Album Review – Robbie Fulks – “Bluegrass Vacation”

When you think of Robbie Fulks, you may think first of his rambunctious and attitudinal songs like “Fuck This Town” that skewers Nashville and the haircuts of Brooks & Dunn, or the comparatively sentimental “She Took A Lot of Pills (and Died),” or other songs released during the heyday of alt-country on labels like Bloodshot and Yep Roc that would go places mainstream country wouldn’t dare.
You really don’t think of Robbie Fulks as some bluegrass guy that might be in line as the next member of Special Consensus or something. Sure, bluegrass has always been a part of the Robbie Fulks sound. “Long I Ride” from his 2013 album Gone Away Backward might be Robbie’s best song out there, and it’s definitely bluegrass. But how is he really regarded in the bluegrass world?
Despite his punk country popularity, Fulks actually started out as a folk and bluegrass musician who was raised in the Blue Ridge of Virginia and the Piedmont of North Carolina. And after performing in the club scene in Greenwich Village and attending Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk, lo and behold, Robbie actually did spend some time in Special Consensus in 1987 as a flatpicking guitarist.
So perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that after the implosion of Bloodshot Records and the pandemic pause, Robbie Fulks has emerged recording for Compass Records, and releasing a dedicated bluegrass set. Hearkening back to his earliest roots in both the sound and the inspiration for much of the material, Fulks has fully unplugged, roped in folks like Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, Ronnie McCoury, Jerry Douglas, and Alison Brown, and is taking us all on a Bluegrass Vacation.
I’ll be honest. I was a little worried when this album was first announced with its silly cover, and how the lead song “Longhair Bluegrass” reminiscing upon discovering Newgrass took a little of a lighthearted approach. Just how serious would Robbie Fulks take this business, and would it really be the full-blown bluegrass album from Fulks we’ve been waiting for?

Yes it is, and one the great things about this album is the variety of moods and tempos it touches, including quite serious ones. It’s entirely original too instead of padding itself with a bunch of covers and traditionals like bluegrass records can do. “Longhair Bluegrass” isn’t the only song that feels very personal to the Fulks story. All great bluegrass has a touch of reminiscing, and that’s what Fulks does on “Molly and the Old Man” and later “Nashville Blues” that could be considered his bluegrass version of his amplified “Fuck This Town.”
The album arguably reaches its nostalgic and emotional peak with “Angels Carry Me” about feeling like a disappointment to his father before finally “making it” on a big stage and proving his pursuit of music wasn’t just a fancy. You couple this with the song “Momma’s Eyes” about the onset of dementia, and this album comes with not just the enjoyment that bluegrass confers, but a weight and seriousness the subgenre sometimes misses in its emphasis on instrumentation and “back yonder” reminiscing.
There is also bluegrass for bluegrass sake with songs like “One Glass of Whiskey,” the hypersonic “Let The Old Dog In,” and a cool instrumental in “Silverlake Reel.” The song “Sweet Lil’ Cora-Mae” shows that Fulks can work in the vernacular of the bluegrass tradition with positive results, and the final song “Old Time Music Is Here To Stay” makes you wonder if this somewhat genre-jumping artist has found his permanent home.
“That electrified guitar I bought in ’84, sits back in the closet these days. And to watch the years unreeling the more I get to feeling old-time music’s here to stay,” Fulks sings while plucking a little clawhammer banjo in an otherwise empty studio.
So who knows, maybe the Bluegrass Vacation of Robbie Fulks will become a permanent one. And with the results of this album, it would be welcomed.
8/10
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April 12, 2023 @ 8:49 am
Robbie is an immense talent and a brilliant guy.
April 13, 2023 @ 8:02 am
One of the funniest guys out there too.
April 13, 2023 @ 10:17 am
Dude.
“Papa Was a Steel-Headed Man” and “Godfrey, the Sickly, unemployed Amateur Children’s Magician” are comedic gold. And there are many others.
I interviewed him once, & hung out with him for a while after a show. One of the sweetest guys you’ll ever meet.
April 12, 2023 @ 9:29 am
“God Isn’t Real” off of Let’s Kill Saturday Night is a great song and might just be the only atheist anthem in all of country music.
Definitely gonna check out the new album.
April 12, 2023 @ 10:00 am
Early Robbie is what drew me back into country. His first half dozen albums were some of the earliest music that spoke to me on a personal level. I always liked country music, I was just put off by most of the topics, steeped in saccharine religion and knee-jerk patriotism. He didn’t stand still, maturing into his more folk centered sound, keeping him relevant to my life as my tastes matured. It doesn’t hurt that he puts on one of the best live shows in the industry and is a genuinely good guy. I had high expectations for this album when I first heard of it. And in true Robbie Fulks fashion, he exceeded my expectations. Appreciate the review.
April 12, 2023 @ 11:25 am
I think Robbie Fulks is just a treasure and I have really been looking forward to this one. Been enjoying the hell out of it and will pick up a physical copy when I catch him live next week.
April 12, 2023 @ 2:59 pm
Robbie Fulks is a stone cold badass. Great picker/ songwriter/ performer. Thanks for the article.
April 12, 2023 @ 3:46 pm
“I Just Want to Meet the Man” is one of the scariest, countryest songs ever written. Perfectly rendered by Robbie Fulks, who no one can say is ordinary. A profound country song with a dark, dark twist. This is one for the ages.
April 12, 2023 @ 4:16 pm
His guitar picking skills are remarkable in their own right. One of my favorite artists found here on SCM. Agreed, “Long I Ride” is a masterpiece.
April 12, 2023 @ 6:50 pm
I’ve listened to a little bit of Fulks before but didn’t know he had a background in Bluegrass. Are there any specific older albums that showcase more picking and instrumental type stuff?
April 13, 2023 @ 5:13 am
It’s not a bluegrass record, but “Country Love Songs” is my go-to album for him.
April 13, 2023 @ 6:49 am
That’s the only album I’ve really listened to, and actually have it on vinyl. I actually bought it more for the novelty of The Scrapple Song since my wife and her family love scrapple. I had never even heard of scrapple until I met her. I’ll have to give that album a closer listen and check out some of the recommendations here. I’m liking what I hear of this album (Bluegrass Vacation) a lot.
April 13, 2023 @ 6:23 am
The slower (and less obviously bluegrass) songs would be at home on Gone Away Backward and Upland Stories, but maybe you’ve heard those.
April 12, 2023 @ 7:14 pm
I saw you posted this review earlier and instantly sought out the album. I listened 2x and enjoyed it immensely. I skipped “Momma’s Eyes” the second listen, because my mother turned 70 Monday and I couldn’t take another emotional round.
He would have seemed like a natural fit at Del Fest this year playing this style. I wonder if he’ll be at any Bluegrass festivals.
I hope this is his style going forward.
April 13, 2023 @ 5:56 am
If Fulks plays near you make it a priority to go. His shows are a blast. He is hilarious, chooses interesting songs and always comes with a great band.
April 13, 2023 @ 8:44 am
Robbie has a predictably interesting background on this record on his website, blog section
April 13, 2023 @ 12:55 pm
I had the chance to get to hear Robbie Fulks when I lived in Chicago and he was part of the really strong “alt.country/bloodshot records/Old Town School” of accomplished musicians there. His music is such a great mix of authenticity, heartfelt soul, and humor that I consider him one of the best musicians out there. I love this new album! Bravo RF!!
May 15, 2023 @ 6:35 pm
Probably my favorite current songwriter along with James McMurtry. He’s that good. The album’s he put out the last 10 years (Gone away backwards, Upland stories) are some of his best. This one meets the same standard of quality. I’m a bit late on this one but it’s definitely getting in rotation.