Drive-In Movie is an album by the Canadian musician Fred Eaglesmith.[2][3] It was released in 1996.[4][5] Drive-In Movie was the first Eaglesmith album to be released in the United States.[6] The album won a Juno Award for best "Roots & Traditional Album, Solo".[7]
| Drive-In Movie | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1996 | |||
| Label | Vertical Records[1] | |||
| Producer | Scott Merritt, Fred Eaglesmith | |||
| Fred Eaglesmith chronology | ||||
| ||||
Production
editThe album was produced by Scott Merritt and Eaglesmith.[8][9] It was mostly recorded in Brantford, with some production work taking place in Nashville.[10] Eaglesmith took a casual attitude in the studio, stating that the album was merely a reflection of how he felt at the time of the recording.[11] Three of the album's 11 songs are about trains.[12]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [13] |
| Calgary Herald |  [14] |
| Edmonton Journal | [15] |
| The Province | [16] |
The Calgary Herald wrote that "Eaglesmith's music is hypnotic in its sparse acoustic tones and though he's prone to a bit too much imagery concerning crashin' 'n' burnin' 'n' trains he's also got a knack for turning a phrase."[14] The Edmonton Journal determined that "there's the twisted irony in Eaglesmith's tunes, that they can have the most downhearted themes with a sly smile that creeps in around the edges to make you chuckle."[15]
The Province called the album "spare, left-of-centre country in the same league as Chris Smither, Joe Ely or Rosie Flores."[16] The Gazette concluded that "Eaglesmith is at his best taking scenes of small-town North Americana and turning them into compelling vignettes of a disappearing way of life."[17] The Christian Science Monitor noted that "Eaglesmith integrates poetic sensitivity with his daredevil imagery, producing an original vision."[18] The Kingston Whig-Standard listed it as the sixth best album of 1996.[19]
AllMusic wrote: "In the tradition of Texas songwriters such as Guy Clark and Robert Earl Keen—who evoke images of their home state with masterful clarity—he sings with the honest and sometimes mournful tone of a man who recognizes that the lifestyle he grew up with and loved is now drifting into the past."[13] In 1999, the Riverfront Times stated: "Drive-In Movie sounded like Eaglesmith had been holed up in a Memphis train yard listening to Swordfishtrombones and working Dog Day Afternoon into a countrified musical."[20]
Covers
editCatherine Britt covered "Drive-In Movie" on her debut album.[21] "Wilder Than Her" was covered by Dar Williams.[2]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Like Trains" | |
| 2. | "49 Tons" | |
| 3. | "Here's the Keys" | |
| 4. | "Crashin' & Burnin'" | |
| 5. | "Wilder Than Her" | |
| 6. | "White Rose" | |
| 7. | "Good Enough" | |
| 8. | "Soda Machine" | |
| 9. | "Freight Train" | |
| 10. | "49 Tons (Reprise)" | |
| 11. | "Drive-In Movie" |
References
edit- ^ "Fred Eaglesmith - Drive-In Movie". Country Standard Time.
- ^ a b "Fred Eaglesmith Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Schneider, Jason (April 27, 2009). Whispering Pines: The Northern Roots of American Music from Hank Snow to the Band. ECW Press.
- ^ "Fred Eaglesmith to Play Country Music's Most Famous Stage". Exclaim!.
- ^ Orr, Jay (17 Nov 1995). "Music City: Publisher creates 'natural vehicle' for writers with new label". Nashville Banner. p. C1.
- ^ Brooker, Evan (10 Aug 1996). "Hard work and hurtin' songs". The Globe and Mail. p. C6.
- ^ "Last night's Juno winners". Toronto Star. 10 Mar 1997. p. C1.
- ^ Verna, Paul (Jan 27, 1996). "Albums — Drive-In Movie by Fred Eaglesmith". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 4. p. 105.
- ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. pp. 372–373.
- ^ Reid, Robert (29 Feb 1996). "Eaglesmith gets lavish with Nashville album". The Record. p. D6.
- ^ Saxberg, Lynn (30 Nov 1995). "Taking the country out of the boy". Ottawa Citizen. p. E1.
- ^ Krewen, Nick (1 Feb 1996). "Fred Eaglesmith/Drive-In Movie". Ego. The Hamilton Spectator. p. 4.
- ^ a b "Drive-In Movie". AllMusic.
- ^ a b Muretich, James (9 Feb 1996). "Country Discs". Calgary Herald. p. D7.
- ^ a b Levesque, Roger (11 Feb 1996). "Drive-in Movie offers Eaglesmith at his best". Edmonton Journal. p. C3.
- ^ a b McLaughlin, John P. (15 Feb 1996). "Fred Eaglesmith: Drive-in Movie". The Province. p. B5.
- ^ Regenstreif, Mike (17 Feb 1996). "Fred Eaglesmith Drive-in Movie". The Gazette. p. E7.
- ^ Scoville, Jef (9 July 1996). "Folk". Features. The Christian Science Monitor. p. 12.
- ^ "It was a rockin' year". Companion. The Kingston Whig-Standard. 21 Dec 1996. p. 12.
- ^ Kasten, Roy. "Fred J. Eaglesmith and the Flying Squirrels". Riverfront Times.
- ^ Crowdy, Denis; Diamond, Bev; Downes, Daniel (October 27, 2020). Post-Colonial Distances: The Study of Popular Music in Canada and Australia. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.