DRIVE BY TRUCKERS

THE FINE PRINT

2009-10-03

With everything from alternate takes of released material to tracks that simply didn’t fit into the final mix of tracks that made up some of their best discs, this collection is a treasure trove for Drive By Truckers fans. "Rebels" is the band’s take on the classic Tom Petty track that was used for the show King of the Hill. The jangly guitar work and high energy that fuel that track carry over to the rocking "Uncle Frank", "When the Well Runs Dry" and "Goode’s Field Road". Slowing things down the band gives a history lesson on the impact of the Tennessee Valley Authority on the acoustic "TVA" and weaves a stark first party tale of arson and other skullduggery on "The Great Car Dealer War". "Great Big Horse" is a whimsical tale based on an old dirty joke delivered like one of Todd Snider’s talking ballads. The mid-tempo take on Tom T. Hall’s Vietnam War era classic "Mama Bake A Pie (Daddy Kill a Chicken)" remains powerful today as we are mired in yet another war. "Mrs. Claus’ Kimono" probably won’t get many Christmas spins with its low down dirty groove, tales of sexual debauchery with Mrs. Claus and accusations about Santa’s activities with a reindeer but is a fun spin in a twisted kind of way. Taking no prisoners, the band tears into Warren Zevon’s "Play it All Night Long" with a desperate conviction befitting the fact the band had just recently learned of Zevon’s impending death and cut this as a tribute of sorts. Also potent is the band’s take on Dylan’s classic "Like a Rolling Stone" which features a hard hitting musical backdrop and every band member taking a turn at lead vocals. Overall, a solid collection that highlights the band’s versatility and unshackles it from the tight themes that can make it hard to pluck single songs out of the context of its regular albums. Smitty