From The Mother Church…
Occasional Albums Thing 002 - Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit “Live From The Ryman Vol. 2”
Back in September 2023 I wrote about “Live From The Ryman” which had been released in October 2018 and in October this year we get Vol. 2. It’s a live album, 15 songs over 2 LP’s one on translucent Red and the other translucent Yellow vinyl, all recorded at Isbell & The 400 Units annual multi-night stands at the Ryman Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee between 2017 and 2023.
We looked at the history of the Ryman (aka The Mother Church Of Country Music) in that last piece (https://www.whiterabbitrecords.co.uk/blog/read_204630/2023-albums-thing-179-jason-isbell-the-400-unit-live-from-the-ryman.html) and how it’s become an annual event for Isbell to play a 6, 7 or more night stand there, in fact he introduces opening song here, “Save The World”, as being from their 50th show at the venue. This album, like the first volume, is a faithful representation of the set from the tour to support his 2023 album “Weathervanes”.
Like last time it’s a live album so pretty much all the songs have been discussed elsewhere in this Blog with the only surprise being the inclusion of a cover of Tom Petty’s “Room At The Top”. There’s not really a lot to say about it, except…the same complaint I have about the other Jason Isbell live records we’ve included here. Isbell is not only a superb songwriter and lyricist he’s also a virtuoso guitarist. I like him and his band because of the songs and more than one of them here, the stunning “King Of Oklahoma”, the beautiful “Dreamsicle” and the lazy sunny afternoon vibe of “Middle Of The Morning” among them, are subject to long, noodling and utterly unnecessary guitar solo’s.
My highlight on this album is the beginning of side 3, two songs, “Strawberry Woman” and “Cast Iron Skillet” (and I don’t particularly like “Cast Iron Skillet”, it features Isbell’s one true stinker of a lyric, “Don’t wash the cast iron skillet, That dog bites my kid I’ll kill it”, put the rhyming dictionary away Jase and BTW, I do much prefer dogs over children anyway), both played straight up acoustically with the guitarists able to show off their chops without the rock histrionics and wet-franking. “River” ends Side 3 and according to the introduction is a recording of the very first performance of it in front of an audience. Side 4 begins with the stomping rock ‘n’ roll of “When We Were Close” Isbell’s tip of the hat to his sadly passed friend Justin Townes Earle (son of Steve, the song references Steve’s song “Ft. Worth Blues” https://youtu.be/TcDBl_-OiQM?si=X2_pc5Kw3-sZCpQR).
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit are playing at The Halls in Wolverhampton, this month I believe. We’re not going. My last experience of him live was so underwhelming I left after about 40 minutes and after hearing the fret-wanking going on inside this record I don’t imagine I’ll enjoy another show any more. I don’t want you to think this means I’ve fallen out of love with him, I haven’t, Jason Isbell is one of America’s greatest songwriters and I’ll argue that with anyone. Maybe in future I’ll forego the live experience and stick to the studio albums. Having said that, should the stars align and I ever get the chance to see Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit at the Ryman, I’m there with bells on !
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