Southern Rock Is Good
I guess I am a bit overdue for a cd review so I am going to throw a few out there. Recently I have been on a bit of a southern rock kick. So, the albums I bought this past month were The Grateful Dead Skeletons From The Closet, .38 Special The Millennium Collection, and The Derek Trucks Band Songlines.
The Grateful Dead were arguably the best live act that ever toured. From what I hear their shows were quite the spectacle. Their albums seemingly did not do the band justice. I purchased Skeletons From The Closet and I am a little disappointed. This is a greatest hits album that is very brief. While it does hold the Dead’s most famous songs it just does not quite satisfy the listener. The album could definitely have held more songs. Touch of Grey is absent and well as some of my other favorites, like Tennessee Jed. You just can’t really get the whole Grateful Dead experience from a studio album. If you like the Grateful Dead and are thinking about buying one of their albums, please get a live recording. I give Skeletons From The Closet a 7.
.38 Special carried on the legacies of Lynyrd Skynard and The Allman Brothers with a bit a pop thrown in. Donnie Van Zant, the lead singer of .38 Special, is actually the younger brother of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s deceased front man Johnny Van Zant. The hight of their success came in the 80s while trends like hair metal were going on. Their most famous singles, Hold On Loosely and Caught Up In You actually have a bit of that kind of influence. This is an actual excerpt I found in the jacket of the cd: The group learned it’s trade during the 1970s when Skynyrd ruled and president Jimmy Carter helped place the New South as a focal point of the entertainment industry. But after the place crash that felled Skynyrd and Carter’s defeat at the hands of Ronald Regan, the New South was crushed by a conservative backlash and virtually all Southern rock bands were run out of the business. .38 Special adjusted to the changing times and transformed itself into an arena rock group that fit in well with the prevailing sounds of the 1980s. I found that kind of funny. Anyway, .38 Special’s music is worth listening to. This album is a good summary of their best work. I give .38 Special’s The Millennium Collection an 8.
Derek Trucks was named a child prodigy at age 9. His slide guitar can be matched by no one (that is alive). Trucks is currently on tour with Eric Clapton and he has toured with the Allman Brothers on their last two tours. What most people don’t know is that he does have his own band. The band’s lineup is unique and changes frequently. Their most recent release Songlines features new vocalist Mike Mattison. I would describe the band as a blues band with a southern rock influence. Trucks has always been interested in blues and jazz and it can be definitely hear on this album. My personal favorite songs are I’ll Find My Way and I Wish I Knew (How It Would Feel To Be Free). While this is album is very lyrical, Trucks does not disappoint with his guitar. There are many noteworthy solos throughout the album. So, if you want to hear the best guitar player of our generation go pick up Songlines by The Derek Trucks Band. I give this album a 9.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
March 27th, 2006 at 8:20 pm
The Dead’s studio recordings never approached the intensity or power of their live performances. Their true skill was in imiprovisation, which just does not come through in the studio work. The live recordings will do you a little better. Or seek out some of the many "bootleg" recordings from the live shows. They are traded pretty freely on the internet.
March 27th, 2006 at 11:36 pm
not really sure where to go on this one. if you are planning on buying one grateful dead album, it should really be american beauty, because other than that, the dead are just boring garbage
.38 special is tricky because i am not too good at math. does crappy band + crappy band = slightly better band, or does crappy band + crappy band = crappier band.
derek trucks isnt half bad, i wouldn’t say anything he has is worth a nine but thats just me. i for some reason watched a dvd of his about a year ago, and it wasnt half bad, but i do not forsee buying any material of his in the near future
March 28th, 2006 at 10:06 pm
I was raised at Dead concerts. My family didn’t follow them much, but certainly did see them at every opportunity. It was more than a concert, it was an EXPERIENCE. It was as much about the crowd as about the band, and as much about family as fans. You’ll never get the experience again, now that Jerry’s gone, I’m sorry to say. I doubt you’ll even come close, but you can try.
I have such a hard time when people say how much they loved "Touch of Grey" which was, by far, the Dead’s most commercial hit, even having a video on MTV that brought thousands of teeny boppers (who, sadly, were my age) to the shows in search of a cheap and easy high in a public place. Yeah, the song was decent, but there were so many others that better summed up that feeling.
I fully agree with Pablo in the idea of picking up bootlegs. If you still have a cassette player (what’s that?), you can probably get copies from old bootleggers for no more than the cost of blanks and shipping. Chances are you can even find someone in your area that will be able to hook you up.
Personally, though, I think if you’re going to buy a studio album, American Beauty is your best bet. Some of their more well-known songs and some of my personal favorites.