Drive-by Truckers Release Long Awaited Deluxe Edition Of ‘Southern Rock Opera’ (ALBUM REVIEW)

Drive-by Truckers fans are likely aware of the Deluxe reissue of the band’s breakthrough third album, Southern Rock Opera. Many have likely attended a live performance where the band is playing the original album in its entirety. Because the album has never been released on vinyl, this reissue is sure to attract listeners who favor that format. The fascinating story, now updated and detailed in the 28-page booklet with never-before-seen photos and artwork, is certainly a draw as well not to mention the remastered, remixed, resequenced original, still sounding raw and powerful but a bit cleaner. So, the diehard fans and vinyl enthusiasts may well go for the expanded set.

For those craving more background, this was a long-held dream of Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley who had played together in a band called Adam Housecat and had already released two under-the-radar albums under the Drive-by Truckers name. They were flat broke and recorded the album in the upstairs room of a uniform shop in downtown Birmingham, Alabama in January of 2001 and self-released 5000 copies on, of all days, September 11, 2001. Patterson Hood describes it this way, “A love letter to the 70s arena rock of our youth and a coming-of-age story about a fictitious rock ‘n’ roll band in the post-civil rights South. An examination of coming to terms with the conflicted emotions many Southerners have had about our home region and something that we referred to as ‘The Duality of the Southern Thing.’  At the time, the DBTs the two main songwriters Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley along with guitarist and songwriter Rob Malone, bassist Earl Hicks, and current longtime drummer Brad Morgan.

This is for those of you who own the original but are on the fence. You are considering whether it is worthwhile to step up. There is a third LP of new material packaged separately within the set, with Side A entitled Betamax Guillotine, which was the originally conceived title of the 2-LP project before Patterson Hood was mercifully convinced to change it. Anyway, on Side A are two studio songs recommended to play between Acts I and II of the original – “Mystery Song,” the best of the new ones and it’s getting played on the tour; and “Moved,” The side also begins with an alternate take of “Birmingham.” Side B- Live in Atlanta 2001 has four tracks recorded at The Earl on November 24, 2001 – the new “Don’t Cockblock the Rock,” and versions of “Zip City,” “Road Cases,” and “72 (This Highway’s Mean),” the latter three appearing as studio versions on the first two LPs.

So, in essence, there are just three new songs on that third LP, which to these ears are okay, but not of the quality of many of the songs in the original project. The same can be said for the live versions. While there’s arguably more energy, the sound quality doesn’t measure up to the remastered studio versions. Of note, however, Cooley’s song “72 (This Highway’s Mean)” seems to feature a teenaged Jason Isbell, who had just joined the band that Fall. 

As a long-time follower of the Drive-by Truckers, diehards and perhaps newcomers to the band aside, you can opt for the box set or put your hard-earned money on tickets for a live show rather than ponying up for the package, or both. For what it’s worth, my recommendation is the former. As Hood says, “We’ll be hitting the road, three guitars blazing, and telling y’all a story…It’ll be a different and very special show, and very likely the last time we’ll ever do it so DON’T MISS IT!”  That’s my intent.