His writing is elementary for his pop success. He also just adds way too many runs for no reason in his live show to show off. he's meh
Thoughts on The Unraveling? Through the first listen, I like the two Cooley songs, Rosemary, and Babies in Cages.
Unless Stapleton quits playing his poppy stuff and goes back to the steel drivers. Then he can probably stay
I never thought I’d say this but Cooley is the weak link imo. I know he suffered from writers block a while back and I’d be surprised if Patterson didn’t write his two tracks. Also, his voice isn’t as strong as it used to be. On the whole, I like the album. It’s got a Pizza Deliverance feel to it (but unfortunately with an Uncle Frank)
Cooley gave a quote to No Depression in the lead up to release day for this one that’s definitely a bit worrisome. “I don’t get excited about things. Excited people get on daddy’s nerves,” he says, almost lyrically. “I didn’t find this album to be personal to me. I wanted it to be, but I wasn’t there when I was writing it. It’s a good record, don’t get me wrong. But I need some reassurance that I’m not done, and I’m not finding it.” Cooley’s worry is rooted in a bout of writer’s block both he and Hood experienced over the last few years. When The Unraveling was first announced, the news and press releases played up this fact. “Writer’s block seems to be part of the narrative, but this time the narrative happens to be true,” Cooley says. “That’s rare in this business.”
I’ll reserve judgment on whether Cooley is the weak link, but I was definitely disappointed there are only two Cooley songs, one of which they have been playing live for over a year. I do think Slow Ride Argument sounds like Cooley’s writing. Haven’t dug into the other song well enough to judge. I noticed the voice thing as well. I wonder if it has something to do with him quitting smoking.
Spun through it a couple times now. I like the album a good bit, but don't imagine it'll ever be close to anyone's favorite DBT album either. Rosemary with a Bible and a Gun and 21st Century USA are great Patterson songs. Slow Ride Argument is a damn good Cooley, though the mix on it doesn't do him many favors. Clown Baby's Pizza Deliverance comp is a good one, I think.
‘01-‘11 is quite a decade Year Album Song 2016 American Band "Ramon Casiano" "Surrender Under Protest" "Filthy and Fried" "Kinky Hypocrite" "Once They Banned Imagine" 2014 English Oceans "Shit Shots Count" "Primer Coat" "Made Up English Oceans" "Hearing Jimmy Loud" "Natural Light" "First Air of Autumn" 2011 Go-Go Boots "Cartoon Gold" "The Weakest Man" "Pulaski" 2010 The Big To Do "Birthday Boy" "Get Downtown" "Eyes Like Glue" 2008 Brighter Than Creation's Dark "3 Dimes Down" "Perfect Timing" "Self Destructive Zones" "Bob" "Lisa's Birthday" "Checkout Time in Vegas" "A Ghost to Most" 2006 A Blessing and a Curse "Gravity's Gone" "Space City" 2004 The Dirty South "Where the Devil Don't Stay" "Carl Perkins' Cadillac" "Cottonseed" "Daddy's Cup" 2003 Decoration Day "Marry Me" "Sounds Better in the Song" "When the Pin Hits the Shell" "Loaded Gun in the Closet" 2001 Southern Rock Opera "72 (This Highway's Mean)" "Guitar Man Upstairs" "Zip City" "Women Without Whiskey" "Shut Up and Get on the Plane" 2001 Pizza Deliverance "Uncle Frank" "One of These Days" "Love Like This" 1998 Gangstabilly "Panties in Your Purse"
I need to listen to it more. They've played Slow Ride Argument a bunch live so just more familiar with it.
DBT is playing your birthday party and Patterson has strep throat. You only have enough money for a half-hour set (or about 7 Cooley songs). What are they?
Mine would be: Birthday Boy A Ghost to Most Where the Devil Don’t Stay Uncle Frank 3 Dimes Down Self Destructive Zones Zip City Encore: Gravity’s Gone
3DD Guitar Man Upstairs Birthday Boy Ghost to Most Zip City Gravity’s Gone Women Without Whiskey Although it would be way different if the were in their acoustic, record store setup.
I’d like to note that the birthday aspect has nothing to do with my choosing of Birthday Boy. I’m a little younger than most on here. I had been a DBT fan for a year or two, but that was the first album that came out during my time as a DBT fan. I still remember very vividly listening to that song for the first time.
steve McQueen The righteous path The perilous night Panties in your purse Where the devil don’t stay Gravity’s gone Perfect timing encore: ever south
I’m underwhelmed by the album, unfortunately. It’s more reminiscent of the big to do and go go boots run, where you can tell they forced some songs more than they’d like. When you’ve been as prolific as they have, this type of shit can happen. I’m not concerned by cooley’s comments, either. They’ve been making great albums for a long, long time and toured extensively. Any artist is going to have those roadblocks along the way, where the creative juices aren’t flowing like normal. Plenty of bands go years between albums and it’s just not something they’ve done. I hope the next one finds their footing.
Birthday Boy Where The Devil Don't Stay Marry Me Women Without Whiskey Ghost to Most Pulaski Zip City Encore: 72 (This Highway's Mean)
Uh, the Big To-Do is a solid album with some excellent songs. Go Go Boots is weak and they should’ve just combined the two and cut the fat.
One of these days Uncle Frank Ghost to most Where the devil don’t stay Gravity’s Gone Marry Me Zip City Encore: ‘72 “This highway’s mean”
None of the songs on English Oceans stick out to me as favorites, but to me it’s one of their better albums start to finish. Every song is so damn solid. I have a lot of “damn I forgot how much I love x song” moments from that album.
Little Pony and Great Big Horse As for the Cooley set-list: Where The Devil Don't Stay Carl Perkins' Cadillac Uncle Frank When the Pin Hits the Shell Women Without Whiskey Marry Me Gravity’s Gone E: Zip City
Listening again, I’m really irritated by the mix on Slow Ride Argument. Maybe some of that is to protect Cooley’s voice, but it muddles a damn good song.
Yeah, that’s what inspired my comment earlier. It feels like they tried to drown him out and/or Cooley didn’t have the confidence to belt it
Got a good laugh out of the Rolling Stone review that said Slow Ride Argument was Cooley’s ode to joyriding, which, no.
Listened for about 30 mins of Patterson and Cooley on SiriusXM Spectrum’s Writers Block. Pretty good listen if you have Sirius.