks. There are fills, trills, riffs and “moments” galore that make your ears perk up, but they're all in service of the songs. No other version of the band could have made this album and for that reason alone it’s as much Brad’s, Jay’s and Matt’s album as it is the singer/writers’. These guys are seriously great players. I suspect that knowing that the band will make happen whatever needs to happen behind them gives Patterson and Cooley a little extra confidence and freedom in their writing and singing. MAB made some excellent observations about the quality and professionalism of the band:

“... the feel of the record [is] stunningly good. This is officially [DBT's] longest lasting lineup and it shows. Brad, Matt, and Jay are an amazing rhythm section. Tasteful is the best descriptor--it's not the notes, it's the spaces between the notes that's the true test of a great band/musician and they have taste in abundance. I read a quote from Paul McCartney in his latest Rolling Stone interview that I think perfectly describes DBT at this moment ... 'We keep getting better because we keep getting simpler.' Damn right. A 20 year career and they keep growing and getting better. Just wow.”


And a special tip of the cap to whoever thought of adding handclaps to “What It Means.” That is a non-obvious touch that lifts the song that extra little bit.

The album isn't perfect. “What It Means” seems like the obvious album closer and I’m not sure why it’s placed where it is. “When the Sun Don’t Shine” isn’t a song about depression but it kind of sounds like it is. When combined with “Baggage” which is a song about depression (and Robin Williams), it can feel like one song too many on the subject. To these ears “Imagine” and “Baggage” would both benefit by being separated in the running order and the second half of the album could use another punchier sounding track, especially one from Patterson.

But that's just nitpicking. With American Band, the Drive By Truckers aimed for the moon and reach the stars. Their righteous anger and the clarity of their moral vision are a much-needed tonic for the times and fills a void abdicated by alleged leaders of every stripe including a music industry that has abandoned any pretense of social relevance (some folkies and rappers excepted). Statement made. Let’s hope somebody other than us is listening.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Nice re-review/revisit Bubba. I'll add this on the the timelessness of the songs; Surrender Under Protest Morphed itself into a completely different meaning in one day (11/9). It went from being a reflection of the past to a protest song about the now. That's impressive as fuck.

[ramonz]

Boom, Bubba. So much goodness within that. Agree 100% that there are "little things" that were done on AB that maybe they didn't take the time/care to finish on some previous records. I'd add Patterson's change of pitch on "Sun" in the last part of When the Sun Don't Shine. That change-up might have been left off if the song had been on EO, and I think it really benefits from the extra care. There are others - how about Cooley's breathing, heard right before he starts the singing on Once They Banned Imagine? Love that. I know he's just getting ready to sing, but it's almost as if he's preparing for the weight of the words to come, or just exhausted by the lost opportunity he describes. There are so many more things like this - the band took the time to "finish" some of these songs in ways maybe they haven't in the past. That says something. Something good.

[Beaverdam]

Joshua Kirk is a somebody. A friend told me about him and his story when he ran across his SRO album of the day video.

Here is the link my friend sent me where I first learned about Joshua. COS actually has a whole write-up on the guy!

http://consequenceofsound.net/aux-out/t ... music-fan/

Not to stray too far from the subject but I wanted to make a book reccommendation which might increase sensitivitity in this arena:

Look Me In The Eye by John Elder Roninson

As music fans you should enjoy it. And I think getting this kid to homecoming is a great idea, and I bet the band would willingly do something special for him!

[beantownbubba]

Love Each Other, MotherFuckers

I want to start a campaign to get this guy to homecoming. I want him to meet Patterson. Who is with me?

This sounds like a significant undertaking because presumably it will involve at least one other family member. But hell yeah, just tell me where to send the check.

[Clams's friend Deb]

Love Each Other, MotherFuckers

I want to start a campaign to get this guy to homecoming. I want him to meet Patterson. Who is with me?

This sounds like a significant undertaking because presumably it will involve at least one other family member. But hell yeah, just tell me where to send the check.

Me too.

[Zip City]

IMO,it's still not up with the Trinity. But I also think that sort of designation is earned with far more time.

[John A Arkansawyer]

"What It Means" is where it is because it has to follow "Ever South". Those songs are each other's mirror image. Patterson would be well-served to find a sympathetic hip-hop producer to put beats behind those two vocals.

[beantownbubba]

Those songs are each other's mirror image.

I dont know what this means, but would appreciate being schooled.

