Drive-By Truckers Album: “Blessing and a Curse”

Most of the reviews here make a whole lot of sense to me, even the bitter ones. This is NOT in the same league as SRO, Decoration Day nor Dirty South. I was expecting something of that calibre but was very dissapointed when I heard it for the first time. Not a heck of alot of depth here, what happened to the songwriting? I couldnt believe all 3 DBT songwriters went into the songwriting tank at the same time. How could this happen to 3 brilliant writers simultaneously?

What I am finding now after about the 50th listen is that although the songwriting is not as interesting, its a fun album to groove to for music itself. The playing on this album is WAY beyond any of there previous outings, it is slick and polished but it sounds great. The guitars duel the drums kick and the vocals are first rate. The songs are good... not great... but you get used to them after a while and find yourself singing along.

Check it out

ML

The last sonic hayride the DBT's took us through the Dirty South and showed us what all was going on that's wrong and crooked. This time, on A Blessing and a Curse, we are served up tales of lost love and excess.

On "Goodbye" we hear a wrenching farewell bid to a dear old friend. Anyone who has ever wondered where the hell a close friend disappeared to in this wild orgy called life will appreciate this song.

"Little Bonnie" is a song that will bring tears to your eyes. This album is worth purchasing for this song alone.

And, as always, the artwork of Wes Freed is breathtaking.

and when I say rock, I mean true rock n-friggin-roll.

This album is more of the same from the Truckers, yet so different I just want to ask them, "how the hell do you do it??"

A lot of reviewers are quick to highlight that the Truckers have shed their "southern rock" skin for this album, and that's easy to see...however, in the words of Jason Isbell, "most classic rock was either directly influenced by or came from the South."

So in Blessing we see the Truckers paying homage to their rock n' roll influences from across the water (Stones, Faces, etc...).

But, we all know who influenced all those guys don't we?

That's right...so it all comes full circle, yet again echoeing the motto of Patterson Hood since Southern Rock Opera..."Such is the duality of the Southern Thing."

My only criticism is that Isbell and Cooley only have two tracks each on here, but there's noone else I would want out there pickin' up the slack like Hood does so effortlessly.

Even tho their quantity of songs are low, Isbell and Cooley's quality hits you so hard you may need a shot of whiskey to get you back up off the floor.

Can you say pure unapologetic honky-tonkin' rock and roll?

I knew you could.

I can't write about the Truckers without mentioning two of the best rhythm musicians out there, from which no one would be able to keep in time if it weren't for (man, talk about a crappy run-on sentence). As usual, the EZB and beautiful MRS. Shonna keep the Truckers in line throughout the album, imbelishing when necessary, backing off when asked.

Simply put...after my long rambling of course...once you pop this in your cd player or what have you, it will be easy to agree with the last line of the cd said by the oldest Trucker of them all, "It's Great To Be Alive."

I first got this and was upset - thought it wasnt close to masterpieces 'Southern Rock Opera' and 'Dirty South'. But it gets better and better each time I hear it. There aint no bootleggin' or Lynyrd Skynyrd refs, but man this is another great disc from the boys from Alabama. DBT!

A Blessing and a Curse has to be the most concise DBT CD yet, and while folks like me would like a little more quantity, the quality rises throughout. Feb. 14, Gravity's Gone, Easy on Yourself, Little Bonnie, Space City, and World of Hurt are all outstanding. My only complaint is that I would've liked to hear more from Cooley and Isbell on this album, but Cooley proves to be the man on his two songs. Not quite as good as Decoration Day or Dirty South, but still a great CD.