Customer Reviews

A Blessing And A Curse

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many people/reviewers will constantly trumpet the "rock" quality of the Drive-By Truckers, and i have to believe that these same people must listen to Yanni and Enya in their spare time. The skill & wit of DBT, tempered with the soul & grit is really what makes them a memorable band. Any bunch of yokels can grab a Gibson, run on stage and yammer on about beer & broads all night, and trying to define this band by that quality is short-selling them in a big way.

Though there is a difference in this album VS prior studio recordings, and it does have to do with the volume & intensity. You can tell the DBT wrote a lot of this material in the studio. It's more personal, it's more introspective, and it's (dare i say) more delicate than some of the less tuneful bombast that we got on The Dirty South (an album i appreciate dearly). But what makes the Truckers great, the wry turns of phrase, the honest-to-goodness Southern culture, and the guts, are all still here. It's just wrapped around a more restrained set of tunes that go down easier than the fifth of Jack you might have been expecting.

To this fan's ears this release show's a lot of the (oft-dreaded) "maturity" that truly great bands can achieve when they simply sit down and write from the heart. Therefore this album = more wistfulness and loss, < bar-room squall and bombast. To me, it's a tremendous transition that results in a very listenable record (perhaps their most so) and one that really shows how far they've come as songwriters since the early days. Maybe not the perfect intro to the band, but certainly one to pick up once initiated.

Most of the reviews here make a whole lot of sense to me, even the bitter ones. This is NOT in the same league as SRO, Decoration Day nor Dirty South. I was expecting something of that calibre but was very dissapointed when I heard it for the first time. Not a heck of alot of depth here, what happened to the songwriting? I couldnt believe all 3 DBT songwriters went into the songwriting tank at the same time. How could this happen to 3 brilliant writers simultaneously?

What I am finding now after about the 50th listen is that although the songwriting is not as interesting, its a fun album to groove to for music itself. The playing on this album is WAY beyond any of there previous outings, it is slick and polished but it sounds great. The guitars duel the drums kick and the vocals are first rate. The songs are good... not great... but you get used to them after a while and find yourself singing along.

Check it out

ML

The latest by the DBT's continues in a line of excellent music. The big news is that they have changed the concept of their writing to address everyday issues rather than everyday Southern issues. They have also filed off some of the edges from their delightfully grungy guitar sound. The results of this are all hinging on you're expectations coming in. If you are hooked on the superb songwriting of this band, you will be delighted by what you get, pure, passionate songs that wryly examine the human condition. If you are looking for a hard rocking party loaded with local color and references, chances are you will be disappointed with the new direction the band has taken.

Personally, I think that the band, despite being on an artistic roll that few bands can equal, was wise to take a change of course. I love the bands previous output, but eventually they were going to become a caricature. SOUTHERN ROCK OPERA, their breakthrough, provided a similar break from the first two albums in their catalog by focusing the songwriting and muscling up their sound. This one is more radical, in that they are distancing themselves from the roots that brought them the fame that they have attained to this point. As far as I am concerned, as long as Hood, Isbell and Cooley continue to write songs as strong as the ones included here, they could record them as Gregorian Chants, and I would still check them out and enjoy them.

The sound here has more of a Stones or punk sound than previous releases, with AFTERMATH USA sounding like a long lost EXILE ON MAIN STREET outtake (and a good one!). The opener FEBRUARY 14TH has the sound of prime Replacements circa TIM, while Cooley's GRAVITY GONE and SPACE CITY have a sound more akin to the bands previous work. Isbell's DAYLIGHT is the biggest stylistic leap here, sounding to me not unlike mainstream 80's rock. Still it's a solid song and vocal performance.

If you are coming to A BLESSING AND A CURSE with an open mind, I feel that you will find yet another jewel in the unwinding career of this great band. If you think the harder sound and Dixie-centric point of view is indispensable, feel free to keep listening to the back catalog and catching the band live. Either way, you can't lose.

The last sonic hayride the DBT's took us through the Dirty South and showed us what all was going on that's wrong and crooked. This time, on A Blessing and a Curse, we are served up tales of lost love and excess.

On "Goodbye" we hear a wrenching farewell bid to a dear old friend. Anyone who has ever wondered where the hell a close friend disappeared to in this wild orgy called life will appreciate this song.

"Little Bonnie" is a song that will bring tears to your eyes. This album is worth purchasing for this song alone.

And, as always, the artwork of Wes Freed is breathtaking.

Most reviews about this album are spot on, but they tend to focus on what the truckers have moved away from (e.g. Southern Rock, songs that Rawk, etc). What struck me most about this album, howver, is not what DBT have discarded, but what they have embraced -- the cleanest, most intricate and melodic three guitar interplay of their career. Sure, they're not (always) turning it up to 11 like they did on some prior releases, but the focus on melody actually makes A Blessing and a Curse a true guitar album. You go truckers, you go...

and when I say rock, I mean true rock n-friggin-roll.