[Clams]

fills a void abdicated by alleged leaders of every stripe including a music industry that has abandoned any pretense of social relevance (some folkies and rappers excepted). Statement made. Let’s hope somebody other than us is listening.

The statement was indeed made and some even heard it, but it was subsequently squashed like a bug.

[John A Arkansawyer]

Those songs are each other's mirror image.

I dont know what this means, but would appreciate being schooled.

Those are both songs about being a stranger in a strange land, about living in a place and among a people who would just as soon see you dead and gone, or at least gone.

The white man talking in "Ever South" is getting a better deal than the black men sung about in "What It Means", but they are two parts of one big long endless story.

[Zip Up to Michigan]

Nice review above, bubba. As a huge Soringsteen fan, I'll say I think "Magic" is another late career record from him that's potentially on par with his older stuff. Personally, I think it's better than "The Rising."

As for AB, I just don't see it up there with their best stuff. Not even close to the big three, really. It's good, very good, and eloquently (in spots) covers a topic a lot of bands aren't willing to get too. I'm very impressed by this later career effort. With that said, there are too many weak links on it for me to consider it exceptional. "Sun Don't Shine" and "What it Means" are bottom dwellers and I also find "Filthy and Fried" to be mediocre. Truly exceptional albums (especially in the length of 10-12 songs) don't have bad songs on them.

[dime in the gutter]

prepare thy body.

[ramonz]

prepare thy body.

[beantownbubba]

prepare thy body.

Geez, one day I'm "Switzerland," the next day I'm Bubba the Impaler. Tough crowd.

Michigan Zip, I'll be back to you later. You won't feel a thing.

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

You won't feel a thing.

said the bishop to the actress

[beantownbubba]

You won't feel a thing.

said the bishop to the actress

4 minutes. Pretty good.

[beantownbubba]

Nice review above, bubba. As a huge Soringsteen fan, I'll say I think "Magic" is another late career record from him that's potentially on par with his older stuff. Personally, I think it's better than "The Rising."

As for AB, I just don't see it up there with their best stuff. Not even close to the big three, really. It's good, very good, and eloquently (in spots) covers a topic a lot of bands aren't willing to get too. I'm very impressed by this later career effort. With that said, there are too many weak links on it for me to consider it exceptional. "Sun Don't Shine" and "What it Means" are bottom dwellers and I also find "Filthy and Fried" to be mediocre. Truly exceptional albums (especially in the length of 10-12 songs) don't have bad songs on them.

Thanks, ZipUTM (in case you don't know we already have another Zip).

I really liked Magic when it was released. In fact, I had it at #5 on my personal best of '07 list. But I probably haven't listened to it since '09. Some good songs, a nice solid album and definitely at a high standard for a "late career album" (a category we seem to be inventing on the fly here) but I don't see it in the same constellation as any of the great Springsteen records. As I indicated I'm not sure I'd call The Rising great (defined as equal to Springsteen's greatest work), but I do think it's at the very least a really good album that represents a late career high. Magic v. The Rising might be a subject for another day but for now I'll just say that I'm happy w/ my entry in that contest.

I think AB earns the right to be considered in the company of the big 3 and that's by itself a description of a mighty fine album. Whether it has what it takes to truly be considered of that quality over the long term is an open question but it's still an excellent album to my ears and I don't see that changing. There are days when I'd put "Sun Don't Shine" in the top half of songs on the album. Then there are other (probably more) days when I consider it the weakest song on the album. So I can't argue w/ you on that one even though I think "bottom dweller" is a bit harsh. There's an argument that 1 lesser song out of 11 is 1 too many for true greatness. I don't know what I think about that but off the top of my head I suspect there are a number of albums I'd categorize as great that have at least one weak cut.

I can't follow you (and admittedly a number of others) when you categorize "What It Means" as a "bottom dweller." I just don't hear that at all. I get that there's a certain earnestness to it and maybe a simplicity (not sure that's the right word) of structure that might be a little off putting to some but that's about the worst I can say for it and there are many, many good things I can say about it. I think it holds up well in some pretty stiff company, adds to that company and captures a difficult subject beautifully and pointedly. I consider "Filthy & Fried" to be classic Cooley. Not his best, but a very fine representative of the breed. The observations, word play, female perspective, ambiguity and straight ahead rock-ness are key elements of what we all look for in a Cooley song. If you're interested, there's a good convo interpreting the song early in the main AB thread and my more detailed views are somewhere in those pages.

