Customer Reviews

Dog Days

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

BR549 is one of those bands that appeals not only to traditional country fans, but also to people who claim to "hate" country music (despite the prominent fiddle and steel you find on BR549 records). Why is this? Simple--their music is honest and, in its own subtle way, brilliant. Not to say DOG DAYS is a masterpiece; it has its flaws, though right off the top of my head I can't think of any. It's a perfect, albeit calmer, follow-up to TANGLED IN THE PINES, their previous (and, let's face it, best) effort.

DOG DAYS ranges wildly in style and content, from the bluesy "Lower Broad St. Blues," to the rocker "Leave It Alone," to the clever gospel of "Let Jesus Make You Breakfast," to the stark depression of "I'm Goin' Down," to the witty social commentary in "Bottom Of Priority." Lead vocalist/guitarist Chuck Mead gets self-deprecating on "The Devil & Me" (with the Jordanaires adding their own confirmation via superb harmony vocals), and later slaps Nashville in the face by declaring: "I'm A-1 on the jukebox, but nowhere on the charts."

Along with drummer Shaw Wilson, fiddle/steel/keyboardist Don Herron, and newly-recruited bassist Mark Miller (who shows on "You Are the Queen" that he is capable of sharing lead vocals with Mead), BR549 is one of the best fringe-country bands out there. They've gone through several personnel changes, and some career highs and lows; they've never had a hit, and probably never will. But that doesn't mean they aren't worth checking out. DOG DAYS is a great album to start your BR549 collection, if you aren't already a fan; if you are a fan, then you really have no need to be reading this review; you know darn well you're getting a great traditional country record, full of wit and wisdom and everything that makes country music what it is...and what it should be.

These BR549 guys have been around quite awhile now, but they have figured out how to put together a collection of music that will get you up and moving and just entertain the heck out of you. This has a big sound, with awesome musicians giving you the best of what they got, and they succeed 100%. I listened to this on the internet, bought it half way through listening to the cd, and was not disappointed I had while I finished listening. Excellent is the understatement of the New Year. I can't wipe the smile off of my face. I would give it 12 stars if Amazon would let me!!

I am a BR5-49 aficionado from the early days at Robert's when the band played for tips and usually played requests until 2am with little or no breaks. Admittedly, I long for those days as much as I long for stirrups in Major League Baseball. So I'm nostalgic, "IT'S A FREE COUNTRY." It is also legal for a band to evolve and morph in any which way it feels. Yet, whenever I read a review in some fishwrap publication that states that a band has "matured," I can do nothing but cringe. Here's the flowchart: Band starts out - Band plays hard - Band gets cult following - Band gets reputation - Band strikes out on road - Band gets contract - Band gets a little more pub. - Band gets contract with bigger label - Band gets new management supplied by label - Band gets "coached" in next recording - Band changes faces along the way - Band changes label again - Band gets new direction from new label - Band fights for identity - Band produces new "mature" album - Band gets lost as cult finds new local acts beginning this process.
Gee, I sure hope this isn't how the end of BR5-49 comes about, but enough of the doom and gloom of impending implosion. This record is OK. Of course, I realize that any band can't just re-hash the same 'ol stuff on every album, but part of what got these guys so much early attention was the raw exhuberance they displayed both live and on the vinyl. One part of this was their ability to do cover songs usually better than the originals, and a simple taste of this is what I sorely miss in the last few recordings. This band live used to be a wild, jittery, moving organism on stage, and although they are still a solid live show (saw them on the last tour at Poor David's Pub in Dallas), something has settled down. Chuck is a great talent, but an early appeal of the band was the vocal volley of Chuck and Gary Bennett. Ok, I'll go cry me a river, but dammit, just go listen to the Big Backyard Beat Show one more time. Mature? I just don't want to grow up that bad.

In most CD reviews, the reviewer will compare the music to that of another similar, better known band. They have the bluegrass sound of earlier bands but the music is crisper and sounds newer. You might be tempted to say this band has some of the vocal harmonies of Little Big Town or Rascal Flatts, but that really doesn't describe their sound. The songs aren't sad or maudlin, they are all cleaver and catchy. It's clear that BR549 is really not like any of them. They have their own distinct sound and it comes out loud and beautiful in their new CD, Dog Days.

This is not a new band. In fact, the band started in the mid-90s. They have endured band member changes, theft of their equipment and even disbanded for a while. Still, they came up with 3 Grammy nominations and had successful tours with varying artists including Faith Hill and Tim McGraw and the Black Crowes.

