Supersuckers - Get It Together

So the calendar tells us it's been 20 years for The Supersuckers. If you took a poll over at SubPop back then to see what band they thought would be most likely to make it two decades, I would suspect you wouldn't have gotten many takers for The Supersuckers, but they have persevered to prove us wrong. They've proved to be pretty solid masters of self-affirmation as well, having proclaimed themselves The World's Greatest Rock N' Roll band well before it seemed wise to do so, then made a pretty solid run for the title. I'd say there are still stronger contenders, but The Supersuckers are a pretty solid bunch of dudes. The band has never hidden it's country side, but the band and Lead Sucker Eddie Spaghetti have embraced a divide and conquer tact of late, releasing country and rock records with and without the band. Lesser artists would soon buckle under the pressure of maintaining two sets of balls in the air, but Spaghetti has stepped up and pretty much pulls it off on the regular. I believe he's married with children, so it could be those new-found obligations (I'd never seen a 'kids welcome' tag on a Supersuckers show before, although they are approaching endearingly lecherous in their old age) that keeps the band out there and rocking.

Get It Together is a real solid record. It's a little smooth, but a kick in the ass from an expensive boot is still a boot in the ass and there is much ass being kicked on this record. But are you really surprised? The Supersuckers have done a pretty good job of capturing the cocksure swagger of their live shows in their recent recordings and this one is no exception. It's nice to see Rontrose back in the fold, he continues to be a dark horse in the guitar hero standings, wielding some mighty Goldtop magic all over Get It Together. It's funny that the boys are calling this record Get It Together, as they are far removed from the debauched band of malooks they were even ten years ago when Eddie would regularly be pre-emptively jailed on his birthdays by Austin police and have 'gotten it together' some time previously. Hell, Get It Together is even on their own Mid-Fi Recordings. It's a wise move for a band on their level that keeps the dollars much closer to home. The Suckers realized the value of merch early and now that they have their own label, they are making it worthwhile for their customers by packaging the cd with a DVD of a live show from 2007. You could do a lot worse for $10, so buy it here from the gents. While you're there, take a sec and sift through the Kiss-like cornucopia of recorded and printed wearable/drinkable delights they have to offer. The Supersuckers make the perfect holiday gift.

R