David Allan Coe has always been country’s crazy old drunk uncle, a freewheeling individualist that stood out even in a genre that was filled to the brim with them. Like one of his country music icons Merle Haggard (whom he namedrops in the title track), Coe’s outlaw country bonafides were the real deal– the early part of his life comprised of stints in reform schools and various prisons, and his focus on subject matter such as drug abuse, alcohol intake, and life on the wrong end of the law gained him a legion of fans that appreciated his honesty and everyman roots. Coe’s sense of comedic timing is also a defining trait of his music– whether he is putting on an impression of Earnest Tubb, poking fun at hippies, or watching a drunk dancing bear, his lyrics on Longhaired Redneck often delve into the surreal with a carefree ease to them. Life inside Coe’s head may have been a bit hectic, and that’s what makes him one of the definitive outlaw country veterans of his time.
Standout Songs: “Longhaired Redneck”, “Revenge”, “Living On The Run”
