Best Of Songs (vinyl)

Drivin' N Cryin'

Plowboy Records , 2015

http://www.drivinncryin.com

REVIEW BY: David Bowling

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 05/18/2015

Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ is a band that has been plugging away for close to 30 years, releasing a dozen albums of solid rock ‘n’ roll and constantly touring. Beginning in June 2012 and continuing for the next 18 months, the band moved in a different and creative direction by issuing a series of EPs, each covering a musical period of their career.  my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 Songs From The Laundromat (rock ‘n’ roll), Songs About Cars, Space, And The Ramones (punk), Songs From The Psychedelic Time Clock (psychedelic rock), and Songs For The Turntable (modern rock) are like a book with different chapters.

The band has now gathered the best of their four EPs and released them as a vinyl-only album. Given the eclectic nature of this EP series, the album is not cohesive, but the individual parts are each excellent.

The packaging has a purposely-cheesy feel of the type of greatest hits albums that were sold on television during the 1980s. The nice touch is the printed ring wear on the jacket. The sound is pristine and, played on the right equipment, is the equal of a CD or download.

The album covers a lot of territory. “Hot Wheels,” “Space Eyes,” and “Dirty” are in your face rock and roll. The band takes an inward turn with “Roll Away The Song” and “Strangers” where the focus is on the reflective lyrics. Perhaps the best track is “The Little Record Store Around The Corner.” If you are of a certain age, local record stores were a gateway not only to music but to a whole new world.

Singer/guitarist Kevin Kinney, bassist Tim Nielsen, guitarist Sadler Vaden, and drummer Dave Johnson have assembled many of their best tracks from the last five years. It finds a mature band at the top of their game and provides a nice taste of what they are all about. The fact that it is a vinyl release is a bonus.

Rating: B+

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