Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit - When We Were Close 

@PraetorianH my Aunt on my Mom’s side (they were from Florence, last name Clemmons) married into the Quillen family, whom Jason is related to. My cousin and Jason attended Rogers HS; she was in the band and a senior when he was a freshman in (I believe) the jazz band. Met him a few weeks ago and told him all that and he said, Wow! I’m sure we’re cousins, we should figure out how close 😂 I’m sure you know there are a LOT of Quillens in that area!!

I don’t know what part of town he grew up in but how far apart could they be?? My cousin’s brother still lives there and drives every week to Oak Ridge TN to work 😮

He’s barely sort of famous. Most of the people in the comments apparently know him

@@RM-jb2bvhe has Grammys genius. He’s wrote songs for movies, had his songs in tv shows and movies and has appeared in movies.

@@ozgirl913Greenhill, alabama

This is real American music

Really? This song is very similar in style to Ryan Adams. Listen to ‘Gimme Something Good’ by Ryan Adams. The riff is almost a copy…. uncomfortablely so. And the drum pattern….

I hadn't thought of that, but you, sir, are correct.@@markhemming1423

@@markhemming1423you’re right, it is very similar. but a lot of songs are very similar to a lot of other songs. there are only so many things you can do with a guitar. listen to “king of oklahoma.” absolutely stellar guitar work

@@markhemming1423 Lol, there's a MILLION songs like this, and long before Ryan Adams too. There's nothing innovative about it - people don't listen to American/Roots Rock for cutting edge originality in that sense. People are drawn to it because of its lyricism, the quality of the playing, etc.

If there were ever a musical couple who's kids you'd want to follow in their footsteps, this is it.

Me too I watched this last night on Jimmy Kimmel after I switched from Hulu to Live TV & the ABC channel was on I stuck around & found myself hooked, now I love the song, hell of a story behind it & powerful lyrics about a friends death What are some other good songs by him??

Check out if we were vampires, Alabama pines, cover me up, and king of Oklahoma. Also, the entire Southeastern album is considered the best modern country album.

For those of us older farts (72 this season) for whom the “country?” genre wasn’t on the radar during our formative years (yes, I can sorta remember the later ‘60s), and for whom the RU-vid algorithm can serve up a pretty damned eclectic menu, I only stumbled across him today myself, thanks to Tennesse Brandon. Jason’s take on Oliver Anthony’s recent stratospheric rise, as well as the delightful interview with Ari Melber set the hook, and I suspect I’ll be following all the crumbs down this rabbithole for a while. Jason, I don’t think you need to worry any longer about what it takes to be a real man.

@maximilianrabbitt4849 Great list. Also Tupelo, Elephant, White man's world, Last of my kind, Traveling alone. There are so many. This guy's a poet, I'm telling you.

Absolutely!

It's sad this song is about the man who's place he took in those respects.

Justin Townes Earl was one of a kind.

Will Johnson is so underrated

❤

he's no joke

Ah. Is that what this song is about? Now I have to go listen again. Throw me in the briar patch.

Or is it ,

@@rosskennedy5712 it is. Theres a good amount of criticism about it from the widow of Justin about the lyrics and release. My opinion is that this is fair game for Isbell to write about as it was his friend and experiences they shared.

He threw the glass slide down onto hard stage, looked like. Maybe it broke, maybe not. Maybe it bounced into crew or audience. Surprised the edit showed it. Planned theater? Weird. Best I ever saw at slide on/off was Junior Brown. Genius player of his custom double neck on a stand.

​@@missmamie8369 no edit - this was straight live to tape - I was there

He doesn't normally throw the slide. My guess? It got stuck on his finger and he yeeted it.

@@paintchipped yes can see him trying to get it off.

Why do you think this song is about JTE? Kind of odd to sing about him a couple of yrs after he's gone. Doubt Steve would appreciate it either

I just spent all morning listening to JTE and Time You Waste gets me everytime. We're about the same age and struggle with the same demons so drowning in his lyrics is very easy. As amazing as Jason is Justin was on another level musically, lyrically, mythically. I will miss him forever.

