Search - Hayseed Dixie :: Hot Piece of Grass

Better when it's not a novelty.

A. Liebling | Long Island City, NY United States | 01/22/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Hayseed Dixie have made a living covering various rock bands in a classic Appalacian bluegrass fashion. The first half of their new album continues that tradition with hillbilly renditions of Black Dog, War Pigs, Holiday (Green Day), Ace of Spades, Whole Lotta Love, Whole Lotta Rosie, and Runnin' With the Devil. The second half features originals (and the inescapable Dueling Banjos). Hayseed Dixie does a great job in what they set out to do: they manage to integrate fast banjo picking, fiddlin' and lonesome vocals into the covers, while still retaining loyalty toward them. But like Dread Zeppelin, Moog Cookbook, Gimme Gimmes, and all the others, it's ultimately a novelty imbued with irony, and after your curiosity is sated and you've played it for a couple of friends, it's not exactly something you'd listen to again. The album actually picks up midway with Hayseed's original compositions, where they become an actual bluegrass (or newgrass) band, and you can appreciate the musicianship and songwriting without having to hear it shoehorned into the ironic, kitchy covers."