CD Review: Old 97’s – Hit By A Train: The Best of Old 97’s

Rhino records has released Hit By A Train: The Best of Old 97’s, an 18-track retrospective of the band's material covering their recordings on the Bloodshot label as well as their seven years with Elektra records.

The Old 97’s formed in 1993; they are singer/songwriter/guitarist Rhett Miller, bassist Murry Hammond, guitarist Ken Bethea and Phillip Peeples on drums and percussion. In the liner notes of Hit By A Train: The Best of Old 97’s Robert Christgau writes, “When the Old 97’s were on Bloodshot, the myth was that they were “alt country” – which was true in a way but misleading.” While Old 97’s came out of the “alt-country” movement, the band also has a an old rock and roll sound reminiscent of great artists like Buddy Holly and Bobby Fuller.

The songs on this disc are ordered chronologically in terms of their original release. The set does a great job of showing how Old 97’s moved from a ‘twangy’ “alt-country” group to a tight, well-rounded band with pop sensibilities. Hit By A Train: The Best of Old 97’s shows how diverse the groups music is; from the can do country twang sound on “Stoned” to the pop rhythms of “King of All The World.”

Miller’s vocals are unique. His delivery is sad and self-effacing, humorous and relatable. Miller reminds me a little bit of Hank Williams without the southern twang. The top-notch playing skills of everyone around Miller are what make the Old 97’s stand out. Murry Hammond’s bass playing keeps the band moving along. Hammond switches between a lazy baseline and a manic, burst of energy that plays off the tight percussion of Phillip Peeples. Meanwhile, Ken Bethea can be counted on to contribute a heart pounding guitar riff when needed.

If you’ve never heard the Old 97’s before, Hit By A Train: The Best of Old 97’s is a great place to start. The disc doesn’t have a bad song on it and it will give you a great introduction to the group. For fans of the Old 97’s, Hit By A Train: The Best of Old 97’s includes a few hard to find tracks. “El Paso” is a Marty Robbins cover from the King of the Hill Soundtrack. There is also the early country single “Cryin’ Drunk” and the Satellite Rides-era non-album track “The Villain” and two live tracks, previously only available as part of a bonus disc. If you’re already a fan of the Old 97’s, Hit By A Train: The Best of Old 97’s, will remind you why and it will send new fans on a mad dash to buy all of the bands previous recordings.

Article Author: Rebecca Wright

Rebecca is a freelance writer, concentrating in the areas of film, television and music criticism. Her B.A. is in the Humanities with an emphasis in film and writing.She holds an M.A. in American and British literature with an emphasis in dystopian …

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