Southern Rock

Rob links to a Crooked Timber post on music. This is a good post. He gives props to Tom Russell, which gets a lot of respect from me. Mary Gauthier too. But he doesn't like the Drive-By Truckers. He says, "The Drive-By Truckers who struck me as over-loud Skynyrd wannabees."

I don't think he gets the point of the Drive-By Truckers. And it's not just him. Lots of people who don't like DBT say the same thing. I think a lot of this stems from a ingrained aversion to Southern Rock. Many people see Skynard and they think of rednecks from Alabama and the Confederate flag in the background. This was certainly part of Skynard. But they miss that a) there was a lot more going on there culturally than they know and b) the music is good. Lynard Skynard wrote smart songs, were excellent guitar players, and just generally were one of the best bands of the 1970s. The Drive-By Truckers definitely follow in the tradition, as they would be happy to tell you and as anyone who has heard "Southern Rock Opera" knows. That's a good thing. They are building on a fine tradition of American music. Like Skynard, DBT are superb songwriters, great musicians, and put on a wonderful show.

I guess what gets me is that I think people are putting politics and culture over the music. I think that people who don't like that band don't like them for the same reason they don't like Skynard--they don't like the South. And that is not a good reason to like or dislike music. If a person likes Skynard because of the Confederate flag, it's just as bad.

The other thing I want to say about Southern rock comes out of the comments from Lawyers Guns Money, where my earlier post on seeing DBT live is quoted extensively. Some of the commentators took exception to my saying that DBT had said the first interesting thing in the genre of Southern Rock since at least the first Black Crowes album. Some took exception because I tolerate the Black Crowes. Whatever. But others mentioned bands like Gov't Mule and Widespread Panic. I think that Southern Rock has split onto 2 paths. The more commonly tread path today is like Gov't Mule and Widespread--going off into Jam Band territory. I do have a strong dislike of jam bands. I don't think Gov't Mule and Widespread are really saying anything interesting in Southern Rock through their music. In fact, I don't think they are really saying anything at all. Someone who likes jam bands will no doubt disagree with me, but I think bands like those just use words as an excuse to play long, pointless solos. I like my music in the form of songs. So shoot me.