@@xDPx-zh7vrAgreed, I can always feel the pain and agony Justin is conveying through his heavy fingerstyle instrumentation, his lyrics, in a way that nobody else has been able to, it can come off as melancholy, calming, surreal, it feels like I am standing there beside him as he makes his observations and perseveres through his struggles, him living his life and going through all the wild stuff he dealt with from such an early age. Man was able to strike a match to my heart regardless of the genre he dipped his toes in, whether it be blues, rockabilly, folk, rock, you name it. There are folks who come close but none strike that same chorde for me. Seeing his friends like Joe Pug reminscing on their relationship and seeming really pained over not spending nearly enough time together despite Justin regarding him as his buddy, with such limited time spent together, he had such a profound effect on him. Rest in peace Justin Townes Earle, I truly hope his restless soul found some means of peace, for he clearly struck that same chord with many of the folks around him, seemed like a truly compelling man for those lucky enough to be around him regardless of his internal demons and struggles. Seeing his friends like Joe Pug reminscing on their relationship and seeming really pained over not spending nearly enough time together despite Justin regarding him as his buddy, with such limited time spent together, he had such a profound effect on him, very telling of the effect he seemed to have on folks. I am glad his wife, daughter, pops, and the care system around his family are keeping his memory alive, carrying on his legacy.

@@xDPx-zh7vr The feeling on agony, isolation, loneliness and sadness that constantly seemed to bleed through his lyrics from what he had to deal with and overcome from such an early age have definitely lit a match to my heart more than anybody else I have listened to, the melancholy, the surreal feeling I get from his music regardless of the genre he dipped his toes in, whether it be rockabilly, blues, folk, rock, you name it. He clearly had a profound effect on those around him, like his friend Joe Pug, who was reminiscing on their relationship on Otis Gibb's channel, he seemed clearly pained over them not spending nearly enough time together despite Justin referring to him as his buddy. It is inspiring to see his wife Jenn continue to honor his memory and legacy, and her, along with their daughter, Etta and his pops seem to have a great support system around them, very telling of the kind of guy Justin seemed to be for those lucky enough to be a part of his life. Hopefully his restlessness was able to be eased if even a bit, rest in peace Justin Townes Earle, and thank you for the mark you left on the world with your brilliant flame, to be carried on for generations to come.

@@xDPx-zh7vrHe clearly had a profound effect on those around him, like his friend Joe Pug, who was reminiscing on their relationship on Otis Gibb's channel, he seemed very much pained over them not spending nearly enough time together despite Justin referring to him as his buddy. It is inspiring to see his wife Jenn continue to honor his memory and legacy, and her, along with their daughter, Etta and his pops seem to have a great support system around them, very telling of the kind of guy Justin seemed to be for those lucky enough to be a part of his life, his brilliant flame to be carried on for generations to come. I hope he was able to find some peace from the perpetual restlessness, agony, and isolation he unfortunately seemed to struggle with from such an early age, and I hope you have been able to or will conquer it as well.

@@xDPx-zh7vrHe clearly had a profound effect on those around him, like his friend Joe Pug, who was reminiscing on their relationship on Otis Gibb's channel, he seemed very much pained over them not spending nearly enough time together despite Justin referring to him as his buddy. It is inspiring to see his wife Jenn continue to honor his memory and legacy, and her, along with their daughter, Etta and his pops seem to have a great support system around them, very telling of the kind of guy Justin seemed to be for those lucky enough to be a part of his life, his brilliant flame to be carried on for generations to come. I hope he was able to find some peace from the perpetual restlessness, agony, and isolation he unfortunately seemed to internally struggle with from such an early age, and I hope you have been able to or will soon overcome it as well.

Me too . Its brilliant

It's pretty much "Gimme Something Good," off of Ryan's self titled record@@We_are_the_light

I haven't seen that Tele in a while. I'm happy it's still in rotation.

