Drag It Up

Drag It Up marked the Old 97's return after a three-year break, and this Deluxe Edition brings it back to vinyl for the first time in over a decade — now a 2xLP pressed on limited-edition Moonlight Blue Marble.

Released in 2004 on New West Records, Drag It Up was recorded partly at Soil of the South in San Diego and partly inside a converted 19th-century church at Dreamland Recording Studios in Hurley, NY — a setting that lent the record its warm, reverberant, slightly haunted character. The album's title comes from a lyric in "Smokers," sung by bassist Murry Hammond. It reached No. 120 on the Billboard 200 and drew praise as "joyous alt-country" from Cleveland Scene, while No Depression noted that the record's more subdued tone "suits the songs, and that makes all the difference."

This Deluxe Edition expands the original with four bonus live tracks recorded at the famed Troubadour in Los Angeles, digitally remastered from the original analog tapes with the band's involvement — the reason this reissue comes as a 2xLP rather than a single disc. Songs like "Won't Be Home," "Bloomington," and the Ken Bethea-sung "Coahuila" showcase a band stretching beyond its cowpunk roots into something quieter and more reflective, while still keeping the wit and twang that built its following.

Out of print on vinyl for more than a decade, Drag It Up has remained a fan favourite for its unguarded, lived-in songwriting. This Moonlight Blue Marble pressing marks the album's first-ever colour vinyl release and the fullest version of the record yet issued on wax.