For those wondering what happened to the rock 'n roll part of "alt country," here's your answer. Ken Layne and the Corvids' debut CD is a boozey mix of crunching, rootsy rock with a few shots of honky-tonk heartbreak. If y... more »our idea of the perfect radio station mixed "Let It Bleed" with Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, you'll be pleased with "Fought Down."« less
For those wondering what happened to the rock 'n roll part of "alt country," here's your answer. Ken Layne and the Corvids' debut CD is a boozey mix of crunching, rootsy rock with a few shots of honky-tonk heartbreak. If your idea of the perfect radio station mixed "Let It Bleed" with Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard, you'll be pleased with "Fought Down."
CD Reviews
An "Exile on Main Street" for the 21st Century!
Glenn H. Reynolds | Knoxville, TN USA | 01/13/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The album rocks. Is it "alt-country?" I guess if the Nebraska Guitar Militia is alt-country, this qualifies, but what it really is is thoughtful rock with good lyrics and some country elements here and there. It really does sound like an updated verison of "Exile on Main Street," from Layne's Jaggeresque vocals to the Mick Taylor style guitars. But it's not a return to retroville -- it sounds up to date at the same time.Together with Bob Walkenhorst's "The Beginner" (which it resembles in some ways), this is my favorite rock album of 2003/2004."
I guess I'm a little bit country...
S. Gigl | Crystal, MN United States | 01/12/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Being mainly a hard rock and/or heavy metal guy--and considering the usual description of the Corvids as "alt-country"--I was surprised that I really enjoyed some of the samples that Ken Layne posted on his web site a few months ago. It's obviously not the style of vocals (or instrumentation) I'm used to, but there was an intensity and musicianship there that intrigued me. So when the chance came to pre-order "Fought Down," I plunked down my money in the hopes that I'd find a couple more songs that I enjoyed. Surprise: it's ALL really, really good. The recording quality is excellent and everything from the songwriting to the mix takes advantage of that, so this CD sounds like a million bucks. Songs like "Fought Down" and "I Should Be That Guy," have more than enough rock in them to be instantly accessible to me, and the quieter and/or country-sounding songs like "Ain't They Pretty" and "Lincoln Town Car" successfully avoid boring cliches both musically and lyrically, and they grew on me really quickly.I still don't know what "alt-country" is, but I know what I like, and I highly recommend this CD."
Damn good music
Howard Owens | Pittsford, NY USA | 01/24/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"No ----. "Fought Down" is a ------- great CD.If you like good music -- even if your tastes doesn't always run to country or rock -- you will thank yourself from now until the freezing over of the Gulf of Mexico if you buy "Fought Down."Ken Layne and the Corvids have managed to cobble together 10 songs that are stellar, not just because the lyrics are witty and the melodies intelligent, but because the playing is as tight and spot on as any band can get, and the production shimmers like a Caribbean seashore.Songs like "I Should Be That Guy," "The Sun Don't Shine," "Mama, Take Another Stand," "Here's to You," and the title track will bore deep into your cranium and refuse to leave. Of course great songs make you want to sing along, but the best of these make you want to crawl inside of them and live there for a while.I want to tell you that "Fought Down" reminds me in parts of Gram Parsons, and the Rolling Stones, and Steve Earle, and Uncle Tupelo, but I'm afraid if you don't like any of those guys, it will prejudice against the CD. "Fought Down" reminds me of all of that, but it's so much more than a summation of Ken Layne's influences, and it's so much more than just another country album -- even as I think of songs like "Here's to You" as a modern honky tonk classic -- or a rock album, and it's certainly more than just another piece of Americana schlock. It is music that will move you even if you generally shy away from the whole country vibe, but still speak to your hillbilly soul if that's what you want.Trust me on this -- I've listened to tens of thousands of songs over the years, songs from every conceivable genre. What you hear on "Fought Down" is more than just music met to fit in a particular niche, to appeal to a certain demographic or snuggle up to a narrowly defined market. It is music created with a single goal: to please people who love music. Forget whatever labels you think might apply to "Fought Down." Enjoy it because it is simply too good not to enjoy.This is a CD that will be in my music collection forever. It will be part of a regular rotation of CDs I never grow tired of. It is simply that good."
You're in for a good time
eminentbrain | SF Bay Area, CA USA | 01/15/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The lyrics to the first track, "Ain't They Pretty" just about perfectly describe the experience of listening to this album -- You're in for a Good Time.This album is a prime example of the very reasons I continue to love and support independent musicians and labels. The production is crisp and clear, has a great dynamic range but without having that overproduced and "all-faders up" mastered sound that seems to be the rage nowadays. The songwriting and arrangements are all excellent and the musicianship consistently top-notch. Most importantly, however, is the fact that it sounds like they had FUN making this album, because every track, even the slower, quieter ones, brings a smile to my face.It's a quick and terse disc, clocking in at just under 39 minutes, but I would rather spend cold hard cash on an short album of ten good songs than a sixteen song crap-opus where only one song is listenable. On "Fought Down", every song is not only insanely listenable, but they are catchy like smallpox -- you'll be singing along when the second chorus comes around.The album is perfect because of its small imperfections. As an example off the top of my head, when Layne strains and breaks to belt out the word 'ignore' in "I Should Be That Guy", you feel a sense of earnest and honesty that you just don't get from pitch correction, massive overdubs and thousands of takes. It's raw. It's real. It's awesome.The album runs the gamut from the soft and melancholy "Lincoln Town Car", to the country swing and swagger of "The Sun Don't Shine" and "Here's to You" to the newly arranged classic "Worried" to rockers like "Fought Down" and the indescribable "Mama Take Another Stand" (Is it head-bobbing arena rock? Is it the music for the ending credits of movie where the protagonists die in a desert shootout? I don't know, but it rules).It's 40 minutes of fun. Go buy this album now, it's a kick in the pants and you'll thank me for it later."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1