This album is more of the same from the Truckers, yet so different I just want to ask them, "how the hell do you do it??"
A lot of reviewers are quick to highlight that the Truckers have shed their "southern rock" skin for this album, and that's easy to see...however, in the words of Jason Isbell, "most classic rock was either directly influenced by or came from the South."
So in Blessing we see the Truckers paying homage to their rock n' roll influences from across the water (Stones, Faces, etc...).
But, we all know who influenced all those guys don't we?
That's right...so it all comes full circle, yet again echoeing the motto of Patterson Hood since Southern Rock Opera..."Such is the duality of the Southern Thing."

My only criticism is that Isbell and Cooley only have two tracks each on here, but there's noone else I would want out there pickin' up the slack like Hood does so effortlessly.
Even tho their quantity of songs are low, Isbell and Cooley's quality hits you so hard you may need a shot of whiskey to get you back up off the floor.
Can you say pure unapologetic honky-tonkin' rock and roll?
I knew you could.

I can't write about the Truckers without mentioning two of the best rhythm musicians out there, from which no one would be able to keep in time if it weren't for (man, talk about a crappy run-on sentence). As usual, the EZB and beautiful MRS. Shonna keep the Truckers in line throughout the album, imbelishing when necessary, backing off when asked.
Simply put...after my long rambling of course...once you pop this in your cd player or what have you, it will be easy to agree with the last line of the cd said by the oldest Trucker of them all, "It's Great To Be Alive."

I don't think the Drive-By Truckers have ever made a bad album and they've surely made at least two or three of the greatest albums of this decade--Southern Rock Opera, Dirty South and Decoration Day.

Add 'A Blessing and A Curse' to that list. There isn't a clunker here just straight ahead classic-style rock with a bit less of a southern twang this time.

Is this the best rock band in America? They just might be and a damn shame they aren't the household name their heroes Lynyrd Skynyrd are.

I first got this and was upset - thought it wasnt close to masterpieces 'Southern Rock Opera' and 'Dirty South'. But it gets better and better each time I hear it. There aint no bootleggin' or Lynyrd Skynyrd refs, but man this is another great disc from the boys from Alabama. DBT!

Well, let me begin by stating that I unequivocally love this goddamned band. I was really looking forward to this release but was a bit apprehensive since the last three have been so friggin' magnificent. I just didn't think the band could maintain the level of songsmanship indefinitely.

I've had the album now for over two weeks and I deliberately waited with writing this review so that I could give the album some time to settle in. Also I just have seen DBT live at the Sunset Strip House of Blues over the past two evenings at which many of the new tunes were in the sets.

Upon first hearing the album two weeks ago, my initial impression wasn't favorable. While the lyrics were uniformly interesting, as to be expected from this great band, my initial hearing of the actual music left me wanting. Many of Patterson's songs despite having great words, just seemed to be rough sketches that needed filling in. I say this particularly about my intial listening to Aftermath USA, Goodbye, and Wednesday. I felt the rest of the album was good, but not up to previous releases. And when I say good, keep in mind I am judging this release by what DBT have done before. In the larger mass market of music this is better than 98 percent of what is out there.

OK, so now two weeks have gone by and I've given the album many spins and it has grown on me like an MFer. The final four tracks are unbelieveably great (Little Bonnie, Space City, Blessing and a Curse, A World Of Hurt). These are classic DBT. The Jason Isbell songs are excellent as well (please try to get the bonus disc that comes with the CD at certain independent stores, as it has a third Isbell track from the sessions, "When the Well Runs Dry," which should have been on the CD - Great!

The opening salvos of Feb 14, Gravity's Gone and Easy On Yourself are priceless and serve notice that this band is overflowing with talent. Also after two weeks of multiple spins I have warmed up to the Hood songs I mentioned as sketchy before. Especially since seeing them performed live this past week! JEEZ LOUISE, when they performed "Wednesday" the other night, the freight train met the tornado and I thought the room and every one it it were going to spin out of control - it was tremendous. I've seen this band live 5 times and would see them more often, but they don't come to L.A. much (can't say I blame them, it's a prety goddamned phony town and the radio market out here never plays their tunes). They are THE BEST LIVE BAND IN THE LAND bar none. It just doesn't get any rawer and looser and chaotic and rockin'. On this tour they have augmented their sound with a pedal steel player, who fills in some of the sketches of tunes from the new album very effectively.

For those of you out there who don't dig the album on first listen, give it a few more spins. It'll infect you. Also, this band's music is meant to be seen live, so if they come to your town, do not miss the Jack Daniels Express.

A Blessing and a Curse has to be the most concise DBT CD yet, and while folks like me would like a little more quantity, the quality rises throughout. Feb. 14, Gravity's Gone, Easy on Yourself, Little Bonnie, Space City, and World of Hurt are all outstanding. My only complaint is that I would've liked to hear more from Cooley and Isbell on this album, but Cooley proves to be the man on his two songs. Not quite as good as Decoration Day or Dirty South, but still a great CD.