Brian Henneman was an extra guitarist with Uncle Tupelo between disbanding his old group Chicken Truck and forming his new outfit, Bottle Rockets. Like his old St. Louis pals, Henneman has fashioned a rough-and-tumble bran... more »d of hillbilly music with loud drums and modern storytelling. Henneman, who wrote or cowrote 11 of the album's 13 songs, owns a great rock & roll voice that can growl when it wants to and articulate nuances when it needs to. This is an impressive debut album that introduces a major singer-songwriter. --Geoffrey Himes« less
Brian Henneman was an extra guitarist with Uncle Tupelo between disbanding his old group Chicken Truck and forming his new outfit, Bottle Rockets. Like his old St. Louis pals, Henneman has fashioned a rough-and-tumble brand of hillbilly music with loud drums and modern storytelling. Henneman, who wrote or cowrote 11 of the album's 13 songs, owns a great rock & roll voice that can growl when it wants to and articulate nuances when it needs to. This is an impressive debut album that introduces a major singer-songwriter. --Geoffrey Himes
The Orange Duke | Cupertino, Ca United States | 11/29/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Sophisticated songwriting combines with an excellent sound to produce brilliance. These guys are the kings of Alt Country. Better than Uncle Tupelo, better than Son Volt, better than Wilco. The music is a dazzling mix of rock and country (much like the aforementioned great bands) and the lyrics attack country clichés and reveal the real lives of poor people, with surprising empathy. It's a crime that these guys aren't huge. My suggestion to you, dear reader, is buy every album you see. On this album, pay special attention to the deeply affecting Kerosene (the story of the accidental death of a poor family) and the biting `Wave That Flag' (which attacks knee jerk `rebels')."
Gimme a break!
Bt | Parts unknown | 08/24/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you like snappy hard driving roots rock, how can you not like this? Great lyrics, snarly guitar licks and very impressive writing. These dudes proved right off the bat that they are for real."
Awesome CD
Jeanne Lightly | 05/03/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is what driving cross-country sounds like: a top-down mix of Southern-fried guitar lightning and bawdy roadhouse lyrics."
Give Me A Break, Part II
unclegrubworm | Kirkwood, Missouri | 12/07/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Don't know how anyone can label this effort lyrically weak. This CD captures the essence of small-town Missouri (and small-town USA, I imagine) better than anything you're likely to hear. This aint no pretty boy, my-baby-hurt-my-feelings rock and roll; this is straight from the soul, stink-in-the-boots stuff. The boys have perhaps surpassed this one musically, but lyrically this is the strongest CD they've made. I'd urge anyone who digs the Rockets' later music to go back and pick this one up. Do it and you'll gain a deeper appreciation of Mr. Henneman and the rest of the fellows from Festus."
This baby kicks
Stewart Stewson | denmark,ks. | 03/09/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This cd is great. I got it in 1993 and still listen to it about every month. Every song here is outstanding, from the pure country sound of "Early in the Morning" to the pure rockers like "Rural Route" and "Manhatten Countryside". This group is one of the great lost groups of the 1990's."