On the first three albums by the Josh Abbott Band, the group's titular singer/songwriter never bothered to disguise his compositional ambitions, but the finely etched songs of 2012's Small Town Family Dream in no way suggest the scope of 2015's Front Row Seat. At a time when many artists are content to craft collections of expertly sculpted tracks, Josh Abbott revived the idea of the country concept album, structuring Front Row Seat as an audio play tracing the rise and fall of a doomed romance. There are antecedents for ...
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On the first three albums by the Josh Abbott Band, the group's titular singer/songwriter never bothered to disguise his compositional ambitions, but the finely etched songs of 2012's Small Town Family Dream in no way suggest the scope of 2015's Front Row Seat. At a time when many artists are content to craft collections of expertly sculpted tracks, Josh Abbott revived the idea of the country concept album, structuring Front Row Seat as an audio play tracing the rise and fall of a doomed romance. There are antecedents for this, including Willie Nelson's landmark 1974 LP Phases & Stages, but where that record found Willie grafting a concept upon some preexisting tunes, Abbott seizes the melodrama, breaking the record down into five acts and shifting his music so it mirrors the emotional content of the songs. As the record begins, things are bright and hopeful, filled with straight-ahead red dirt Texan country and love ballads, but by the time the marriage starts to fray, the JAB threads in a considerable amount of rock, embracing the essential proggy nature of the project by turning things heavy and arty in the last act of the record. Conceptually, this is nifty -- the band get to show off their dexterity without ever seeming like they're showing off; that alone separates them from their po-faced alt-country peers -- but the reason why Front Row Seat works so well is that all this is in service to the songs. No matter how large Abbott's overarching ambition is -- he makes no bones about it, either, wearing the record's dramatic structure as a point of pride -- the album is inherently a song cycle, with each of the main 15 songs working on their own terms, celebrating the giddy innocence of falling in love or the persistent ache of heartbreak. This speaks to Abbott's strengths as a songwriter, but the reason Front Row Seat lingers is that it's an album deliberately designed to be greater than its individual parts: it's an old-fashioned concept album made with vitality and vigor, so it feels fresh even when the Josh Abbott Band are singing time-honored tales of love and heartbreak. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
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Seller's Description:
Abbott; Abbott/Adams/Green; Abbott/Barnes/Spill; Abbott/Clementi/Fos; Abbott/Daly/Eshuis; Abbott/Durrette/Mal; Abbott/Kelly;... Poor. Used-Acceptable, withdrawn library disc(s) with liner notes. Disc(s) should play great without any playback issues. Disc(s) & liner notes may contain typical library markings like stickers, protective label covers, & writing. Discs may be repackaged in library style casing. Back artwork & any other promo material not included.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Providing great media since 1972. All used discs are inspected and guaranteed. Cases may show some wear. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
