Customer Reviews

Country Club

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

 

 

There's been a trend lately in country music: All of the best country albums have been created by non-country artists. I won't go into what this says about the state of contemporary country music (I could rant all night); I will merely point out that John Doe and The Sadies have crafted a superb country album that is everything country music is supposed to be about: sorrow, heartbreak, and the struggles of the everyman in a world gone crazy.

Granted, they do this mostly through covers. Actually, if there were more original tunes on here, the album might not fare so well (nothing against the songwriting abilities of either artist; the original tunes are all well-written and stand up against the covers). The fact that these are traditional country tunes revisited suggests a merging of old and new that is endearing and, quite simply, "right." The artists cover songs written or made famous by such legends as Waylon Jennings, Roger Miller, Mel Tillis, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette, Hank Snow, Hank Williams, Kris Kristofferson, and Johnny Cash (not to mention all the other artists who had hit versions of these songs; these are indeed classics). The result is an album--aptly titled COUNTRY CLUB, and we'll ignore the mediocre Travis Tritt hit of the same name--that merges a punk/alternative air with traditional country heartbreak. It's masterful, it's original, and it's a unique way of re-imagining these standard tunes, and is a welcome addition to the collection of anyone who thinks genuine country music has died. Hopefully, COUNTRY CLUB will inspire most of today's country stars to get their butts in gear and start writing/recording songs like they used to--straight from the heart, no chaser.

I have a soft spot for some country music covers. This is interesting. John Doe is Americana. The songs are taken seriously. It's not a parody. These songs are given their due in a heartfelt manner. Might I suggest, if you like this, Robbie Fulks' "13 Hillbilly Giants" is awesome and Gram Parsons/Flying Burrito Brothers "Sleepless Nights" is the best.

John Doe's penchant for country and roots has never been a secret. Though originally pegged as a punk rock singer with X, the acoustic spin-off Knitters and his solo work demonstrated he could sing effectively in quieter settings. Paired here with the Sadies, he capitulates fully to the classic country music that's so clearly influenced him. Best of all, he sings in a relaxed style that unlocks new levels of tone and tempo. The Sadies, for their part, are as tight as the Nashville A-listers who originally cut these tunes behind Waylon Jennings, Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette and Bobby Bare. But as easily as they pick the original fiddle-and-steel instrumental "Ping Mountain Rag" and Western-tinged guitar hoedown "The Sudbury Nickel," they also render "The Night Life" with enough atmosphere to suggest the debauchery of "House of the Rising Sun" and add a spacey edge to "'Till I Get it Right."

Doe proves himself not just a compelling singer, but an excellent stylist. He's obviously a fan (and in some cases a student) of the originals, but he's not slavishly devotional. He picks up on Carl Mann's upbeat rockabilly treatment of "Take These Chains From My Heart" (which itself was quite distinct from Hank Williams' and Ray Charles' sorrowful takes), but converts the driving original into a bouncier country beat. His take on "(Now and Then) There's a Fool Such as I" follows Hank Snow's slow original (or even more closely, Jim Reeves' cover) rather than Elvis' upbeat take. This is everything that Doe's fans have waited for over the years: a great set of songs filtered through effortless vocal performances and backed by the encyclopedic and tasteful chops of the Sadies. Like all great covers albums, this one will remind you of the original versions' greatness without sending you scrambling to hear them. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

I heard Terry Gross interview John Doe on Fresh Air this Summer and quickly bought this disc. John Doe and X are one of my all-time favorite bands and hearing John and the Sadies run through this group of classics has made our summer road trips very enjoyable for our entire family. Living in Detroit-metro area I especially like their version of "Detroit City". Buy it and start singing along!

Do you know how I came to the realization that I really enjoyed this album? When I found myself researching original versions for practically every song that John Doe covers with the Sadies. And when you come to think of it, isn't that the real reason why artists choose to perform covers? It's not parody. It's not like the dozens of awful pop-punk/nu-metal covers that one would had to endure over the past 10-15 years everytime they turned on their local modern rock station. No one suspects that George Michael influenced Fred Durst in any way or that anyone in Alien Ant Farm were huge Michael Jackson fans. And although I can't recall right now who did the Don Henley cover a few years back, I never bought that one either.

Country Club does what a good tribute album should - it inspires the listener to discover and re-discover.

Country Club is a collaboration between X/Knitters bassist John Doe and Canadian indie alt-country band The Sadies. Joining the list of legends mentioned above, John and the country canucks also pay tribute to Johnny Cash, Porter Wagoner, and Merle Haggard among others. It's a give-in that any true X fan, especially those who enjoyed John and Exene's work as The Knitters, would enjoy Country Club. While The Knitters may sound tongue-in-cheek at some points - like a band deserving of the chicken wire they would had to play behind if they had gigged during more primal times, John Doe and The Sadies come off more sincere. The overall setlist favors the "slow dancing on an empty dancefloor past last call" numbers your granddaddy remembers.

So pick-up this record, grab a bottle of Old Crow, go visit your ol' grandpappy, and let the tales of country music's past fly.

The latest in fine country albums recorded by outside-of-country musicians. The selection of songs is top notch as are the vocals by John Doe. Great band, production. Allover a very enjoyable album

Joe Doe backed by the Sadies gives an authentic performance on these forgotten country standards making them as fresh and thoughtful, introducing them to a younger audience who craves real country and not the over styled rock pop country that is all the rage.

One of the best cover recordings of classic country songs out there. Very high quality pressing.

This album is a departure from their regular music. Easy to listen to. Every cut is a winner. Get it!

If you are like me and remember what I consider the Golden Age of country music (late 60s to early 70s), you will definitely appreciate Country Club, the retro country cd from former X guy John Doe and Canadian band The Sadies.
If you are like me and loathe the current country landscape, polluted with jingoistic, flag-waving, uber-redneck, warmed over Lynyrd Skynyrd (even, in some cases, performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd...), you will appreciate this cd all the more.
This is a cd of mostly covers of classic era country songs when liquor was what you used to drown your sorrows and not to celebrate that it's 5:00 somewhere (just threw up in my mouth), protest songs were as common to country as to other popular music forms (instead of the gut-less, faux-patriotic garbage that spews forth from all the Toby Keiths out there), and country music spoke a universal language of heartache equalled only by the blues. Listen to Merle Haggard's "Are The Good Times Really Over For Good" and try to convince me this song would get any play time on today's country stations. I can't think of a more accurate example of all that is wrong with country music than that.
Give Country Club a spin and go back in time to when country music exemplified it's rightful place as one of America's greatest art forms.