Episode 4 Pearl Jam / Drive By Truckers

 

Backspacer Deluxe hardcover Edition

The Standard CD edition is available at Target for $11.99

The Fine Print CD Version

The Fine Print LP Version

The Fine Print MP3 Version

CD Review: Drive By Truckers The Fine Print Music Worth Buying 09/28/09

Artist: Drive By Truckers
Album: The Fine Print
Worth Buying: Every Track
You might be interested in this album if you are a fan of: Neil Young,
Lynnard Skynnard, Southern Rock, Old School country music and albums where bands reveal their rare b-sides and alternate versions of their songs.

Tell me more: The latest release by the DBT is subtitled as a collection
of oddities, rarities and alternate versions. Sometimes collections like
this can be uneven and are made to appeal to the hardcore fan rather than
the first time curious. So it’s a pleasant surprise to hear how well this
collection works as an album even if you had not heard any of their
previous albums.

In the liner notes group member Patterson Hood talks about the origins of
these tracks. In one case a (fantastic) remake of the Bob Dylan record
“How Does it Feel” was released only as part of a compilation CD for Mojo
Music Magazine. In another case a song like When The Well Runs Dry was recorded for the Blessing and A Curse album and then later kept off. But these tracks are in no way leftovers, or tracks that weren’t considered good enough…..In fact on a couple of these Mr. Hood himself express’s the opinion that these tracks that didn’t make it on the album are better than anything that was on the album…..What he doesn’t bother to say is why?

I personally would have liked to have read more about the why on this, but
no information is given. Either way, though it is great to see hear these
tracks. All together there are covers from Tom Petty,Warren Zevon, and Tom T Hall. There is a sprinkling of alternate versions of tracks that did make it onto albums, and then just recordings that for one reason or another where never released.

Ever since I was introduced to the DBT via their epic 2 CD concept album
(Southern Rock Opera) I have been a fan. And when someone new to their
music asks me what’s a good album to start with, I always point to
Southern Rock Opera as a good starting point (I would use the same
philosophy with The Who or the Beatles and recommend either Who’s Next or
Sgt Pepper). For the most part I would still point to Southern Rock Opera
when making this recommendation, but as a second choice I might just go
with “The Fine Print”. A collection of oddities that comes together quite
well on it’s own as an album.

What about the packaging? DBT albums are always well packaged and this
one is no exception. It is packaged in a mini lp gatefold sleeve. The
artwork is beautiful and interior artwork is equally beautiful and makes
you wish you had it in a larger vinyl format. It comes with a booklet too.
There are no lyrics, but (as mentioned earlier ) there are notes by
Patterson Hood for each track and it makes good reading.

Get this album on CD

mp3 version

TJR  09/28/09

TJR Reivews Ryan Bingham - Roadhouse Sun - Music Worth Buying 07/08/09

Artist: Ryan Bingham
Album: Roadhouse Sun
Worth Buying: Every song
You might be interested in this album if you are fan of: Springsteen, Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Michael Ubaldini, Americana Rock, Southern Rock

Tell Me More: It's no secret within the music industry that most new albums are way over compressed. New recordings are compressed and
compressed in an attempt to make them louder. The reason for making albums louder, is that everyone is afraid that if there album isn't as loud as everyone else's, no one will notice them when the first note starts playing. This is not relegated to just Rock, Pop, and Hip Hop. Even a soft acoustic ballad will be compressed so that it is just as loud.

The downside to this, is that there is no dynamic range to a lot of today's music. The softer parts of a song are just as loud as the.....louder parts of the song.

Studies have shown that louder will get the listeners attention...for a moment, but that if every song and every part of the song is at the same level of loudness, the listener starts dismiss it all as background.

So that is why it was such a surprise to hear dynamic range on the latest album by Country/Roots/Americana/Rock Singer Songwriter Ryan Bingham.

The albums first track "When The Day is done" opens with a quiet refrain. So quiet that I turned up my car stereo for a moment to hear it better, suddenly The Electric guitars came bursting into chorus and suddenly I was turning my car stereo down....I had to laugh, because It's been some time since an album or song fooled me like this, and then I realized.....There is some dynamic range to this album......What a novel idea.

The next thing I noticed about Mr Bingham's album is that on Amazon he is listed as Country, but when I put the CD into my itunes he is categorized as Rock.

My take: If this album had come out in the 70's, Ryan Bingham would have categorized somewhere between the Populist rock of Springsteen and the Southern rock of Skynnard.

There are definite country influences and some songs are definitely more legitimately country than most of the Pop disguised as country that has turned me off of Country radio....but for my money this is a rock album.

What about the packaging? The CD comes in a standard 4 panel digipak. Lyrics are not included.

NOTE: The amazon mp3 store version comes with an exclusive bonus track

2ND NOTE: Right now the CD version is only 6.99 at Amazon!....This could change at anytime.

listen to samples and get in mp3 version (with bonus track) here

CD Version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXFc-OTNbxM