The Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) October 6, 2017 CD/LP/Digital of the 1989 Drivin' n' Cryin' album "Mystery Road" continues going above-and-beyond regarding making rock classics available in the digital age without sacrificing the integrity of the music. Like the (reviewed) Rush mega-set "2112" that has a place of honor in the Unreal TV office and the (also reviewed) "The Supremes A' Go-Go," the UMe release of "Mystery" has extra tracks galore.
In this case, the bonus content is demo versions of songs by these Atlanta boys/R.E.M. openers. These special tunes include versions of the titular song (which is not on the original album) and the equally classic "Honeysuckle Blue."
The liner notes share that the love that UMe shows Drivin' includes using the album art that the is the first choice of the band; these notes further explain why that image does not grace the front of the recording in 1989.
The two strong endorsements of Drivin' include Peter Buck of R.E.M. supporting the band to the extent of producing the aforementioned demos and by giving these boys an adequately free hand to make the suits nervous. Other tidbits show that Buck is the best-ever big brother figure for which any band could hope.
An even more cool thing about this "no fail" release is that it is the musical equivalent of the New England weather. There is no cause to fret if a particular song does not match your personal taste; just wait three minutes and the style will change.
The liner notes and the press materials further confirm that there is plenty of reason to like Drivin', but that it is tough to label them (no pun intended). They definitely have a strong folk rock sound that evokes thoughts of the recently deceased Tom Petty. This is very strong in "Blue," which celebrates the natural beauty of the South while commenting on the despair of folks living there.
Starting the album with "Ain't It Strange," which has blue grass style fiddling and a hard-rock beat accompanying a Dylan/Joplin sentiment of a rich white guy looking to displace a Volvo by building a house provides a perfect introduction to the group.
Although none of the materials for "Mystery" mention Petty as a direct influence, the written materials for "Mystery" repeatedly cite Aerosmith and the Ramones as the better-known of the numerous bands that clearly exert their impact. There is plenty of hard-rocking and clever lyrics.
The Aerosmith influence is incredibly strong in "Wild Dog Moon," which has enthusiastic licks and very fast highish-pitch lyrics. Given the role of Buck, it is cool that the next track of "House for Sale" easily could have been an R.E.M. song.
The weather analog particularly comes into play regarding "You Don't Know," which aptly does not sound much like any other "Mystery" sounds. This homage to personally beloved New Wave and alternative '80s music reflects the stated love of the band for that genre.
The following YouTube clip of a 2015 performance of "Know" shows that the boys (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) still rock hard roughly 30 years after "Mystery."
The wonderfully witty and catchy "Straight to Hell" is the most pure country songs among the original 11 tracks. This one is about a modern day Huck Finn (rather that Tom Sawyer), who delights in proving his single "mama" right regarding her prediction that he boy is destined to fry for an eternity.
The good folks at UMe share that the general love for "Hell" includes Darius Rucker of "Hootie and the Blowfish" teaming up with members of Lady Antebellum to to perform it on his new album.
The encore to this discussion of "Mystery" is that both the quality of the music and the integrity of the band regarding not selling out warrants buying this expanded edition.
Anyone with questions or comments regarding "Mystery" is strongly encouraged either to email me or to connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.
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