No Depression

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
The album that named a movement (and a magazine), No Depression rocks and twangs in just about equal measure, though the rock side wins out most of the time. Even when a song downshifts from full-on punk to banjo- and mandolin-graced interludes, it usually shifts back again, seemingly even louder and angrier than before. Beyond the influential sound, though, are some great songs--whether they're raging originals like "Graveyard Shift," where the job's literally a killer; an earnest, acoustic cover of the Carter Family's title track; or a decidedly desperate portrait of Leadbelly's "John Hardy." --David Cantwell --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

No Depression
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Alternative country comes alive...

Oh My, yes indeed!

Seminal!!!

Alternative Country

Opening Shot

No Depression
Uncle Tupelo
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Still Feel Gone

March 16-20, 1992

Anodyne

Trace

A.M.

ASIN: B00008J2RA
Release Date: 2003-04-15

Tracks:

Graveyard Shift
That Year
Before I Break
No Depression
Factory Belt
Whiskey Bottle
Outdone
Train
Life Worth Livin'
Flatness
So Called Friend
Screen Door
John Hardy
Left In The Dark
Won't Forget
Sin City (Bonus Track)
Whiskey Bottle (Live Acoustic Version) (Bonus Track)
No Depression (1988 Demo) (Bonus Track)
Blues Die Hard (1987 Demo) (Bonus Track)

Amazon.com

The album that named a movement (and a magazine), No Depression rocks and twangs in just about equal measure, though the rock side wins out most of the time. Even when a song downshifts from full-on punk to banjo- and mandolin-graced interludes, it usually shifts back again, seemingly louder and angrier than before. Beyond the influential sound, though, are some great songs, whether they're raging originals like "Graveyard Shift," an earnest, acoustic cover of the Carter Family's title track, or a decidedly desperate portrait of Leadbelly's "John Hardy." Six bonus cuts flesh out the 2003 expanded and remastered edition, including a cover of Gram Parsons's "Sin City." --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews:

Alternative country comes alive..........2004-12-20

A friend of mine actually gave me a copy of No Depression on tape shortly after this release came out and told me I had to check this new band out. For some reason it sat at the bottom of my tape collection for well over a year. I finally rediscovered the tape one day and realized it was time to check out the band with the unique name. Man, had I missed out on some seriously good music! There is a nice mix of punk and country on many of the songs on this cd. Songs such as "Graveyard Shift" and "Factory Belt" are quick paced, high-flying country/punk tunes but the song that blew me away (and still does to this day) is the old school country drinking song "Whiskey Bottle". Everytime I hear this song it just sends shivers up my spine as you can feel the pain and heartache in Jay Farrar's voice. Some great bonus tracks on the remastered version including a great version of Gram Parson's "Sin City" and an informative booklet just add to the original beauty of this release. Tupelo move forward into a more traditional country sound after this cd but "No Depression" is a groundbreaking effort.

Oh My, yes indeed!.......2004-08-10

Now this, THIS is my kind of music. Punk meets Country, with Rock sprinkled all over for good measure! From the opening note of "Graveyard Shift" to the close of "Blues Die Hard, there's 19 tracks of pure great music to be had here.

This stuff is potent - what creativity, what diversity, what a great sound these guys put out. Makes me mad I didn't discover them sooner, because Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt are two of the best groups I've been lucky enough to come across in the past year or two. Really and truly well worth buying this one is, you will be very glad you did!

Seminal!!!.......2004-07-25

This is THE album by THE band that created a whole new genre in American Underground music. It would take five years for bands like Uncle Tupelo to appear in every major city in the US, but they eventually did. It is a classic. An essential album for any music lover.

They were the first and did it the best.

