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Hit by a Train: The Best of Old 97's
Released: Jun 20, 2006
Label: N\A

In his liner notes to this collection, {$Robert Christgau} writes "When {$the Old 97's} were on {@Bloodshot}, the myth was that they were '{\alt-country}' -- which was true in a way but... Continue[+]

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In his liner notes to this collection, {$Robert Christgau} writes "When {$the Old 97's} were on {@Bloodshot}, the myth was that they were '{\alt-country}' -- which was true in a way but misleading." True enough; while {$the Old 97's} were one of the best and most consistently enjoyable bands to come out of the '90s {\alt-country} boom, they sound less like hipster kids trying to nail hayseed affectations onto {$Replacements}-esque {\rock & roll} than the proud sons of Texas that they truly are. Like their spiritual forefathers {$Buddy Holly}, {$Bobby Fuller}, and {$Doug Sahm}, {$the Old 97's} have always been a band that can't help throwing a bit of twang into the mix (as best evidenced by {$Ken Bethea}'s guitar, which at its best splits the difference between {$Luther Perkins} and {$Neil Young}), but they also know a great hook when they hear it (or write it) and realize telling a good story is the best way to draw in the listener (singer and primary lyricist {$Rhett Miller} has a way with words that makes him sound smarter than average, but like a regular guy with regular girl problems at the same time). With the passage of time, it's doubtless significant that {$the Old 97's}' two strongest albums are {^Wreck Your Life}, which best captures their {\country}-accented side, and {^Satellite Rides}, which does the same for the {\pop} side of their vocabulary. Considering they've never won much more than a fervent cult following despite the strength of their recordings, it's a pleasant surprise that {@Rhino} has deigned to release a greatest-hits disc, and while {^Hit by a Train: The Best of Old 97's} isn't the ideal introduction to this band, it's a thoroughly enjoyable overview of their body of work. {^Hit by a Train} covers the band's career prior to their recent association with {@New West Records} (including one cut from the band's hard-to-find debut, {^Hitchhike to Rhome}), and includes a few rarities along with the usual-suspects album cuts (most notably the brilliant {@Bloodshot} single {&"Crying Drunk"} and a rollicking version of {$Marty Robbins}' {&"El Paso"} cut for the television series {#King of the Hill}). There isn't a dud track on this disc, through the truth is {$the Old 97's} didn't record much material that isn't top-shelf, which points to this set's only real flaws -- anyone who is already familiar with the band is going to wonder why this song or that didn't merit inclusion, and the sequence doesn't always smooth out the distinct differences in sound and approach that dotted the five albums which provided most of this material. But there's no getting past the strength of the songs, the energy and skill of the performances, and the excellence of {$Miller}'s lyric and vocals. If you love {$the Old 97's}, {^Hit by a Train} will remind you why, and it will send newbies scurrying to the record shop to find out what they've been missing, and that's a powerful recommendation. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

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Alive & Wired
Released: Sep 20, 2005
Label: N\A

In his liner notes to this album, {$Old 97's} guitarist {$Ken Bethea} writes, "When I think of {$the Old 97's}, the thing that makes me the most proud is that we've always been a smoking live... Continue[+]

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In his liner notes to this album, {$Old 97's} guitarist {$Ken Bethea} writes, "When I think of {$the Old 97's}, the thing that makes me the most proud is that we've always been a smoking live band." Anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing {$the Old 97's} on-stage knows that {$Bethea} isn't just blowing his own horn when he says that, and this double-disc set offers the hard evidence to back him up. Recorded during a pair of hot and sweaty 2005 shows in the band's home state of Texas, {^Alive & Wired} captures the raw and nervy intensity and the passionate fusion of Friday Night joy and heartbroken regret that have always marked the band's best work, and features 30 of the band's best tunes over the course of 112 rollicking minutes. The set list makes for a pretty good "{$Old 97's} Greatest Hits" package (with some splendid rarities thrown in, most notably the superb early single {&"Crying Drunk"}), and the straightforward, well-detailed recording and mix allows some of the tunes that suffered from the flawed production of {^Too Far to Care} and {^Fight Songs} to get the fair hearing they've long deserved. {$The Old 97's} sound a wee bit loose on this set, but the band is never less than enthusiastic, with {$Ken Bethea}'s guitar barking proudly, {$Rhett Miller} and {$Murray Hammond} in fine voice, and {$Hammond} and {$Philip Peeples} holding down the backbeat with uncluttered grace. Quite simply, {^Alive & Wired} captures a great band on a great night, and with the band seemingly in a transitional state (as {$Rhett Miller} focuses more time on his solo career and {$Bethea}, {$Hammond}, and {$Peeples} have begun performing as {$the West Texas Teardrops}), it's a good thing that this set documents them in their pure state while that's still possible. Crack open a cold drink and turn it up -- it's the next best thing to being there. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

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Old 97's Live
Released: Jan 25, 2005
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Drag It Up
Released: Jul 27, 2004
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"You're a bottle cap away from pushin' me too far," sings {$Rhett Miller} on the title track of {$Old 97's}' {^Drag It Up}, and those who hold the band near and dear to their hearts will be... Continue[+]