BR-549 seems to finally be settling down with this new CD. They are now a 4-piece group (originally they were 5) with Chuck Mead, vocals/guitar, Don Herron, multiple instruments, Shaw Wilson, drummer/vocals and new member Mark Miller, bass/vocals. The new songs are a combination of rhythms and are a showcase for the group's writing talents as well as singing and playing abilities. They wrote or co-wrote 9 of the 11 songs on the album (Mead was primarily involved in the writing).

Many of the songs have a driving beat, none better than "Cajun Persuasion", a pounding mix of instruments and vocals and "Bottom of Priority" with its old-fashioned rock sound (the song is about the imprisonment of an innocent American Indian, Leonard Peltier.) "The Devil and Me" is a swinging gospel song, while "Let Jesus Make You Breakfast" is about a sneaker wearing Lord.

The song, "After the Hurricane," written before Katrina, seems to be pure country:

"After the hurricane
After the wind and rain
After we lost everything
After the hurricane,
We survived the rising tide
But there was no where we could hide."

OK, maybe "Dog Days" can be compared to the soundtrack album from the George Clooney movie, "Oh Brother," no, still not quite there. Guess this is one unique album that defies comparison. You just need to hear it!

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Without a doubt, any new-comer to BR549 will surely enjoy this release. I've followed and enjoyed the band for many years without ever seeing a live performance, until recently, and the show featured many of the songs on this cd. Chuck is a genuine talent, pure professionism on stage with that giddy-up mentality that gets these guys swingin'! The show was highlighted by Chris Scruggs, whose amazing talents crossed so many riffs and grooves, you didn't know when one solo ended and the other started. For waiting so long to see this band, it was well worth it. Thanks, boys!
Buy this cd! Don't hesitate to explore all the fantastic music this band has recorded, and please, for the love of god, don't pass up a chance to see these guys live, you'll love 'em!

I love this band. I really mean it. I LOVE this band. And Chuck really should just retire the name. This is not BR549. It's not bad. In fact, this album is great. But it's a Chuck Mead solo record, not a BR549. I hate geeks who split hairs but I'm still doing it. I would buy this if it had Chuck Mead's name on it. With Scruggs gone (the final gasp) there's no other name recognition and no one else to really share the credit with. Just get it over with. This is in no way, shape, or sound the band I fell in love with. Please. Can BR5-49 finally just call it quits?

With the possible exceptions of Dave Alvin from the Blasters and Gary Louris from the Jayhawks, Chuck Mead could be the most under-appreciated songsmith/artist of our generation. To try and classify this band as anything other than authentic American music that seemlessly blends Blues, Gospel, Hillbilly Rock, Classic Country (not the ultra-commercial "formula music" Nashvilles spews forth today) and Jazz would be a waste of time. The melodies are catchy, the lyrics are strong and often humorous, the vocal harmonies are expertly executed and the musicianship is way above average at every position.
It is difficult to say that this new CD is "better" than Tangled in the Pines (also quite excellent!!) but it is absolutely as good and seems to demonstrate a maturation of sorts, especially in the crafting of the songs. The bottom line is, just buy it and you will like it if you like real uncontrived music. You will be supporting an American musical treasure and hopefully help to avoid what happened to the Jayhawks. They put out 5 remarkable CD's including the last incredible CD, Rainy Day Music, which I think stunned even them when it did not sell, and now they are disbanded. That is a heartbreaker so let's not let it happen again!!!
As a final note it should be stated that the CD entiled "This Is BR549" is the only thing they have put out that is not worth buying. Their label evidently thought it would be a good idea to try and fit a square peg into a round hole and make these guys a contrived, modern, formula country act which would be like asking Lucinda Williams to be the next Faith Hill. Suffice to say it did not work even though the CD did have a few good songs in spite of it all!! I highly recommend everything else they have released, especially the studio releases. Why not buy them all?!?!?!

First the bad news: I could do without the hurricane song. It's a tedious, grating, unnecessary occupier of space that surely could have been put to better use. Cajun Persuasion is only a little tedious, but we've heard it before and would have been better served with a new song. The good news is that everything else on this album rocks--figuratively, of course. The BR549 personnel evolve again, and the overall sound does too, but the band is still recognizable and delivers another set of superbly enjoyable songs that come in a variety of styles. The songwriting, musicianship, and singing are first rate. In a good way, the production is not noticeable. This album ought to appeal to all fans of country music and even people who don't think of themselves as country music fans. If you know and like the band already, buy this. If you don't know the band well or at all, buy this and then work your way backward through the band's history. Here's hoping BR549 comes back to Arizona. The Queen and I want to hear you again.

The band has had a change in members, but the songwriting and music quality on the album is very good. I highly recommend it to BR fans.

you can count on this cd to put you in a great mood. it is fresh and clever and the musicians are great. I also love the artwork on the cd. I guess you should buy it right now!