Alternative Country.......2004-06-10

this is a great album, so much better than what wilco has done, actually all the uncle T albums are amazing, check them out

Opening Shot.......2004-05-07

Uncle Tupelo's debut record, No Depression, is a beautiful blend of the heartbreak and longing of country music and the power and fury of punk. The musical style known as alt-country or cowpunk is best summed up in the brilliant "Graveyard Shift". The verses are built around and rolling guitar riff that builds to thrashing crescendo and maniac guitars in the chorus. Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy are the two singers on the album and on this record, Mr. Farrar is clearly the stronger of the two contributing the aforementioned "Graveyard Shift", "Factory Belt" the mournful "Whiskey Bottle" and "Life Worth Living". Mr. Tweedy isn't quite up to Mr. Farrar's level, but you can see the seeds of his brilliance on "Train" and "Screen Door". No Depression went virtually unknown upon its release, but it announced the presence of a truly powerful new musical force.

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The beginning of Alt. Country
The seminal Alt/Country Album
Meanwhile, just outside St. Louis
Not as good as Still Feel Gone, but still good...
This is the "alpha" alt-country album

No Depression
Uncle Tupelo
Manufacturer: Rockville
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Still Feel Gone
Anodyne
March 16-20, 1992
Wide Swing Tremolo
6 String Belief

ASIN: B000003JXX
Release Date: 1991-07-01

Tracks:

Graveyard Shift
That Year
Before I Break
No Depression
Factory Belt
Whiskey Bottle
Outdone
Train
Life Worth Livin'
Flatness
So Called Friend
Screen Door
John Hardy

Amazon.com essential recording

The album that named a movement (and a magazine), No Depression rocks and twangs in just about equal measure, though the rock side wins out most of the time. Even when a song downshifts from full-on punk to banjo- and mandolin-graced interludes, it usually shifts back again, seemingly even louder and angrier than before. Beyond the influential sound, though, are some great songs--whether they're raging originals like "Graveyard Shift," where the job's literally a killer; an earnest, acoustic cover of the Carter Family's title track; or a decidedly desperate portrait of Leadbelly's "John Hardy." --David Cantwell

Customer Reviews:

The beginning of Alt. Country.......2005-08-05

This album should be in anyone who loves alt country because it it is true alt country. Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy are great songwriters inside and outside Uncle Tupelo. Gatherered 11 originals and two covers, This is a modern rock classic that should be loved by all who like Son Volt or Wilco because those bands came out of this band. Favorites include Graveyard Shift, Before I Break, No Depression, Whiskey Bottle, Life Worth Livin', So Called Friend, Screen Door, and John Hardy. Highly Highly Recommended.

The seminal Alt/Country Album.......2003-03-18

The only drawback about this album is its sound quality. Apart from that, this album should be listed as the definition of the Alt/Country genre. This album, which is impossible to tire of, addresses traditional country themes (alcholism, labor, loneliness, waste, and inequality) while deceiving the listener. Graceyard Shift rips right off from the start reminding us of the Replacements as its hard chords seem more rockish, while country-ish twangs pervade the background. And Tweedy sings of man's great lament in the industrialzed society, loss of self, dispersed power, Foucault's panopticism.
The irony of Uncle Tupelo is that the music while implicatory in nature also sooths and reminds us of something better. The pastoral is the loss ideal, mans self is lamented in hard-driven rock n'roll and we are all mourning the loss.
There is a maturity here that is incomparable in the alternative scene. Rather than letting hypocrisy, exploitation and capitalism make them morphous blobs of lamenting self-effacing crooners, they dare to sing about it. Adopting a tradition laid down by Guthrie, they employ their own passions (punk, hard rock, country) and mesmerize us musically while reminding us that there is something more important than the song.
Cumulatively, this album is rock's great treatise against capitalism, idustrialism, and modernization. We meet characters who no longer fit and destroy themselves with liquor and debauchery. But, the morality in the music extends further than alcoholism and morbid romanticization of man isolated and forgotten. It is a smart and convincing treatise that is Tupelo's best and an absolute classic...

