Straightaways

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
When Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar, his former partner in Uncle Tupelo, split up in 1994, the common wisdom was that Tweedy was the melodic and optimistic Paul McCartney of the team, while Farrar was the cathartic and moody John Lennon. That analogy seemed to stand up when Wilco's debut disc A.M. was sweet and tuneful, while the first album by Farrar's Son Volt, Trace, was angst-ridden country-rock. Tweedy transcended his pigeonhole with the diverse, ambitious Being There, but Farrar remains trapped in his on Son Volt's follow-up Straightaways, a more laid-back, understated version of Trace. Farrar does one thing really well, and that is his use of a gravelly baritone and suspended guitar chords to capture the exhaustion and desperation of a man at the end of his rope. Unfortunately, he tends to do it over and over and over again. --Geoffrey Himes --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Straightaways
Average customer rating:

Great Disc from end to end..

Do your frontal lobes need a good scrubing?

Excellent Album

Best of the bunch, if you ask me

Better than Trace

Straightaways
Son Volt
Manufacturer: Warner Bros / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Country Rock | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Wide Swing Tremolo

Trace

No Depression

Still Feel Gone

Okemah And The Melody Of Riot

ASIN: B000002NDU
Release Date: 1997-04-22

Tracks:

Caryatid Easy
Back Into Your World
Picking Up The Signal
Left A Slide
Creosote
Cemetery Savior
Last Minute Shakedown
Been Set Free
No More Parades
Way Down Watson

Amazon.com

When Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar, his former partner in Uncle Tupelo, split up in 1994, the common wisdom was that Tweedy was the melodic and optimistic Paul McCartney of the team, while Farrar was the cathartic and moody John Lennon. That analogy seemed to stand up when Wilco's debut disc A.M. was sweet and tuneful, while the first album by Farrar's Son Volt, Trace, was angst-ridden country-rock. Tweedy transcended his pigeonhole with the diverse, ambitious Being There, but Farrar remains trapped in his on Son Volt's follow-up Straightaways, a more laid-back, understated version of Trace. Farrar does one thing really well, and that is his use of a gravelly baritone and suspended guitar chords to capture the exhaustion and desperation of a man at the end of his rope. Unfortunately, he tends to do it over and over and over again. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

Great Disc from end to end.........2006-05-30

"Back into your world" is worth 10 bucks, everything else is a bonus. The first two or three listens of this CD I hated it. I finally picked it back up after a long, late fall evening after working for about 9-10 hours and it just clicked. This is a driving CD, this is a SMART CD, and this is a classic American record. Flows through the speakers like a silky smooth bit of wonder.

For the fans of Trace, I understand if you first dislike this album. Wide Swing Tremelo and the newer Okemah is a lot closer to Trac than this one is, but this one is a true Gem and deserves all of the attention it can garner.

Jay Farrar doesn't make bad music, period.

Do your frontal lobes need a good scrubing?.......2006-04-27

I listen to this album when I'm doing a road trip like when I'm going up Highway 395 along the eastern Sierra Nevada. It's also good for clearing out the cobwebs in your brain as you're about to jump off the cornice at Mammoth.

Excellent Album.......2005-05-19

I got into Wilco & found this album while searching Amazon. This album is fantastic & really grows on you. Great Alt-Country... Back Into Your World, Picking Up The Signal & Left A Slide are really the prefeft trifecta of songs (as another reviewer put it). They just flow one into the other. I love this whole album, especially the afore-mentioned & also Cemetary Savior & Last Minute Shakedown. When I first heard it (it was my 1st Son Volt experience), I admit I picked a few out & skipped some - but after a listening, I realized this album is great - buy it - it will grow on you & you will enjoy it.

Best of the bunch, if you ask me.......2005-04-20

Only got turned onto Uncle Tupelo/Son Volt/Wilco about a year ago, and I have to say that this is the CD I most often play out of the whole bunch.

Back Into Your World, Picking Up The Signal, and Left A Slide are a perfect trifecta of songs. Fast alt-country, slow traditional country, and everything in between. All in all, good stuff. If it helps any, I like it way better than trace. Would tie it with Anodyne, or rate Anodyne slightly higher.

Regardless, good music to turn up and muse over. I can relate to the words in many of the songs, that's for sure. Great lyrics, great music. Goes excellent with a nice cold beer!

Better than Trace.......2005-03-23

I played this record nearly every morning in the summer of 1997 and can attest that (like most great records) if you give it several good listens it will capture you. I have both this one and Trace and strongly prefer Straightaways for several reasons: superior melodies, better playing (acoustic work is tastier), better vocals, more interesting lyrical themes, a better rocker (Caryatid Easy is surely one of the hardest rocking alt-country song of all time), and greater emotional depth.

Like many alt-country records, this one is about missed chances, lost love, loneliness, alienation, and wounded men yearning to recover. There isn't an obvious radio hit like 'Windfall' from Trace, but these songs are a little more earnest, in my view, and they're also a little better written. Many have disagreed in the previous reviews here, but I'm sticking to my guns: I almost never pull out Trace, but I've revisited Straightaways nearly every year since I bought it, and I haven't yet stopped enjoying it. I should clarify that I'm not really arguing against Trace, which is also a great record and a must-have if you're an Uncle Tupelo or Jay Farrar (or alt-country) fan, but I think this one is also a must-have, and I think it's a better record than Trace.

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