With just two weeks to go until the new Wilco album drops, now’s as good a time as any to dig through Jeff Tweedy’s musical past–namely, Uncle Tupelo.
It’s not like Tweedy’s early ’90s band with Jay Farrar suffers from underappreciation: a whole movement is named after the band’s debut album, fercryin’outloud. All four albums from the band’s brief existence have their partisans, but the least worshipped of the four is your Guest Idolator’s favorite: sophomore release Still Feel Gone (1991). In its small way, it’s as much a part of The Year Punk Broke as Nevermind, Green Mind and Bandwagonesque. With its rootsy mix of country twang and punk thump, the band’s only set of all originals, and a rainy-day vibe that would’ve fit right in on post-Pearl Jam rock radio, Gone is the record where Uncle Tupelo figured out who they were.
It’s also, with 20/20 hindsight, the moment where Tweedy started to figure out he didn’t necessarily need Farrar. Through most of Tupelo’s history, Farrar’s compositions and voice took center stage–which made the post-breakup success of Tweedy’s Wilco over Farrar’s Son Volt something of a surprise to Tupelo fans. But check out Gone‘s closer, “If That’s Alright,” and tell us it isn’t a beta version of Wilco. It’s the mellowest track on the record, but it’s also Tweedy clearing his throat for his next phase well before Tupelo’s 1994 breakup.
That’s not to say Farrar wasn’t still dominant on this record. We also offer his dark acoustic ballad “Still Be Around,” which by all rights should’ve been a hit. Just imagine if Farrar had held the song a couple of years until the band signed to the majors–with Sire/Warner’s money behind it, and American radio circa ’94 heavy with grunge, “Around” could’ve been massive.
Uncle Tupelo – If That’s Alright [MP3, link expired]
Uncle Tupelo – Still Be Around [MP3, link expired]
Factory Belt: The Unofficial Uncle Tupelo Archives [factorybelt.net]
This is the finest UT album of a great lot.
I’ve always thought of “Gun” as a song that ushered out the Replacements as Ryan Adams’ career began.
Still Around is an all-time favourite song. A friend put it on a mixtape for me, back in the day, and I completely forgot about it after my tape player broke until I moved in with a boy with an Uncle Tupelo best of.
When I was studying abroad in Spain, a friend of mine gave me a tape with No Depression on one side and Still Feel Gone on the other. I spent a 32-hour train ride from Madrid to Bologna, Italy listening to these records over and over again and watching Europe go by outside of the window. It’s one of my happiest musical memories.
Anyway, melodrama aside, I’m of the opinion that SFG is the best Tupelo record. Everybody always points to Anodyne or March 16-20, 1992 as the band’s masterpieces, but to me this one did the best job of balancing the two sides of the alt-country equation. Plus, “Gun” is one of my all-time favorite songs in the history of everything.
I also agree with the fellow commentators in that SFG is the best UT album. This is the album I point friends to when they ask about UT and alt-country. ALthough Tweedy writes some fantastic songs on this record, its Farrar’s “Postcard” that is the most standout tune for me. I am not sure UT wrote a song that so effortlessly melts both the hard rocking, punk side of the movement with the country, rootsy side. Love the hard charging guitars that slow down and are greeted by the twangy steel in the refrain!
this is by far and away my favorite tupelo record. in fact i celebrate their entire catalogue, although i am not much of a no depression man.
as much as i love wilco/tweedy, i have come to the realization as of late, well the past year or so, that farrar has silently built himself a stronger catalogue than tweedy. sure, tweedy and gang produced one of the greatest records ever in yhf, the remainder of the wilco catalogue has kinda grown long in the tooth. me thinks the farrar stuff has aged much more gracefully.
Not to bash, but IMO Farrar’s material over the last couple of years is pretty boring(remix EPs?). Most of his material has been pretty weak compared to Tuepelo. Let’s not forget all the bandwagon people who were all over the first Son Volt album and then they quickly wised up after Tweedy released his true masterpiece “Being There”. Like what you want, but there’s a reason why Wilco is much more popular than Son Volt/Jay Farrar.
well theres a reason why everyone jumped on the son volt bandwagon at first. mostly due to the fact that trace is far and away superior to am. being there is indeed a great record but its about 5 tracks too long, which keeps it from being a classic.
one of the reasons that wilco is more popular than son volt is that tweedy is so much more likeable than farrar thus making tweedy easier to sell. farrar is a grumpy son of a bitch does very little press and even when i do happen to read an interview its pretty damn boring – i must admit. just based on that little nugget i am sure his greater mass appeal helps sell a few records.
i will never deny that tweedy is a brilliant artist all i am saying is that over the past year, coinciding with the release of okemah, i have come to appreciate and understand farrars work.
you wanna talk about boring? have you listened to sky blue sky yet? makes farrar sound like lohan on an all night coke bender. i still like it though – i am easy that way.
Almost everybody I know likes this one the best. I’m a No Depression man myself, because it has more cowbell.