Meanwhile, just outside St. Louis.......2002-12-15

Back in 1990, I thought I was pretty `with it'. In addition to indulging my omnipresent metal fetish, I was listening to Mother Love Bone, Green River, Soundgarden and whatever else I could get my hands on coming out of Seattle. Yeah, I was big man on campus at William and Mary - at least in my own mind. When the Seattle scene exploded I got the kudos owed to someone who was hip to the scene before it went nationwide. Pretty cool, huh?

Perhaps not as cool as I thought. By the mid-90s, Kurdt Cobain's suicide had pretty much signaled the end of the grunge movement and made it possible for rap metal lunkheads like Limp Bizkit and a second generation of grunge imitators like Creed to take over. Suddenly, a genre that had seemed so vital and revolutionary became dated. Old Soundgarden records no longer sounded as good and new ones like Down on the Upside just sounded horribly anachronistic.

The Seattle grunge scene was great while it lasted and we may never see another revolution in popular music quite like it. However, maybe if I'd been paying a little closer attention to a musical scene developing in America's heartland at the same time grunge was developing in Seattle, I'd have caught on to a second musical revolution during that era occurring in a genre that would prove to have more staying power than grunge. I'm talking about alt-country, aka "the movement".

The band credited with jumpstarting "the movement" was Uncle Tupelo which featured two brilliant songwriters, Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy, who were heavily influenced by both traditional country and punk rock. What Lennon and McCartney were to classic rock, Farrar and Tweedy were to alt-country.

If you can actually get your hands on Uncle Tupelo's hard-to-find debut, No Depression, it won't be long before you put an end to your habit of telling new acquaintances, "I listen to all kinds of music, except country". The opening track, "Graveyard Shift", grabs your attention immediately with its breakneck riffs and aggressive vocals - it's heavy enough to practically qualify as country-metal. The title track reveals a totally different side of UT as they cover the country traditional "No Depression" with such honesty and skill that it would later be adopted as the name of alt-country's biggest magazine. "Whiskey Bottle" is a favorite of many a UT fan and it is easy to see why. On the song, Farrar's voice exudes such raw desperation you start to genuinely worry for the guy. Fortunately, the spirits of the whole band seem to pick up during the country raveup, "Screen Door", an ode to sitting out on the porch playing music with friends.

The seminal nature of No Depression makes it hard to rate it as anything but 5 stars, though the production quality is some of the worst I've heard since on Metallica's ...And Justice for All. Fortunately, Farrar and Tweedy are said to be remastering the album and a more widely available reissue will probably be available some time in the next year or so. It's your call whether you want to pay the exorbitant sums dealers are charging for No Depression these days or wait for the better sounding and cheaper reissue to appear. If you make the latter choice, I strongly recommend you pick up the excellent UT Anthology 89/93 to tide you over until you can procure a copy of No Depression.

Trust me, if you overlooked "the movement" when it was developing like I did, there's still plenty of time to catch up. A little remedial work on Uncle Tupelo, Wilco, Son Volt, Whiskeytown, the Old 97s, the Bottle Rockets, and the Drive-By Truckers and you'll have at least an elementary education in the ways of "the movement".

Not as good as Still Feel Gone, but still good..........2001-11-23

After reading a few of the reviews written about this album, I'm afraid that some people may be a bit disappointed by their whole Uncle Tupelo experience. I don't want to be misunderstood because I do feel that this is a good CD and my all time favorite Uncle Tupelo track is 'Life Worth Living', but this CD also lacks the overall consistency displayed on 'Still Feel Gone', and there are times when I want to forward through parts of this disc to get to the good songs, like 'Whiskey Bottle', 'Graveyard Shift', or 'Life Worth Living'. If this were the first Uncle Tupelo album that I'd bought, I believe that I'd have purchased another, but I'd have done so with the understanding that they're a good band and not the great band that I've read so much about. If you really want the great band that you're reading about, buy 'Still Feel Gone' because that's the album that almost lives up to this band's monster billing. Actually, all of this is pretty moot anyways because as of right now you can't purchase either album here. If you really like alt-country and you want to check out a CD that you can actually purchase, go to a band called '16 Horsepower' and listen to the audio clips of 'Secret South', 'Low Estate', or 'Sackcloth n Ashes'. '16 Horsepower' is light years better than 'Uncle Tupelo', and I promise that this is a decision that you'll love yourself for, for the rest of the day.

