Drive-By Truckers

"One person's trash is another's treasure" is the usual party line when it comes to rarities collections, and with most artists that's a shaky premise on which to construct a record. But given that the Drive-By Truckers' last few albums have all had strong narrative themes, it stands to reasons that there would be songs left over that didn't fit with what Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, et al. had in mind at the time. The Fine Print does indeed contain several thankfully rescued gems, mostly from The Dirty South sessions, especially "George Jones Talkin' Cell Phone Blues" and "TVA," a great ballad by now-departed member Jason Isbell. But mostly The Fine Print showcases the Truckers' raw side through covers of Tom Petty ("Rebels"), Tom T. Hall ("Mama Bake A Pie"), Warren Zevon ("Play It All Night Long") and Bob Dylan ("Like A Rolling Stone"). This is far from essential but even casual DBT fans will enjoy gorging on these snacks until the next full-course meal comes out.