942. Southern Rock Opera

Southern Rock Opera
Drive-By Truckers
2001

Tracks
CD 1:

1. Days Of Graduation
2. Ronnie And Neil
3. 72 (This Highway's Mean)
4. Dead, Drunk And Naked
5. Guitar Man Upstairs
6. Birmingham
7. The Southern Thing
8. Three Great Alabama Icons
9. Wallace
10. Zip City
11. Moved

CD 2:

1. Let There Be Rock
2. Road Cases
3. Women Without Whiskey
4. Plastic Flowers On The Highway
5. Cassie's Brother
6. Life In The Factory
7. Shut Up And Get On The Plane
8. Greenville To Baton Rouge
9. Angels And Fuselage

So this is another album with an interesting concept and a questionable execution. It's a ninety minute rock opera about Lynyrd Skynyrd, specifically Ronnie Van Zant, and Alabama. The track that focused on his death was pretty disturbing, but Drive-By Truckers eventually widen their gaze in an attempt to demonstrate that the South isn't the hellscape we Northerners think it is.

But it doesn't seem like Drive-By Truckers really has their own style. It just sounds like they are trying to be Lynyrd Skynyrd. And they are somewhat successful, but you are always aware that they are trying to imitate somebody else instead of establishing their own sound.

And 90 minutes was excessive.

RATING: 3/5