According to legend, when Will Oldham recorded Viva Last Blues, he assembled a bunch of talented musicians, packed them into a studio together, and gave them the barest sketches of the songs. While they noodled around on them, Oldham subtly nodded to Steve Albini to press record, and released whatever the players came up with.It makes for a pretty story, but this legend is, in fact, one that I may or may not have just now made up. I’m not sure. Anyway, if it is true, this song is a vindication of this approach. It’s a mess in many ways, including the painful thumb-in-the-eye wrong note from the bass player at the beginning of one of the verses. Yet it definitely rocks, and has an upbeat, slapped together charm that no amount of time and money in the studio could replicate.
Rocking is always nice, but upbeat, slapped together charm isn't an everyday craving. It can be a powerful one, though. When it strikes, this is my go to track.
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