This came out in 2004 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Country? Sure. Favourites? Definitely. But Country Favourites, the sixth studio effort from Detroit’s Volebeats, doesn’t live up to its title quite as neatly as you might think.
You won’t find the works of Waylon or Willie among these dozen cuts. But you will find twangeriffic versions of The 13th Floor Elevators’ I Had To Tell, ABBA’s Knowing Me Knowing You, Funkadelic’s Maggot Brain, Slayer’s Die By The Sword and Serge Gainsbourg’s Manon. Sprinkled between, you’ll also find some originals that are every bit as enjoyable and approachable even if they are less familiar and kitschy. And best of all, you’ll find that with their jangly Byrdsy guitars, warm vocals and rootsy authenticity, many of these cuts sound a bit like Dwight Yoakam jamming with Blue Rodeo. With all that going for it, Country Favourites could easily end up one of yours.
