Search - Robbie Fulks :: South Mouth

One of the best country CDs released in the past decade!

Larry Runge | Chicago | 09/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
Robbie Fulks' "South Mouth" is one of the best three country CDs released in the past ten years (along with Brad Paisley's "Who Needs Pictures" and Hilljack's debut album, "Stand Up").



That is, if you like a traditional honky-tonk sound and aren't looking for the country equivalent of a cross dresser (such as pop or rock trying to pass itself off as country).



I believe this to be one of Fulks best efforts -- if not the best. There's not a bad cut on this CD. There's quite a variety of tunes, from snappy tunes like "Goodbye, Good Looking", to traditional tunes about killing the man you caught with your wife, "South Richmond Girl", to belly-rubbers like "Heart I Wish You Were Here" (For those of you born after 1960, a "Belly-Rubber" is a slow dance tune).



For the record, I loved "Dirty-Mouthed Flo", which is as honky-tonk as they come -- although the lyrics are a tad on the ribald side. You may want to play that one when the kids aren't around.



If you like your country hailing back to the days when every high school boy's dream was to have a red GTO, with Four on the Floor and a fifth under the front seat, this CD is for you.



Buy this, put it on, then open up a six pack of Blue Ribbon and try to keep from dancing. Or better yet, get a teetotaler to drive you down some lonely gravel roads, slip the disc in the car stereo, and swill the suds to some of the best sounds since Buck Owens and Don Rich were tearing it up -- just don't toss the empties out the window.

"

Rockabilly punk

Michael Blackburn | Illinois USA | 04/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Robbie has it nailed down. Like Tom Waits you have to see Fulks live and in the flesh to appreciate his boney delivery of his right on music. He's a funny dude to watch, and a gentleman to talk to."

He's at his best when doing clever country songs.

Michael Blackburn | 11/28/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If there were any justice, country singers would be clammering to record songs such as "Heart, I Wish You Were Here," "Busy Not Crying," and "Goodbye Good Lookin'." Of course, there is no justice, and it's probably for the best, because even a good song when put through the Nashville Machine, usually ends up as pap. Robbie Fulks is the King of clever hooks, but also has the songwriting chops to get an actual story in a song as well. I only wish that he would leave the novelty tunes, such as "Dirty Mouthed Flo" and the previous album's "Scrapple" off the recordings. He is one alt.country.crap artist who actually seems to enjoy performing instead of appearing tortured by the task. What a relief. I would give my eye teeth to hear "South Richmond Girl" performed by the Del McCoury Band!"