This is the "alpha" alt-country album.......2001-11-12

I love this album. This is real and full of energy. This album is the starting point for so many bands in so many genres. One can't understand modern rock without knowing this album. But the bottom line...this rocks and you will love it...I promise.

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Proof positive Doug Sahm and his band were one of the best America ever produced!
In my heart, five stars

The Complete Mercury Recordings
Douglas Sahm , and Sir Douglas Quintet
Manufacturer: Hip-O Select
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Live from Austin, Texas
Live From The Limo, Vol. 1
Groover's Paradise
Hangin' on by a Thread
The Return of Wayne Douglas

ASIN: B000AO2J46
Release Date: 2006-12-01

Product Description

Everybody who knew Doug Sahm liked him, and everyone who didnt know him, but knew his work, respected him. He was manic, he was a larger-than-life character, and his passion for music was exceeded only if at all by his passion for baseball. Its the former with which we concern ourselves here, as we follow the Sir Douglas Quintet in various configurations through what critics generally regard as Sahms fertile early period (he would later go on to form the Texas Tornados, among other things). The Sir Douglas Quintet was supposed to capitalize on the British Invasion, but it would take an advanced case of astigmatism to think the band had roots in the UK. And with a couple of cosmetic exceptions, their music was firmly linked to America (in the broadest sense). For Doug and his band, virtually any genre was up for grabs rock, blues, soul, country, psychedelic, norteño, polka, whatever. They played it all, and they played it proficiently. One of lifes great mysteries is how Doug Sahm isnt in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, since his music has inspired two generations of musicians, and he can rightly lay claim to being the Godfather of the Austin music scene. Anthologized heavily throughout the years, Sir Dougs music from the Mercury/Smash era has never before been collected systematically and presented so handsomely. This box set covers six albums, all the mono singles, Spanish-language recordings and a number of Dougs productions on which his band appears. The box was conceived and executed by Grammy®-winning producer Bill Levenson, and it was remastered in 2004 from the original master tapes. It includes liner notes by critic Scott Schinder and rare photos of Doug and the band. No single package could contain all the vibrancy and vision Doug Sahm possessed, but this particular set is celebratory for those who lived through the ear and revelatory for those who didnt.

Customer Reviews:

Proof positive Doug Sahm and his band were one of the best America ever produced!.......2007-06-06

I love Doug Sahm's music, and I've written glowing reviews on Amazon for every Doug Sahm disc I own. He is one of my favorite artists of all time, and certainly the one guy whose music I try to introduce friends to. This set isn't cheap, but you get all of the SDQ Mercury recordings, including the rarities collection "Rough Edges." The music here is a mix of Tex-Mex, garage rock, country, and proto country-rock - in other words great American roots music. Sahm and his co-horts were unlike any other band; the world is a sadder place because he's gone, but thankfully this great music is back in print for many to discover and enjoy.

There's too many highlights to mention, but here a few: "Mendocino," "Dynamite Woman," "It Didin't Even Bring Me Down," "Me and My Destiny," and a lot more. If you aren't locked into one style of music, then the SDQ could become one of your favorites. They could certainly play everything and play it well.

I started to give this five stars, but didn't because Mercury put "Dynamite Woman" and its flip "Too Many Dociled Minds" on the set not once, not twice, but three times! It appears once on the first disc because the single came out around the time of Mendocino, second time on the "Rough Edges" disc where it actually came out on LP, and finally on the Mono mix disc (which is really a waste; the mixes are, as the other reviewer said, rather flat).

