Customer Reviews

This Is BR549

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

 

 

When I heard the BR5-49 (I LIKE the hyphen!) was releasing something new, I marked the date on my calendar. I mean I was psyched! Then I started reading the reviews, and the stories of the new producer- the image consultants, and the band desiring to "play ball" with the label.

I suppose that I can't blame the boys for wanting more success (let's be honest, who out there wouldn't want more money?)- but geez!

I always listened to BR to get away from awful "country music"- which these days is nothing more than pop music with steel guitars. In the past, the band can be counted on for smart, fun, kick-... music- but this new one is just plain boring.... Why would BR5-49 take pride in taking a giant step backwards?

If I wanna listen to BR5-49, I'll take one of their other cds. The recording industry is fully responsible for RUINING one of the finest bands around. This record will not be accepted by anyone. It will alienate their fans, and bore new listeners. (It was nice to see a Nick Lowe song covered though- at least one positive thing comes out of this mess- Nick will get some well deserved royalties!) Anyway- BR5-49 owes their fans better. Let's just forget about this cd- THIS ISN'T BR549.

BR5-49 are the kings of country music in my book. While I have trouble finding value in todays modern country scene, BR continues to carry the torch for what country music could/should/has always been: an outlet for creativity and traditional sounds and sentiments. As modern pop/country is homogenized and regurgitated, BR through both their writing and the songs and artists they choose to cover, maintain touch with what real country music fans want to hear; MUSIC!!!

With that said, "This is..." is not BR549's best effort. Reading the other reviews both from other customers and the press, it is apparent that after signing with Lucky Dog, BR looked to finally break the big time. They slicked down their hair and their sound, popped out some originals that lended themselves to Worley's pop sensiblities and released a slick, accessible album.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not crying "sell-out" here. BR549 puts on one of the best live shows you'll ever hope to see and some of that energy comes through here. My point is, not enough. I understand the desire to become famous, but given the break-through success of the "O brother" soundtrack, it seems that the roots-country, alterna-country, retro-country, bluegrass revival sound's time has come. Why change what was certain to help break open the doors for GOOD music?!?

This is a good album with some high points, but there are some low points too. It's a little to slick for my tastes, but it's hard to lose a talented band behind over-production and after repeated listening, the real BR shines through.

BR549 is one of those rare bands that comes along and mixes a love and talent for making music with a ton of personality. The band takes it's name from a skit from the cornball country comedy show Hee Haw and have a style that mixes rockabilly, honky-tonk and swing. For their newest album, BR549 dropped the hyphen from their name, but little else has changed since the last few. Anyone who has seen these guys put on a live show can't help but like them. They are one of the hardest working bands in music today and they keep the audience entertained as they crack truly funny jokes and get after it on the stand up bass. From the sound of their newest album, they must work as hard in the studio as on the stage. Their most recent release, entitled This is BR549, is a foot-tapping kind of album that is charged with emotion and could be the band's best chance yet at recognition by Music Row.
The album opens on a strong note with the quirky, rowdy "Too Lazy To Work, Too Nervous to Steal." This is the kind of song that the repeat button on the CD player is made for. After opening up strong, the band launches into a remake of the Everly Brothers' "Price of Love." The not only do the song justice, but they make it their own with a fresh sound that mixes early rockabilly with a modern crispness. The boys keep up their reputation as funny guys with the hilarious song, "Psychic Lady," which has lyrics such as "Psychic Lady, you drive me crazy/With your video voodoo and your beehive hairdo." BR549 is well known for songs that delve into humor without becoming simple comedy. On this particular collection, they explore some new sounds, including some slower, more somber songs that reflect a certain maturity and sincerity. One such song is "A Little Good News," a remake of an Anne Murray hit from the 1980s. In "A Little Good News," a man reflects on sad situations that seem to be facing people everywhere and he searches for something positive. Other ballads such as "The Game" and "Different Drum" are more reflective than much of the music we have come to expect from BR549. Of course, the album contains swinging numbers like "Play That Fast Thing One More Time," the kind of songs that involve a spinning stand up bass and twirling guitars in the live show. This is BR549 is a great find because it is a gem coming from one of the most unique bands around today. BR549 manages to give longtime fans a taste of what they keep coming back for, while exploring some new paths and taking a different approach on certain songs.

