Truckers' triumph

The Drive-By Truckers have been on cruise control for the last couple of releases and with most of their guitar-weilding competition going twee or hiding behind heavy reverb they could afford to ease up on the pedal. But now that those reckless Dexateens dudes have suddenly appeared in their rearview mirror with a cloud of Alabama dust behind them, the Truckers have wisely decided to gear up and put the hammer down for the righteously rockin' The Big To-Do, their debut recording for Dave Matthews' ATO label.

Although there were some understandable concerns that the solo side project of principle songwriter Patterson Hood might siphon off his choice material, that doesn't appear to have been the case. While there's no question that some of the stuff that wound up on the Murdering Oscar album could've worked for DBT, his lyrical contributions to The Big To-Do are consistently top-notch without the slightest scent of leftovers. In fact, I'd argue that Daddy Learned To Fly, The Fourth Night Of My Drinking, Drag The Lake Charlie and This Fucking Job are among his finest-ever compositions and destined to be loudly requested at shows for years to come. Just the threat of not having Hood's best for the latest album seems to have pushed sidekick guitarist Mike Cooley to new heights of inspiration. If he's written anything near as great as Birthday Boy or Eyes Like Glue before, he must be keeping it under his pillow because I certainly haven't heard it. Even DBT artist-of-choice Wes Freed outdid himself with the kooky-spooky circus-themed paintings for the sleeve and accompanying booklet. An admirable piece of work anyway you look at it.
If the Drive-By Truckers' recent April Fools Day wing-ding at Webster Hall in New York City is any indication of what's in-store at Lee's Palace, you just may need tickets for both shows of their two-night stand with Langhorne Slim tonight and tomorrow (April 6 and 7).
Evidently, the Truckers came up with more worthwhile tunes than they could squeeze onto The Big To-Do so they decided to issue two of them as a limited-edition single with a fetching sleeve for Record Store Day on April 17. Patterson Hood recently made the announcement with a press release you can read below.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS are Proud to Announce
the release of our Exclusive Record Store Day Limited Edition Single Release of
YOUR WOMAN IS A LIVIN' THING / JUST MAYBE
Available at a fine independent record store near you on April 17.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS are proud to be a part of this year's Record Store Day.
Like the Bald Eagle and Healthcare Reform we almost let it get away before pulling out the stops and saving them in the nick of time.
The Bald Eagle has returned in fine form, but independent record stores are STILL an endangered species.
Every year more and more of these precious national resources are shuttered and closed.
Just last month I heard that one of my favorites is in dire straits.

This year we will be releasing a very special single for Record Store Day, but first let me take you back in time to January of 2009.
Bush was still in the White House and Sully was an anonymous pilot working his job.
Drive-By Truckers were toiling away in the studio beginning what would become their 10th album.
One night a strange alignment of stars interacted with the perfect chemical component setting off a chain reaction of events, fitfully captured on 2" magnetic tape stock as the wily Producer
handed over a vintage handheld microphone to a celebratory Mike Cooley during the playback of a new instrumental Shonna Tucker composition which said band had just duly nailed in a fit of R&B perfection never beheld before and WHALAH!!!

Almost everyone in that room knew that magic had just occurred.
A stream of conscious wallop of redneck beat poetry,
A channeling of the early morning rant of a Georgia taxi driver concerning the closing of another local industry into a form both compelling and idyllic in its inspiration, articulation and execution.
YOUR WOMAN IS A LIVIN' THING became nearly everyone in the band's favorite song of the 30+ songs we recorded last year.
Would it go on The Big To-Do or perhaps be the fitting end to Go-Go Boots?
"Neither" said, Mike Cooley.
"No one will ever hear it but us. It's for us and us only".
But Goddamn, Cooley!
"NO".
Months of negotiation (much like healthcare) but the stubborn NO held until...

An eleventh hour compromise:

See, Cooley loves Record Stores too.
He deemed that YOUR WOMAN IS A LIVIN' THING be released on vinyl and vinyl only
to independent record stores to celebrate that most special of nationally recognized days.
He was so excited, he even went home and wrote and recorded a B-Side (JUST MAYBE) just for the occasion.

Patterson Hood
Drive-By Truckers


LINKS
myspace http://www.myspace.com/drivebytruckers
site www.drivebytruckers.com