The packaging is well done, but the discs have that standard FBI warning labeled too prominently on them for my taste. I paid a lot for these discs; I think Mercury could put the warning somewhere in the booklet or in smaller type. It detracts from the otherwise nice package.

The music rates five stars easily because the gems outweigh the filler, but the redundancy factor is something I can't overlook. If you've never heard Doug Sahm, buy the 68-75 Best Of. If you like it, then buy this! It's truly great American music.

In my heart, five stars.......2007-06-01

It's hard to think of awarding five stars to a box set of albums that are only rated at three or three and a half stars individually, but I'm tempted. Maybe I just miss Doug too much.

As billed, the Complete Mercury Sessions contains SDQ's six albums for Mercury and its subsidiaries Phillips and Smash. In addition, there are a smattering of outtakes or alternate versions, including Spanish-lyric remakes of some favorites, covers by Texas legends Roy Head and Junior Parker, and a disc of mono singles that serves as something a "greatest hits" album. (OK, Junior Parker was from Mississippi, but he made his name on Don Robey's Duke Records out of Houston.) The period covered by these six albums is generally considered Sahm's most creative, and these recordings contain some of his best remembered tunes, such as "Mendocino," "And It Didn't Even Bring Me Down," "At the Crossroads," and more. The albums are presented in order of release with a minimum of additional material interspersed or bracketing them, so the songs they play through as originally sequenced, a plus not every collection offers in this "cram in all you can get" box set age.

One of the best aspects of this collection is that the remastering is clean and crisp throughout, almost disconcerting so considering that Doug could sometimes emphasize emotional effect over technical accuracy. OK, he could be downright sloppy, and there's plenty of low-grade product out there to prove it. But all the slop out there just makes this collection a more notable value. One detraction in this set is that the monaural mix on the singles disc is a little flat sounding. Interesting, but not effective. Unless you turn it up real loud.

The hardback book style packaging is innovative, and the layout and design are colorful and accessible. Good photos and liner notes, and an informative musical history of Doug and his "recording trip." I've had other sets with cardboard disc sleeves that haven't held up too well, so that could be drawback in time, although it works fine now.

Those who know the music of Doug Sahm and the Sir Douglas Quintet are in for a treat with this package of his earlier work. If you're not from Texas, he's probably an acquired taste. Doug has been called innovative and unique, but that's more true of his personality than his music. Doug couldn't sit still, and he couldn't stop talking. He was an approachable guy whether his popularity was riding high or in an off-phase. On break at Soap Creek Saloon or between games (not during them) at an Austin softball complex, you could walk up and say "hi" and get a conversation from him. No pretense, no attitude, no apologies necessary. If you told him you were from San Antonio, he'd ask where you went to high school.

Musically, Doug was not so unique. He was only the most visible of a long tradition of highly eclectic, skilled players who make a living at music by being able to cover everything that makes a sound. There are still a few of them out there playing every weekend in VFW, SPJST, and Sons of Herman halls all over Central Texas. Polkas and schottisches for the old-timers; waltzes; two-step and Cotton-eyed Joe; western swing; straight country; blues; r&b; rock'n'roll; norteno; pretty much name it and claim it. (Catch the Vrazels some Saturday night.)

Doug matured musically in this eclectic environment. He approached the European music forms (polka, waltz) through its presence in Mexican-American culture and expanded his personal repertoire more toward rock, blues, and country, but there is still a loopy, hiccoughing polka beat under Augie Meyer's Farfisa and in some of Doug's rhythm guitar. Perhaps he was not a master of any of the forms he attempted, but he could make you dance and he could make you smile. His shows were sweaty, gritty, sometimes a little sloppy, musically all over the place, but always sincere and respectful of the music and those like himself who loved it.

So, in my heart, Doug Sahm will always rate five stars. This goes out to you, man, wherever you are.

