Sturgill Simpson Thread

[Dean]

I was at the DPAC show, my 4th time seeing Jason this year. He needs some new material for sure.

[Clams]

IndyWeek's Grayson Currin on Sturgill's opening set for Isbell last night in Durham.

Live: Sorry, Jason Isbell, but Sturgill Simpson is too good


Photo by Reto Sterchi

This excerpt is pretty interesting and also pretty accurate

Where Simpson seems to operate on the edge of the unexpected, Isbell plays a mid-level brand of Southern rock that never moves beyond fine. His guitar solos sound like a series of connected dots, and the full-band arrangements, which swell and recede in exactly the right places, feel like they’ve been exacted within an inch of their lives. In the first 30 minutes, there was talk of collard greens and chicken wings, a slide guitar solo and a dollop of aww-shucks storytelling, all of which felt rehearsed and tested. Isbell’s music feels too weighted by and bloated with canonical rock meat-and-potatoes to move with any energy of its own.

[Tequila Cowboy]

Has Jason played it a bit safe since Southeastern? Yes, but he's been methodically building a fan base out of people who would be unlikely to have Sturgill Simpson a shot. Smitty had it right:

Sturgill's good, maybe really good, but he hasn't written a song as good as a mid-tier Isbell song yet.

\

[cortez the killer]

Sturgill's good, maybe really good, but he hasn't written a song as good as a mid-tier Isbell song yet.

need more time with Sturgill Simpson. Can't decide whether I love it, like it or despise it. I go back and forth.

If there were a few years between the statements, I'd cut you some slack, Smitty. But these two statements came within days of each other.

Jason has written some outstanding songs over the years, but his recent output bores me. I would much rather listen to and/or see Sturgill live. But that's just another asshole opinion in a sea full of asshole opinions. If we are playing by the rules of Democracy, it's Isbell in a landslide.

[rlipps]

To whoever described Jason's new shows as "safe", I'd concur wholeheartedly. I saw him at Buster's in Lexington, KY back in August of 2013 and while the show was fine, I found myself looking at the time and getting bored to be honest. As we were leaving the show, my buddy and I discussed how Jason's new material was more suited to theater-type settings and how we didn't really feel we'd been to a rock show that night.

I have tickets to see Jason w/Shovels & Rope at the Louisville Palace on NYE, but I can't decide if I want to go or not. I'd like to give the material another chance in that type of setting, but I guarantee I could write out a setlist right now and get relatively close to the exact songs and exact order they'll be played in.

[LBRod]

Go see Shovels and Rope. Every chance you get.
Back to the point of this thread. Learned something today.

[StormandStatic]

I've seen Jason twice now, acoustic and alone at Clearwater and again back in the spring. Thinking back now I definitely enjoyed the acoustic show more; besides being smaller, it just fit the songs he was playing much better. Still, it was a pretty kickass show. I wrote up this thing about it but never published it anywhere:
http://robertrubsam.blogspot.ie/2014/11 ... va-ny.html

[Cole Younger]

Sturgill's good, maybe really good, but he hasn't written a song as good as a mid-tier Isbell song yet.

Wow. Smitty you're a cool dude and I respect the heck out of your music knowledge but I can't adaquetly convey how much I disagree with that.

Jason is great. Has written some great songs. But Sturgill has written a bunch of songs better than any mid-tier Jason song in my opinion.

Now has he written an Outfit, Elephant, Decoration Day? No way. But has he written songs better than say Stopping By? Oh heck yes.

[Smitty]

Sturgill's good, maybe really good, but he hasn't written a song as good as a mid-tier Isbell song yet.

Wow. Smitty you're a cool dude and I respect the heck out of your music knowledge but I can't adaquetly convey how much I disagree with that.

Jason is great. Has written some great songs. But Sturgill has written a bunch of songs better than any mid-tier Jason song in my opinion.

Now has he written an Outfit, Elephant, Decoration Day? No way. But has he written songs better than say Stopping By? Oh heck yes.

That's cool, maybe some just haven't hit me yet. To me he's perfected the whole neo-retro honky tonk style and songcraft, but there doesn't seem to be that much substance there. I'd say he's comparable to (early) Ryan Bingham in that regard.
He's one of if not the best out there carrying the torch of "outlaw" Hoss/DAC/Tompall influenced country and I have to love him for that, but I feel like he comes off as contrived ("Turtles all the Way Down") and cliched ("life of sin", "not all flowers") too much of the time.
I can also see how someone would see Jason's work as being too safe or polished, in fact I've made those same complaints myself, but his songs are still for the most part amazing so I can give him a pass for that. I've always been a "all about the songs " lyric minded music obsessivist.

[Iowan]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again but "You Can Have the Crown" might be the best country song of the past 25 years.

It stands toe-to-toe with some of Isbell's best work. It's funny, original, it's a shit kicker, and it's sincerely self-deprecating.

[Iowan]

IndyWeek's Grayson Currin on Sturgill's opening set for Isbell last night in Durham.

Live: Sorry, Jason Isbell, but Sturgill Simpson is too good


Photo by Reto Sterchi

This excerpt is pretty interesting and also pretty accurate

Where Simpson seems to operate on the edge of the unexpected, Isbell plays a mid-level brand of Southern rock that never moves beyond fine. His guitar solos sound like a series of connected dots, and the full-band arrangements, which swell and recede in exactly the right places, feel like they’ve been exacted within an inch of their lives. In the first 30 minutes, there was talk of collard greens and chicken wings, a slide guitar solo and a dollop of aww-shucks storytelling, all of which felt rehearsed and tested. Isbell’s music feels too weighted by and bloated with canonical rock meat-and-potatoes to move with any energy of its own.

