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Avg: 4.0 (289 ratings)
- Date Released: October 3, 1995
- Genre: Country/Folk
- Style: Alt-Country
- Label: Bloodshot Records
An alt.country essential.
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We Say...
Old 97s' second album, released in 1995, showcases all the virtues that would underpin a riotously entertaining career: the Dallas quartet bear a deceptively deep reverence for the rudiments of country (their collective hat is tipped to Bill Monroe on a cover of "My Sweet Blue-Eyed Darlin'"), an unerring ear for the immovable hook ("Victoria" and "The Other Shoe" are just two of the less resistible choruses) and a rarely equaled flair for deadpan lyrical reflection. "W-I-F-E" manages to elicit as much sympathy as an alcoholic philanderer is ever likely to attract, and "Big Brown Eyes" is an unimprovable study in self-medicated self-pity: "A box of red, and a pill or three/ And I'm calling time and temperature just for some company." Later Old 97s' albums are perhaps more polished, but the rugged charms of Wreck Your Life keep it well regarded among the band's notably rabid fans.
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They Say...
While Old 97's second album, 1995's Wreck Your Life, continues the forlorn West Texas twang-a-billy that they pioneered with their debut, the sharp songwriting of vocalist Rhett Miller steps out to the forefront this time around. He weeps through the lovesick romp "Doreen" and chunks through longtime favorite "Big Brown Eyes" with a newfound poetic touch to the age-old traumas of love ("I'm callin' time and temperature just for some company," "You made a big impression for a girl of your size"). At the same time, it's hard to believe the barroom ballad "W-I-F-E" wasn't written by George Jones back in the late '50s. Supporting Miller's keening vocals is bassist and yodeler Murry Hammond, whose musical accents are understated, but without them many a song would fall flat. Well-chosen covers, including the Tex-Mex standard "You Belong to My Heart" and a stomp through "My Sweet Blue-Eyed Darlin'" that would do Bill Monroe proud round out the album, although a few songs near the end seem to lose steam. Nevertheless, Wreck Your Life contains some killer tracks and the band exudes an honest energy that would only improve on future releases.
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| 01. |  |
Victoria |
3:51 |
|
| 02. | |
The Other Shoe |
2:58 |
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| 03. | |
Doreen |
3:42 |
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| 04. | |
You Belong To My Heart |
3:05 |
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| 05. | |
Big Brown Eyes |
4:24 |
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| 06. | |
Dressing Room Walls |
3:55 |
|
| 07. | |
W-I-F-E |
3:31 |
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| 08. | |
Bel Air |
4:04 |
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| 09. | |
My Sweet Blue-Eyed Darlin' |
2:15 |
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| 10. | |
Old Familiar Steam |
3:58 |
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| 11. | |
Over The Cliff |
3:18 |
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| 12. | |
Goin' Goin' Gone |
3:53 |
|
12 Total Tracks, 42:54 Total Length
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Credits
- Old 97's - Main Performer // Old 97's - Main Performer // Rhett Miller - Guitar // Rhett Miller - Composer // Rhett Miller - Vocals // Markus Greiner - Design // Markus Greiner - Photography // Chuck Uchida - Producer // Chuck Uchida - Engineer // Murry Hammond - Banjo // Murry Hammond - Bass // Murry Hammond - Composer // Murry Hammond - Vocals // Douglas Ward - Digital Sequencing // Ken Bethea - Guitar // Ken Bethea - Composer // Philip Peeples - Composer // Philip Peeples - Trap Kit
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