Southern Rock Opera

Performer: Drive-By Truckers
Artist: Kelly Hogan; Annie Richmond Boston
Engineer: Dick Cooper; Earl Hicks; Dick Cooper
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Drive-By Truckers: Mike Cooley, Earl Hicks, Brad Morgan, Rob Malone, Patterson Hood. Additional personnel includes: Kelly Hogan, Annie Richmond, Boston. Producers: Drive-By Truckers, Dick Cooper, David Barbe. Includes liner notes by Patterson Hood. Adapter: Lilla Hood. Audio Mixer: David Barbe. Liner Note Author: Patterson Hood. Recording information: Birmingham, AL. Photographers: Patrick Hood; Wes Freed. A sprawling two-disc set, the Drive-By Truckers' SOUTHERN ROCK OPERA is a cracked masterpiece that's enjoyable on several different levels. Hipsters might enjoy the giggly premise of a two-disc set devoted to a slightly altered retelling of the rise and fall of 1970s Southern rock icons Lynyrd Skynyrd. Progressive rock fans lamenting the modern era's relative lack of story-driven albums divided into "Act I" and "Act II" will latch onto SOUTHERN ROCK OPERA with the same passion with which they embraced THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY. And most importantly, unreconstructed Southern rockers of the boogie-and-beer variety will appreciate the fact that this is an unapologetic, non-ironic valentine to the sound of not only Skynyrd, but the Allman Brothers, the Marshall Tucker Band, and the modern-day jam bands that are their musical descendents. Funny and surprisingly sad, passionate but with obvious good humor, SOUTHERN ROCK OPERA must be experienced to be understood.

Rolling Stone (1/31/02, p.54) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Explodes the yahoo baggage of 1970s Southern rock in a roaring memoir of gorwing up white, loud and desperate in the former Confederacy..." Spin (1/03, p.72) - Ranked #23 on Spin's list of 2002's "Albums of the Year" - "...Fictionalizing the bourbon-soaked saga of Lynyrd Skynyrd, SOUTHERN ROCK is a hard-rock history lesson for anyone who's ever yelled out for 'Freebird' and meant it." Q (9/02, p.104) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...This is indeed a rock opera...and they are unafraid to rock. Bonkers of course, but it's also a treat."

Despite tongue-in-cheek album titles like SOUTHERN ROCK OPERA and GANGSTABILLY, Athens, Georgia's Drive-by Truckers take their Lynyrd Skynyrd very seriously, as well as their Neil Young and their Replacements. Redneck rock for the 2000s liberal indie-rock crowd, DBTs play straight-up, heartfelt classic rock with a genuine love for the music. Although their lyrics often contain doses of wry humor, it's never at Dixie's expense.

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