Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free 7/17

[Iowan]

As someone who hasn't set foot in a church for 15 years this is a weird thing to call out, but the line "Sunday morning I'm too tired to go to church" kinda bugs me.

My grandfather worked the same factory job for 40 years and rarely, if ever, missed a Sunday morning. My dad did similar work and I know for sure "I'm too tired" never flew on Sundays in our house growing up.

I think the guy in the song is using the "too tired" line as an excuse. He doesn't really want to go, so he says he's tired.

[Duke Silver]

Does anyone really want to go?

[Iowan]

Does anyone really want to go?

Not many. But he isn't going, and others are.


Watching the video was funny. It looked like a glamorized version of the everyday parts of my (and the people around me's) lives. Which is probably the goal, thus the "truck commercial" line is spot on. Also, in northeast Iowa there would not be bottled water shared at the home improvement project. It would be Busch Light.

[Smitty]

As a child of late 80's early 90's corny ass videos, I kinda like it. My favorite music videos are tripe like (look these up) "Feed Jake" or Jeff Carson's "The Car", so I admittedly have horrible taste.

[lotusamerica]

The FB group growing fast. Not as big as the Drive-By Truckers group but very active.

Is there a link for that? I haven't been able to find it.

I added you. An Admin has to approve though.

Is this different than the Jason Isbell FB page? And there's one for DBT as well? Or two or something? What is all this super secret shit about?

[Tequila Cowboy]

Is this different than the Jason Isbell FB page? And there's one for DBT as well? Or two or something? What is all this super secret shit about?

Not my sites. I'll add you though if you want.

[lotusamerica]

Is this different than the Jason Isbell FB page? And there's one for DBT as well? Or two or something? What is all this super secret shit about?

Not my sites. I'll add you though if you want.

Yes, please. Just standard bullshitting on my side.

[lotusamerica]

No rule against Song of the Week threads for Jason. I think it would be fun if someone wants to take charge.

I bet if someone were to start an Isbell message board it would be a success, especially at this stage of his career. By the way, that's not meant as a slight or criticism, just a suggestion.

That sounds familiar.... viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1545

[lotusamerica]

Is this different than the Jason Isbell FB page? And there's one for DBT as well? Or two or something? What is all this super secret shit about?

Not my sites. I'll add you though if you want.

Thanks, and wow, it really is called a secret group! Hahahahaha

Now, how about them truckers?

[adiantumpedatum]

Does anyone really want to go?

Not many. But he isn't going, and others are.

Watching the video was funny. It looked like a glamorized version of the everyday parts of my (and the people around me's) lives. Which is probably the goal, thus the "truck commercial" line is spot on. Also, in northeast Iowa there would not be bottled water shared at the home improvement project. It would be Busch Light.

I agree that it's terrible. The song deserves way better than that, but, the plus side is, this video is corny enough to play on CMT, and that's a good thing. I liked the two lyric vids that were done for 24 Frames and SMTF, those were good.

And we know the guy knows how to make good videos. Alabama Pines. Traveling Alone. Jeez.

Smitty, I grew up in a similar era, I think. The video for Randy Travis' "He Walked on Water" was a standout for me. Then there was Achy Breaky Heart and everything went to pot...

[Clams]

Watching the video was funny. It looked like a glamorized version of the everyday parts of my (and the people around me's) lives. Which is probably the goal, thus the "truck commercial" line is spot on. Also, in northeast Iowa there would not be bottled water shared at the home improvement project. It would be Busch Light.

I agree that it's terrible. The song deserves way better than that, but, the plus side is, this video is corny enough to play on CMT, and that's a good thing. I liked the two lyric vids that were done for 24 Frames and SMTF, those were good.

As bad as the SMTF video is, I think it actually fits the song pretty well. Both belong on CMT. It might be my least favorite song on the record, it kind of makes me cringe when I hear it.

[lotusamerica]

Clearly not one aimed at me. The video looks like something a smalltown videographer would make. Interesting that they didn't choose to go the route of sweat and grime of really dirty work (car mechanics, miners, etc.) but stuck closer to the more middle-class, less evocative lawn care etc., though first responders work their way in there. Interesting in that it avoids the mythology that it could have in favor of suburban realism. And is that a hint of a sexual equality theme toward the end (find someone who could love a man like me)?