I thought this was about Ryan on the first listen because the guitar is so similar to the stuff on that self-titled album. The line about the cheap guitar set me straight though.

I hear Patterson Hood and the Truckers on this one

💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯Jason Isbell and the 400 With Will Johnson⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

My favorite comment. Well done!

Lol! hell yeah…a southern man tells better jokes!

Jimbo played the Australian shows bass was a thumping

I think all the guests on these late night shows were booked on short notice after the strike ended.

It's because this isn't a 400 unit album. Just J. Isbell.

@@maryseling5801 Thats not correct, the only one thats not a 400 Unit record is Southeastern.

​@@doovybro9000That's also incorrect. "Sirens of the Ditch" is solo Jason.

Hed have no sound without Ryan Adams albums to rip off .

@@Halliday7895What a steaming crock of …

That first note sounds reminds me of never gonna change

Funny.

They’ve got money now.

Amazing how a beard or shave can completely change your looks. 😁

Not the same without them. Still great.

"it's not up to me to forgive you. For the nights that your love had to live through..." Chills

I love Isbell and agree he is lyrically coming into his own.....but let's leave the GOAT out of this!

Jimbo has missed a bunch of this tour dealing with some mental health stuff. Sadler no clue

Sadler probably off doing producer stuff w/Morgan Wade.

The guy playing guitar (will johnson) has been touring with them and playing as well. Saw em in Asheville a couple of months back and the line up was the same plus Sadler.

Will Johnson is also a songwriting genius who was with Centro-Matic, one of Jason's favorite bands. To A Band That I Loved is about them.

So tell my baby I said so long Tell my mother I did no wrong Tell my brother to watch his own And tell my friends to mourn me none I'm chained upon the face of time Feelin' full of foolish rhyme There ain't no dark till something shines I'm bound to leave this dark behind .................... Somewhere up beyond the great divide Where the sky is wide And the clouds are few A man can see his way clear to the light Just hold on tight That's all you gotta do

No doubt thought the exact same thing

The verse reminds of gimme something good

His friend Justin Townes Earle who he had a falling out with. New South Wales on SE is about touring with Justin. Jason played backup when Justin was first on Letterman. References are to Townes Van Zandt, Justin's namesake, who wrote Rex's Blues and to Steve Earle, Justin's father, who wrote Fort Worth Blues. Ft Worth Blues also shares the lyrics "Beyond the Great Divide".

Yeah? Go read what Justin's wife thinks about.

@@morganghetti I just did. She's completely valid in feeling that way. Doesn't mean it's not good songwriting.

​@@morganghettiA lot of people feel that way about it.

It's a good subject for a song.

I take it in the context of the previous verse "I got a picture of us back when we were close / Before we had somebody picking out our clothes / But you always dressed in your Sunday best / Even when we didn't have nowhere to go." He had a sense of style and took care with his appearance

I think it’s because the guy valued his image and being the star. Had the flash but turns out his demons where hidden behind the image.

WONDERING THE SAME...

He apparently had a conflict after HSB but they didn't want to miss the national TV opportunity so they just brought Will in from the bunker,@@AARONMURPHY-yx5hw

He played with them on Sunday at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

@@CowgirlConcerts next rumor is he may have come down with something but it’s none of our business and no one to ask. Check the tour schedule and my guess is he will be at th next shows unless it was Covid.

As long as he’s in Nashville on 10/13 I have no other questions 😊

I agree

Will Johnson on guitar. He's been touring with them for months. Not sure if he's an official 400 Unit member or still a "guest musician" but he's an integral part of their live sound right now.

Will Johnson who is joining the tour. He can play anything, including some drums.

The 400 Unit is whatever Jason says it is. Where's Amanda?

Sadler is there.

Now we just need another Matt Damon feud! Lol. Even though we all know it’s fake and they are really friends, it always brightens my day when I see Damon on here in one way or another “getting bumped” from the show, lol. Or Jimmy bumping him from his own movies and clubs. Maybe I’m the only one that’s into that corny yet hilarious comedy, lol