Audio By Carbonatix
Rowdy, rambunctious, and oozing spit, grit and verve, Southern Culture on the Skids showcases the full frenzy of the band’s unhinged road show with this long-overdue live set. Anyone familiar with this trailer-park trio’s white-trash anthems should already know what to expect, and indeed the Skids deliver with a succession of high-volume tirades in the guise of garage-bred boogie and rockabilly raveups. However, the uninitiated ought to take note: Any music that celebrates boozin’, cruisin’, juke joints, and cheap motels also demands you kinda had to have been there to fully appreciate the sweat-drenched vibe. On the album, there’s not a lot to appreciate other than the band’s bluster and some full-throttle onslaughts. Nevertheless there’s an occasional hint of clarity finding its way to the surface — albeit momentarily — via the sturdy, soulful romp “Hittin’ on Nothin'”; the assertive, determined rocker “Just How Lonely”; and the Link Wray/Dick Dale-inspired fretwork that rips through “Meximelt” and “Whole Lotta Things.” Even so, Doublewide and Live will mostly appeal to all of those good ol’ boys and down-home gals who like their music loud, their beer cheap, their barbecue greasy, and their necks a sure shade of red. For those who can identify: This, bud, is for you.
