On November 14, just as the world was slowing down for the impending holiday, legendary Americana outfit Drive-By Truckers celebrated an iconic release with a proper reissue. Decoration Day, the critically acclaimed LP from Drive-By Truckers, was released in 2003, and the band has never looked back. Featuring wildly popular hits like the title track and “My Sweet Annette,” along with contributions from a young Jason Isbell, this landmark LP is getting a proper re-release in the form of The Definitive Decoration Day.
The remastered LP, done by acclaimed engineer Greg Calbi, was released alongside a double live album, Heathers Live At Flicker Bar – Athens, GA, a stripped-down, homecoming performance recorded in 2002. The massive reissue celebrates a defining moment for the band, but the celebration doesn’t end with The Definitive Decoration Day. On December 2, Isbell returned to the stage with Drive-By Truckers for a passionate performance of “Hell No, I Ain’t Happy,” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
Isbell began his now-storied career with Drive-By Truckers in 2001 and contributed to the band until he split in 2007 for a solo career. Since then, the two Americana forerunners have performed only twice, once in 2014 for a benefit concert, where Isbell joined Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley in Alabama, and again in 2015 when Hood joined Isbell on stage to perform a few Drive-By Truckers’ songs in Portland. The band’s late-night appearance with Isbell marks the first time they have performed together in ten years, and they didn’t miss a step.
This performance of “Hell No, I Ain’t Happy” is everything a day-one Trucker fan could want. Isbell’s solos explode with color, while Hood’s raw vocals deliver the nostalgic melodies that still sound fresh, even decades after they first hit our ears. You can check out the full performance below.
