Customer Reviews

Thus Always to Tyrants

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

During a recent NPR interview, Scott Miller mentioned the influence of a Thomas Jefferson quote on his own writing. Jefferson said, "I am a revolutionary so my son can be a farmer, so his son can be a poet. "Thus Always to Tyrants" (the state motto for the Commonwealth of Virginia) is a beautiful concept album that explores Miller's own experiences as the poet and his connection to the people and the land that produced him. Perhaps the best way to describe the record is that it is equal parts Revolutionary, Farmer and Poet. Songs such as "Absolution" and "Goddamn the Sun" make good use of crunching electric guitars, unique vocal effects and punk-rock energy. Other numbers, such as "Dear Sarah" and "Highland County Boy" are as organic as the Virginia soil with their supporting fiddle and banjo parts provided by Tim O'Brien and Dirk Powell ("Songs from the Mountain"). "Across the Line," "Mess of this Town," "Daddy Raised a Boy" and "Loving that Girl" are a thinking man's classic rock tunes that feature some familiar guitar chops from the acclaimed Dave Grissom (who appeared on many of the John Cougar Melloncamp records). The album even contains a cover of an obscure rock classic ("Miracle Man") and a hymnal ("Is There Room on the Cross for Me), which solidifies the fact that no musical territory is off-limits to Miller and the Commonwealth. Great songwriting, great performances, great producing (R.S. Field) and a great concept - it all adds up to one of the best records of 2001.

I wasn't too sure how this would be when I picked it up, but it just grabs a hold and won't let go. I find myself thinking of Drivin' and Cryin', pre-Green R.E.M., as well as older Southern rock and folk rock. And then there are the two Civil War songs, which are amazingly evocative. Miller's writing is incredible and the playing (both his own and the Commonwealth's) make for a fine package.

Scott Miller's THUS ALWAYS TO TYRANTS is a driving, rocking CD that is welcomed by those of us who grew up on the sport of rock and roll. I love "Made a Mess of this Town" and the histories that harken back to the Civil War. "Dear Sarah" is both haunting and projecting. I'll use it in my eighth grade classes to convey fact and feeling of the Civil War soldiers. But then I love every song on the CD. I'm listening to it every day, all day. I'm buying one now to give a colleague, and every rock music fan I know may be getting it for Christmas! This music transcends all age barriers! Give us more and more and more, to infinity, Scott!

I never paid much attention to Scott Miller's previous band, The V-Roys, so I came into this effort without any preconceived notions. That said, this is an excellent debut solo album. For most of the record, Miller alternately rocks and twangs, coming up with first rate tunes such as "I Won't Go With You," "I Made a Mess of This Town," "Yes I Won't," and "Absolution." On these he at times sounds like John Cougar Mellencamp or even Tom Petty, but with better lyrical skills. Thene there are the two traditional folk tunes, "Dear Sarah" and "Highland County Boy," that come in the middle of the album. Both are Civil War era narratives based on Miller's ancestors own experiences. They are also absolutely fabulous. They give the album a weight it would otherwise lack.

There are a few cuts that don't work out as well, and that keeps it from getting the extra notch to five stars. Buts it's an impressive debut.

Translated from the Latin, the title of course comes from the words of John Wilkes Booth after shooting the President and is also the state motto of Virginia. And all of sudden, smack in the middle of this CD, Scott Miller yanks us back to the Confederate 19th century with Dear Sarah and Highland County Boy, fiddle and banjo arrangements, letters of a soldier to his love and the story of a boy left back at home while his brothers all get themselves killed in the carnage. It's an astonishing stark throwback sound that feels like it's been lifted directly from more than a hundred years ago. The final cut, Is There Room on the Cross for Me, is similarly tinged in a distant, rural, southern past.

Nothing from either the V-Roys (where Miller first appeared) or the rest of this fine CD quite prepares you for those three great moments, but the other songs here, while not nearly as striking, measure up very well. Plenty of V-Roys-type material, including the in-my-beer I Won't Go With You, the cuckolded-again Loving that Girl, and the rocking I Made A Mess of This Town or Absolution. Across the Line sounds like the old Marshall Tucker Band and Daddy Raised a Boy is a fine take on the eternal struggle between father and son. One last note -- in this album's variety, energy and his willingness to take stylistic risks, it's clear that Scott Miller has learned well from Steve Earle.