That's exactly how I felt about the last Isbell show I saw.

Jason is writing some great music, but the delivery of the show felt very, very safe. The part where I was legitimately disappointed was in the lack of shredding. The guy can play a mean guitar, but just hasn't flashed it much lately. I get where he omitted it from the album, but I was hoping to see that explored more in his live set. I get that he's playing more to the fans of his newer stuff, and that's fine. I just miss the kind of playing we saw out of him on the 40 Watt DVD.

[Cole Younger]

Smitty the first time I heard Sturgill my immediate reaction was, "this is so freaking good! I love this!" Followed by a nagging worry that it was so e sort of hipster irony crap. To me Sturgill's biggest "problem" is that he does what he does almost too well. Some people seem to be a bit dismissive of him as some sort of retro act. He is clearly heavily influenced by the country we all love. I just can't ruin it for myself when I hear a guy making the kind of country I have often complained about not hearing by worrying that it isn't authentic. I think it is.

As for Jason, Iowan, a friend of mine was at the show referenced in the write up. I sent him that a write up and asked him what he thought. He agreed 100%. He said he has seen Jason solo several times and it's not that his shows are bad. They just aren't all that exciting. In his words, "if you are just a big fan of his and the Truckers or just enjoy great songwriting, you'll enjoy the show. But he doesn't rock anymore. And he's not going to do anything to "wow' you. Sturgill impressed everybody that night."

[bovine knievel]

Go see Shovels and Rope. Every chance you get.
Back to the point of this thread. Learned something today.

this is too good!

[one belt loop]

So Sturgill was, you know, pretty good.

[dogstar]

So Sturgill was, you know, pretty good.

The Dogs Bollocks ?

[StormandStatic]

Finally getting into this album.

[Bill in CT]

Sturgill and his band closed all 3 of their Fillmore sets with this bluegrass tune.

[LBRod]

At about twice the speed.

[bovine knievel]

If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was a verse from a Cooley tune.

Don't call it a sign of the times when it's always been this way
Voices behind curtains forked tongues that have no name
They plot their wicked schemes setting fate for all mankind
With evil that can fill God's pretty skies with clouds that burn and blind

[Duke Silver]

Sorry if this was posted already...interview with Sturgill's Estonian guitarist. What a story.

http://www.thefader.com/2014/09/18/another-country-interview-laur-joamets-sturgill-simpsons-estonian-guitarist

[bovine knievel]

[bovine knievel]

Sorry if this was posted already...interview with Sturgill's Estonian guitarist. What a story.

http://www.thefader.com/2014/09/18/another-country-interview-laur-joamets-sturgill-simpsons-estonian-guitarist

Thanks, Duke

[linkous]

Hadn't played Metamodern Sounds In Country Music for a while, not because I didn't rate it, just the usual problem (if that's the correct word!) of having so much else to listen to.
Noticed that this album featured prominently in Uncut and Mojo's albums of the year, and reading that jogged my memory so I stuck the album on. It really is a fantastic listen and will definitely be in my list of records of the year when I get around to it.

[one belt loop]

So Sturgill was, you know, pretty good.

The Dogs Bollocks ?

I'm definitely calling animal control on you.

Just go see him and then let's talk. Or maybe you told me you already did. This week is a little blurry.

[one belt loop]

Sorry if this was posted already...interview with Sturgill's Estonian guitarist. What a story.

http://www.thefader.com/2014/09/18/another-country-interview-laur-joamets-sturgill-simpsons-estonian-guitarist

Or, as he's known around here, "Sturgill's Estonian robot guitarist."

Word has it he found DBT a bit too sloppy.

[dogstar]

So Sturgill was, you know, pretty good.

The Dogs Bollocks ?

I'm definitely calling animal control on you.

Just go see him and then let's talk. Or maybe you told me you already did. This week is a little blurry.

You brain must be a mush after last weekend. Saw the full band, inc. robot guitarist, in Nottingham about 3 weeks before the SF gigs. They played for just under two hours to a packed room of 200 people and were great. Highlight was that promise song he does but ghe whole thing was awesome.

[one belt loop]

Funny, The Promise is the cover he does that I don't like. Maybe the original is too strong in my head. I don't like it slowed down so much.

[Gaetzi]

Not that there's any reason to comapre the two but I saw Sturgill Sat night for the first of his two sold out Bluebird shows (his first and likely last time he'll play the smaller 500 person venue) and I would have to 100% agree that Sturgill trumped the Isbell show I saw at the Bluebird last year. I'd still say Isbell is the better song writer but the energy Sturgill brought was off the charts. What a tight and precise band he has.. But his voice.. Man, that voice really hits ya where it counts.. the show was good enough that half the crew I went with bought Sunday tickets off Stubhub.

[walthers]

I have to agree with Gaetzi about the energy, Saturday night was one hell of a time. Although I have been listening to Sturgill Simpson pretty much since August, I have never seen him before. The guy can sing and you would never guess that country sound would be coming out of a guy wearing blue Chuck Taylors, very deceptive to say the least.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

The guy can sing and you would never guess that country sound would be coming out of a guy wearing blue Chuck Taylors, very deceptive to say the least.

Not trying to be a smartass but what would someone's footwear have to do with anything?