Dirty Side Down

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Dirty Side Down | type = Studio album | artist = Widespread Panic | cover = Widespread Panic - Dirty Side Down.jpg | alt = | released = May 25, 2010 | recorded = | venue = | studio = | genre = | length = | label = ATO/Widespread Records | producer = John Keane<br>Widespread Panic | prev_title = Free Somehow | prev_year = 2008 | next_title = Live in the Classic City II | next_year = 2010 }} {{Music ratings |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=album|id=dirty-side-down-r1792510|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic review]</ref> }}

'''''Dirty Side Down''''' is the eleventh studio album by American band Widespread Panic. The album signaled the return of John Keane as producer and was recorded in the band's hometown of Athens, Georgia,<ref>Jacques, Amy https://relix.com/articles/detail/inside-widespread-panic-s-new-album-dirty-side-down-with-john-keane/ Relix</ref> in contrast to the previous two albums produced by Terry Manning at Compass Point Studios in the Bahamas. It is the fourth album released after the death of Michael Houser and the first for ATO Records

Songs on the album range from road-tested classics like Jerry Joseph's classic ''North'',<ref>{{cite web|title=Everyday Companion: North|url=http://everydaycompanion.com/PLAYED/NORTH.ASP}}</ref> ''Clinic Cynic'', one of the few songs where Todd Nance sings lead vocals,<ref>{{cite web|title=Everyday Companion - Clinic Cynic|url=http://everydaycompanion.com/PLAYED/CYNIC.ASP}}</ref> and ''Visiting Day''<ref>{{cite web|title=Everyday Companion - Visiting Day|url=http://everydaycompanion.com/PLAYED/VSTDAY.ASP}}</ref> to new originals like ''Saint Ex'', ''Shut Up and Drive'' and ''Cotton Was King''. Also included is ''This Cruel Thing'' the latest of several Vic Chesnutt covers released by the band, and ''True to My Nature'' a collaboration with Daniel Hutchens of Bloodkin.

Widespread Panic’s John Bell on “Saint Ex”: My wife Laura and I are great fans of ''The Little Prince'' by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. It’s thought of as a children’s book but conveys some pretty heavy messages on many levels. A couple of years ago, my father sent me a New York Times article<ref>{{cite news|last1=Schiff|first1=Stacy|authorlink=Stacy Schiff|title=Saint-Exupéry Lands at Last|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/11/opinion/saint-exupery-lands-at-last.html|work=The New York Times|date=11 April 2004 }}</ref> about an eighty-five-year-old German World War II pilot who realized he was the guy that shot down Saint Ex (a French pilot) in 1944. The plane Saint-Exupéry was flying had been identified in 2004, ending the sixty-year-old mystery surrounding the author’s disappearance. Both pilots were on simple reconnaissance missions, and it was kind of a fluke that they happened upon each other. What I found intriguing about the situation is that the German pilot said Saint-Exupéry was one of his favorite authors, and claimed if he was aware of who was flying the French aircraft, he wouldn't have opened fire. I began reading more of Saint-Exupéry's works, and even though they’re translations, his insights about “Life During Wartime” are really profound and heartfelt – simultaneously caring about all humanity, while feeling compelled to fight for his country. Anyway, that’s what the song is about.<ref>{{cite web|title=John Bell tells the story of Saint Ex|url=http://www.relix.com/articles/detail/the-world-premiere-of-widespread-panic-s-saint-ex|website=Relix.com|date=4 May 2010 }}</ref>

This is the last Widespread Panic album to feature their original drummer Todd Nance.

==Commercial performance== ''Dirty Side Down'' debuted at No. 27 on the ''Billboard'' 200,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/2010-06-12 |title=Billboard 200 |date=June 12, 2014 |magazine=Billboard }}</ref> and No. 6 on Top Rock Albums,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/rock-albums/2010-06-12 |title=Billboard 200 |date=June 12, 2014 |magazine=Billboard }}</ref> selling 13,000 copies on the first week of its release.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rOA5W_BoYGIC&pg=RA10-PA45 |title=The Hot Box - Don't Panic |magazine=Billboard |date= April 3, 2010 }}</ref> The album has sold 72,000 copies in the United States as of September 2015.<ref>{{cite web|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20150917090733/http://hitsdailydouble.com/new_album_releases |archivedate= September 17, 2015 |url=http://hitsdailydouble.com/new_album_releases |title=Upcoming Releases |website=Hits Daily Double |publisher=HITS Digital Ventures }}</ref>

==Track listing== #"Saint Ex" (Widespread Panic) 6:47 #"North" (Jerry Joseph) 5:42 #"Dirty Side Down" (Widespread Panic) 3:57 #"This Cruel Thing" (Vic Chesnutt) 4:30 #"Visiting Day" (Widespread Panic) 5:27 #"Clinic Cynic" (Widespread Panic) 4:35 #"St. Louis" (Widespread Panic) 2:52 #"Shut Up and Drive" (Widespread Panic) 6:44 #"True to My Nature" (Daniel Hutchens / Widespread Panic) 4:54 #"When You Coming Home" (Widespread Panic) 5:37 #"Jaded Tourist" (Bill Elder / Widespread Panic) 4:28 #"Cotton Was King" (Widespread Panic) 5:52

==Personnel== '''Widespread Panic''' *John Bell – vocals, guitar *John Hermann – keyboards, vocals *Jimmy Herring – lead guitar *Todd Nance – drums, vocals *Domingo S. Ortiz – percussion *Dave Schools – bass, vocals

'''Guest performers''' *John Keane – pedal steel and acoustic guitar

'''Personnel''' *John Keane – Producer, Engineer, Mastering

==Charts== {|class="wikitable" |- ! Chart (2010) ! Peak<br/>position |- {{Album chart|Billboard200|27|artist= Widespread Panic }} |- {{Album chart|BillboardIndependent|2|artist= Widespread Panic }} |- {{Album chart|BillboardRock|6|artist= Widespread Panic }} |- {{Album chart|BillboardTastemaker|7|artist= Widespread Panic }} |- |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://widespreadpanic.com/ Widespread Panic website]

Category:2010 albums Category:Widespread Panic albums Category:Albums produced by John Keane (record producer) Category:ATO Records albums