DBT #279 Corb Lund - El Viejo

Back in 2022 I started following this Canadien country singer when he put out his "Songs My Friends Wrote" and I really haven't spent enough time with that album when I saw he was releasing a new one on Feb 23, 2024.  It looked interesting and I clicked it to my wishlist.  At March Bandcamp Friday I picked up and it has been my most played album since. (Molly Tuttle's Grammy Winner "City of Gold" has been second)  Yes, if US's country music sounded like this I'd be planning to attend a bunch of Country Fests, but sadly it doesn't and we'll hope that Cord gets to the Big Top someday.

Pretty sure I know about Corb Lund because I have followed Canadien Kendel Carson, (yes she has appeared 7 times in the blog) and Corb's Edmonton hometown was Ian Tyson's territory too.  In fact when he dedicated this album to Ian, he had me buying it.  Here's the BC album description:

“I’ve been wanting to make a record like this for a long time. The band, Franny and I produced it ourselves in my living room with no adults present. It’s all acoustic, not an electric lick on the album…banjos and mandos and string basses and stripped-down drums. I put a ton of work into the tunes and I’m pretty proud of this batch. Had a little help from my old co-writing pal Jaida Dreyer on a couple, also wrote a good one with my screenwriter buddy, Brian Koppelman. Lots of gambling songs and lots of minor keys. And my band guys absolutely killed it too, they’re all badasses.

I’m dedicating the record to my old compadre, Ian Tyson, who passed away a few months back. I’ve named the album for him as well. ‘El Viejo’, or ‘the old one’ is what our mutual friend Tom Russell took to calling him in later years. The title track is a pretty special one for us.

We had a blast making this thing, and we hope you enjoy it too.” - Corb Lund

First of all, do it again please.  I so agree that his bandmates are awesome on this album, but it could have used a fiddle from Kendel.  If the Grammy heads had guts they will give this Canadien country album some love next year, I can't see this album not being in my TOP albums for 2024.  So let's listen:

1) The Cardplayers

Damn, what did God write on that clipboard?  I think you might be a fool if you don't think this charged up card game isn't going to suck you into the rest of album.

2) I Had it All

A great harp groove (Mickey Raphael would be proud), and pissing it all away is definitely Country, but he plays cribbage?  Ha, he stills like to have a little fun.

3) Was Fort Worth Worth It?

This song was in the quick "Texas Attitude" playlist I put together after Bandcamp; and I still love it and the duo acoustic guitar work in the tune is outstanding.

4) Out On a Win

Boy I love the writing of this story, poor luck fighter.  It feels you have his whole life story and to find out he told it in Two Minutes and Twenty Seven seconds.. wow.

Here's an unofficial video that really captures the sense of the character.

5) Redneck Rehab

Ok I reached down and CLICKED Favorite SIX times on this album and I think this was the first one.  With a title like this, you'd expect a hard electric over produced country shit, but Corb starts it off with an Irish feel and great banjo groove with a chorus you'd expect all the crowd to sign with him.  I'll wait until the end to see if it wins best cut.  (Oh yeah it too was in Texas Attitude which ended up to be a playlist even my wife likes all the new music)

6) El Viejo (for Ian)

What a great tribute to Ian Tyson, his western albums have always been my favorite and I'm still collecting the ones I'm missing.  Corb covered two songs from Ian (as well as many other of my Americana country heroes) on the other album I have of his:

While there is an "Official Video" of the song, when I saw this acoustic solo was out there; you would know that's what'll take everytime.  (He can play my house concert series anytime.)

7) When the Game Gets Hot

If he used an Irish feel, how about a great jazz bass and finger snaps, so innovative and really is another album stays fresh through out.  I don't think that it's cheating, if it is he's sharp enough to do it sparingly.  Great dobro solo on this btw.

8) Girl with Stratocaster

You might think with a title like that he would have been tempted to bring out an electric; but he kept true to acoustic as sings the ballad of this wandering women.  Northern twang, more like great Mexican leads that Ian Tyson would have been proud of.

9) It Takes Practice

I play guitar, and it takes practice to play like the lead acoustic in this song, but funny on the premise of the song; he needs to practice being a jerk.  Most A-Holes I know I always thought it came natural to them.

10) Insha' Allah

Right here's a song no right wing country jerk would ever sing.  Love the arrangement again, and I'd love to know the inspiration to the lyric, but a quick google explains the title:

Inshallah, also spelled In shaa Allah, In sha Allah, Insya Allah, and İn şa Allah, is an Arabic-language expression meaning "if God wills" or "God willing". Its use is encouraged in James 4:13–15 and mentioned in the Quran which required the use of it when speaking on future events.

11) Old Familiar Drunken Feeling

Life of the road when you travel into a state where getting high is legal, and this poor guy needed some whiskey to get him back to the old familiar feeling.  Yes this is one that seems to be the most purchased single song in Bandcamp and it will always be a favorite.  You know the story after the first listen but you'll back for another hit.  I do love that drunken banjo playing in this song too, washed up in some Canadien Pendleton Whisky.

Love the video too; Corb NOT a handful of gummies! And yes this belongs in a Whiskey playlist.

Now I'll tell you that Redneck Rehab is still my favorite on the album, but looking for all the videos I found this classic from ten years ago with Hayes Carll.  Enjoy even if it has that new country sound.

Next blog steps:

- Stop over to the Review page to my other most spinned and loved albums.

- Browse the rest of the blogs by stopping at this "Theme Page."

- Enjoy Tune Tuesday which brings you one song from a past blog post.

- See what other post have been most popular recently with our Stats Page.

- Find out who in the world thinks he has the authority to write this blog in the About.

- Let me answer why you won't find the playlists on Spotify here.

- Finally, the Mission page explains why there is no advertising cluttering the page.

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