Scott Miller (ex of the V-Roys) returns as Scott Miller and the Commonwealth and puts out the great album the V-Roys always promised but never delivered. "Thus Always to Tyrants" will undoubtedly get filed under Alt.Country, but it may be more aptly descriptive to term it hard rock Americana. Miller's songwriting is assured and ambitious, and the Commonwealth backs him with scene-stealing zeal. This is a tour of American roots music deserving of a wider audience, and if there's any justice in the world Scott Miller just might tear away a chunk of Ryan Adams' fanbase.

Scott Miller describes himself as a folk musician, whose songs are sometimes loud and sometimes not. When he's loud, Scott sounds a bit like the Replacements with a southern twang; when he's not, his acoustic guitar and harmonica are reminiscent of pre-electic Dylan.

The best songs on this record (Highland County Boy, Goddamn the Sun, My Daddy Raised a Boy) are among the best I've heard ever; and there are no bad songs.

So why only four stars? First, a couple of the songs (Across the Line, Mess of This Town) are a bit overproduced, and would benefit from a sparer arrangement. They are excellent songs, but the music almost (though not quite) distracts the listener from the superb vocals. Second, as good as it is, this album doesn't compare to Scott's live performances. The smaller touring band directs the listener's attention to the songs themselves, where it belongs.

Buy the album, think about the lyrics, and then go see the man live.

If you haven't heard the V-Roys, Knoxville-based Miller's former band, then you should. Then move on to Miller and discover why they were so cool. Miller is massively talented yet self-effacing on stage and in person. He is a relentlessly honest and insightful observer of the Southern world around him. Fortunately, he distills these observations through some high-guality infulences (Neil Young, Power Pop, George Jones, Steve Earle, Beatles). His live show alternates between heartfelt solo acoustic numbers and turn-it-up-to-11 jangle rock with an authentic edge and a real rock band. Then throw in a moving spiritual that is absolutely not fake. Seek out his live acoustic solo CD available at his shows: it's at least as good as this record. Spread the word about Scott Miller.

Most of the reviews listed on this page sum up "Thus Always to Tyrants" quite well, so I don't want to rehash what has truthfully been said. However, I noticed that one reviewer, Brad Ellsworth, has gotten knocked for some of his insightful criticisms of the disc, so I'd like to offer some support for and clarification of a few of his points. Overall, "Thus Always to Tyrants" is a solid effort that just barely misses being great. Songs such as "Across the Line" and "Mess of this Town" are clever rock-inspired songs that are catchy and well written. For those who enjoy Miller's acoustic efforts a bit more than the rock-oriented songs, "Dear Sarah," "Highland County Boy," and "Is There Room On the Cross for Me" all showcase a fine talent for creating great lyrical imagery and weaving it into a listenable song (something many artists are unable to do). Unfortunately, the brilliant moments are marred by the presence of a few bad instrumentation decisions and one terrible song. Whether hardened V-Roys fans or Alt. Country enthusiasts will want to admit it or not, there are some aspects of this CD that are lame. I've noticed the same problem on the latest Webb Wilder release ("About Time"), so I'm beginning to wonder if producer R. S. Field, despite his proven brilliance, might be the source of the problem. How anyone can convince themselves that terrible songs such as the inane "Yes, I Won't" (I hope Scott didn't believe such a title was a clever play on words) and the bland "Absolution" are worthy of being included on this CD is beyond my comprehension. Then, there are some selections that are brilliant but are ruined by the presence of an ORGAN for God's sake. "Miracle Man"--despite what a previous reviewer said--is a great tune with a powerful vocal delivery, yet the song loses its punch with the inclusion of a Bruce Hornsby-sounding relic of an organ. Whoever thought an organ in a rock-oriented song would be a good idea? I realize that Scott is a roots-rock/Americana artist who wants to utilize traditional instrumentation, but an organ just doesn't work. It's such decisions that allow a potentially great song to lose its momentum and become average at best. Such musical low points are what keep the CD from standing out from countless other releases that do the same thing. Overall, "Thus Always to Tyrants" is a CD worthy of purchase despite its shortcomings, but it unfortunately doesn't live up to its full potential.

I am a fan of Miller's and the Viceroys (ok, V-Roys). The album is really fun to listen too for me - especially since seeing him play smarta$$ acoustic music in a college bar called Hawkeye's back a while.

He really has hit a stride with his writing, and the music is wonderful. The only thing bugging me is the slick production and polished sound. While impressive, it sounds too mature for the enthusiasm he shows at live shows. Granted his live show are very well played by his band but the rawness doesn't come thru on this otherwise excellent album.