First time on vinyl! Remastered, with expanded artwork done under the bleary but watchful eyes of the band. The Yayhoos are the bar-band you wish stumbled into your local dive every Friday night: A supergroup of four overqualified roots-rock lifers with nothing to prove except that loud guitars, cold beer, and three chords still beat whatever the kids are doing now. Guitared and produced by Yayhoo Eric “Roscoe” Ambel—Joan Jett’s original Blackheart and Steve Earle’s right-hand man—Fear Not The Obvious (2001), is pure, ragged rock: recorded live to 8-track in a North Carolina barn, every track is a sweaty reminder that rock should be fun first and perfect never. Even their cover of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” sounds like it’s always belonged on a sticky bar jukebox. Other Yayhoos include Dan Baird, former Georgia Satellites frontman, Terry Anderson, drummer and ace songwriter, and Keith Christopher, a bassist who’s powered everyone from Shaver to Kenny Wayne Shepherd and likely closed your favorite roadhouse at least twice. No surprise that we’d pick this shambolic glory for our Barrel Select series, highlighting and enhancing the top shelf of the Bloodshot catalog. “tailor‑made for blasting outta your pickup truck” —Tinnitist “recalls the best moments of The Faces, mid‑period Stones and Pleased To Meet Me‑era Replacements . . . a textbook example of all that can be right about rock ‘n’ roll” —Indy Week
