Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Live At Twist & Shout 11.16.07 Review
Posted by Mitch Michaels on 04.16.2008
Ex-Drive-By Truckers singer/guitarist celebrates Record Store Day with this awesome live EP…
My Story
I’ve been a Drive-By Truckers fan since first hearing The Dirty South a few years ago. The band plays like a true southern rock revival (thanks to their three guitar attack) and their music connected with me on a deep level. I felt like those guys knew where I came from. Part of my love for the band was thanks to Jason Isbell, a young singer/songwriter/guitarist whose contributions to the record were its best highlights. Two albums later, Jason Isbell left DBT to pursue a solo career. I was sad to know that he’d no longer be collaborating with the band, but interested to see what he’d be able to produce on his own. The result was Sirens Of The Ditch, my personal favorite album of 2007.
Recently, Isbell and his touring band The 400 Unit released a live EP. How will these cuts (some of them from his DBT years) fare in a live setting?
Their Story
Jason Isbell was born in 1979 in Green Hill, Alabama, just outside famed Muscle Shoals. Brought into a musical family, Isbell’s destiny as a musician wasn’t hard to predict. After a few years trying to make it as a songwriter, Isbell joined rock act the Drive-By Truckers in 2001, replacing departing vocalist/guitarist Rob Mallone.
Isbell was brought onboard DBT just as their Southern Rock Opera album was gaining them widespread notoriety. His first record with the band, 2003’s Decoration Day, proved that Isbell was on his way to becoming a great songwriting force in the band. He contributed two songs to the album – the title track and future concert favorite “Outfit”. Isbell would record two more albums with DBT, including 2004’s The Dirty South, to which he contributed four more well-received tracks, including the single “Never Gonna Change” and the album-closer “Goddamn Lonely Love”.
In 2007, Isbell left Drive-By Truckers to pursue a solo career. That year, his debut album, Sirens Of The Ditch, was released on New West Records. The record had been in the works for nearly four years, and featured contributions from several of his ex-bandmates, including DBT bassist Shonna Tucker, Isbell’s ex-wife. Sirens Of The Ditch was praised by critics, who noted that Isbell’s sound was much cleaner and bluesier than the rocked-up Truckers.
Following the release of his debut, Isbell hit the road for a solo tour in support. He assembled a backing band, The 400 Unit, for the tour. In November, the band recorded a performance at Denver’s Twist & Shout Records. Currently, they continue to tour, with spring dates set for both the US and Europe.
The Album
On April 15, 2008, New West Records released Live At Twist & Shout 11.16.07, a live EP by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit. The set was recorded during an in-store appearance at Twist & Shout Records. Currently, the EP is only available at CIMS affiliated Record Stores. The album was released to coincide with “Record Store Day” on April 19, 2008.
The Band: 8.5
Jason Isbell: vocals, guitar
Derry DeBorja: keyboards
Jimbo Hart: bass
Browan Lollar: guitar
Ryan Tillery: drums
With Jason Isbell’s solo debut recorded mostly during his days with Drive-By Truckers, this live EP is the first time hearing his 400 Unit on CD. Fans of Isbell’s past life, then, may be surprised by the all out toughness of this band. You can thank Isbell and guitarist Brown Lollar for this, as the pair has truly figured out the acoustic/electric guitar combo on this live album. I was wondering what Isbell’s DBT-era songs would sound like without the Truckers’ three-guitar attack, but The 400 Unit has gotten around that, punching up the power on the amps to make up for the lack of a third six-string. The electric solos absolutely smolder, and the rhythm section of Jimbo Hart and Ryan Tillery is loose but driving.
Isbell is also peaking with his vocals on this album. Anyone who’s heard Sirens Of The Ditch can attest to the pure soul that is injected, and Isbell follows up on that sound here. He’s given plenty of room to let the songs breathe by his band, and the tracks here really benefit. Throw in some great piano fills by Derry DeBorja, and you have a great blend of southern power rock and Muscle Shoals white-boy soul.
If you’ve never seen Jason Isbell solo live, this EP will have you searching for tour dates.
The Songs: 8.5
1. Grown
2. Goddamn Lonely Love
3. Hurricanes & Hand Grenades
4. Danko/Manuel
5. Outfit
6. Into The Mystic
It really sucks that this album is an EP, because I could listen to it all day. Even more disappointing is the inclusion of only two cuts from Jason Isbell’s solo album. I really would have liked to see “Dress Blues” or “Try”. But enough about what’s NOT here.
Live At Twist & Shout kicks off with “Grown”, a terrific cut from Sirens Of The Ditch. The song resembles its studio counterpart pretty well here, but also does a good job of introducing Isbell’s solo sound: a mix of tough guitars and sweet, organic piano fills. The piano is also spotlighted on “Hurricanes & Hand Grenades”, another selection from Isbell’s solo record. The song ambles like a great bar room anthem. You almost wanna put a dollar in Jason’s cup as a result. The 400 Unit also toughens up the musical interludes, leading to a great rave-up in the closing minutes.
As for the Drive-By Truckers songs, Isbell includes three here, arguably his best from his time with the band. The 400 Unit puts a very distinct stamp on these songs. The arrangements aren’t so radically different, but they do manage to put Isbell’s vocals out front a little better, as the band jams a little longer during the breaks and pulls back more on the verses. It’s a great atmosphere to showcase Isbell’s great and, at times, raspy vocal work, and the formula holds up well on cuts like the Band tribute “Danko/Manuel” and the moody heartbreaker “Goddamn Lonely Love”.
Isbell closes with a brilliant reading of Van Morrison’s classic “Into The Mystic”, before encouraging patrons to join him at the Blue Bird. It’s a brief set that will leave you wanting much more.
The 411: Live At Twist & Shout is exlcusive to CIMS record stores, but its worth the extra effort to try and find, especially if you’re a fan. If you’ve never heard Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit live, this will have your interest piqued, and the all-to-brief play list will only have you itching for more. The cover of “Into The Mystic” is a nice treat, but the real gems here are Isbell’s reinterpretations of his Drive-By Truckers material, as he’s given more room to let the songs breathe by his new band. Find this record and buy it, and celebrate independent record stores everywhere.