No Depression: What It Sounds Like, Vol. 1

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WOW!
Brilliant alt.country musical essay

No Depression: What It Sounds Like, Vol. 1
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Dualtone Music Group
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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No Depression: What It Sounds Like, Vol. 2
This Is Americana
Lost Highway: Lost and Found, Vol. 1
Exposed Roots: Best of Alt. Country
This Is Americana, Vol. 2

ASIN: B0001BS44C
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Tracks:

The Time Of The Preacher - Johnny Cash
Is Heaven Good Enough For You - Allison Moorer
Faithless Street - Whiskeytown
Five Hearts Breaking - Alejandro Escovedo
Cowboy Peyton Place - Doug Sahm
Does My Ring Burn Your Finger - Buddy Miller
Parallel Bars - Robbie Fulks
Thrice All American - Neko Case & Her Boyfriends
Down To The Well - Kevin Gordon
Dam - Kasey Chambers
Farther Along - Hayseed
How I Love Them Old Songs - The Hole Dozen
No Depression In Heaven - The Carter Family

Amazon.com

Since 1995, No Depression magazine has been the bible of "alternative-country music." Until recently, their subhead proclaimed that they were "The Bimonthly Journal of Alt-Country," followed by varying ironic references to the fact that they were unsure as to the actual definition of alt-country. Well if a picture is worth a thousand words, the ND folks figured a recording is too, and to that end they have issued a compilation that helps define the genre's boundaries while demonstrating its breadth. It begins with Johnny Cash singing "The Time of the Preacher" backed by members of Soundgarden, Nirvana, and Alice in Chains, his voice and presence comfortably matching the wall of distorted guitars. Although a few tracks expose that common alt-country flaw--good intentions with mediocre execution--most reveal its riches. Performances by the likes of Buddy Miller, Emmylou Harris, Kelly Willis, Robbie Fulks, and Kasey Chambers represent the marriage of art and craft that truly defines the best of alt-country--whatever that is. --Michael Ross

Customer Reviews:

WOW!.......2004-03-20

As someone who grew up in the 70's and 80's, I was turned off country by the Conway Twitty/Ronnie Milsap style cheese that dominated country radio. Unfortunately, country radio has not improved at all since then. Today, all that seems to distinguish "country" from the prepackaged music played by pop and rock stations is a little twangy Southern flavoring (as opposed to the hip-hop flavoring that makes today's pop-rock "edgy"), as well as artists for whom cowboy hats are apparently a part of their anatomy.

Thankfully, the editors of "No Depression" magazine have done music lovers a tremendous favor by reminding us that great American music never really went away, even if it is largely ignored. Covering every sub-genre from country-rock (Whiskeytown's "Faithless Street") to honky-tonk (Doug Sahm's "Cowboy Peyton Place") to straight-ahead folk (Neko Case's "Thrice All American") to heart-breaking ballads (Allison Moorer's "Is Heaven Good Enough for You" and Kasey Chamber's "Dam") to gospel (The Carter Family's "No Depression in Heaven"), "No Depression" consistently hits high note after high note. This disc proves that real country has nothing to do with cowboy hats or NASCAR, and everything to do with real music and real human emotions. If any great country stations still existed, this is what they would sound like.

I can't wait for Vol. 2.

Brilliant alt.country musical essay.......2004-03-13

After nine years of writing about music, the editors of "No Depression" have cut out the wordy indirections with this thirteen track essay on alternative country music. No doubt they've been pieced together compilations like this for friends, but now those outside the immediate circle now get to share in their obsession. This thirteen track collection has the breadth needed to stake out a genre as hazy as "No Depression." There are founders (The Carter Family) and legends (Johnny Cash, Doug Sahm, Emmylou Harris), alt.country darlings (Whiskeytown, Robbie Fulks, Alejandro Escovedo, Lucinda Williams) and artists from the various spokes of the alt.country umbrella. And as if that weren't enough, there are frictional sparks thrown off by several surprising collaborations.

