Review of Not Alone & She's Righteous
By David Masciotra
“Hell yeah.” It is not only a lyric from “She’s Righteous,” but a key summary and summation of what this advance release and preview of the Righteous Hillbillies next album communicates. Their first album was a collection of great rock and roll songs, bathed in the blood of ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Black Crowes, and dried off with a country twang straight from the delta. But, if these two songs—“Not Alone” and “She’s Righteous”—are any indication of what is to come from the Righteous Hillbillies, we can excitedly attempt to rest without a moment’s peace, while anticipating the rock and roll storm forming on the horizon. The debut, self-titled album was simply a preview of what is to come—foreplay for the ultimate aphrodisiac the boys have been cooking up. Indeed; songwriters Brent and Kevin were just getting warm.
“Not Alone” is a tribute to the sacrifice of the American troops that anyone—from the war cheerleader to the anti-war pinko like your humble correspondent—could applaud and appreciate. The lyrics are a reminder that too many young men and women, along with their families, are going through hell while the rest of us live within the stability and safety of our daily routines. This is not a “Support the Troops” bumper sticker. It is a deep, stirring call for empathy that places the listener in the boots and behind the eyes of the American soldier. The fact that the song is being sent, free of charge, to thousands of servicemen and women overseas only solidifies the band’s purpose and the integrity imbued in the song. The music begins with an acoustic guitar and down tempo documentation of the existential struggle of the soldier. Brent James sings and Kevin Wright fires notes from his guitar with the emotional nuance and resonance necessary to carry a message of such weight. Steadily, the music builds into a representation of the marching of the machinery of the war theater. When Brent holds out those notes in the word “alone” at the song’s conclusion, Kevin brings his guitar to a crescendo, and Kenny Gerk and Johnny Gadeikis pick up the intensity of the rhythm and foundation, the only human reaction possible is a weepy, war weary, but respectful and reverent, salute to the service and struggle of the soldier.
A few seconds after “Not Alone” dramatically ends, “She’s Righteous” begins with Kevin Wright, announcing via his weapon of mass destruction, the arrival of not only a rock ready character—a woman who drinks Jack Daniels and plays Back in Black on loop—but also the coming of a new band. The Righteous Hillbillies are prepared to raise the stakes from entertainment to that old time rock and roll religion, where transcendence from the ordinary circumstances of everyday life is possible and audience participation is expectable. Brent James’ slick, yet sincere, big, yet bawdy vocals emphasize and dramatize this story of a woman conquering the club, and a band taking over all visible territory. The song sends a shout out to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Johnny Cash, and AC/DC, and manages to both honor, and live respectfully within the company of those legends. If “She’s Righteous” does not get you moving, dancing, and singing, you might as well sign your “do not resuscitate” order at the nearest opportunity.
The Righteous Hillbillies have declared their intention to dominate a craft and art form, and the only thing listeners can do, is take delight in the surprise that they will provide you with joy, excitement, and an injection of life, in all too often deadened and homogenized musical status quo, while they are blowing you away.
Hell yeah.
David Masciotra--Author of Working On a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen (Continuum Books) |
The Righteous Hillbillies + Charlie Daniels Band October 1, 2009: Rialto Square Theatre
Read the review. |
