Somehow It’s Great To Be Alive seems like the essential set, given that it boasts some 35 tracks spanning all phases of their collective career. It shows them in their true element--raucous, raw and unapologetic, a combination certain to appeal to diehard devotees and practically anyone else whose taste in music is generally affirmed by frequenting sweaty beer joints and any local roadhouse bar.
Collectively, they reflect the life’s work of a tight, hardworking/hard traveling act that plays by its own rules. And, judging from the almost three and a half hours of music here, one that continues to improve with age.
For a band that’s made their name and living on the road, showering listeners with an endless stream of rock, It’s Great to be Alive! is the modern blueprint for live albums.
It's Great to Be Alive! is a bit less than the definitive document of the live DBT experience, but if you want to know why this is a great band and how good it can be on-stage, this set will tell you just about everything you need to know.
A remarkable live album. It is consistent with other great ones, in that yes, while you can't feel like you're actually there, the vibrancyA remarkable live album. It is consistent with other great ones, in that yes, while you can't feel like you're actually there, the vibrancy and utter commitment of the band to bringing the songs--many of them here in superior version to their studio counterparts--comes really close to capturing the experience.
Highlights range from the epic (an emotional "Grand Canyon"; "Angels and Fuselage", "A World of Hurt", all Patterson Hood songs) to Cooley's relatively more succinct "A Ghost to Most," "Where the Devil Don't Stay", "Birthday Boy" and the beautiful "Sounds Better in the Song", and several others, as well as a killer "Sink Hole" and "Putting People on the Moon". The ONLY track that doesn't work for me is the old Adam's House Cat track "Runaway Train" which is what it is: embryonic DBT, a hair more cliched and unsubtle compared to their later work.
It holds up to repeated listenings, and new things get revealed each time. Easily one of my favorite records, of any kind, ever.…Expand
Metacritic's rating algorithm is gamed, that's how. That's the only explanation how you can have 4 reviews at 80 and an average score of 84.Metacritic's rating algorithm is gamed, that's how. That's the only explanation how you can have 4 reviews at 80 and an average score of 84.
As for this album, DBT has always been a live band, and this exemplifies that. It's a superb listen.…Expand
Can someone explain to me how 4 reviewers can give this an 80 but the meta-score then becomes an 84? I never write reviews. It looks like ICan someone explain to me how 4 reviewers can give this an 80 but the meta-score then becomes an 84? I never write reviews. It looks like I need a few more characters to submit this......…Expand
This was my introduction to Drive-By Truckers. A three-disc live album with 35 tracks might be a bit heavy for the job of an introduction andThis was my introduction to Drive-By Truckers. A three-disc live album with 35 tracks might be a bit heavy for the job of an introduction and is more for fans of the band. All the same, it luckily led me to checking out the rest of their back catalog. Drive-By Truckers are a band I could never imagine myself enjoying so much but they have an honesty and energy that is hard not to like. As live albums go, it's well recorded, captures the bands sounds brilliantly and would absolutely compel you to go see them live. With the right listening setting you can be there on the night with this record. It dips into their whole career and shows all facets of their sound from the stomping southern rock to the country folk.…Expand
A nicely done package which does a fine job of encapsulating the DBT canon. The songs, for the most part, are well chosen, but lean a bitA nicely done package which does a fine job of encapsulating the DBT canon. The songs, for the most part, are well chosen, but lean a bit heavily, and not unexpectedly, on the most recent release, "English Oceans". Having seen them many times, most recently on the English Oceans Tour, a bit of the rawness of the early days has been polished up...but not totally, and that's a good thing. The performances are heartfelt and passionate and the stories draw you in, which are some of the many reasons why this band's work over the past 15 years stands favorably against any band out there. One additional nit has to do with the quality of the recording, which is not the strongest, surprising given the care given to the rest of the package. Still, if you are looking for a very nice document of what a DBT live show is like, this album does you justice. Good work!…Expand
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