Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminals' Starvation League

Bobby Bare Jr., Bobby Bare Jr.

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 9, 2002)
• Original Release Date: July 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Bloodshot Records
• ASIN: B000069B0O
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #115,677 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

An antidote to alt-country that can often sound as clichéd and predictable as mainstream country, this oddball gem of a solo project offers a surprise with practically every cut. Where his Bare Jr. band typically scorches its way through Southern-fried rock, frontman Bobby Bare Jr. here takes a quieter and stranger approach. The organic interplay of acoustic and electric instrumentation suggests a living-room recording, yet the stately and soulful horn charts of "I'll Be Around" and "The Ending" seem to be channeled from a different sonic sphere. Songs evoke such diverse influences as the Smiths (a countrified cover of "What Difference Does It Make") and the Who (whose "Pinball Wizard" riffing gets a Tex-Mex twist on "The Monk at the Disco"). Junior teams with Bobby Sr. on "Flat Chested Girl from Maynardville" and dips into the catalog of one of papa Bare's favorite songwriters, Shel Silverstein, for "Painting Her Fingernails." The album's centerpiece anthem, "Dig Down," addresses the challenge of trying to do something original in the wake of Jimi Hendrix, the Pixies, and Chuck Berry. "I do the best with the leftovers I've got," sings Bobby Jr., who plainly recognizes the distinction between homage and derivative mimicry. --Don McLeese

Product Description

"Young Criminal's Starvation League" flirts with Beatles-like harmonies, a fascination with early 70's classic country, and some gen-u-ine Nashville soul, but also delivers a quick sucker punch to the past through literate, biting songwriting. What emerges is a smarter, softer, but somehow still menacing Bobby Bare Jr. The backing talents of folks like Paul Burch, Paul Niehaus, and a smooth horn section give it a vibe that gets under your skin and will have you howling at the moon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp Alt Country from Bar Punk Master, February 21, 2003

By A Customer

If you are familiar with "traditional" Bare Jr then you already know that none of their amplifiers go lower than 9 and can guarentee that your ear drums will be bleeding by the time you walk out of the concert hall. However, in place of the guitar crunch and distorted vocals, Bare Jr. puts low-fi recording gear and an acoustic guitar in his presence. His skill as a songwriter & lyricist really shine through in every track on this record. It's a great mellow CD for just about any occasion, as it winds its way through catchy "altcountry-pop", folk-like improvisations, and the occasional pedal steel and "y'all". His band is super tight and never plays anything that overshadows the core of the song itself. Highlights on the album (well...all of it), are "Bullet Through My Teeth" in which Bobby Bare Sr himself sings back up vocals, "Stay In Texas" which features some nifty pedal steel work reminiscent of the streets of Austin, and "Painting Her Fingernails", which tells a bitter tale of a lonely heart. I highly highly recommend picking this album if you are into just putting on some great music in the background, if you are driving anywhere, or just want to relax in general. This album is a top 5 in my collection!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Durn good music, August 13, 2002

By	"trixie_toenail" (JSM) - See all my reviews

I am not a fan of country music, so I really wondered what I was thinking when I bought this album after only hearing two songs. Fortunately for my wallet, it is fantastic. It's more than country (thanks be!), it's more than rock- it's a wonderful mix of styles, sounds, and personality. Suffice it to say that this cd has not left my stereo since I got it. It's in heavy, heavy rotation.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great CD, July 21, 2002

By	Lauren (MO United States) - See all my reviews

This cd provides a mix of sounds and lyrics and smashes 'em all together and its fantastic! It is such an interesting combination of tones, harmonies, and instrumental talent I can't help but listen to every song over and over. Bobby Bare Jr.'s rock/country voice makes this music unique and I highly recommend it.