The Modern Sounds of the Knitters

Amazon.com
Give the Carter Family a case of Budweiser and burning backbeat steeped in punk and roots rock and they might sound like the Knitters, a one-off (or so we thought), all-star outfit of old-time country attributions named in honor of fifties' folkies The Weavers. They're back, 20 years after the classic debut Poor Little Critter on the Road, with another batch of traditional takes on country standards and acoustically countrified versions of rock songs. Led by John Doe (with his delightfully tangled harmonies), and including Exene Cervenka, drummer D.J. Bonebrake of the renowned Los Angeles band X, and ex-Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin, the band transitions effortlessly from Critter to cover the Stanley Brothers ("Rank Stranger"), Porter Waggoner ("I'll Go Down Swinging") and Steppenwolf ("Born to Be Wild"), as well as revamp X favorites from the early ("In This House That I Call Home") and later ("Burning House of Love") days. A perfect link from Hank Williams through the Minutemen to alt-country vogue, let's hope the Knitters don't wait another two decades for the trifecta. --Scott Holter

The Modern Sounds of the Knitters,The Knitters,Zoe Records,Alternative Country-Rock,Pop,Rock,Rock/Pop,Roots Rock

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The Modern Sounds of the Knitters

Average customer rating: If You Grew Up With L.A. Radio, You'll Get It! Knitters a needle short How wonderful to see them back!! Old-timey Punk Is this what we was wishing for...?

The Modern Sounds of the Knitters The Knitters Manufacturer: Zoe Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Roots Rock | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Similar Items: Poor Little Critter on the Road Forever Hasn't Happened Yet X - Live In Los Angeles X (The Band) - The Unheard Music West of the West ASIN: B0009W5JWI Release Date: 2005-07-12

Tracks:

1. Easy Goin' Sunday
2. Give Me Flowers While I'm
3. Living
4. Try Anymore (Why Don't We Even)
5. In This House That I Call
6. Home
7. Dry River
8. Skin Deep Town
9. Rank Stranger
10. The New Call of the Wreckin'Ball
11. Long Chain On
12. I'll Go Down Swinging
13. Burning House of Love
14. Little Margaret
15. Born to Be Wild

Amazon.com

Give the Carter Family a case of Budweiser and burning backbeat steeped in punk and roots rock and they might sound like the Knitters, a one-off (or so we thought), all-star outfit of old-time country attributions named in honor of fifties' folkies The Weavers. They're back, 20 years after the classic debut Poor Little Critter on the Road, with another batch of traditional takes on country standards and acoustically countrified versions of rock songs. Led by John Doe (with his delightfully tangled harmonies), and including Exene Cervenka, drummer D.J. Bonebrake of the renowned Los Angeles band X, and ex-Blasters guitarist Dave Alvin, the band transitions effortlessly from Critter to cover the Stanley Brothers ("Rank Stranger"), Porter Waggoner ("I'll Go Down Swinging") and Steppenwolf ("Born to Be Wild"), as well as revamp X favorites from the early ("In This House That I Call Home") and later ("Burning House of Love") days. A perfect link from Hank Williams through the Minutemen to alt-country vogue, let's hope the Knitters don't wait another two decades for the trifecta. --Scott Holter

Customer Reviews:

If You Grew Up With L.A. Radio, You'll Get It!.......2006-12-22

After listening to "Modern Sounds" and "Poor Little Critter" (purchased together, by the way), my first thought was: "I absolutely get it!" Maybe you had to grow up in L.A. in the 60's and 70's, immersed in the great radio stations there at the time. Back then, DJ's at the more progressive stations had wider musical tastes. If you grew up listening to KRLA (with Jimmy Rabbitt), KBLA (with Dave Diamond), KPPC or KMET, you will understand completely the musical influences of X/The Knitters. I couldn't figure out at that time why, as a young adult who liked to spend time at the Whiskey on Sunset enjoying Love, The Illusion and the Doors, why I would also go home and spend time with my Merle Haggard and Hank Williams records. Apparently, so did a lot of other kids in L.A. This synthesis of The Knitters' musical influences, melded into the classic L.A. thrash/rockabilly sound, is a perfect representation of all the music I love.

Knitters a needle short.......2006-08-13

I agree with Tinhorn - this is a disappointing effort. After the first CD, definitely a step down....not a total loss, but rather lifeless.

How wonderful to see them back!!.......2006-08-03

Suffice to say, Poor Little Critter in the Road is one of the best albums of ALL TIME, and so I am excited to see the Knitters back. I heard a great interview with Dave Alvin on NPR, and it is always a joy to hear an interview with a wizened musician who is so real and makes it clear that he would be a joy to buy a drink for. I get the same impression of every member of the Knitters: they're not "down-home," for that is a bastardized term that has come to mean someone who likes to appear sincere and natural, but truly has nothing down-home about him or her. No doubt that the 3 ex-X members would make the drinking session a memorable one, but by no means boring.

But no doubt, the evening would incite wisdom.

That is the feel of this album. Though not as hardcore a classic as Poor Little Critter, it does show that the Knitters bat 1.000 at doing country music more sincerely than any current country performaers of any note. And of course, they do it with a little edge that combines a true respect for country while also having a sense of humor about it. Rather than buying everyone in this band a drink, I'd rather bring a bottle with me to the recording studio and just enjoy the level that this crew can jam and enjoy each other in their music.

There are, of course, two obligatory X remakes (the version of "Burning House of Love" is not quite as sharp as the live countrified version that they did live and appears on the X Anthology disc, but still of high notary excellence) and some old tunes brought to new life, but with songs like "The New Call of the Wreckin' Ball," the colorful character who once graced Poor Little Critter as a chicken-stomping creature banned to live out his days in a rundown coop comes back with some new wisdom. The song itself is one of my least favorite on this disc, but it does show you how thoughtful The Knitters are about their music. Maybe TOO thoughtful, since it took 20 years to hear another Knitters album, but this kind of thoughtfulness would make their perfect record of putting out great albums untouchable.

Old-timey Punk.......2006-02-21

For X fans, this CD would be worth buying just to hear John Doe and Exene make their distinctive almost-harmonies together again -- it was for me, at any rate. But this is a terrific set on its own, one for blasting on the car radio, music that makes the case that the great American originals who started country music had a lot of punk in their attitudes. A big bonus is "Born to be Wild," which is simultaneously a sendup of this dopey hippy anthem and one of the best versions of the song I've ever heard.

Is this what we was wishing for...?.......2005-12-08

dudes, i love the Blasters and i like X and the original Knitters was 1 of a kind, but what's with all the 5 stars here? If the 1st was 5* this is 2-1/2. sorry. mighta coulda benefited from an outside producer and after 20 years perhaps a little better song selection. Wrecking Ball redux is weak and mixed with the vocals down and nearly undecipherable. Some of the songs are good and i wouldn't want to discourage further efforts by what, in tandem, is a hide-skinning band. Little more soul coal woulda fired my boiler.

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