JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT : LIVE FROM THE RYMAN VOL. 2

Disc One (45:07)

1. Save The World
2. King Of Oklahoma
3. Only Children
4. Overseas
5. Dreamsicle
6. Running With Our Eyes Closed
7. Middle Of The Morning
8. Last Song I Will Write

Disc Two (39:14)

1. Strawberry Woman
2. Cast Iron Skillet
3. Miles
4. River
5. When We Were Close
6. Room At The Top
7. This Ain’t It

Label : Southeastern Records

Venue : Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Recording Date : various 2017-2023

Release Date : October 4, 2024

Review (Americana Highways) : When it came to producing his most recent album, 2023’s Weathervanes, Jason Isbell decided to return to the role he’d ceded to Dave Cobb since 2013’s all-timer Southeastern. His goal was to make a record that sounded more like his live shows with his band, the 400 Unit. Mission absolutely accomplished, as Weathervanes is a Southern rock masterpiece, both heavier on guitar solos and wider in dynamic range than most of his recorded catalog. This, in turn, raised the bar for Isbell’s live shows. If the songs sounded big and live on your car stereo, how to make them sound, well, bigger and live-er in an auditorium or amphitheatre? If you haven’t been able to see them live on the Weathervanes tour (full disclosure – I have done just that seven times), the band’s bona fides are on full display on Live from the Ryman, Vol. 2. The worthy successor to Isbell’s 2018 first Ryman record assembles songs from his last two studio albums (including 2020’s Reunions), plus a couple of surprises from the wayback machine. Here are the five most essential cuts from this collection: 5) “This Ain’t It” – This was the most concert-ready track on Weathervanes – jammy rock with guitar solos galore. So, while it’s not remarkably different from the studio version, this live take simply builds on its promise – Derry deBorja’s organ pops, and Isbell and fellow guitarist Sadler Vaden trade licks that would make Southern rock progenitors Duane Allman and Dickey Betts nod in approval. 4) “Strawberry Woman” – One of the quieter tunes on Weathervanes, this song, along with “Cast Iron Skillet,” gets the full-on Ryman acoustic treatment here. Gorgeous accordion from deBorja and slide guitar from Vaden are countered by drummer Chad Gamble’s brush work and new 400 Unit-eer Anna Butterss’ stand-up bass. This band can knock you on your ass, but their versatility is their true superpower. 3) “The Last Song I Will Write” – On one of two pre-pandemic Ryman recordings on this set, Isbell travels back the band’s 2009 self-titled album for this gem. It’s one of the few tracks on this collection to prominently feature singer/fiddle player Amanda Shires, and the impact of these lyrics, given the couple’s demise, is as heartbreaking as the musical interplay on this 2019 night was gorgeous. 2) “Miles” – Isbell is one of the most professional, reliable musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch. But it’s the rare occasions when he goes full rock-star-shit that stick in my memory. This tempo-changing classic rocker was an enjoyable listen on Weathervanes, but it became a tour favorite precisely because Isbell granted himself and his band permission to indulge their inner rock gods. The first half of the song is a Crazy Horse-esque chug, then Isbell hits a balcony-shaking chord, which leads to double drums (DOUBLE DRUMS!) from Gamble and multi-instrumentalist Will Johnson, all topped off by Johnson banging the hell out of a gong. Musical build-up and pay-off at its very best. 1) “Room at the Top” – I happen to be writing this on the anniversary of Tom Petty’s death, but I could be typing to you on Groundhog Day, and this would still be my favorite cut on this record. During his 2017 Ryman Run, which commenced just days after Petty’s death, Isbell and the band played a Petty song every night. This haunting, pained track captured the freshly divorced Petty at his most unabashedly vulnerable. Shires’ presence on vocals and fiddle simply bends the song’s arc back to its origins. All told, it’s a crushing reminder of what’s been lost over the past seven years, rendered beautifully by the 400 Unit. At the end, Isbell says, “Of all of his songs, I think that one’s my favorite.” Mine, too. Live from the Ryman Vol. 2 was produced by Jason Isbell and Cain Hogsed, recorded by Hogsed, mixed by Hogsed and Todd Tidwell, engineered by Hogsed and Jeddidiah Faessler and mastered by Pete Lyman. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (past and present) is Isbell (vocals, guitar), Derry deBorja (keys), Chad Gamble (drums, vocals), Sadler Vaden (guitar, vocals), Anna Butterss (bass, vocals), Will Johnson (guitar, drums, vocals, gong), Jimbo Hart (bass, vocals), Tiffany Morris (bass), Amanda Shires (fiddle, vocals) and Tyler Walker (cowbell, bongos).