Corey

Sharek

 

If you are someone who has never been introduced to Robbie Fulks, there’s one thing you need to know.  His sense of humor is very unusual.  Not unusual as in rare or not common, but unusual as in weird and only narrowly appealing to a specific listener type.  I have a friend in South Carolina who’s been trying to turn me on to Fulks for some time asserting that his genius takes more cerebrum to get.  Well, after many rotations of Fulks’ South Mouth and so-called Greatest Hits (which contain no previously recorded songs on it); I had found that I just don’t get Robbie Fulks.  More so, I just don’t like Robbie Fulks.

Enter our local Americana radio station and a constant rotation of “Countrier Than Thou” and “Doing Right For All The Wrong Reasons” from Georgia Hard; I was forced to admit that my initial assessment may have been off.  I simply HAD to have that record.  Since then, it’s been a staple in my collection.

So when Miss Lana put the word out to the posse that Fulks’ latest live discs were up for the taking, my dibs got thrown in at about 6 a.m. to ensure that I got it.

Remember how I said about Fulks’ humor’s unusual nature, this album does not, uhm, disappoint?  Disc one starts with a corny acapella/50’s track called “We’re On The Road”, and boy is it a tanker.  At this juncture, I’d have junked the duet of discs if I didn’t know what kind of writer and performer Fulks really is.

As you may know, I like to look at an album as just that; an album – perhaps a photo album for metaphoric consideration.  Each song is a picture in the album, and I usually like to address each one singly.  With two discs ahead, there’s no way you keep interested with specifics on each song.  I’d probably fall asleep typing.

Suffice it to say that apart from the canned ham intros and interludes, this album is very good as a sum of its parts.  The first disc is electric and with a full band, the second disc is a great collection of acoustic, Appalachian gold.

The rare part is that the performances on this record are played so well, the fidelity so clear and well mixed that it’s easy to forget it's live.  The electric disc is really studio-quality, but the acoustic work of disc two can’t be faked in a studio; its just talent.

Some standouts are “Fixin’ to Fall”, “Mad at a Girl”, “The Buck Starts Here”. “Goodbye, Good Lookin'” and “Rock Bottom, Pop 1”.

But the real killer is his acoustic version of “Believe”.  Don’t know it?  Sure you do.  Cher did it as a dance song with so much vocal correction that it’s an effect.  Fulks even does some of the square trills for laughs and pulls it off.  I laughed out loud because its both so well adapted and funny that it was done.

Another comedic notable is on disc two about the story of his Jewish band mate.  I’d tell you more, but it would ruin it.  Suffice it to say that there is nothing offensive, just a funny twist.

Perhaps my buddy Brad in SC was right; it does take a thinker to really appreciate Fulks' work.  Don’t ask me why I’m included, but the end result is that if you like songs well crafted, played very tightly as a live unit that break from the trend of cut-off flannel shirts and store-bought, worn-in ball caps, this may be the guy for you.  I’d recommend starting with something more mainstream of his to whet your palette like Georgia Hard, and then savor this one as a sweet dessert and rich coffee.

Grade: B

Corey Sharek, April, 2007

Disc: 1
1. We're On The Road
2. You Shouldn't Have
3. Fixin' To Fall
4. Mad At A Girl
5. The Buck Starts Here
6. Goodbye, Good-Lookin'
7. Busy Not Crying
8. You Don't Mean It (Soundcheck)
9. Rock Bottom, Pop.1
10. Cigarette State
11. Let's Kill Saturday Night


Disc: 2
1. Introductory Remarks By Amy Warren
2. That's A Good Enough Reason
3. Believe
4. In Bristol Town One Bright Day
5. I Wanna Be Mama'd
6. Fake Jews Everywhere/The Death Of Enthusiasm
7. I Like Being Left Alone
8. Bluebirds Are Singing For Me
9. On A Real Good Day
10. President Garfield's Hornpipe/Suza
11. Kelly Hogan's Looking Hot/Closing Remarks
12. Away Out On The Old Saint Sabbath

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