Search - Nitty Gritty Dirt :: Bang Bang Bang

The Dirt Band does it again

Ken | Olathe, KS, U.S.A. | 07/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Before buying the CD of Bang Bang Bang a couple of years ago, I hadn't bought a Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album in six years. This record was a long time in coming, but I think it's worth playing over and over.The title song, in which Jimmy Ibbotson sings about the girl in the leopard skin body suit coming to pick the guy up for a night of dancing, is a bouncy, rocking, feel-good tune that's fun to listen to as well as dance to. Indeed, most of the songs are positive, uptempo songs. Besides "Bang Bang Bang", the highlights are "If This Ain't Love", which has some awesome steel guitar and sax playing; "Forget The Job(Get A Life)", NGDB's funny take on our workaholic culture; "Rent, Groceries And Gasoline", NGDB's celebration of the simple life(Chorus: "I'm a man of simple means/Just rent, groceries and gasoline"); the thumping, amusing "Dry Town", which prominently features Ibbotson's mandolin and Bob Carpenter's accordion; Ibbotson's upbeat "The Monkey Song", the only song on the record which was written by a Dirt Band member; and "Southbound Train", the concluding song, which features some bluesy harmonica playing by Jimmie Fadden. These are all fun, upbeat songs.Bang Bang Bang isn't without its ballads, though. Jeff Hanna contributes his vocals to three excellent slow songs: "Singing To The Scarecrow", "Down The Road" and "It's About Time". All these songs are well-done, and Hanna's wife, songwriter Matraca Berg, helps him in the singing of "It's About Time".All in all, I think this album is well-made and powerful. Bang Bang Bang is a delightful record by one of music's best and best-known groups."

Some of Hanna's Ballads. . .

Josef S. Olsavsky | 07/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

". . . as opposed to Shelley's Blues. I'm one of those followers whom Ibby calls dirtheads, as I've seen this group too many times to count, beginning in 1971. Anyone who follows the band that closely knows that Jeff Hanna is the group's leader even though a majority of the songs are sung by Jimmy Ibbotson. On this particular effort, Hanna's vocals take front stage, especially on strong ballads like "It's About Time"; "Singin' to the Scarwcrow"; and "Nickel in the Well." Bob Carpenter, who will always be considered the new guy even though he's been with the band since 1976, gives a great contribution on "Forget the Job (Get a Life)." "Rent, Groceries and Gasoline" and "Dry Town" are also memorable. This effort was unfortunately buried due to the dismantling of the band's label, and by the time it got out, the songs were already old. It reminds me of the Dirt Band's Jealousy, which had numerous spectacular Hanna songs on it (due to Ibby being on sabbatical), but no record label support and hence, went nowhere.
There's some truly great material here, which the band may never resurrect in concert due to the lack of promotion of the cd. It's as good as anything the Eagles ever put out."