Drive By Truckers
Album: Decoration Day
Release Date: 2003
The Drive-By Truckers (DBT) sit at the Pantheon of great lyricists, capable of reflecting the emotions of small-town America in a way reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen. On this album, they deal with divorce, suicide, and consequences for choices, yet the music is upbeat and jubilant. It’s not until you look past the guitar solos that you realize how raw and personal the album is lyrically. With “Heathens,” “Your Daddy Hates Me,” and “Something’s Got To Give,” Patterson Hood delivers his divorce trilogy in the most rockstar way possible. It’s not an apology, but it’s at least an acknowledgment.
At the time of this recording, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley have been playing together for over twenty years but are just getting their first taste of commercial success. Meanwhile, Jason Isbell’s star is rising, and this is the first of three albums featuring him. The songs Jason produced during his DBT years are grittier than his solo work, and he provides a fine example with the title track – a menacing rendition of the Hatfield & McCoy plot. His other contribution, “Outfit,” outlines the advice his father gave a young rock star destined for glory.
Side three has the heaviest material on the album. Several years prior, Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood had a bandmate commit suicide. Unbeknownst to each other, they each showed up to the recording session with a song about the suicide and decided to keep both on the album. The songs show up back-to-back, with Cooley starting things off with “When the Pin Hits the Shell,” and then Patterson finishing with “Do It to Yourself.” The songs capture the feelings of anger, guilt, confusion, and sorrow that come with this kind of tragedy.
Despite the heavy material, it’s not a dark album. If you’ve been to a truckers concert you recognize these as the anthems that get people whooping and waving their beers in the air. It’s fun stuff and, and it is pure no-holds barred guitar rock. It’s an album that connects the dots between the Allman Brothers and Pearl Jam.
This album needs a disclaimer since it breaks from my goal of presenting albums that tell the story of Austin music. DBT are standard bearers for an Athens music scene, that includes an incredible group of bands including REM and Widespread Panic. They might not be from here, but this band survived by touring and Austin has one of the highest concentrations of fans. They play here often enough that they might as well be local. I’ve personally seen them at the Red Eyed Fly, Stubb’s, the Scoot Inn, ACL Fest, Paramount Theatre, and the Moody Theatre. They’ve even (grudgingly) played at SXSW twice. The reason they have so many fans here is that we know this music. They are a natural extension of the country rock blend we’ve been jamming to since the 70’s. They are proud of their Alabama roots, but they are honorary Austinites.
Jack & Coke
This album confronts serious issues without blinking and we are going to match that energy. Jason Isbell was developing a destructive relationship with alcohol during this period. It was a dark path that ultimately led to his split from the band and personal demons he had to battle. His drink of choice was Jack and Coke and we will join him in that libation.
This might not be a “sophisticated” drink but that is no reason to ignore the details. The essential ingredient is Coke, and the best on the market is the glass bottled version from Mexico that contains real cane sugar. The extra sweetness cuts the Jack and lets us mix it strong while maintaining balance. Adding a squeeze of lime at the end introduces a slight complexity to the flavor. Water is the enemy of this drink and you don’t want the ice to water it down. To combat this, use a large cube that melts slowly and preserves the flavor. Or drink it fast.
Ingredients
- 2 oz Jack Daniels Whiskey
- 2 oz Mexican Coke
- Lime Wedge
Directions
- Pour whiskey and coke into a rocks glass and mix with spoon
- Add block of ice
- Squeeze lime
