Bang Bang Bang (DreamWorks Records) marks the return of the legendary Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. The group's many fans will surely be glad to discover it's as eclectic and down-home as the sound NGD13 pioneered more than three decades ago. From the romping introduction of "If This Ain't Love" (written by Jim Lauderdale) to the chugging meltdown of "Southbound Train" (Dennis Linde), Bang Bang Bang presents The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in fine form.
The record draws on a handful of country and roots music's top writers (in addition to Lauderdale and Linde, Gillian Welch, Al Anderson, Craig Wiseman, Mac McAnally and John Bunzow), as well as some of Nashville's most respected producers -- Emory Gordy Jr. (Patty Loveless, George Jones), Steve Fishell (Pam Tillis, Radney Foster), and Josh Leo (Alabama, Kathy Mattea). This talented crew helped make Bang Bang Bang a showcase of what NGDB does best: It's a collection of great songs played well.
With just a touch of aw-shucks innocence, Bang Bang Bang (released May 4, 1999) defies the daily grind, capturing the small moments that transcend deadlines and traffic jams. As singer-mandolinist Jimmy lbbotson remarks, "The overall theme of this album is to enjoy life with a vengeance." Songs like the title track (about finding love down at the legion hall); the undulating "Forget the Job" (with its rubbery bottom, growled vocal and rave-up sub-chorus of "Get a life"); and "Rent, Groceries and Gasoline" (a cashing-in, cashing-out, back-to-basics anthem) savor every second of the thing called life.
Certainly Ibbotson, singer-guitarist Jeff Hanna, keyboardist-accordionist-singer Bob Carpenter and drummer-mouth harpist Jimmie Fadden understand how easy the living can be. "I guess you could call this our party album," says Hanna. "We didn't necessarily set out with a theme in mind, but these songs all seem to revolve around the idea of having a good time."
With three Grammy Awards; two platinum albums (Will the Circle Be Unbroken and Uncle Charlie and His Dog Teddy); an American classic ("Mr. Bojangles"); a couple of pop hits ("Make a Little Magic," "Viola! An American Dream"); a Country Music Association Album of the Year (Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. 2); and a string of country chart-toppers (including "Long Hard Road," "Fishin' In The Dark," "Partners, Brothers and Friends" and "Modern Day Romance") under its collective belt, NGDB has achieved that goal many times over.
The band is also well known for their distinctive harmonies. Carpenter explains: "When Jeff sings lead, I sing a different kind of harmony part than I do when Ibby sings lead. With one you're over 'em; with the other, I tend to sing under. It's amazing how many different combinations we've got among us. But no matter who's where, we always have a real warm, inviting sound." Indeed, their vocal harmonies wrap around the listener like a favorite flannel shirt or a down quilt on a cold winter night.
And though these harmonies all but define NGDB, their music has often been hard to define. "People get so hung up on what to call it," lbbotson says. "We've been on all kinds of charts and put in all different sections of the record store. What it comes down to is good, honest American music." Hanna concurs: "We don't mean to frustrate people, but it has always been a big deal about what to call us. The irony is that over the years, we've pretty much done the same thing -- it's the genres and formats that have redefined themselves. As far as we're concerned, so long as we can make music we're proud of, we don't care what you call it."
Still, as far as most people are concerned, NGDB is a country stalwart. There's a folksy charm to "Nickel In The Well," a song reminding listeners that all's fair in love. While "Singing to the Scarecrow," about a little girl's dreams, and "Down the Road," an ode to compassion and loyalty passed from one generation to the next, embody the homespun tenderness that marked past Nitty Gritty hits like "Dance Little Jean" and "I Love Only You."
Observes Ibbotson: "The beauty of being in country is there's a lot of heart here, a lot of joy. You can sing about sweet things and no one second-guesses it. And it's that stuff that makes life so wonderful. When you look back at your life -- whether it's something monumental like falling in love or something small like just enjoying a moment -- you realize those are the things that matter."
The band has always been most concerned with touching their fans and offering relief from a cynical world. "If we can be an antidote to the jaded reality that is life as we currently know it, then we've done something pretty cool," says Carpenter. "Making this record was about staying true to the things we've always been about: good times and acoustic music. And you can play these kinds of songs without sacrificing your integrity. We'd never cash out our intelligence for the sake of a dumb, feel-good hook."
To be sure, that is unnecessary for the trend-bucking Nitty Gritty Dirty Band, especially since they are able to select from the cream of the crop. Attests Hanna: "There were so many great songs out there we wanted to get our hands on. It was hard picking the songs. As word spread of us making this album, an awful lot of publishers offered us their best material. It made us feel real good to have the support of the creative community." That community includes ace singer-songwriter Matraca Berg, who provides harmony on "It's About Time," which extols the beauty of finding one's soul mate amid a sonic backdrop of lush acoustic guitar, soft harmonica and a seductive groove.
The song is yet another example of NGDB's gift for simple, heartfelt music. Bang Bang Bang continues this venerable tradition -- it's a tribute to the primacy of quality songs and the sheer pleasure of playing them, a pleasure that is truly infectious. The album is a wake-up call for those who can't manage to stop and smell the roses, a testament to The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's belief that the little moments in life are the ones that make it worth living. That philosophy has kept the group -- and its fans -- going strong throughout its lengthy career.
Source: http://www.country.com/gen/music/artist/nitty-gritty-dirt-band.html