It's fitting that the collection opens with one of mainstream country music's biggest stars and most ornery individualists, Johnny Cash. The combination of Cash's riveting baritone, Willie Nelson's song of a murderous preacher, and Seattle's finest grunge-rock musicians (Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, Nirvana's bassist Krist Novaselic, and Alice in Chains' dummer Sean Kinney) is just the sort of alchemy that frees country music's essence from Nashville's commercial constrictions. The battle between John Carter Cash's acoustic 12-string and Thayil's storming electric provides truly magnificent accompaniment to Nelson's tale of temptation.

Alison Moorer's "Is Heaven Good Enough For You" provides a compelling segue, tagging off on the preacher's theme to introduce a moving eulogy for Moorer's mother. It's an incredibly confident and personal turn for a debut album (this is drawn from Moorer's 1998 "Alabama Song"), and features superbly wrought harmony singing. It's a perfect example of how major labels (MCA in this case) can innovate on the edges of their commercial inclinations. Buddy Miller's "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger," provides another side to that coin, having been turned into a hit single by Lee Ann Womack. The latter couldn't muster the deep soul of this original, but showed off the sheer quality of Miller's songwriting.

Whiskeytown's "Faithless Street" finds poster boy Ryan Adams summing up much of the alt.country experience with Gram Parsons' styled anguish, and the declaration, "So I started this damn country band / `Cause punk rock was too hard to sing." The combination of twanging guitars, bending steel and Caitlin Cary's old-timey fiddle lines show off several of the flavors included in the No Depression rubric.

Segueing once again, Adams wasn't the only artist who'd gravitated from punk rock to country. Alejandro Escovedo, having started out in The Nuns and crossing genres with Rank and File, settled in by founding the Austin-based True Believers, and subsequently recording a series of solo albums. Escovedo's "Five Hearts Breaking" shows how well he writes with the troubadour's touch and human detail of Springsteen and Zevon.

Neko Case's "Thrice All American" is a moving waltz-time ode to her hometown of Tacoma, WA. The near-jewel of the Pacific Northwest (Seattle won the railhead and the battle was over) has always struggled for identity in the shadow of the nearby Emerald City, and with dwindling input for its pulp-mill, the downtown has never seen the resurgence city planners continually hope for. Tacoma's residents struggle similarly, and Case, having moved to California, sings with a dollop of regret.

Robbie Fulks' "Parallel Bars" shows off the sort of lyrical dexterity that (once-upon-a-time) made Roger Miller a star. Unfortunately, Nashville was no longer in the mood for this sort of cleverness in the mid-90s, leading to Fulks' exasperated kiss-off "F*ck This Town." His duet with Austin-based songbird Kelly Willis is full of twang and steel.

In the end, this collection shows that there isn't actually a "No Depression" sound. Instead, the genre is defined by its ethos, rather than the specifics of its melodies or instrumentation. And in that sense, it's closer to the original roots of country music than the formulized sounds that emanate from Nashville. "No Depression" is the sound of music rendered for communication, rather than commerce. It's music whose emotional detail is found at the surface, heart firmly on sleeve. Some of these artists may have come to country music in reaction to punk rock burnout, but like those steeped in the music from day one, the cathartic channel of these hill-bred sounds is just at home in the big city as it is on the farm.

The album closes with a trio of tunes that more directly call out their roots. Hayseed (aka Christopher Wyant) duets with Emmylou Harris on the traditional "Farther Along," and a rowdy "mob" of alt.country musicians, including Mark Olson, Victoria Williams, and Greg Leisz sing Mickey Newbury's nostalgic "How I Love Them Old Songs" under the moniker of Hole Dozen. The album ends fitfully with the magazine's monikorial inspiration, The Carter Family's "No Depression." The musical starkness of the Carters provides great contrast to the album's other dozen cuts, but the continuity of emotion and purpose is clear and undeniable.

