One of Mike Cooley's contributions to Drive By Truckers "The Dirty South", definitely one of my favorite albums. This song is part of a 3 song suite along w/ Boys From Alabama and Buford Stick. All touch on the crime, corruption and dirty dealins in the dirty South. This piece tells the story of an Alabama badass, a gangster, robber, shooter. He knows where the bodies are buried and exudes an aura of menace. Do not fuck with this guy. He's done some time, but it didn't phase him none. Now he's out, got his moll and is giving talks to "unspoiled faces and curious bright eyes". Maybe the JUCO lecture circuit, maybe shopping his manuscript, maybe probation requirement, maybe he got religion (probably not). His girl urges him to say what he's gonna say and come on home to her. He's a bad old man.

Just a heart wrenchingly sad tale of loss and sacrifice. Marines are usually buried in a Dress Blue uniform so this fallen Marine is "sleepin in your Dress Blues". The parents that lose a son, the wife that loses her husband, the baby that loses a father, the nation that loses a young man, all are brought low with grief and loss and pride and anger. What do the old warriors think? Those men who also were in war and did things and saw things that no body should have to do or see. The plans, the dreams, the life cut short. Watch HBO's "Taking Chance" or read "Letters Home" to get a true sense of the love and sacrifice involved. This tune captures it as well.

This is actually a Jason Isbell tune, written while he was with DBT. He plays it, I don't think DBT plays any of his tunes now. I just caught him at Word Of South festival. Shook hands with George Clinton as well. It was high up on the food chain. He said that his early songwriting was inspired by events that happened to his family and friends, so he's heavy on tales of crime (Never Gonna Change) and alienation (The Day John Henry Died) and feuds (Decoration Day). Never Gonna Change is a real rocker, celebrating hard living and the outlaw ethos and clearly, not changing one's ways in the face of criticism or opprobation.

Some early Good Ol Grateful Dead drama. Yep, Mickey's dad, Lenny, was a manager/road guy/office cat who decamped from the band with a suitcase full of cash. It led to Mickey's "hiatus". But with "nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile" he eventually rejoined and they continued down the golden road. In heavy rotation as a 2nd Set-Pre Drums piece from Eur 72 til the END.

The song is OK, I prefer their earlier stuff. This song, however is the soundtrack to one of the best "beat downs" in all movie-dom. Yes, Morty, in a towering rage, absolutely taking apart fat-ass Freddy as payback for Freddy getting Morty pinched and sent to gaol. A chance meeting in a café, down on his luck Freddy hits Morty up for a meal, then a loan. Morty, stone-faced (but you know inside he's seething, roaring) complies, peeling off pound notes "Ten's..a nice...round...number", then, explosion! It is an epic assault, the song fuzzes in and out, the camera goes in and out of focus, sometimes wide shot, sometimes POV. It is brutal. Morty takes all his rage out on hapless loser Freddy. Kicking, punching, stomping, all the while taunting him "What's happening? Been away 10 fuckin years!" "You need a red light?", Mr.X "Morty! He's had enough" "I'LL say when he's fuckin had enough!", "But let's forget about all of that, let's have a cuppa tea instead." as he pours a pot of steaming tea on Freddy's broken body. Bonus points for intercut scenes of Duke and Slasher getting wacked.

This is the Only Band That Matters in full throated roar. All the elements are together, the exploration of different musical styles( ska chatting (Tell your ma-ma-ma, tell your pa-pa-pa everything's gonna be all right, the swirling organ...), the call to arms (Everybody smash up your seats and rock to this brand new beat, This here music mash up the nation, This here music cause a sensation), the shaming of evil doers (To the coolest Mobsters in Kingstown, With the hardest eyes and the coolest tongue, Is your heart so made of rock that the blood must flow 'round the clock). London Calling was the breakthrough, the revelation, the announcement to the wider musical world that THIS band, and THIS album had changed the game.

A classic R. Hunter take on aging, coping and getting by. The happy warrior, dealing w/ tough times and juvenile delinquents, getting by, "WE" will, collectively. Another Hunter theme, "we're all in this la vida loca together, may as well look out for your brothers and sisters and they'll look out for you, and together, "we will get by". The 'touch of grey" becomes more prominent as we age, our hair gets grey, but, hey, "it kinda suits you anyway". It's gonna happen, we ARE getting older, best we can do is do it with style and grace. Every dark cloud's "silver lining has a touch of grey", as in your age and wisdom contribute to your ability to see things through, survive and thrive. This was turned into their first MTV hit video, they shot it at Laguna Seca Raceway after a "real" show. Naturally, skeletons replaced the guys. Heads marveled how quirky and exact the mannequins resembled the guys. Phil's puppet's butt stuck out, bobby's looked like Bobby, etc. TOG was a 1st Set opener and stayed in the rotation from its first time played. It even got some airplay and I THINK it charted Top Ten. It was their biggest hit and lead to a new generation of Heads.