SOUTHERN ROCK OPERA Vinyl Record

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.
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.

• Format: Vinyl
• Label: New West Records
• Genre: Pop