[Clams]

Posted on facebook this morning by Todd Snider:

THE WAR IS OVER - A PRONOUNCEMENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF AIMLESS INC.
JASON ISBELL HAS THE NUMBER ONE RECORD
ON THE BILLBOARD
COUNTRY MUSIC CHARTS
I REPEAT
JASON ISBELL HAS THE NUMBER ONE RECORD ON THE BILLBOARD
COUNTRY MUSIC CHART
AND
NEVER THE LESS HE IS STILL
GATHERING CRITICAL ACCLAIM
TO RIVAL THAT OF ANYONE IN ANY GENRE
EVER
AND THAT MY FRIENDS
AT LEAST FOR ME
IS THAT
THATS WHAT WEVE BEEN WAITING FOR
THATS THE THING
"nashville"
WOULDNT LET ANYBODY DO.
WELL SOMEBODY DID IT
AND NOBODY STOPPED HIM
WITHOUT CHANGING HIS MUSIC
AND WITHOUT CHANGING HIS CLOTHING
JASON ISBELL
DID IT.
no more excuses folks
no more blaming music row
no more midnight good time picking parties
being ruined by the guy or girl who has to bring up
how uncool pop country music has become
o.k. nikki lane?
can we all get back to picking now?
what ever country music has become
how ever much you dislike bro country
ITS IS NO LONGER
STANDING IN THE DOOR WAY
OR
BLOCKING UP THE HALLS
NO MORE CALLS
WE HAVE WINNER
JASON ISBELL SAVED COUNTRY MUSIC
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
2015
SO LET IT BE WRITTEN
SO LET IT BE DONE
AND NOW
ITS JUST LIKE YOKO ONO MADE JOHN SAY TO ALL OF US
THE WAR IS OVER IF YOU WANT IT
LET US REJOICE
IN PEACE
IN THE NAME OF BROCEPHUS
AMEN
written with authority by tommy noble
president
aimless inc.

[adiantumpedatum]

Ah, yes, the gospel according to Reverend Snider. I love it. I don't know about y'all cornballs, but I went to Billboard and brought up all the charts Jason is topping in separate tabs on my browser and just sat and stared a minute. Just amazing.

[Iowan]

The thing about the video, is that it literally looks a lot like small town America. Yeah, it's cheesed up to the max (especially when the characters sing along), but those are believable (for the most part) scenarios that I could literally see myself in. I farm, I'm a volunteer firefighter, and I spend an AWFUL lot of time mowing lawns. I help buddies with home improvement projects after work/on the weekend (although we're drinking beer - not water). Hell, the first time I heard the opening line "when I get home from work, I'll call up all my friends and we'll go tear down something beautiful we'll have to build again" I was impressed with the accuracy with which it conveyed a substantial part of my reality.

The rest of the song comes off a little trite, and I don't like the way the video was produced (it feels very stiff to me). I feel like it's showing these cliches (which are based in reality) that aren't inaccurate, but they aren't really teaching us anything about the subjects either. Sort of shallow.

[adiantumpedatum]

The thing about the video, is that it literally looks a lot like small town America. Yeah, it's cheesed up to the max (especially when the characters sing along), but those are believable (for the most part) scenarios that I could literally see myself in. I farm, I'm a volunteer firefighter, and I spend an AWFUL lot of time mowing lawns. I help buddies with home improvement projects after work/on the weekend (although we're drinking beer - not water). Hell, the first time I heard the opening line "when I get home from work, I'll call up all my friends and we'll go tear down something beautiful we'll have to build again" I was impressed with the accuracy with which it conveyed a substantial part of my reality.

The rest of the song comes off a little trite, and I don't like the way the video was produced (it feels very stiff to me). I feel like it's showing these cliches (which are based in reality) that aren't inaccurate, but they aren't really teaching us anything about the subjects either. Sort of shallow.

I agree on both counts-- it does look like life in a small town, minus the beer. I think the producers couldda used the same props and actually told a story, instead of just hopping around to a bunch of different characters. There's no real story, and the church just seems out of place. Shallow sums it up!

[Iowan]

The thing about the video, is that it literally looks a lot like small town America. Yeah, it's cheesed up to the max (especially when the characters sing along), but those are believable (for the most part) scenarios that I could literally see myself in. I farm, I'm a volunteer firefighter, and I spend an AWFUL lot of time mowing lawns. I help buddies with home improvement projects after work/on the weekend (although we're drinking beer - not water). Hell, the first time I heard the opening line "when I get home from work, I'll call up all my friends and we'll go tear down something beautiful we'll have to build again" I was impressed with the accuracy with which it conveyed a substantial part of my reality.

The rest of the song comes off a little trite, and I don't like the way the video was produced (it feels very stiff to me). I feel like it's showing these cliches (which are based in reality) that aren't inaccurate, but they aren't really teaching us anything about the subjects either. Sort of shallow.

I agree on both counts-- it does look like life in a small town, minus the beer. I think the producers couldda used the same props and actually told a story, instead of just hopping around to a bunch of different characters. There's no real story, and the church just seems out of place. Shallow sums it up!

Yup. Accurate on one hand, but very disjointed. It's a lost opportunity.

[Duke Silver]

Isn't it all the same guy?

