A Large Measure Please

Having been a huge fan of southern rock for over 40 years, I still struggle sometimes to define the term much beyond the geographic. My introduction to the genre was the Allman Brothers Band who I’ve loved since the early 1970s then in November 1975 I saw a different example of southern rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd. One of the finest sights I’ve ever seen was Ronnie Van Zant flanked by his two guitarists at the front of the Rolling Stones stage as the sun set over the Knebworth festival in August 1976. Anyway, this is an album review not a ramble over great shows. But there is a connection here; Skynyrd spawned a generation of hard rocking southern bands and now there is a further generation; Blackberry Smoke, Cadillac Three and these guys, Whiskey Myers.  I have to admit to thinking there was a sameness creeping into more recent recordings but perhaps that is just my unfamiliarity. To put that right I’ve been listening a lot to the new release from Whiskey Myers, Mud.  

This is the band’s fourth album since their debut in 2008. The five founding members; Cody Cannon (lead vocals and guitar), Cody Tate, John Jeffers (guitars), Gary Brown ( bass) and Jeff Hogg (drums) have been joined by fiddler/keyboard player Jon Knudson and percussionist Tony Kent. At first I thought they were following a well-trodden path but a week later I’m reminded that southern does include blues, country, bluegrass as well as rock. Produced by Dave Cobb on equipment that the previous generation could have used, Mud has all of the above and is both a reminder that in Whiskey Myers the south flourishes with new talent that pulls on all the strands identified by their famous predecessors.

Just in case anyone thinks they are in for an album of relentless boogie a fiddle opens Mud with On the River and immediately you realise these boys honour their roots, this song being about the struggles of frontier life. Title track Mud brings them to more recent hard times where the subject is foreclosure, “Let me stay in the place I was born”.  This may have been early 21st century but against powerful playing by the guitarists the theme is clear, we’ve been here a long time and we’re not moving. Cash himself could have written this.

Lightening Bugs and Rain brings in a mix of horns, acoustic and electric guitars then the pulsating beat returns in Deep Down in the South (where else?). Further evidence of the strength and of their roots comes in Trailer We Call Home co-written by Darrell Scott. It’s a voice that just says test me and I’ll come out on top. It’s about a hard life striving for a better one. This is country. “One on the hip and one on the way”, “tried so hard to get it right”, “here in this trailer we call home“.

Some of Your Love sounds more UK than southern USA, is that Bad Company? With its piano intro, Stone is like an anthem, a majestic blend of all Whiskey Myers can throw at you building up to some great slide.  About a navy seal, “I’m a frogman” has variety and contrast and how could a band prove its country heritage better than naming a song, Hank?  The final track Good Ole Days signs off with what could be the band’s mission statement, “Can’t just play it, got to be part of your life“.

This is an album that rocks but Whiskey Myers know very well where they come from, are proud of that heritage and draw extensively from all its musical strands. If that’s southern music, then that’s just fine by me. This is definitely roots too.

Calling Brit southern fans; they are over here in December.