February 13, 2023

1991 - March: Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ ”Fly Me Courageous”

37 minutes

Drivin' N' Cryin' hit the peak of their commercial success with this fourth studio album, Fly Me Courageous. It was released in January at the same time as the start of the Persian Gulf War, and they benefitted from patriotic associations the title song received. The album peaked at 90 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

The band at the time included Buren Fowler on guitar, Kevin Kinney on guitar and vocals, Tim Nielson on bass and backing vocals, and Jeff Sullivan on percussion. The album was produced and engineered by Geoff Workman, an English producer who also worked with Journey, The Cars, and Queen.

The name Drivin' N' Cryin' was a reference to the band's fusion of driving rock and roll and a bit of a country twang (the crying).

Georgia based Drivin' N' Cryin' had formed in 1985, honing their craft at the 688 Club in Atlanta. The band released a number of albums and singles prior to Fly Me Courageous which had been successful on college and independent radio. This album was more rock oriented, as would be their follow-up album, Smoke. Drivin' N' Cryin' would tour with Neil Young and with Soul Asylum.

Drivin' N' Cryin' tours today, and is a great act to see live.

Rob brings us this Georgia band this week.

Fly Me Courageous

The title track took off quite literally with the start of the Gulf War. It was considered a patriotic song and was included in the playlists of many military pilots, even though the song itself is more about confronting aggression than celebrating it. The band received a number of requests to perform at military bases after the release of this track, which hit number 19 on the US Mainstream Rock charts.

The Innocent

This track was also a successful single, and starts with a parody of the US Constitution. It talks about the discrepancy between politicians providing hand-outs and the desire of people to improve themselves. "Get used to it. The innocent."

Around the Block Again

A deeper cut, this fast paced track has a sound reminiscent of Rod Stewart or the Rolling Stones. The lyrics reflect hypocrisy in religion, relationships, and music.

Build a Fire

This shuffle beat single has a bit of a punk rock feel, and even has a small rap sequence in the middle. "Bored with the American holstered blues, peace signs on just about everything. Don't know where to turn or what they say."

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Break On Through (To the Other Side) by the Doors (from the motion picture sountrack "The Doors")

Val Kilmer owns the role as Jim Morrison in this movie about the band.

STAFF PICKS:

American Society by L7

Wayne starts off the staff picks with an all-female punk band, that often gets associated with the Nirvana grunge sound. This is a cover song originally done by a punk band called "Eddie and the Subtitles" from Orange County, California in the early 80's.

All This Time by Sting

Bruce features the first single off Sting's third studio album, "The Soul Cages." Sting had writer's block for several years after the death of his father in 1987, and many songs on this album reflect the tumultuous relationship he had with his father.

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over by Lenny Kravitz

John brings us a crossover hit that went to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. The style was inspired by Motown and Earth, Wind & Fire. The lyrics reflect the marital struggles Kravitz was experiencing with his then-wife Lisa Bonet.

Someone to Love by Roger McGuinn

Rob closes out the staff picks with former Byrds front man Roger McGuinn and a single from his sixth studio album, "Back from Rio." This is the lead-off track from the album. It made it to number 12 on the Mainstream Rock charts. McGuinn used a number of familiar artists on his album, including Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and David Crosby.

COMEDY TRACK:

Lisa, Lisa (The One I Adore) by Pauly Shore

Pauly Shore was all over MTV during the early 90's.

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.

Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!

**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

...more

View all episodes

By Rob Marbury, Wayne Rowan, Bruce Fricks, John Lynch

4.9

4747 ratings