[Kudzu Guillotine]

With all due respect to Todd Snider (as well as Jason), I would say that his music has changed and that the type of music he's creating now is a far cry from what I would call genuine country music, which would be more along the lines of the type of country John Howie, Jr. makes, which still doesn't stand a snowballs chance in hell of commercial country radio play in 2015. This isn't meant to take anything away from Jason's success as it's been a long time coming and he deserves every bit of it but I don't see where any battle has been won. The artists that are on the fringes (such as Howie) will most likely remain there. Sturgill Simpson's music is closer to what I consider country. If he were to break through in a big way on commercial country radio with his next record, that would more likely pave the way for folks like Howie.

[brett27295]

If you watch the SMTF video with the sound off it looks just like a typical bro-country video we all make fun of (the "hard working American" bro-country videos, not the "it's Friday let's drink around a fire with dancing country girls" video). I like the song but come on, that video sucks ass.

[Duke Silver]

If you watch the SMTF video with the sound off it looks just like a typical bro-country video we all make fun of (the "hard working American" bro-country videos, not the "it's Friday let's drink around a fire with dancing country girls" video). I like the song but come on, that video sucks ass.

That's how I watched it. Cracked me up. I was honestly shocked that they didn't make the main dude a veteran.

[Zip City]

As someone who hasn't set foot in a church for 15 years this is a weird thing to call out, but the line "Sunday morning I'm too tired to go to church" kinda bugs me.

My grandfather worked the same factory job for 40 years and rarely, if ever, missed a Sunday morning. My dad did similar work and I know for sure "I'm too tired" never flew on Sundays in our house growing up.

http://video.gq.com/watch/how-i-wrote-t ... al_twitter

[Cole Younger]

I like the song. It's not my favorite from the record but I do like it. Y'all are right though, the video is God awful. I agree with Iowan that it's actually pretty accurate as far as a depiction of small town life but something about it seems forced. And the characters lip syncing was where I went from, "ok this is cheesy." to, "oh man, no!" I don't know about a truck commercial but it does seem like a commercial for something, which I guess is what all videos really are when you get down to it.

But it does look like it would work for CMT. I feel like a jackass saying that as it is a round about way of insulting the intelligence of everyone who watches CMT but...

[Cole Younger]

Cooley's real name is John?

I guess. Why don't you try calling him that and see if you get a response

This exchange replaces the one between Zip City and L.J. In the "Evil Music" thread as funniest ever. I nearly wet myself.

I knew his name was John but only because I googled him one time. It's pretty common down here to be called by your middle name. I do it myself.

[lotusamerica]

I like this slightly looser, slightly faster version a bit better... and a little about writing the song.

[Bantam]

As for the SMTF video, when Jason posted the link on his Facebook feed, I collected some of the best comments that captured how I felt about the video (or at least felt were legitimate criticisms). There were some nice ones, too, but you can probably imagine how those went and they were more homogeneous in nature.

"I really thought he and the preacher were gonna hook up"

"This looks like it was cobbled together out of stock footage for republican campaign ads. Jesus."

"The most dramatic mowing I've ever seen... And I was at Grass Games '07"

"I'm kind of weirded out by this video."

"I thought it was sexist. Women work too. We don't just stay home cleaning up toys and waiting on our hard working man."

"Is this because The Voice called?"

" For a song that seems based in class struggles (therefore likely race and gender also) those were pretty fancy mowers and trucks...Could have at least had him push mowing. Great song on its own but the video greatly changes those struggles into white male heroism."

"Kind of bummed at the absolute lack of diversity in this video."

And the weird thing is, I didn't see anybody mention the weird, uncanny-valley lip-synching.

[Iowan]

As for the SMTF video, when Jason posted the link on his Facebook feed, I collected some of the best comments that captured how I felt about the video (or at least felt were legitimate criticisms). There were some nice ones, too, but you can probably imagine how those went and they were more homogeneous in nature.

"I really thought he and the preacher were gonna hook up"

"This looks like it was cobbled together out of stock footage for republican campaign ads. Jesus."

"The most dramatic mowing I've ever seen... And I was at Grass Games '07"

"I'm kind of weirded out by this video."

"I thought it was sexist. Women work too. We don't just stay home cleaning up toys and waiting on our hard working man."

"Is this because The Voice called?"

" For a song that seems based in class struggles (therefore likely race and gender also) those were pretty fancy mowers and trucks...Could have at least had him push mowing. Great song on its own but the video greatly changes those struggles into white male heroism."

"Kind of bummed at the absolute lack of diversity in this video."

And the weird thing is, I didn't see anybody mention the weird, uncanny-valley lip-synching.

This crossed my mind. Dude was on a hydrostat mower. Those things are fucking fancy, and they'll about break your ankles if you don't lock your feet in place. I don't know anyone other than full-time commercial mowing operations that even have them.

[Duke Silver]

Never noticed that dirty, grinding guitar part in "To a Band That I Loved" until I played this on the good stereo last night. Doesn't come through at all through the desktop speakers.

[Clams]

[Zip City]

Children of Children stuck in my head all day. Amazing song