Drive-By Truckers – Southern Rock Opera

I never really knew about this band until I met my wife. Sometimes I get confused because of the two singers and not really liking one of them, but this is a really good band. Especially on a road trip. Any fans of good storytelling and the South will love these guys. Any fans of music period will too.

Southern Rock Opera is the third studio album by the alt country band Drive-By Truckers. It was a double album and released in 2001. Covering an ambitious range of subject matter from the politics of race to 70s stadium rock, Southern Rock Opera either imagines, or filters, every topic through the context of legendary Southern band, Lynyrd Skynyrd. The record was originally self-released on Soul Dump Records. It was re-released on July 16, 2002 by Lost Highway Records. The album was financed by issuing promissory notes in exchange for loans from fans, family and friends of the band.

The album’s artwork was done by Virginia artist, Wes Freed.

Disc one: Act one: Betamax Guillotine

1. “Days of Graduation” (Hood)
2. “Ronnie and Neil” (Hood)
3. “72 (This Highway’s Mean)” (Cooley)
4. “Dead, Drunk, and Naked” (Hood)
5. “Guitar Man Upstairs” (Cooley)
6. “Birmingham” (Hood)
7. “The Southern Thing” (Hood)
8. “The Three Great Alabama Icons” (Hood)
9. “Wallace” (Hood)
10. “Zip City” (Cooley)
11. “Moved” (Malone)

Disc two: Act two

1. “Let There Be Rock” (Hood)
2. “Road Cases” (Hood)
3. “Women Without Whiskey” (Cooley)
4. “Plastic Flowers on the Highway” (Hood)
5. “Cassie’s Brother” (Malone)
6. “Life in the Factory” (Hood)
7. “Shut Up and Get on the Plane” (Cooley)
8. “Greenville to Baton Rouge” (Hood)
9. “Angels and Fuselage” (Hood)

Band

• Mike Cooley – lyrics, vocals, guitar
• Earl Hicks – bass
• Patterson Hood – lyrics, vocals, guitar
• Rob Malone – lyrics, vocals, guitar
• Brad Morgan – drums

Guest performers

• Kelly Hogan – vocals
• Anne Richmond Boston – vocals
• Jyl Freed – vocals
• Amy Pike – vocals

There is a good page on the band’s website with comments on each of the songs on this album. The comments are written by singer Patterson Hood.

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