Customer Reviews

Drive-In Movie

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Be dumped by your woman through seven years, get drunk, and stay drunk - for about three weeks, wake up and play 'Drive-in Movie'. It gets the feeling just right. Makes me wanna go way up in the mountains, bring my cd-player and just listen, just feel. Eaglesmith's voice is rough as rocks, and fragile as men's hearts. The 'backing' by W.P.Bennett (Juno this year) and R.Schipper is great as always, and D.Pendrith's bassplay and P. Vonalthen's drumming is solid work. Still, and again, it's the feeling of the record that gets to you. The feeling only an Fred Eaglesmith album can bring to life. His ability to write great songs and produce great albums (co-produced by Scott Merritt) is about to be widely known. His lyrics is down to earth, white-thrash kinda beautiful statements on trains and cars and relationships and, well; life. To bad its only 35 min. It's simply a great album. Go buy.

When I first saw Fred open for Robert Earl Keen in Houston several years ago, I was blown away. Had I not been told he was from Canada, I'd have sworn he was from West Texas. He has the same edgy, heartfelt yet humorous approach to songwriting that such Texas legends as Robert Earl Keen, Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Joe Ely, and Steve Earle share. I've bought up every album of his that I could find, and I don't miss a show when he comes this far south on tour (which isn't often enough). This album is definitely his best work, and one of my five favorite CDs in a personal collection of over 300. 10 of the 11 tracks are tremendous (never cared for #3), especially the title track, "Good Enough", "White Rose Filling Station", and "Wilder Than Her". I cannot make a strong enough recommendation for this album, or for seeing him in person. Like many great singer/songwriters, Fred loves to tell often hilarious stories in between his songs at a live show, and they are not to be missed. Give it a spin. He doesn't disappoint.

This is a great CD and is the first of his work you should add to your collection.

If you are looking to broaden your horizens a little, and you already own CD's by Steve Earle (and prefer Train A Comin), Robert Earle Keen, James McMurtry, Son Volt (and prefer Trace) etc, you'll be very happy with this purchase. It is my opinion that Fred Eaglesmith's song writing ability and delivery stand up to these more widely known artists.

Listen the "Freight Train" and "White Rose" to get a good feel for the album.

After 6 years of listening to this disc, it remains my favourite album. For me to say this is amazing. I listen to tons of music, and there are many great artists, and cd's over the years that have been great listening, but this Juno Winner is a disc that only comes along once every ten years or so. Fred changed his style to a more roots rock on this release, and the music on here can be so heartbreaking at times it'll rip you apart, and his rockers are chuggers that move you; but they both have one thing in common, they reach you inside. A timeless beauty that everyone should own.

All of the 11 songs on this album rank among Fred's best. I do not exaggerate. My own introduction to Fred Eaglesmith came only 5 weeks ago when at a Kasey Chambers concert Kasey raved on and on about Fred and how she strived to be like him in her approach to songwriting. All of that was as an introduction to her version of Fred's "Water in the Fuel" from Lipstick Lies and Gasoline". Kasey Chambers also covers "Freight Train" found on this album. Both of her covers reveal Fred Eaglesmith's brilliance as a songwriter.

So based on that endorsement I figured it was high time to check out the source of these two great songs. So I picked up "Lipstick Lies and Gasoline" and was blown away by the intensity of the experience. So then I picked up a copy of "Drive In Movie". Wow! To make a long story short, I was impressed enough to seek out the rest of Fred's catalog of 14 or 15 albums and have gone to see him play live - and will go again soon. I can see why there are Fredheads. I might be one now. Nearly every song on "Drive-In Movie" still remain as favorites in Fred's live performances. This is an album of fully realized masterpieces. The music might be described as a blend of all that is good in folk, country and rock. The lyrics are simply amazing and Fred's voice is perfectly suited for delivering the words and the accompanying emotion.

So buy this album and be hooked - guaranteed! Then see his web site for a tour schedule and you're on your way.

Don't read this review...just order this CD.
Wilder Than Her, White Rose, Good enough, Soda Machine, Drive-in Movie...some of the best music and lyrics I know. A great introduction to Fred Eaglesmith and probably the first CD that should be purchsed if you are not yet familiar with his music. After this you will be a junkie.

This CD inspires movement. The rockers push on like Travis Tritt, the ballads are heartbreaking, the lyrics are witty and blue at the same time, and the overall effect is scintillating. Erudite country Americana at its best! I've heard that Fred himself prefers some of his other CDs but this one is my favorite. There's an incredible range of stories about people and places, good times and bad, fantasies and gritty reality, croons and shrieks ("I'm crashing and I'm burning; I'm going down in flames...). And hey, the band is in top form and production's pretty good as well. One song ("Wilder than Her") made me a fan, but this CD made me a fanatic.

I PLAY THIS ONE ALOT. IT DOES NOT SIT IDLE FOR LONG. GREAT TRAVELLING MUSIC!

If you don't know Fred then this is the album to start. The emotion and images he emotes are priceless. Three songs in particular are suberb. "White Rose" is about an old gas station just outside of town that they are shutting down and the lyrics tell its story "And that neon sign was the heart and soul of this ol' one horse town; And it's like it lost its will to live, the day they shut it down.

The other songs that I find exemplary are "Soda Machine" (now, come on, how many people can write songs about a soda machine and almost bring you to tears!) and of course, the title song "Drive-in Movie" with lyrics like "The phone broke the silence like the screaming of the siren and I just sat beside it took another drag on my cigarette swore I'd never smoke again and I watched the rain."

If you don't own this CD - BUY IT!

i love this cd!i also love fred.and if loving fred is wrong i don't wana be right.