Day of the Doug

オルタナ・カントリーの雄によるダグ・サームカバー集!
ウィルコを並ぶオルタナ・カントリー・バンド=サン・ヴォルトによるダグ・サーム・トリビュート・アルバム。サー・ダグラス・クインテットからソロ名義まで、ブルーズ、R&B、カントリー、テックス・メックスをミックスしたテキサスの巨人のユニークな音楽性を真摯にカヴァー。原曲の爽やかな哀愁を踏襲しつつエレキ・ギターとオルガンを押しだしヒップに仕上げた(2)、黄金期ストーンズの如き粘っこいタメの効いたギターリフがたまらないテキサス・トルネードズの(5)などなど、一聴、自然体の一筆書きに見えて含蓄に富む楽曲と演奏の栄養価の高さ、この絶妙な塩梅はウルサ型のルーツロックファンも文句ナシなはず!

Day of the Doug is the latest chapter of Jay Farrars lifelong love of Doug Sahm, a connection the Son Volt leader underscores by having Day of the Doug open and close with voicemails the Texas Groover left Farrar many, many years ago. Back then, Farrars old band Uncle Tupelo invited Sir Doug to play on their version of Sahms "Give Back the Key to My Heart" on their final album, Anodyne, a move that seemed a bit like the passing of a generational torch. Thirty years later, Sahm is long gone and Son Volt, the band Farrar formed after Tupelo, are part of the Americana old guard, so Day of the Doug hits slightly differently. Certainly, the record is a loving tribute to a key influence on Farrar, but it also feels a bit like a way to keep Sahms legacy alive, a way to introduce listeners to a pivotal 20th century American musician whose body of work remains underappreciated. Farrar celebrates Sahm not by reviving Sir Dougs familiar tunes -- "Shes About a Mover" and "Mendocino" are nowhere to be seen -- but by concentrating on the breadth of his catalog, balancing hippie ballads like "Beautiful Texas Sunshine" with the honky tonk blues of "Keep Your Soul" and multicultural rockers like "Juan Mendoza." Son Volt sharply select tracks that illustrate Sahms range while also playing right in their own sweet spot, finding songs that benefit from stripped-down, earthy delivery. It also helps that Son Volt clearly are having a great time laying into these songs as if theyre playing a packed beer joint on a Saturday night: while there are plenty of tearjerking moments here, Day of the Doug is essentially a party, a celebration not only of a musical titan but Son Volts own virtues. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine