Review – Zac Brown Band’s “The Grohl Sessions Vol. 1”
The Zac Brown Band finds themselves in a position that most any other band or artist would be lying if they said they weren’t envious of: owning their own label, calling their own shots, and nestled in a niche carved out in the music world where they’re beholden to no industry or radio play or sound to ensure butts fill the seats at shows. At the same time they’ve enjoyed the gracious support of the country music industry, while still openly admitting they veer much closer to the Southern rock side of things, giving the band the latitude to experiment and collaborate outside the genre while receiving much more interest than flack. They’ve created their own Zac Brown culture, with loyal fans, fun side enterprises like Zac’s foodie endeavors, and his Southern Ground Music & Food Festival. It’s a modernized space where bands like The Allman Brothers used to sit, attracting their own crowd as big, jam-style bands tend to do.
In the midst of the brushup between Zac Brown and Luke Bryan, when Zac chided Luke’s song “That’s My Kind Of Night” for being the “worst song ever,” defendants of Luke’s and other industrious bystanders proffered up Zac’s first big hit “Chicken Fried” and his roster of island/beach songs as grounds for hypocrisy. However “Chicken Fried” was released over six years ago now. Where the Zac Brown Band has settled since securing its independence from a label is somewhere much closer to the compositional-heavy style of its Southern rock forefathers than anything near country radio cliché.
After the success of “Chicken Fried”, the band added multi-instrumentalist Clay Cook, known previously as a member of the Marshall Tucker Band. In 2012 they designated percussionist Daniel de los Reyes as a permanent member. Instead of working with many of the usual suspects in the mainstream country music world, Zac Brown went out on tour with Dave Matthews during the summer of 2010. In September of 2013, Brown sat in with legendary jam band The String Cheese Incident. On Zac Brown’s current “Great American Road Trip” tour, they’ve invited Kacey Musgraves, Keb Mo, and Sturgill Simpson to tag along. Despite a few undeniable plays for radio attention peppered throughout their discography, The Zac Brown Band has displayed themselves as a heady, progressive group, especially when contrasted with the company they keep come country music awards show time.
This leads us to a side project the band released with former Nirvana drummer now turned Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. The well-liked and universally-respected musician played drums for Zac Brown during the November 6th, 2013 airing of the CMA Awards, and though it was a cool collaboration, the pairing appeared to just be one of those one-off, prime time awards show situations meant to get curiosity seekers to tune in. But behind the scenes, Grohl had been working with the band on a new EP.
The Grohl Sessions has not exactly been hush hush, but it is clear everyone approached the sessions as a special thing, and not a full-blown release. The 4-song EP was initially released on December 10th, 2013, but only to iTunes, and only a couple of weeks after Grohl let it slide that he was responsible for the production during an interview at the American Music Awards. It wasn’t until April 28th of 2014 that The Grohl Sessions Vol. 1 arrived in physical form, with a complimentary 45-minute DVD delving into the making of the album. Zac Brown released the EP’s single “All Alright” to country radio on April 28th as well, and it has since met with some moderate success.
At its heart, The Grohl Sessions is the true answer to the “country music must progress” charge regularly levied by mainstream artists like Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, and Eric Church, to justify their trespasses of mixing country with other genres. Coincidentally, Eric Church appears in the songwriting credits of the first song and single “All Alright”. However unlike some of the “progressive” songs on Church’s latest album The Outsiders, including the title track, the songs on The Grohl Sessions don’t show signs of self-indulgence, or simply jarringly shifting between complex movements to wow the listener without and real compositional basis or underlying message or direction.
The songs of The Grohl Sessions are marvelously complex, yet still with a heart, still with a pentameter that never stops beating, keeping the music in a pocket, and the ear enraptured. Though mixing things like rap and EDM into country is certainly different, that doesn’t necessarily make it good, or progressive. It is a fair argument to say that country hardliners regularly bemoan hip-hop treatments to songs, but when it comes to blending rock & roll into country, it is more often given a pass. The Grohl Sessions are certainly guilty of being way more rock than country, with elements of blues and Motown soul. But nobody ever accused Zac of being country, and just because it isn’t country, doesn’t mean it’s not good.
The most grounded song of the four is the single, “All Alright”, arising a soulful, Motown-feeling Southern inflected Muscle Shoals vibe that is not all foreign to country, but is pretty far off. “Let It Rain” is exquisitely unintuitive, and resolves in twisty, chordy moral that is indicative of the wild-eyed West Coast string band Larry & His Flask. “The Muse” reminds you of all those great songs The Avett Brothers used to write, but with more full arrangements, and like every song on this extended player, embellished head to toe with brilliant, multi-tiered harmonies. “Day Of The Dead” takes you to a whole other place entirely, full of intermingled influences, dancing in harmony, not sandwiched together as gimmick, resolving in a most glorious vocal choir, illustrating that despite a few moments of off-the-wall guitar shredding, this album’s foundation starts with voices.
Dave Grohl himself said about the project, “They’re unbelievable, the band is so good they can be tracked live; we didn’t fuck with computers, we tracked live, four-part harmonies around one microphone. It’s rocking. People are like, ‘Oh, it’s country.’ ‘No, it’s not, it’s like the Allman Brothers.’ ‘No, it’s not, it’s jam band.’ I don’t even know what you would call it, it’s fucking great.”
I would pretty much concur.
1 3/4 of 2 guns up.
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June 19, 2014 @ 6:14 pm
I’ve been listen to this one pretty regularly since it came out on iTunes. Good review trig
June 19, 2014 @ 6:30 pm
Spot-on review as always. I think when they do a Volume 2 it will be even better since Grohl and the band will be more familiar with each other. I think they’re capable of making even better music than these four tracks. Brown continues to prove why he’s one of my favorites in mainstream country.
June 19, 2014 @ 6:55 pm
Great review! I haven’t listened to the EP much since adding it to my iTunes upon release but that’s not because it’s bad.. There’s just too much great music coming out making it hard to give everything a fair rotation. I’ve seen these guys live a few times and can confirm Grohl’s statements”“”“They’re unbelievable. My only gripe with this EP is that while I do enjoy the cover of The Wood Brothers’ The Muse, I wish they would have filled that spot with an ZBB original.
June 19, 2014 @ 7:12 pm
The Wood Brothers’ The Muse is incredible. I was underwhelmed by ZBB’s versions. I agree though, that song is my lone gripe.
June 19, 2014 @ 7:30 pm
This is just good music.
June 19, 2014 @ 7:49 pm
With Grohl’s rocking on the drums with the melodic vocals and the string instrumentals, it’s like a country version of Elvenking… and that’s not really a bad thing, it’s quite enjoyable.
June 19, 2014 @ 8:16 pm
I happen to love ZBB. And having seen them in concert I can concur with the statement that “hey”™re unbelievable, the band is so good they can be tracked live…” And I’m not gonna lie…they did ALL of their songs, I had no idea what they had left for encore and they came out and did the best cover I have EVER heard of Devil Went Down to Georgia. This was after literally just pulling to the front of the stage and sitting down with guitars and fiddles to just jam. Best concert money I think I have ever spent. And, perhaps I am biased, but I think that ZB has one of the best voices in country and others should thank their lucky stars that he is in a band and can’t win male vocalist (cough cough – pretty much everyone else that was nominated)!
A little late in the review though Trigger 😉 I have been listening to this for months and can’t wait for their next album. I love that they push the envelope while still respecting music and country music.
June 19, 2014 @ 8:34 pm
When it was released exclusively to iTunes, I made a conscious decision to not review it until it was made available on more formats.
June 19, 2014 @ 10:32 pm
It wasn’t exclusive to iTunes; I saw the digital release on Amazon as well. In addition, the band offered a physical CD version from their website at the same time as the “exclusive” digital release, but this version has since been replaced by the DVD combo version.
June 19, 2014 @ 10:46 pm
I don’t know the exact timeline of things, but I can tell you that when it was first released, it was exclusive to iTunes, and it says it right in the press releases that were sent out. If at some point later it was made available on Amazon and other outlets before April 28th, or if there were physical copies, there was never any announcement made about it. The physical release date was April 28th. Not saying there weren’t physical copies made available before that, but that is the way the marketing for this album transpired.
Honestly, I don’t think Zac Brown did right by his music by releasing it in such a disjointed and drawn out manner. There are many people who do not have iTunes, and others that refuse to use because of issues with Apple. Sure, you can release it a few weeks later on other outlets, but at that point you’ve lost the momentum of the news cycle. I also disagree with them releasing an EP. I would have waited until an entire album’s worth of material was available, even 8 songs. All of these actions have created hurdles to more people listening to it, and for outlets like Saving Country Music to review it. I could not obtain a copy because I don’t have iTunes. So it didn’t get reviewed until now. To me, the release of The Grohl Sessions was a textbook example of how not to release music.
June 19, 2014 @ 10:59 pm
I agree that this EP was a bit botched. I’ve never really been a fan of digital downloads myself, but I do have iTunes if only because I have a Mac. I’ve also never really liked that many of these such releases are digital-only nowadays; whatever happened to physically releasing an EP? Sure, ZBB eventually got around to it but there are many such EPs by other artists that are digital-only. And sure, the momentum is partly undercut by the unclear release cycle, but I think they’re trying to circumvent that with the single release (notice they waited until the physical release). But you’re completely right about the marketing being odd. Here’s a link to the original, DVD-less release with a simple vinyl-esque slipcover that clearly has 2013 on the back: http://store.zacbrownband.com/the-grohl-sessions-vol-1-cd.html
I’ve come across such situations in the past wherein an artist sells certain items on their site that aren’t available anywhere else. This particular CD release was probably sold at concerts.
June 19, 2014 @ 9:35 pm
Great EP, love ZBB. On a side note, Eric Church was a co-writer on the first song “All Alright.” The guy know how to write a song.
June 19, 2014 @ 9:40 pm
You did cover that in the article, but just wanted to make a point. One of my favourite modern song writers.
June 19, 2014 @ 9:42 pm
I am a huge Dave Grohl fan. I admire the way he thinks outside the box, stands up for real artistry, and tries new and different approaches to making music with Foo Fighters. (granted, his success allows him to do that.)
I am digging this EP. My favorite part of “All Alright” Is Zac’s vocal on that track. He just has so many little lifts in his voice in all the right places in that song. It really tells the story.
I appreciate what you said, Trigger, about THIS being the answer to those who say country needs to progress.
As a country-loving metal chick, I am excited about this collaboration. I am glad to see openness with country/rock combos in both communities.
I just read this article (link below) about Chris Cornell on Howard Stern mentioning this EDM takeover, and predicting another big wave of good rock music–and, yes, it’s referring to the rock world. Maybe country fans can find some home in the same ideas Cornell mentions?
http://loudwire.com/soundgarden-chris-cornell-predicts-rock-revolution/?trackback=twitter_top
June 19, 2014 @ 10:34 pm
Maybe country fans can find some home in the same ideas Cornell mentions?
Why, is he up next for a producing job with a country act? Then after that are we going to get Eddie Vedder and Jerry Cantrell? 😛
June 19, 2014 @ 11:13 pm
I just meant that his point is that rock’s past, we get to a saturation of some style of music that is more plastic, and not as substantial, and it’s eventually choked out by a swell of something good.
I actually meant “Hope,” not “home.” As in, maybe we can hope for the same thing to happen in country. If my typo changed what I meant, that’s my bad. I honestly have lost most interest in country music, save for a few of the artists supported here…but I enjoy the music industry analysis and community here, especially lately. I wasn’t expecting a comment like yours. I’m not sure what you mean?
Again, I meant Hope,…typo. Sorry. I’ll leave my rock stuff out of here from now on I guess.
June 19, 2014 @ 11:13 pm
Predicting a rock revival is like predicting a jazz revival. Rock is simply dead as a highly popular modern genre, and has been for about a decade. Its fan base among modern music fans consists of a small arts-loving niche and not a mass grassroots movement. It is time to face that reality.
June 20, 2014 @ 9:08 am
You might be right, but I wish you weren’t. I feel like a rock revival would be good for music in general– all genres. I’d like to see more collabs like The Grohl Sessions, regardless.
June 19, 2014 @ 11:23 pm
I think you took my comment a bit more seriously than I was intending. It was simply a stupid joke, not at all criticism. Dave Grohl was in Nirvana. You brought up Chris Cornell, who is in Soundgarden. I mentioned Eddie Vedder (Pearl Jam) and Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains) as a tongue in cheek reference to the other two of the “big four” grunge bands.
June 19, 2014 @ 11:58 pm
Taking things too seriously is kinda my thing. It’s a problem, and I’m in recovery. 🙂 No worries!
June 20, 2014 @ 9:56 am
Rock is my other favorite genre and I hope there’s a revolution to bring it back too Carrie Anne. One band I just discovered that has made me have hope in rock again is Rival Sons. It’s the sound I’ve been waiting to hear from a rock band again.
June 21, 2014 @ 7:14 am
SO glad you brought up Rival Sons! I haven’t had a chance to listen to their new album in full, but I like what I’m hearing. I think my favorite album from them is Pressure and Time. It’s a few years older, but I think it has a great energy. It has taken some work, but I’m slowly finding some bands in rock that have the sound I like. (Heavy music, but with melodic vocals) Much like in country, IMO, the best rock music isn’t being played on rock radio. (At least not where I am) You have to find it.
June 20, 2014 @ 2:58 pm
As one who has been called out by no less than the Triggerman himself (and rightly so) for bringing rock/metal into a discussion, I say this one is valid.
And before I get too far into it, it would be a dream of mine to have a universally accepted sarcasm/satire/snark font. That kind of stuff is so hard to convey in print if you don’t know it’s coming.
While the purpose of this site is pretty clear, just look at the name: “Saving Country Music”, I think it has become a refuge for people like me just looking for good music. I’m another country metalhead. And I know a couple more who comment here regularly. So I’m sure there are many more who read and don’t comment.
I think a lot of us who are frustrated with the lack of guitar-driven songs on radio feel a kinship with those who are frustrated by a lack of traditional country music on the radio. I think we share a lot in common.
I grew up in a small town in Texas severely lacking in anything quality on the radio. We relied on each other and bought cassettes and copied them and shared them. Low tech pirating, I know, it was going on back then. We were listening to Alabama and AC/DC. George Strait and Def Leppard. Didn’t matter the genre, as long as it was good.
People that gravitate towards these sites and stay, no matter what the original genre, are all looking for the same thing: Good music.
I may have stepped out of bounds again, but that’s what I think.
June 19, 2014 @ 9:52 pm
Always been a ZBB fan discovered Blackberry Smoke when they where opening for them a couple years ago and Blackberry Smoke now counts me as a big fan. I have issues with songs like chicken fried and some beachy songs like toes, as long as its not the only thing you can do. And we all know ZBB is much more than that. Plus if you even look at ZBBs obvious list/radio type songs they still have more substance than most list/radio type songs. My .02 nice article I will be purchasing and listening to this ep thanks as always trigger.
June 19, 2014 @ 9:52 pm
I have no* issues. I should proof read more sorry.
June 19, 2014 @ 10:44 pm
Glad to see that we finally have a review up for this release. I personally find the Zac Brown Band to be good, but not necessarily great. They have some endearing singles (“Colder Weather” is great) but none of their three studio releases have really set my soul on fire as whole works. I was surprised at how much this EP seemed to open up their sound; I think they should stick with this type of raw aesthetic as opposed to the glossy approach that they’ve taken on past releases. Too bad this wasn’t an entire album as opposed to simply four songs.
June 19, 2014 @ 11:58 pm
Intriguing.
Zac Brown Band is one of those mainstream country acts I actually want to like, but haven’t quite been able to get into yet. The fact that they tour with Dave Matthews Band is a turn off since I’m typically not into those kinds of big, noodling jam bands. Or maybe those bands just have a stigma due to being associated with the fraternity crowd. Still, I guess it is appropriate to have a Southern band than can bridge the gap between Nashville and Manchester (home of Bonnaroo… wait do they even have jam bands anymore?)
I agree that this music doesn’t register as country. Even if country is only part of what the Zac Brown Band does though, up to this point haven’t they been pretty respectful about releasing genre-appropriate music to country radio? I’m not entirely familiar with their catalog, but I’d say songs like “As She’s Walking Away,” “Colder Weather,” or “The Wind” are good modern country songs.
June 20, 2014 @ 2:50 am
I don’t know if ZBB and Dave Grohl are being defined as country or not but if they are then we cannot argue with any hip hop/country act that has wanted to define themselves as trying to evolve country music.
The site is called Saving Country Music. Who defines what is country music? Is it the sites moderator or contributor? Here it’s Trig, CMT has Allison Borgnua (sic). Or is it our own definition and what we have on our turntable, ipod etc.
Maybe the site should just be called “Good Music.” That way it is open to all genres. I know ZBB has clout because he called out Luke Bryant but how different is their music?
To me the definition of country music was and will always be, if you have to ask if it’s country than maybe it’s not.
June 20, 2014 @ 5:30 am
Country is easy to define, until you actually get up close to it. Country is more intertwined in our musical DNA because of its long existence and extensive root system–and that makes it harder to extract, hold up to the light, and identify what it really is. Its roots go back as far as you care to look (it was already well established at the time of the Bristol Sessions).
Country is already open to all genres. It is IN all genres. Its canopy is as widespread as you can imagine.
People can take a cutting from Country Music, and they can take that cutting and plant it just about anywhere. But the conditions have to be right for it to take root and grow. Take it too far, and it won’t flourish.
Your definition works as well as any, and better than most, methinks.
I caution all to remember that the farther one is ‘outside’ country music, then the more one’s definition is going to be flawed, overly simplistic. So always consider the source.
June 20, 2014 @ 6:48 am
I hope Dave Grohl’s influence gets rid of all the beachy bullshit for good.
June 20, 2014 @ 7:17 am
I think ZBB will always have beachy type songs in their music. I think it is a lifestyle that Zac feels a connection to, so he will continue to write songs about that lifestyle. I also think the full time addition of Daniel de los Reyes also shows that Zac will continue to fuse that kind of music into his catalog. I personally don’t mind, because I like those types of songs here and there. It might be because hanging out on the beach is just about my favorite thing to do. As long as he mixes in a lot of other songs also, it’s fine to have a few here and there.
June 20, 2014 @ 9:55 am
I think my issue with it is that I use music as an emotional release. I’ve always been one to find music therapeutic, and when I hear something so incessantly cheerful, it’s hard to take it seriously, especially after they release a Colder Weather or Highway 20 Ride type song.
And then there’s the sheer number of times each of their songs gets played on the radio. Even their serious songs get sickening.
August 5, 2023 @ 2:07 pm
That is on you, then.
You can’t expect a band to cut out fun songs because you can’t handle them.
June 20, 2014 @ 7:19 am
I think its healthy that country music has always embraced aspects of other musical styles to ‘season the dish’ , so to speak . The genre has never hidden its head in the sand and ignored other cultural influences ….musical or otherwise , in that respect. However I think that when ‘country music ‘ and its traditional ingredients ( themes , instruments, rhythms , vocal harmonies etc.. ) start to BECOME the ‘seasoning,’ as is the case with mainstream ‘country’ radio , the genre is simply just being exploited. (‘ throw a token banjo on the intro ….but BURY it’…and NO SOLOING ! ) and risks completely losing its OWN distinct flavor . Zac Brown has only been considered a ‘country band’ because they need an umbrella to market the product under . In reality , I think , its a band still searching for its identity…and often stumbling along the way . I think they’d have done well to have brought in some veteran songwriters …people who know the craft and the secret to a great song which survives the test of time and genre , to help polish their material which , to my ear , has been a series of diamonds in the rough …good ideas which have never fully come to fruition . In this respect , their material falls short , albeit not AS short , as most mainstream country writing and performance.
June 20, 2014 @ 7:53 am
In all my years of watching live music and a ton of that on the independent circuit, after seeing the ZBB play live last year, they are the tightest band that I have ever seen live. Their musicianship was above anything else that I have seen. They are literally a whole band full of A players.
June 20, 2014 @ 9:49 am
Glad they’re out doing what they’re doing.
Funny story about the state of country radio. There was an edit of their song that they played around here that went “Toes in the water, toes in the sand” and you could hear where they overdubbed toes over ass. It was pretty awesome.
June 20, 2014 @ 10:11 am
I’m a huge ZBB fan, I’ve loved almost all their songs on their albums. Do I wish this was a full-fledged album? Absolutely. Regardless, this EP is incredible. Zac Brown Band’s best aspect is their rock and roll and harmonies, and both are on full display here; all while sticking to brilliant songwriting (or covers of brilliant songs). This is a tight collection, but I don’t think you can find a better 4-song arrangement to listen to back-to-back in modern/mainstream music. A brilliant EP that I hope leads to a fantastic full-album…whether it’s Vol. 2 or not.
June 20, 2014 @ 2:50 pm
What i most respect about this collaborative effort is how Dave Grohl provided the Zac Brown Band enough autonomy with their sound and didn’t push them around in co-opting the Foo Fighters or Them Crooked Vultures template.
This highlights Grohl’s respect for genre distinction: even as someone whose discography is overwhelmingly steeped in rock and roll. And the fact that Grohl served more as a guide as opposed to a dictator has only resulted in my deepened respect for him as an individual and a multi-disciplinary recording artist.
I’ve heard the Zac Brown Band’s next full-length effort is expected to be released in the spring of 2015, so it appears highly unlikely “All Alright” will also make the track-listing for that eventual LP. I also heard that, for the first time, the band will have multiple producers helming the effort……………..which I have mixed feelings about, in itself, in that it can either be highly rewarding in showcasing the musical maturity and broadening of the band’s craft, or conversely result in an uneven, messy result.
At any rate, I’m glad this EP was billed as a “Volume I”. I really wouldn’t mind to see a release pattern similar to how Luke Bryan has released a “Spring Break” EP every March…………showcasing the latest results from a Zac Brown Band/Dave Grohl union.
June 20, 2014 @ 6:44 pm
I’ll preface by saying that I’ve seen the ZBB live twice (once before they “got big” and once last year at their Southern Ground Music and Food Festival in Charleston SC). I plan to attend the SGMFF this year as well. That said, I’m clearly a ZBB fan, so take that into consideration when reading my comment.
I agree with some of the above comments that say Zac Brown’s music is something of a blended genre. Some of it isn’t really “country” but then some shows deep country influence. Their infusion of island music and elements of rock and roll are proof of this blended genre. There is really no other place for ZBB’s music to call home other than country music. Rock and Roll is dead. Sorry. I would love to see a revival of it, but it doesn’t seem likely. Island influenced music struggles to maintain popularity as a genre all its own and has forged ties with country music (Jimmy Buffett’s only #1 being a duet with Alan Jackson).
This current EP is a testament that Zac recognizes the loss of a true Rock and Roll genre but also his respect for what once was. Seeing Zac live, it is obvious that he holds in high regard the musicians who paved the way before him and the talent they still have- which is likely why he has sought collaborations with Grohl, Buffett and Jackson.
June 21, 2014 @ 8:17 am
Musical tastes sure are funny things. I have hated this band from the first time I heard them, and that hate has grown with time. Zac’s voice is about as uninteresting as it gets, and at times can be downright obnoxious. I hated their rural cliche checklist song “Chicken Fried”, before anyone else even noticed that these checklist songs were becoming a phenomenon. It pains me to know they still haven’t disbanded. Oh, and every time I see that moron wearing a toboggan in the Summer, I can’t help but wish that somebody would rip it off his head, deficate in it, then put it back on him.
November 3, 2014 @ 7:18 am
Anyone see Sonic Highway documentary by Dave? Is on HBO now, probably re-run many many times.
Pretty good and kind of neat to see his take on things as someone that knew nothing about Nashville. I don’t know that I would agree Zach Brown is as “outsider” as Dave thinks (Zach has played it pretty safe with many songs) but I guess that is Dave’s first/only experience with Nashville and there are far worse he could have hooked up with.
I hope Dave stays around Nashville and meets some other artists working on the outside of music row too. No doubt Dave is interested in the scene.
November 3, 2014 @ 9:07 am
Yeah, I saw that documentary. It was certainly interesting, but I had mixed feelings about it overall.
I too think it’s curious that Dave Grohl views Zac Brown as a paragon of authenticity in country music, for similar reasons as you. (Also because many people, perhaps including Zac Brown, don’t consider the majority of ZBB’s music to be “country” per se.) I also thought it was ironic that Zac’s story about prohibiting another band from releasing “Chicken Fried” as a single was presented as evidence of his rebellious, outlaw spirit, when a lot of people consider that song to be an instance of the Zac Brown Band “selling out.” I like Zac Brown fine, and I do think he does things his own way for the most part, particularly in the context of mainstream country, but I thought the documentary was a bit of wasted opportunity in terms of showcasing artists who are outside the circle of mainstream radio play. That’s probably because Dave Grohl isn’t aware of those artists. (A little more research might have helped.) Perhaps Zac Brown could turn him onto Sturgill.
I did appreciate the respect shown to the country music genre overall, which is something I never take for granted.
November 3, 2014 @ 9:22 am
Yea, I thought immediately, why isn’t he talking to an artist like??? But then I realized his very first experience with Nashville, and all he knows of Nashville is based on ZBB. Literally.
No doubt Dave hanging out with Tony Joe, he learned about other artists or met some that are more outsider than ZBB, but the documentary was only and hour and since it concluded with “Congregation” performance, it kind of all had to connect and back to his relationship w/ ZBB. You could do a week long documentary on the real outsiders of Nashville from past and present.
For Dave to even do a documentary says a lot about the influence and respect he has for country music.
Zach’s studio is pretty cool. All the things left behind that they found when he bought it… cool stuff.
I really did like how Dave didn’t rip bro/pop country, but did raise the eyebrow…paraphrasing…..Dave said- “I went to the CMA’s thinking how cool it will be, given everything is centered around the song in this town, and boy, it was different.”
It is easy to rip that stuff, but when you just raise the eyebrow and put it back on those artists….really guys? This is what you really want to do??? Is a bit more accountability there.
November 3, 2014 @ 7:19 am
By the way, I would have never guessed Foo Fighters new song “Congregation” was about country music.
April 5, 2017 @ 4:04 pm
It’s sad to read this article knowing the direction Zac Brown Band would head after this. I’m really hoping the new album is good. The first 2 songs they released are solid, but nothing special. Hopefully the remaining 8 songs have a lot more to offer. Trig have you heard anything on if they’ll ever do a volume 2 of the Grohl Sessions?
August 5, 2023 @ 2:08 pm
Amazing how they went from this EP to complete disaster with Jekyll + Hyde.