If you don't like someone's music, then you don't like their music but if he writes about teenage topics, then he writes about some some very mature, life experienced teens. The narrator of Elephant, for example, is obviously 16.amzie wrote: For a 36 year old man, his topics seem like a teenager's.
Jason Isbell
Re: Jason Isbell
Wow, you're really cool and into music!
Townes' music is great and he was one of the greats. Fortunately, Isbell was able to avoid becoming Townes and will continue writing great music. He also plays amazing and heartfelt shows, rather than getting tangled up in his sweater sleeves and guitar strap, followed by falling down. I agree that he is the Anti TVZ.
Townes' music is great and he was one of the greats. Fortunately, Isbell was able to avoid becoming Townes and will continue writing great music. He also plays amazing and heartfelt shows, rather than getting tangled up in his sweater sleeves and guitar strap, followed by falling down. I agree that he is the Anti TVZ.
Last edited by dcarter on Sun Aug 02, 2015 4:31 am, edited 4 times in total.
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I am a far bigger fan of his former band (Drive-By Truckers) than his solo output. I think his recent output sounds too polished and, frankly, kind of boring. He has managed to garner critical acclaim (your Rolling Stone example being one of many) and sell a good amount of records (his latest, Something More Than Free is #1 on the Billboard Country Chart). I don't find his topics to be teenager specific at all. For example, "Elephant" off his previous album, Southeastern, is pretty damn gut wrenching.
She said “Andy you’re better than your past”,
winked at me and drained her glass,
cross-legged on the barstool, like nobody sits anymore.
She said Andy you’re taking me home,
but I knew she planned to sleep alone.
I’d carry her to bed and sweep up the hair from the floor
If I had fucked her before she got sick
I’d never hear the end of it
she don’t have the spirit for that now
We drink these drinks and laugh out loud,
bitch about the weekend crowd,
and try to ignore the elephant somehow
somehow
She said Andy you crack me up,
Seagram’s in a coffee cup,
sharecropper eyes and her hair almost all gone.
When she was drunk she made cancer jokes,
she made up her own doctor’s notes,
surrounded by her family, I saw that she was dying alone.
I’d sing her classic country songs
and she’d get high and sing along.
She don’t have much voice to sing with now
We’d burn these joints in effegy,
cry about what we used to be,
and try to ignore the elephant somehow.
Somehow
I buried her a thousand times,
giving up my place in line,
but I don’t give a damn about that now
There’s one thing that’s real clear to me,
no one dies with dignity
We just try to ignore the elephant somehow
We just try to ignore the elephant somehow
We just try to ignore the elephant somehow.
Somehow.
Somehow.
She said “Andy you’re better than your past”,
winked at me and drained her glass,
cross-legged on the barstool, like nobody sits anymore.
She said Andy you’re taking me home,
but I knew she planned to sleep alone.
I’d carry her to bed and sweep up the hair from the floor
If I had fucked her before she got sick
I’d never hear the end of it
she don’t have the spirit for that now
We drink these drinks and laugh out loud,
bitch about the weekend crowd,
and try to ignore the elephant somehow
somehow
She said Andy you crack me up,
Seagram’s in a coffee cup,
sharecropper eyes and her hair almost all gone.
When she was drunk she made cancer jokes,
she made up her own doctor’s notes,
surrounded by her family, I saw that she was dying alone.
I’d sing her classic country songs
and she’d get high and sing along.
She don’t have much voice to sing with now
We’d burn these joints in effegy,
cry about what we used to be,
and try to ignore the elephant somehow.
Somehow
I buried her a thousand times,
giving up my place in line,
but I don’t give a damn about that now
There’s one thing that’s real clear to me,
no one dies with dignity
We just try to ignore the elephant somehow
We just try to ignore the elephant somehow
We just try to ignore the elephant somehow.
Somehow.
Somehow.
Jason Isbell
Rolling Stone raves about this guy. Am I missing something? For a 36 year old man, his topics seem like a teenager's. I don't like him. But I am sure there are plenty on this board who do.