The Ballad of Dood and Juanita
| Sturgill Simpson
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The Ballad of Dood and Juanita
The Ballad of Dood and Juanita is the seventh studio album by American country musicsinger-songwriter Sturgill Simpson, released on August 20, 2021. Simpson describes the album as "traditional country, bluegrass and mountain music, including gospel and a cappella." Willie Nelson guests on the song "Juanita". Simpson wrote and recorded the album in a week,and it has been described as a concept album "about love among the legends of the Kentucky frontier". -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Rolling Stone
Sturgill Simpson Goes Wild West on ‘The Ballad of Dood and Juanita’.
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Pitchfork
Following two volumes of roots renditions of his own songs, the shapeshifting country musician returns with a bluegrass concept album about love among the legends of the Kentucky frontier.
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Saving Country Music
Years from now, when listeners sift through the discography of Sturgill Simpson hoping to discover gold just like we all do with the records of the older country greats who passed on before us, they will find The Ballad of Dood and Juanita and regard it as a fine edition to the Sturgill Simpson legacy. But it won’t be considered his Red Headed Stranger. That distinction can only go to an album that is also groundbreaking, original, and strikingly influential. And for Sturgill Simpson, that remains Metamodern Sounds in Country Music.
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NME
The enigmatic star’s fourth album in two years is a concept album about a couple in the American Civil War, and features none other than Willie Nelson.
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Treblezine
You can read it as elevated spiritual allegory, or as a much more earthly, postmodern meta-text. Or, if you like, you can just take it at face value and go on a 28-minute journey of rescue and revenge through the Kentucky wilderness.
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Holler
Blisteringly good storytelling from Sturgill Simpson and his bluegrass band – and there’s not an ounce of fat on here. We only wish it were twice as long. Maybe he has a sequel up his sleeve?
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Maverick
The storytelling lyrics of One in the Saddle, One on the Ground, set to an old-time country arrangement set the scene perfectly as a mini-western movie begins to play in your head as the characters come into focus. Juanita features vocals from the legend that is Willie Nelson and features cantina guitars. Simpson’s vocals are strong on this love song and it is a stand out on the album. The lyrics and storytelling has been very well thought out by Simpson and it’s authentic sound compliments the concept.
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Riff Magazine
Don’t listen to The Ballad of Dood & Juanita while you work. Probably don’t listen at the gym. Take half an hour to sit and listen to it exclusively because every line serves the narrative. It’s a very good story in a very good album, and represents yet another thing Sturgill Simpson does well.
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Stereogum
I’m not sure I’ll ever love it the way some people will, but it’s growing on me, and so is Sturgill Simpson. More than ever, I’m curious to see what his next chapter holds.
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Lyric Magazine
The appeal to classic country and bluegrass fans is clear, but Simpson’s skill as a storyteller and his vision make this an album that will also be enjoyed by people who love the great 70s rock operas.
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AllMusic
Its brevity means that The Ballad of Dood & Juanita can initially seem a bit slight, yet it's ultimately quite sturdy, an album that gains its strength from Simpson's dogged dedication to the concept -- there's nothing extraneous in his songs here -- and the impeccable execution of the band.
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The Musical Divide
the ambition in idea alone at least makes it an entertaining listen, and it is refreshing to hear Simpson in better spirits than before. But I have to be honest and say that this is him making his exit with a delightfully cheery and fun take on something familiar, rather than an opus that feels revolutionary for himself or for the genre. And in some way, given what he already has accomplished, that’s also fine. It’s been a hell of a ride, and this a fine way to ride off into the sunset.
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Stereoboard
Furthermore, it’s likely that those two bluegrass albums have sharpened and enhanced his arrangement skills. He continues innovating and improving, and is one of country music's true modern artists.
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Thank Folk For That
Accept this and the experience becomes a pleasant and rewarding thirty minutes in the company of one of America’s most intriguing musicians.
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Northern Transmissions
Few people could pull this off with such flying colors as Sturgill Simpson, with his proven integrity, honesty, and talent. I thoroughly enjoyed listening through The Ballad of Dood and Jaunita.
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In Review Online
The Ballad of Dood and Juanita is traditional without every feeling old-timey, and is more fun and plays to Simpson’s strengths more than his more recent efforts.
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Peanut Butter Pope
However, ‘The Ballad of Dood & Juanita’ tries out a few old sounds, appropriate given Willie Nelson’s involvement on old-fashioned saloon ballad ‘Juanita’. Bluegrass is retained, but multitudes of rootsy fascination orbit around it; mountain music, sweetheart ballads seemingly plucked from voice-o-graph booths, Christian country and a cappella in ‘Sam’.
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Sputnik Music
It’s tempting to cast Dood & Juanita as an outright disappointment, an insubstantial story backed up with music that’s competent and diverse, but rarely mind-blowing. I can’t deny that I miss the depth and expanse of Metamodern Sounds and A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, but I also can't deny that the germ of what makes those albums tick is still mostly present here— lit from a less flattering angle and dressed in plainer clothes, but present nonetheless.
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PCN Magazine
If you like your music with a country lean, this is the album you didn’t know you wanted. It combines great musicians, beautiful singing, and an interesting concept into a 28-minute album that will have you tapping your feet, singing along and, more importantly – *SPOILER* – the protagonist loses his wife and his dog dies.
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The Wee Review
The musical style is reminiscent of Dylan’s mid-70s work as well as that of storyteller supreme, Townes Van Zandt. That Simpson can continue this tradition in 2021 should be celebrated. We live in an age where any form of art requiring an investment of time is viewed with disdain. But his ease within himself to produce music he enjoys, coupled with his willingness to embrace different art forms and step outside the traditions of his genre make Simpson a compelling musician to listeners young and old.
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The Independent
Sturgill Simpson once again proves to be a prodigious musical chameleon on “The Ballad of Dood & Juanita.”
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