I'm not sure what the anticipated fireworks were about. I disagree w/ your ultimate conclusion and especially about "WIM" but reasonable people can disagree and that's ok. I'm always happy to talk music w/ people who know what they're talking about and disagreements are part of the fun.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Greg Kot has American Band #7 on his top 10 of 2016.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertain ... olumn.html

[pearlbeer]

Not really an AB Review, but contains some post-election thoughts from Patterson. He teases another album coming sooner than expected. Also, contains a pretty glaring error in the article...see if you catch it.

http://www.oregonmusicnews.com/patterso ... uckers-q-a

[4sooner]

I quit reading right there.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Not really an AB Review, but contains some post-election thoughts from Patterson. He teases another album coming sooner than expected. Also, contains a pretty glaring error in the article...see if you catch it.

http://www.oregonmusicnews.com/patterso ... uckers-q-a

What I have learned, and it may not necessarily be the case here, is that some of these mistakes are not the fault of the author, they may occur during the proofing or editing stage. This topic came up recently on the Son of No Depression group page on Facebook (which is comprised of a lot of folks that were behind the original No Depression magazine) and how readers respond to such errors. Usually, folks will contact the author and/or publication to politely address the error. Sometimes it's fixed, sometimes it's not. The unfortunate thing is, I seem to see it much more often since the advent of the internet, particularly with well known publications like Rolling Stone that you would think would have someone proofread articles before they are published online. My experience with them in the past is that they are pretty good about correcting them.

[John A Arkansawyer]

I quit reading right there.

Now, now. It's not entirely wrong, though I think of him as a baritone.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I quit reading right there.

They fixed it. That said, I noticed other mistakes but didn't mention them.

[pearlbeer]

I quit reading right there.

They fixed it. That said, I noticed other mistakes but didn't mention them.

"Cooley and I have even discussed writing another record sooner as opposed to later, while all this is just happening" (PH)

Now that will be a loud, angry album. Bring it on, Patterson. It the words of a wise man: 'don't ever let them make you feel like saying what you want is unbecoming;
If you were supposed to watch your mouth all the time I doubt your eyes would be above it'

[brett27295]

This is my favorite part of the interview though I'm sure it will piss some people off:

"Then I’m part of this band that tours. My job is to take the songs we’ve got - old and new - and build a show that showcases our new record and take it out there to the people town to town and play every night like it’s the last show we’ll ever get to play. That’s what my responsibility to the audience is. It’s not in what I write or what I say. People say “Shut up and sing?” I say, “Fuck yourself.” Nobody tells me what the fuck I can’t say or do. You don’t like it? Don’t come - that’s fine. That’s not my concern. I suspect I’ll survive as a touring musician anyway. So don’t be an asshole. [laughs] But what I do owe you, is that I’m going to go up on stage and I’m going to fucking give it my all. If I’m tired, you’re not going to know. If I feel bad or have a cold - unless it’s just to the point where my voice is gone - you’re not gonna know. We almost never cancel shows. We play no matter what the weather is or how we feel. We get up there and we rock balls for two hours-plus. We’re good at our jobs. It’s a hell of a show and it’s better right now than it’s ever been."

[whatwouldcooleydo?]

This is my favorite part of the interview though I'm sure it will piss some people off:

"Then I’m part of this band that tours. My job is to take the songs we’ve got - old and new - and build a show that showcases our new record and take it out there to the people town to town and play every night like it’s the last show we’ll ever get to play. That’s what my responsibility to the audience is. It’s not in what I write or what I say. People say “Shut up and sing?” I say, “Fuck yourself.” Nobody tells me what the fuck I can’t say or do. You don’t like it? Don’t come - that’s fine. That’s not my concern. I suspect I’ll survive as a touring musician anyway. So don’t be an asshole. [laughs] But what I do owe you, is that I’m going to go up on stage and I’m going to fucking give it my all. If I’m tired, you’re not going to know. If I feel bad or have a cold - unless it’s just to the point where my voice is gone - you’re not gonna know. We almost never cancel shows. We play no matter what the weather is or how we feel. We get up there and we rock balls for two hours-plus. We’re good at our jobs. It’s a hell of a show and it’s better right now than it’s ever been."

We rock balls!

there you go, DBT merchandising. Bumperstickers (and t-shirts) should be issued