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Holy smokes, they pulled it off! Miss Georgia Peach, Travis Ramin, and the Nashville Pussy/Nine Pound Hammer gang joined forces three years ago to bring us Aloha from Kentucky — which I recently proclaimed to be one of my four favorite albums of the decade. These folks had such a blast making Aloha from Kentucky that they decided to assemble once more and make another country record. Luckily, getting the band together went a lot better for Miss Georgia Peach than it did for Doyle Hargraves. Class out the Ass, out today on Rum Bar Records, is that rare sequel that's even better than the original! If you want to hear some great country music with a rock 'n' roll edge, stop reading my drivel and go listen to this album!
Backing Miss Georgia Peach on Class out the Ass is a true super-group. In addition to producing, Travis Ramin is on drums. Ruyter Suys is on lead guitar. Blaine Cartwright is on rhythm guitar. Mark Hendricks is on bass. Earl Crimm is on guitar. A.J. Srubas is on fiddle and pedal steel. Heather Parrish is on backing vocals. Suys, Cartwright, and Scott Luallen all make appearances on vocals. All that formidable talent is a big part of what makes this record such a treat. Another big part is the song selection — which is absolutely bulletproof. In terms of cover choices, this album leans more to deeper cuts. As was the case with Aloha from Kentucky, Class out the Ass largely draws its material from the 1960s and '70s glory days of country music but also ventures into some pleasantly surprising territory. "Shut Up And Drink Your Beer," a punched-up take on Norman Wade's mid-'80s country hit, is a perfect album opener that establishes the swaggering vibe of this record. Other standout covers include Ira Louvin's "Who Throw Dat Rock?" (you know I'm always a fan of dark humor!), a blistering take on Janis and Her Boyfriends' "Bang Bang," the wonderfully snarky Bobby George/Bonita Stevens number "Take Your Guitar and Git," and a stunning version of the Mike Nesmith/Stone Poneys classic "Some of Shelly's Blues." And I have to say it was a genius move to include a Pat Todd song ("Somewhere Down the Line") on a country album! As was the case last time, the duets alone justify the price of admission. Suys joins MGP on a spirited rendition of the Richard Dobson song "Baby Ride Easy" (a hit for Carlene Carter and Dave Edmunds). Luallen plays the perfect two-timer on the Nat Stuckey–penned "Sweet Thang." Cartwright and MGP are an absolute hoot as they do their best Conway Twitty & Loretta Lynn on "You're the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly." Two MGP original songs, "Dusty" and "Honeywagon," fit perfectly on the record. The former, of course, is a new arrangement of an old Beebe Gallini favorite. The latter is clever as hell and such a gem that I assumed it was a cover of some lost classic the first time I played the record!
Now that I've absolutely loved not one but two Miss Georgia Peach solo albums, I'm trying to put a finger on what it is about these records that I find so delightful. Obviously, a lot of that comes down to the lead artist here. MGP is simply a fantastic singer, and the country genre really suits her talents well. Whether she's channeling a fed-up bartender or the frustrated girlfriend of a wannabe musician, tapping into the depths of heartbreak, playfully engaging with her duet partners, or taking us to church on the Elvis live favorite "Let Me Be There," she's equally in her element. Beyond that, the joy that all these individuals put into making this album is palpable. You can truly feel the love in these performances. This is simply a fun album to listen to. While I would describe this music not as alt country but rather as country, period, there's an efficiency to these songs that has the spirit of punk or garage rock. 11 of 14 songs clock in at under three minutes, and the ones that don't only miss the cut by a little. There's no waiting around for the good parts on these songs. Every tune gets right down to business. If you love country music, you'll be reminded why. And if you don't, perhaps this record will have you softening your stance. The album title says it all, doesn't it?
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