We can quibble this to death, but it's one of the better write ups I've seen

http://www.nashvillescene.com/music/fea ... -ryman-run

I only agree with about half of their selections, but it is a great writeup, and they at least defend their choices well. The Scene has become one of my favorite weekly publications in the area because of stuff like this. Also just hit me today that his run at the Ryman kicks off here in a couple days. Very excited to see him in the Mother Church again!

It's well written, but I disagree with a lot of it.

Outfit
Decoration Day
The Day John Henry Died
Dress Blues
Elephant
Streetlights
Alabama Pines
Cover Me Up
Shotgun Wedding
Tupelo/Codeine

Iowan wrote:It's well written, but I disagree with a lot of it.

Outfit
Decoration Day
The Day John Henry Died
Dress Blues
Elephant
Streetlights
Alabama Pines
Cover Me Up
Shotgun Wedding
Tupelo/Codeine

The article isn't including DBT songs

If we aren’t including DBT songs I’d go:

Dress Blues
Codeine
Cover Me Up
Tupelo
Live Oak
Speed Trap Town
Elephant
Last of My Kind
Something to Love
Alabama Pines

Magician
Dress Blues
Crystal Clear
Razor Town
The Blue
Streetlights
Elephant
Different Days
Relatively Easy
Speed Trap Town

Elephant
Cover Me Up
Children of Children
Alabama Pines
Try
Razor Town
Dress Blues
Live Oak
Yvette
If We Were Vampires

How any list of his best songs doesn't start with Elephant is beyond me. I think if we're just talking solo stuff it's Elephant, Dress Blues and huge gap between those and whatever you want to call #3. Elephant might be the best song of the last decade by anyone.

I think Elephant is at the top of my list too. The first time I heard it and he cut loose the F-bomb, I spent the rest of the song saying to myself, "Wait, does she have cancer? Did he just say that about a cancer patient?" One of the most jarring moments I have ever had in listening to a song.

Heck, I might as well try a list.

Elephant
Cover Me Up
Speed Trap Town
Relatively Easy
Children of Children
Codeine
Cumberland Gap
Live Oak
Different Days
If We Were Vampires

Hard to leave out, but I had to cut some--Brand New Kind of Actress, Down in A Hole, Stockholm, 24 Frames (I know a lot of people hate that one, I don't)

INPO

In a Razor Town
The Magician
Traveling Alone
Elephant
If It Takes a Lifetime
Alabama Pines
Seven-Mile Island
Streetlights
Last of My Kind
Dress Blues

I left Crystal Clear off since it wasn't on an official release, but it would definitely be in my Top 10.

Dress Blues
The Magician
Go It Alone
Streetlights
Alabama Pines
Elephant
Relatively Easy
TVA
Children of Children
In a Razor Town

Honorable Mention: Stopping By, Daisy Mae (Pretty sure I'm in the minority that love this song), and Super 8 (Solely because I got called for a conference at my daughter's pre-school two years ago because she was singing "Don't want to die in a Super 8 motel." She went ape shit when they played it at her first concert in Madison last month)

It sucks that I can't separate the annoyance of experiencing Cover Me Up live with the new more vast Isbell audience and the enjoyment that I had when first listening to it on the record.

Cubfan06 wrote:Dress Blues
The Magician
Go It Alone
Streetlights
Alabama Pines
Elephant
Relatively Easy
TVA
Children of Children
In a Razor Town

Honorable Mention: Stopping By, Daisy Mae (Pretty sure I'm in the minority that love this song), and Super 8 (Solely because I got called for a conference at my daughter's pre-school two years ago because she was singing "Don't want to die in a Super 8 motel." She went ape shit when they played it at her first concert in Madison last month)

It sucks that I can't separate the annoyance of experiencing Cover Me Up live with the new more vast Isbell audience and the enjoyment that I had when first listening to it on the record.

100% agree on Cover Me Up. Still a fantastic song, but the live experience is definitely much, much different now.

Cubfan06 wrote:It sucks that I can't separate the annoyance of experiencing Cover Me Up live with the new more vast Isbell audience and the enjoyment that I had when first listening to it on the record.

I thought I might be the only one.

Elephant
Dress Blues
Cover Me Up
Streetlights
The Blue
Speed Trap Town
Children of Children
Sunstroke
In a Razor Town
Alabama Pines

On a given day, any of these might sub in for something above:
The Magician
Relatively Easy
Different Days
Seven-Mile Island
White Man's World
Go It Alone
Palmetto Rose
If We Were Vampires

bovine knievel wrote:

Cubfan06 wrote:It sucks that I can't separate the annoyance of experiencing Cover Me Up live with the new more vast Isbell audience and the enjoyment that I had when first listening to it on the record.

