Drive-By-Truckers-Brighter Than Creation’s Dark

This 2008 album is their best(so far)I haven’t listened to their last two records very much. I liked it so much I bought two copies in 2008,one is still in the shrink wrap. This is a double album with eight songs by Hood,six from Cooley and three by Shonna Tucker so there is something for everyone on this record. The first song on the record “Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife” was written about the murder of fellow musician Bryan Harvey, a member of House Of Freaks and Gutterball,who was killed along with his family during a string of home invasions and murders in Richmond Virginia in January of 2006. “3 Dimes Down is one of Cooley’s most rocking songs followed by “The Righteous Path” another of Hood’s songs about the troubles of the working man. Then there is “I’m Sorry Huston” a slow Country song by Tucker.The side ends with “Perfect Timing” another Cooley song. On side two we have “Daddy Needs A Drink”,Self Destructive Zones” ,”Home Field Advantage”,Tuckers best song,and “The Opening Act” one of my favorites on the record. Also on side two and leading off side three are two delightful Cooley songs “Bob” and “Lisa’s Birthday” in his more Country style.Side three also has two powerful anti-war songs by Hood “The Man I Shot” and “The Home Front” although I guess all songs about war are anti-war,I don’t know any pro-war songs. The last song on side three,Cooley’s “Checkout Time In Vegas” includes the line from which the title of the record comes from. “You And Your Crystal Meth” is a haunting song about drug addiction that opens side four and “Goode’s Field Road” is a song written for The Dirty South record but left off . They re-recorded a more rocking version for this record. Next is Cooley’s “A Ghost To Most” a song the have played in concert almost every time I have seen them. The last song on the record “Monument Valley” Hood says was written for the pioneering director John Ford who made many of his Westerns in that area. An excellent record and certainly one of the best from 2008. Spooner Oldham who was a member of The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section along with Patterson’s father David helped out on organ throughout the record and participated in the mini Dirt Underneath “unplugged ” Tour in 2007.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *