| Kiss My Grass - Hayseed Dixie | |
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Reviewed by Matt Bjorke
Seemingly coming out of nowhere with their 2001 one release, A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC, Hayseed Dixie became quite a popular band. Their unique blend of hard rock with bluegrass (or hillbilly music as the band calls it) was ingenious and had even fans of AC/DC buying their record, even those who didn't like country music.
While it may seem preposterous for a complete cover of heavy metal music, Hayseed Dixie (originally called AC/Dixie until a lawsuit), does it all lightheartedly. They take the songs, but not themselves, seriously. Last year the band did a Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love that wasn't nearly as good as the AC/DC covers. For their new release, the band has released a new collection called “Kiss My Grass-A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss.”
The new record has 10 songs and shows that Kiss' raunchy songs work quite well in a bluegrass setting. The opening track, “Calling Dr. Love” is fun and fiddle laced (well they are all fiddle laced). While I'm not all that familiar with every Kiss song, I do remember this one. It is about a sleazy doctor who “cures” his patients by having you-know-what with them.
“Detroit Rock City” is one of the “glam” arena rocker's biggest “hits.” Unlike the group's usual “party” anthems, this song was about a fan that wants so bad to see them in Detroit but dies in a car accident on the way to the show.
“Let's Put The X In Sex” is a song about; well the title says it all doesn't it? The song is one of the “newer” Kiss songs but it does keep the tradition by Gene Simmons of writing about the topic he seems to know the best.
“I Love It Loud” is a song about liking you music loud. This song is originally on Kiss' “heavy metal” record “creatures of the night” and the Hayseed Dixie version is musically impressive. The mandolin solos are fun to hear on this track.
“Rock & Roll All Night” is without a doubt the band's most well-known hit. It is about the mindset of the band and how they lived their lives. If you've only heard one Kiss song in your life, chances are good that this is the song you've heard. Hayseed's version is a fun homage to Kiss.
This album won't be for everyone but if you were a fan of Kiss as a kid growing up in the '70's, or are simply just someone who remembers them for all their radio hits, then you may enjoy Hayseed Dixie's tribute to them. If you like bluegrass and don't mind sexual lyrical content, then you'll appreciate how the Hayseed Dixie players are able to translate heavy metal into steady bluegrass tunes.
Song List:
Album cover used with permission of Dual Tone,
and sound clips courtesy of Barnes & Noble.
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