Hot Take/ Musical Confession Thread!
- Thread starter Count_Vader
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Viking Dan
Well-Known Member
I guess we'll find out!Are you though?
threesunrises
Well-Known Member
I saw Isbell once, at The National's There's No Leaving New York festival at Forest Hills, in 2018. I knew nothing about his music, other than many friends love it. First song I was, wow this guy can play! By the end of the second song, I was counting down the seconds until his set would end. 4th song, I was ready to stick an ice pick into my ear drum.
mrjoshuamccormack
Active Member
I like a song here and there, and think he's a hell of a guitar player and writer, but I can't listen to an album. Just can't get into his voice.
That's the thing, I realize he's talented and I was prepared to like him...just never clicked.
TenderLovingKiller®
Well-Known Member
I own a few Drive-By Truckers albums and zero Isbell solo records. I have liked every Isbell album I have ever listened to, he is an exceptional songwriter but I have never felt the urge to buy any of his albums and I rarely stream any of his music. It’s enjoyable but it fails to pull me in.
That being said I appreciate who he is as an artist and as a person within the realm of mainstream country music and am happy any time him or Sturgill or Childers have success.
Melt Face Molly Drop
Well-Known Member
I like Isbell quite a bit. I feel his music holds a certain amount of truth not found easily today and he himself is an integrous individual. However, I only own his 400 Unit stuff. I like the odd song on his solo albums, but they're just a touch too country for me (24 Frames is a bop tho)
Hemotep
Well-Known Member
This is pretty close to my take on him too. I love DBT, but don't care for Isbell's solo albums as much. His song writing is excellent, but other than Southeastern (and Georgia Blue, but that doesn't really count imo), none have pulled me in like DBT does.
Now we're talkin. That's my not-hot take - I love Sturgill.
TenderLovingKiller®
Well-Known Member
Those are the “big three” right now for mainstream popular country artists that sell a lot of albums, get nominated for lots of awards and yet never receive any airplay on mainstream country radio. I own the first two Sturgill albums and Childers debut none of their more recent stuff has pulled me in but I am very happy that all three exist and are successful.
Fleetwood-Matt
Well-Known Member
I saw him on his coheadline tour with FJM with Isbell opening. Honestly one of the most disappointing concerts I’ve been to, he was pretty boring and I felt like FJM wasn’t wowing me either (which is crazy because all the previous times I saw him were my favorite concert experiences ever). I decided that night Isbell just wasn’t my cup of tea and the people in that genre I like (like Sturgill) are the exception to the rule
Fleetwood-Matt
Well-Known Member
Add Stapleton to that list also. His music bores me to tears but I have massive respect for him and love to see him winning
Melt Face Molly Drop
Well-Known Member
I went to that tour as well. FJM phoned it in. I had seen him on his Honeybear tour and he was electric. Here, very boring and I think he was already over his fame and sarcastic persona. Thought Isbell was great though. He made up for the lack of FJM charisma.
I absolutely love that Sturgill did his take on industrial rock right after getting so much acclaim in the country world for Sailor's Guide. I mean, I like SGtE quite a bit better, but still...
I guess I'll lay my next hot take down...I find Stapleton a bit boring too. And his 'In the Air Tonight' cover for Monday Night Football is awful.
Fleetwood-Matt
Well-Known Member
Yeah you nailed it. I even wrote that he was “phoning it in” in my initial post but took it out because I didn’t want to be too negative lol. I’ve seen him 4 times before that (twice for Honeybear and twice for PC) and those 4 concerts are probably all in my top 20 favorite concerts (with the second PC tour show being my favorite concert ever). The difference between those 4 shows and the one with Isbell were truly night and day
Bohnjaggs
Well-Known Member
FJM was great the first 3 or 4 times my wife and I saw him. Talked in-between every song. Was hilarious. The first time we saw him at Coachella we both said we were surprised that he wasn't also a stand-up comic on the side.
Then the next time we saw him, he was just sort of gong through the motions and didn't talk to the audience at all.
Fleetwood-Matt
Well-Known Member
I was ok with him not being chatty at Coachella because of the set time restrictions. And with it being a week after the release of PC I was down to just hear the new stuff back to back
Melt Face Molly Drop
Well-Known Member
I first saw him 2015 opening for Alabama Shakes, and I thought he stole the show even though he was an opener (only other time I felt that way about an opener was when Big Thief opened for Kevin Morby). He was up in the crowd and falling onto people (comically) while flinging around his microphone stand.
Fast forward to 2017 and his Coachella performance supporting Pure Comedy, which was a very dark and brooding work with some signature humor mixed in. He mostly played it straight the whole set. 2019 and I thought God's Favorite Customer would lighten things up a bit, but he mostly kept the performance style the same. Not a band thing, just not as memorable.
Bohnjaggs
Well-Known Member
Maybe it's just me but I don't really enjoy concerts where the performer doesn't talk to the crowd. We had that happen with Camera Obscura once in L.A. Not only did they not say more then a couple of words but the set was extremely short as well and my wife and I both left disappointed.