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- Date Released: April 11, 2006
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Indie Rock
- Label: Merge Records
Nashville armada plays Pin the Tail on the Genre.
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We Say...
Even though Nashville's insularity may seem near-insurmountable in 2006, the city's finest players have always thrived on soaking up outside influences, from Memphis' rockabilly to rhythm & blues to sharp, Appalachian bluegrass. Appropriately, alt-country heroes Lambchop, one of Nashville's most beloved post-Opry institutions, have cranked out nine LPs of mismatched country, punk, noise, soul, jazz, and rock & roll that are as varied and bizarre as the city that spawned them.
With a roster that stretches to include, at times, eighteen members, Lambchop have always had plenty of hands free to dip into Nashville's cultural cookie jars, and the retrospective The Decline of Country and Western Civilization, Part II (there is no Part I) ably documents all of Lambchop's sonic experiments, from lo-fi noodling to tight, horn-riddled jams. Arranged chronologically (from 1994 through 2006), Decline is also a testament to the band's sense of humor, which is even more impressive considering alt-country's penchant for grim, earnest wails — check the tragi-giggles of "Mr. Crabby" or the sonic circus of "Two Kittens Don't Make a Puppy." Long-time fans will be satiated by the inclusion of four alternate takes, a Belgian-only single ("It's Impossible"), two British B-sides ("Alumni Lawn," "Burly & Johnson"), and the record's closing track, the previously unreleased "Gettysburg Address." Nudging and sweet, "Gettysburg Address" layers tinkling piano over feedback that sounds more like a far-off train whistle, while vocalist Kurt Wagner coos gently about "the pain that's the same" — a fittingly ironic end to a record that only confirms Lambchop's determined diversity. -
They Say...
Lambchop is a group that takes an obvious pride in working on a grand scale -- this is a band that's swelled to as many as 16 members at times and in 2004 released two full-length albums on the same day -- so it should come as no surprise that they've come up with more worthwhile material than they've found room for on their LPs. The Decline of Country & Western Civilization, Pt. 2: The Woodwind Years compiles 18 performances that otherwise haven't appeared on a Lambchop album: compilation appearances, B-sides, contributions to split singles, unreleased alternate takes, and one brand new number, "Gettysburg Address." No one familiar with Lambchop should be surprised that this compilation reflects the stylistic shape-sifting that's part of the group's raison d'etre; while the witty but cryptic lyrics and evocatively murmured vocals of leader Kurt Wagner are the glue that holds this set together, musically this disc runs the gamut from thundering guitar-powered rock enriched with horns and steel guitar ("The Scary Caroler"), the jazzy atonalities of "Burly and Johnson," and the muted trumpets and electronic treatments of "Two Kittens Don't Make a Puppy" to the shambolic but easygoing drift of "Ovary Eyes" and the white-bread soul strut of "Alumni Lawn." About the only thing that unites this stuff is that Lambchop is going to do what they want to do, and it's always going to be at least interesting, while the best music is wildly evocative and truly moving stuff. However, given the scattershot nature in which this was recorded, The Decline of Country & Western Civilization isn't especially cohesive, and a few tunes were clearly saved for B-sides because they weren't quite A-list material. Still, anyone who already loves Lambchop will find several reminders of why on this collection, and it'll tide over fans until Wagner and Company release their next major statement.
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| 01. |  |
My Cliché |
4:51 |
|
| 02. | |
Loretta Lung |
3:19 |
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| 03. | |
Two Kittens Don't Make a Puppy |
2:04 |
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| 04. | |
It's Impossible |
5:37 |
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| 05. | |
Ovary Eyes |
3:10 |
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| 06. | |
I Can Hardly Spell My Name |
3:40 |
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| 07. | |
The Scary Caroler |
3:06 |
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| 08. | |
Your Life as a Sequel |
4:21 |
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| 09. | |
Smuckers |
2:02 |
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| 10. | |
Alumni Lawn |
2:48 |
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| 11. | |
Burly and Johnson |
3:28 |
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| 12. | |
Mr. Crabby |
3:42 |
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| 13. | |
Playboy, the Shit |
5:33 |
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| 14. | |
Gloria Leonard |
4:44 |
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| 15. | |
The Old Fat Robin |
5:18 |
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| 16. | |
The Distance From Her to There |
4:05 |
|
| 17. | |
The Book I Haven't Read |
4:43 |
|
| 18. | |
Gettysburg Address |
5:59 |
|
18 Total Tracks, 72:30 Total Length
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Playlists If you like Lambchop, check out these member playlists
Credits
- Jim DeMain - Mastering // Mark Nevers - Group Member // Matt Swanson - Group Member // Hank Tilbury - Group Member // Mac McCaughan - Trumpet // Kurt Wagner - Group Member // Alex McManus - Group Member // Tony Crow - Group Member // Steve Goodhue - Group Member // Paul Niehaus - Group Member // Paul Burch - Group Member // Deanna Varagona - Group Member // Marc William Trovillion - Group Member // Allen Lowrey - Group Member // Dennis Cronin - Group Member // Jonathan Marx - Group Member // Scott C. Chase - Group Member // John Delworth - Group Member // Jim Watkins - Group Member // William Tyler - Group Member // Ryan Norris - Group Member
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