Bryan And The Haggards Featuring Dr. Eugene Chadbourne / Merles Just Want To Have Fun

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2014-08-01 Pull Date: 2014-10-03
Week Ending: Oct 5 Sep 21 Aug 24
Airplays: 2 1 1

Recent Airplay
1. Oct 02, 2014: The Sunset Life
The Way I Am
3. Sep 19, 2014: The Songsmith Show
Fightin' Side Of Me
2. Sep 30, 2014: fallweek01
I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am
4. Aug 21, 2014: The Sunset Life
Fightin' Side Of Me

Album Review
DJ Away
Reviewed 2014-07-26
A bunch of experimental jazz musicians covering Merle Haggard. Say what? Yes, all your favorite classics are here, reproduced with twang and energy—“Fightin’ Side of Me,” “Okie from Muskogee”—but also with tons of skronky saxophone! It’s not even close to your average country record, even including alt-country. It’s a totally different beast, ramshackle and dissonant and confrontational and super fun. This is probably the weirdest album I’ve heard all year. It should go in KZSU’s cult music hall of fame (maybe next to Human Skab). Favorites: 1, 2, 5, 9, 11. FCC WARNING: 6.

1. *(4:36)—Mid-tempo cover of “Fightin’ Side of Me.” It’s a hoedown with a noisy free jazz breakdown that comes from out of nowhere. Rad!
2. *(3:20)—Fast, rollicking rave-up, almost country-punk. The party’s right here.
3. (3:34)—Medium-fast, rocking. They play this one (relatively) straight and keep it a bit more tuneful.
4. (4:14)—Mid-tempo, chaotic but more pastoral. High-pitched soloing and really busy, unhinged drumming.
5. *(8:39)—The Haggards covering Merle covering Western Swing godfather Bob Wills. Romps all over the place. Some wonderful, joyous moments here.
6. (5:56)—FCC WARNING (spoken f*** at the end). Funky, low-key ballad. Starts like Jandek, coheres, then falls apart. Features a whistle.
7. (2:39)—Slow, funky country strut with a lot of attitude.
8. (4:34)—Slow, no consistent rhythm, as close to pretty as things get here. Who knew there was a connection between Merle and Van Morrison?
9. *(5:57)—Medium-fast, rocking, more conventional. Awesome guitar and sax solos.
10. (5:09)—Medium-slow, not for the faint of heart. They may not smoke marijuana in Muskogee, but that’s some odd freaking white lightning they’re drinking.
11. *(4:10)—Just vocals and meandering banjo. Easygoing.
12. (3:04)—Medium-slow, bright, loping. Features recorder and ocarina.

Track Listing
1. Fightin' Side Of Me   7. Stay Here And Drink
2. Old Man From The Mountain   8. If Someday We Look Back Through December
3. Mama Tried   9. Working Man Medley
4. I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am   10. Okie From Muskogee
5. Bob Wills Medley   11. The Way I Am
6. Listening To The Wind   12. That's The News