BR549 has updated their name and their sound. Past BR549 albums have pulled heavily from the 1940's and 50's as BR covered such traditional country honky-tonk stars as, Webb Pierce, Ray Price, Buck Owens and Johnny Horton. "This is BR549" updates their songs to the 1960's and 70's as they cover The Everly Brothers, "The Price of Love" and Anne Murray's "A Little Good News". My first instinct when I heard Gary Bennett belt out "A Little Good News" was "This isn't a BR549 song". But the more I listened to the song, the more I appreciated this plaintive song.

I've always appreciated BRs cover songs but what sets this band apart is their self-penned tunes. Chuck Mead's "Too Lazy to Work, Too Nervous to Steal" is a raucous romp as well as his "Fool of the Century". Chuck's songs are just plain fun. I can never watch the Andy Griffith show again without thinking about Chuck's "Me and Opie Down by the Duck Pond", included on BR's "Live at Roberts" album.

Gary Bennett's "Walk in my Shoes" is a sheer delight. Gary is the soul of BR549. I still get shivers when I hear Gary sing "Big Mouth Blues" on BR's "Coast to Coast" album. He puts his all into that song.

Don Herron's lively fiddle, steel and mandolin play are hard to beat. He is about as gifted a musician as their is. On "This is BR549" the screaming guitars and Donnie's fiddle are flawlessly blended.

I have seen many live BR549 performances. It is hard to capture the BR549 sound on their studio albums. Their high energy is somehow lost. If there is any fault in "This is BR549" is that it fails to capture there high energy level. "Live at Roberts" and "Coast to Coast" do a much better job at this. But in the end, "This is BR549" is just plain fun. I love the new sound and the new songs are a great accompaniment to the traditional rockabilly tunes that BR549 is famous for. BR549 continues to be my favorite band and I can't wait to see what new path they will lead me.

I would have to agree with some of the other reviewers that this is a good album, but not BR-549 at their best. The effects of the Dixie Chick's producer is evident in how "flat" the album sounds, but I have to admit this is the way all of their studio albums sound to me. To hear BR-549 at their best, get "Live at Roberts" or better yet go to one of their concerts. They kick A** live!!

I was really looking forward to hearing the new album from BR5-49. I burned a CD with tracks from a couple of their earlier albums and thought I could add a few more since I generally like almost all their work. I was disappointed to find that out of 11 tracks only 2 were good enough to want to copy. It's sad because they were doing such great stuff with their earlier releases.

When you hear the first cut, you have high hopes. "Too Lazy to Work, Too Nervous to steal," is exactly what you're looking for: catchy tune, clever lyrics with a good sense of humor and solid playing. But they really only reach this height a few times; "Psychic Lady" works well and the Nick Lowe cover, "Play That Fast Thing" seems right up there alley; the rest of the CD is solid rockabilly but seems a bit staid and safe. This band always had a rep for playing it fast and loose and this really isn't reflective of that status.

I saw them live in NYC as the opening act for the Mavericks. I went right out and bought two of their CD's. I thought they were much better than the Mavericks and cannot wait until they come back this way on their next tour. I would definitly recommend these cd's and if it weren't illegal I would make copies for my freinds but I don't want to rot in jail. That's why I can't give my name.

The ever expanding universe of Sony's Lucky Dog label (Charlie & Bruce Robison, Jack Ingram, The Derailers) picks up alt.country retro-darlings BR549, and in the process BR549 picks up some new ideas, and quite possibly some new fans.

Like producer Paul Worley's most famous clients, The Dixie Chicks, BR549 manages to hang on to the essential elements that define the band (most notably, their impeccable taste in influences and cover material) while loosening up a bit on their retro schtick. The result is a terrific LP that combines takes their classically styled twang a bit more upbeat, and shows them to be masters of several additional decades of country music.

Their original compositions mix perfectly with a set of covers that leans more towards the 60s and 70s than the 30s and 40s. The Everly's "The Price of Love" shows off the duet singing that's been common in the band's stage act, and rare on record. Their cover of Anne Murray's 1983 hit, "A Little Good News," is oddly powerful, with layers of meaning (some ironic) added to the original sentiment.

There's plenty of hillbilly swing to keep the faithful energized, but there's also enough growth to make this an inviting spin for both new and veteran listeners.

A thousand or words or less to describe the latest release from the mother of all hillbilly bands?!? A million words would not be enough to fully describe their latest CD.

Sweet songs... hot chops... and some mighty fine pickin' and fiddlin'... what's not to like? Now that these guys are on Sony, they're finally getting the productions that they so richly deserve.

Buy this CD! Listen to it loud. Listen to it often. And be prepared to tap your toes off.