Lambchop Decline Of Country & Western Civilization, PT. 2: The Woodwind Years CD

On the retrospective THE DECLINE OF COUNTRY AND WESTERN CIVILIZATION, which gathers outtakes and rarities from Lambchop's career thus far, Kurt Wagner's more typical idiosyncratic, laid-back material is laced with songs like the relatively high energy, if no less strange, "Loretta Lung," and the manic "The Scary Caroler." "Bobby & Johnson" features arch, retro-jazz drumming and a muted cornet that recalls the early days of Storyville, while "Two Kittens Make a Puppy" is a free-form exercise in sound manipulation. Though country influences remain the band's foundation, this fascinating artifact shows Wagner's musical collective at its most relaxed and experimental.

Exclusive Australian limited edition two CD pressing of this 2006 album features a bonus disc containing four tracks: 'Gus', 'Women', 'Blur' and 'Prepared'. Decline Of... is a career-spanning compilation of singles, compilation tracks and unreleased gems from 1993 to 1999. Closing out the album is a stunning new song 'Gettysburg Address', in which Wagner channels Abraham Lincoln, a gentle, sweetly somber song for a meditation on flawed humanity. It serves as the perfect closing for the album. As a bonus to the Australian release, the album comes with the overlooked Colab EP from 2005, an interesting collaboration between Lambchop and Nashville electronic duo Hands Off Cuba. Rogue. 2006.Uncut (p.114) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[I]t offers a fascinating portrait of the band's progress from rough 'n' ready amateurs to capable players. More interestingly, it also bears out Wagner's contention that they were always more influenced by indie and punk than anything else..."
Magnet (p.90) - "Lambchop was consciously stripping down its lush sound....[The songs] are a treat, even for completists familiar with their skeletal versions."
Mojo (Publisher) (p.121) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "[S]urprisingly good value, showing, as marginalia often can, the odd tendrils that create a band's roots."