Albums come about for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is the catharsis at the end of a relationship. Sometimes it is a response to a political environment. Sometimes, its just a matter of recording songs with an old friend at a middle school fundraiser. For Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott and their live album it was the last one. We’re Usually a Lot Better Than This was recorded over two years at benefit concerts for the Arthur Morgan School, to support their children’s educations. Scott and O’Brien came up through the ranks together, touring by themselves and in support of other artists. The result is an interesting and fun collection of songs played by two of the best artists in the game. Its a collection that spans nearly a century and runs the gambit from mainstream hits to indie classics. Scott and O’Brien are no strangers to writing its, and they balance the album almost precisely between their own compositions and covers. Its a formula that works and makes for one of the most enjoyable live albums this year.
Perhaps the most famous song on the album is “Long Time Gone,” a song Scott wrote that was later covered by The Dixie Chicks. Their version lacks the forthright antagonism that Natalie Maines brought, and replaces it with a world weary resignation that somehow seems more fitting. However, they also offer some famous classics for fans of traditional and Texas country. They provide an elegant and lush cover of Hank Williams’ “House of Gold.” Their rendition of Townes Van Zandt’s “White Freight-liner Blues” captures both the heart break and the seemingly tossed off, inconsequential nature of the delivery. Their cover of Keith Whitley’s “You Don’t Have to Move That Mountain” rivals the one that Trisha Yearwood turned in for her Heart’s In Armor album. They also visit the cannons of Gordon Lightfoot and Lefty Frizzell with “Mick Ryan’s Lament” and “Mom and Dad’s Waltz” respectively. Of course, O’Brien and Scott are well known song writers in their own right. Darrell Scott gets three songs, the aforementioned “Long Time Gone,” “With a Memory Like Mine” and “The Hummingbird.” Tim O’Brien only gets two, but he makes the most of them. The album opens with a georgous cover of his “Climbing Up A Mountain.” However, the most memorable moment on the album comes when they close it with a stirring mash up of “When There’s no One Around” and “Will the Circle be Unbroken.”
Somewhere in the middle of recording a benefit concert for his kid’s school with an old friend, Darrell Scott got the idea to start recording. That decision resulted in the wittily titled We’re Usually a Lot Better Than This. The album is a nearly perfect study in the music two experts in the field can make when they are just having fun together. Its a warm album of well known and familiar songs that feed the soul. “We’re Usually A Lot Better than This” is quite possible the best and the most enjoyable live album of the year.
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