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"You're a bottle cap away from pushin' me too far," sings {$Rhett Miller} on the title track of {$Old 97's}' {^Drag It Up}, and those who hold the band near and dear to their hearts will be overjoyed to hear that the album just gets more heartbroke after that. {&"Won't Be Home"} is a headfirst leap into the group's trademark sound -- with a fiery blast of {$Ken Bethea}'s Telecaster and a dirty stumble from {$Philip Peeples}' kit, the first song rips through {$Miller}'s familiar croon buoyed by bassist {$Murry Hammond}'s bright harmonies. This earthy return to form will be welcomed by those who thought their last album, {^Satellite Rides}, and {$Miller}'s solo excursion were too slick, and if anything, it seems as though the boys took special care to keep some raw edges on the recording. On the {\rock} numbers, {$Bethea}'s guitar frequently bursts beautifully into the red, tearing holes in the already volatile structure of the song, and on occasion the drums mischievously threaten to rattle the whole train off the tracks, but like the hero in an old kinetoscope, the whole band swoops down in the nick of time to rescue the damsel tied to the tracks. A handful of the songs are rumored to be from a {$Ranchero Brothers} album that {$Miller} and {$Hammond} have been threatening to complete for years, and a few of the more straightforward countrified numbers, like {&"Blinding Sheets of Rain,"} {&"Bloomington,"} and the breathy {&"In the Satellite Rides a Star,"} are likely candidates. {$Ken Bethea} offers his lead vocals for the first time on the slightly goofy but engaging {\Tex-Mex} shuffle {&"Coahuila,"} which may not fit exactly in the round hole of the album, but offers a light smile amidst the bombast and heartbreak of the rest of the songs. {^Drag It Up} culminates in a sparse and haunting ode to an Austin pal who was killed by a drunk driver, and while a "tribute" song could induce eye-rolling and saccharine gagging, {$Old 97's} keep it simple and heartfelt, and it ends the evening perfectly. Overall, through the last decade it seems as though the band has not lost a whit of their spark, and while they may have traded in some of their youthful {\punk rock} spastic enthusiasm, they've replaced it with a world-wise wit and a smart approach to how a {\rock & roll} record should be made in 2004. Their sly references and sad-sack tales might sound alternately cocky or corny if the band didn't back up their words with a strong right hook and a pawn shop handkerchief to wipe away the tears, and as the album is "gettin' smaller in the rear view mirror," the first impulse is to turn the car around and drive right back through the whole thing again. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide

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Satellite Rides
Released: Mar 20, 2001
Label: N\A

Moving even further away from their {\alt-country} roots, {$the Old 97's} fifth effort is a consistently engaging and unpretentious strummy {\power pop} nugget. Bits of the effortless hook-driven... Continue[+]

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Moving even further away from their {\alt-country} roots, {$the Old 97's} fifth effort is a consistently engaging and unpretentious strummy {\power pop} nugget. Bits of the effortless hook-driven approach of {$Marshall Crenshaw} and {$Nick Lowe} mesh with winning melodies that stick in your skull after the first spin. Hints of Brit Invasion {$Beatles}/{$Badfinger}-styled harmonies also infiltrate these songs, bringing a crisp vocal attack to play, especially in bassist {$Murray Hammond}'s subtle backing work. Guitarist/singer/songwriter {$Rhett Miller} has honed his composing and arrangement skills to a fine edge, cramming these compact cuts (nothing runs over four minutes, most clock in around three) with smart lyrics and sharp, unaffected playing. There's still a little twang remaining from the old days in the driving double-time {&"Am I Too Late,"} and even a solo acoustic guitar {\ballad} in {&"Question,"} but the band seems most comfortable pounding out crafty, infectious instant singles like {&"Rollerskate Skinny."} {$Miller}'s voice is perfect for these songs, mixing just the right amount of pride, innocence, and youthful exuberance into the predominantly upbeat lyrics. But just as importantly, there's a presence and immediacy to {^Satellite Rides}, partially due to the expert touch of mixer {$Tchad Blake}, that makes it jump out of the speakers like the locomotive that provides the band with its name. Deftly incorporating their Texas roots with yodeling and a snappy punch makes {&"Up the Devil's Pay"} one of the disc's most successful tracks, but there really isn't a lackluster performance here. The six-song live bonus EP that came free with early pressings proves how skillful the quartet is in concert, and that their biting, cohesive style is no studio-concocted fluke. The {$Old 97's} sound is organic and natural, and on {^Satellite Rides} they find the perfect balance between their roots in rugged {\country} and pure chiming {\pop}. ~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide

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Early Tracks
Released: May 23, 2000
Label: N\A

A collection of out-of-print seven-inch singles and previously unreleased tracks, {^Early Tracks} exhibits {$the Old 97s}' uncanny ability to play witty, memorable, country-rock that chugs along at... Continue[+]

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19
Released: Nov 9, 1999
Label: N\A

With the release of {^Nineteen}, {$the Old 97's} stray from their country-rock roots to produce an infectious power-pop gem. Featuring jangling guitars, {$Rhett Miller}'s heartfelt vocals, and... Continue[+]

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Fight Songs
Released: Apr 27, 1999
Label: N\A

Texas troubadours {$Old 97's} moved farther away from their {\traditional C&W} sound on their 1999 release, {^Fight Songs}, instead incorporating warmly distorted guitars and crunchy rhythms into... Continue[+]

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Too Far to Care
Released: Jun 17, 1997
Label: N\A

Serving as the ideal apex between {$the Old 97's}' Texas twang and smart {\pop} fascinations, {^Too Far to Care} is instantly catchy and endearing; heartbreaking desert {\soul} and {\punk}-fueled... Continue[+]

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Wreck Your Life
Released: Oct 3, 1995
Label: N\A

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}... Continue[+]

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