I thought I might be the only one.

Is this specifically about people's reaction to the "...swore off that stuff..." line? I guess it's a little corny, but it never bothered me too much. Granted, I've only seem him twice since Southeastern came out.

Guess I should play, too. It's interesting that none of these lists include "24 Frames," which I guess is his nominal hit song, right?

Elephant
The Blue
Cover Me Up
Streetlights
In a Razor Town
Hurricanes and Hand Grenades
Seven-Mile Island
Alabama Pines
Dress Blues
Go It Alone

Mundane Mayhem wrote:

bovine knievel wrote:

Cubfan06 wrote:It sucks that I can't separate the annoyance of experiencing Cover Me Up live with the new more vast Isbell audience and the enjoyment that I had when first listening to it on the record.

I thought I might be the only one.

Is this specifically about people's reaction to the "...swore off that stuff..." line? I guess it's a little corny, but it never bothered me too much. Granted, I've only seem him twice since Southeastern came out.

Bingo. Absolutely that part.
And the NPR crowd hand holding and star gazing into each others eyes and holding on to every note. Meanwhile they are the same people that ask me to sit down while I am cutting a rug during Go It Alone with an edible in my system and a whiskey in my hand. It's probably more of a proponent to the fact that many of the shows have moved to the largest seated theaters in my region.

Very happy for Jason's success. I catch him at least once a tour when he plays in Chicago or Wisconsin. Cover Me Up is a great song. I loved it from the first time I heard it. It's crowd reaction nauseates me for whatever quirky reason. So instead of it bothering me, when the first notes come on I use it as a time to grab another whiskey.

Cubfan06 wrote:

Mundane Mayhem wrote:
Is this specifically about people's reaction to the "...swore off that stuff..." line? I guess it's a little corny, but it never bothered me too much. Granted, I've only seem him twice since Southeastern came out.

Bingo. Absolutely that part.
And the NPR crowd hand holding and star gazing into each others eyes and holding on to every note. Meanwhile they are the same people that ask me to sit down while I am cutting a rug during Go It Alone with an edible in my system and a whiskey in my hand. It's probably more of a proponent to the fact that many of the shows have moved to the largest seated theaters in my region.

Very happy for Jason's success. I catch him at least once a tour when he plays in Chicago or Wisconsin. Cover Me Up is a great song. I loved it from the first time I heard it. It's crowd reaction nauseates me for whatever quirky reason. So instead of it bothering me, when the first notes come on I use it as a time to grab another whiskey.

Makes perfect sense to me. Your post also reminded me of what a great song "Go It Alone" is.

The "swear off that stuff" reaction predates the NPR crowd. I saw Jason twice, once shortly after Southeastern came out (at a small club) and once at a music festival, and he got that reaction in both places. He wasn't yet playing the big venues or attracting the new fans.

Nice post, interesting to see everybody's lists.

It's always changing, but for right now I think these are mine:

The Magician
Streetlights
Go It Alone
Elephant
Flying Over Water
Yvette
Children of Children
If We Were Vampires
Anxiety
Sunstroke

1) Elephant
2) Dress Blues
3) Hurricanes and Hand Grenades
4) Palmetto Rose
5) Flying Over Water
6) Sunstroke
7) If We Were Vampires
8) Tupelo
9) Stopping By
10) Stockholm

Zip City wrote:The "swear off that stuff" reaction predates the NPR crowd. I saw Jason twice, once shortly after Southeastern came out (at a small club) and once at a music festival, and he got that reaction in both places. He wasn't yet playing the big venues or attracting the new fans.

I'll never forget these two sloppy drunk frat boys hooting and hollering during the "I sobered up..." verse; it seemed so inappropriate, although not as bad as one yelling "OH YEAH!" during the "if I'd fucked her..." line during Elephant.

Smitty wrote:

Zip City wrote:The "swear off that stuff" reaction predates the NPR crowd. I saw Jason twice, once shortly after Southeastern came out (at a small club) and once at a music festival, and he got that reaction in both places. He wasn't yet playing the big venues or attracting the new fans.

I'll never forget these two sloppy drunk frat boys hooting and hollering during the "I sobered up..." verse; it seemed so inappropriate, although not as bad as one yelling "OH YEAH!" during the "if I'd fucked her..." line during Elephant.

There's those people at every show, aren't there? I swear that there is a subset of every rock show crowd that HATES quiet songs, and feels the need to yell/whoop/whistle/etc. during the quiet parts.

Though the people who just turn their back to the stage and talk loudly during shows are the ones who have a special place in hell