11/6/2023 0 Comments Old froq medicine showThey feel a sense of responsibility as revivalists and preservationists to keep the flame burning of old Southern music modes, and are in a perfect position to do so. What’s great about Old Crow Medicine Show is that they’re able to broach such subject matter because they’re on record as enlightened and responsible musicians, and won’t be accused of racism. Abraham Lincoln was a fan of the old tune “Dixie,” and its importance and historical beauty has been unfortunately misunderstood. It’s a shame they’ve gone unfairly impugned. These odes and words are an indelible part of Southern culture and stir the spirit in not just Southerners, but anyone who hears their ancient melodies and is susceptible to the sense of heartache that pervades the Southern experience. I’m not trying to get Old Crow Medicine Show in trouble here. Civil War monuments in the South are being deconstructed on a daily basis, and anything that may be construed as praise for the Confederacy is under assault, fair or otherwise.Īnd here is Old Crow Medicine Show cutting a song called “Dixie Avenue,” and following it up with “Look Away” and it’s very palpable homage to the de facto Confederate National Anthem. Just recently Dolly Parton was forced to change the name of a dinner theater presentation from “Dixie Stampede” to just “Stampede” after catching heat from the politically correct crowd. Old Crow’s last record was a live cover album of Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde, and who is more famous for getting political in his music than ol’ Robert Zimmerman?īut Volunteer is not a political album, it’s just an album that is unafraid to broach certain subjects and use vernacular that is quickly becoming taboo in today’s society, often under false pretenses. Whether it was the anti-war tilt of “Big Time in the Jungle” off of their breakout album O.C.M.S., or the stirring “Motel in Memphis” off of 2008’s Tennessee Pusher, or the line “If you’re not a right-winger, then we’ll all have a humdinger” off that same album which raised some eyebrows itself. We’ve known the political alignment of Old Crow Medicine Show for a long time. But it makes Volunteer a very interesting discussion point beyond the entertainment value of the album, which in itself is quite high. Perhaps it’s both to prove a point, and to help preserve elements of Southern and country music culture that often go unfortunately misunderstood and are being torn asunder. In a time when political strife has never made the business of making music more tense-especially music with a distinctly Southern flavor-Old Crow Medicine Show has steeled themselves and decided to to delve right into what some consider controversial subject matter, and subject matter many are fleeing from in such a touchy environment. But the fact they’re still around and doing well is not what’s remarkable about Volunteer. Old Crow’s longevity and success as an unplugged string band in the most commercial era of country is remarkable. They’re Nashville’s house band, and beloved across town, and across tastes. You may not hear them on the radio, but it’s hard to move around Nashville and not hear or see the music or influence of Old Crow Medicine Show. Released on a very busy week for new records, Volunteer is a celebration of the string band’s 20th year of bringing the busking spirit to roots music and bluegrass, and quietly defying all odds to become a bona fide legacy band in country music with mainstream reach and a Grand Ole Opry membership. Old Crow Medicine Show has done something a little bit remarkable here that not many are talking about.
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