Anyone interested in learning what all the fuss about would be well served by this lively and beautifully programmed disc. Those who are already "in the know" will enjoy the opportunity to have No Depression's editors be your DJ for an hour. Now, when's Volume 2 coming out?

No Depression: What It Sounds Like, Vol. 2
Average customer rating:

Exquisitely drawn collection of country roots music

No Depression: What It Sounds Like, Vol. 2
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Dualtone Music Group
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
Alt-Country & Americana | Country | Styles | Music
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This Is Americana

ASIN: B000F7CM3G
Release Date: 2006-06-06

Tracks:

Jay Farrar Station to Station
Patty Loveless Sounds of Loneliness
Resentments World So Full
Kieran Kane Will You Miss Me
Paul Burch & The WPA Ballclub I Am Here
Drive-By-Truckers Outfit
Shaver Blood Is Thicker Than Water
Caitlin Cary with Ryan Adams The Battle
Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard The One I Love Is Gone
Julie Miller I Can't Cry Hard Enough
Rosanne Cash September When It Comes
June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash Far Side Banks of Jordan
Flatlanders Hello Stranger

Product Description

1. Jay Farrar “Station to Station”
2. Patty Loveless “Sounds of Loneliness”
3. Resentments “World So Full”
4. Kieran Kane “Will You Miss Me”
5. Paul Burch & The WPA Ballclub “I Am Here”
6. Drive-By-Truckers “Outfit”
7. Shaver “Blood Is Thicker Than Water”
8. Caitlin Cary with Ryan Adams “The Battle”
9. Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard “The One I Love Is Gone” 10. Julie Miller “I Can't Cry Hard Enough”
11. Rosanne Cash “September When It Comes”
12. June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash “Far Side Banks of Jordan”
13. Flatlanders “Hello Stranger”

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

Exquisitely drawn collection of country roots music.......2006-06-25

The editors of No Depression magazine return with their second demonstration of music that fits under the "No Depression" umbrella. Some may equate "No Depression" with an alt.country universe that eschews familiar artists, but that notion is quickly dispelled by one look at this volume's roster. Though many of these acts are drawn from outside the commercial mainstream, many - Jay Farrar, Ryan Adams, and the Flatlanders to pick a few - have broken through from indieville to broader audiences. Others, such as Johnny Cash, Patty Loveless and Kieran Kane, are familiar from the Billboard country charts, and here they reiterate their bedrock commitments to honest, roots-oriented music.

Taking commercially successful artists under the tent isn't such a surprise if one considers that the phrase "No Depression" was lifted from the works of the Carter Family, one of country music's early mainstream successes. Still, as earthy, emotionally deep American music is pushed to the commercial margins, there's a dwindling number of chart-topping artists who've retained (or are willing to openly display) a connection to the music's roots. Patty Loveless is a thoughtful pick, as her tenure at the top of the country charts was always complemented by emotionally searing album tracks. Her "Mountain Soul" CD, from which this collection's "Sounds of Loneliness" was drawn, was equally inspired by the long-standing acoustic portion of her live set and the commercial resurgence that followed "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" And lest you think she's a bandwagon jumper, the track here revisits her first songwriting effort, written pre-fame in the early '70s at the age of 15.

As with the first volume of this set, editors Blackstock and Alden pull together a variety of sounds, all relating back to the deep well of sadness and ocean of longing that made up much of A.P. Carter's catalog. The songs range from the haunting fiddle of Loveless' "Sounds of Lonliness" to the old-timey sounds of Paul Burch's "I Am Here" to the gospel-flavored harmonies of Kieran Kane's take on the Carters' "Will You Miss Me" and REM-like modernity of Jay Farrar's "Station to Station."

Fans that've already soaked up the No Depression oeuvre will be happy to get their hands on a few rarities, including Farrar's track from the "ThirdShiftGrottoShack" EP, a Caitlin Cary/Ryan Adams duet previously issued on a limited edition 3" CD, and a rarity from The Flatlanders original early '70s sessions. It's ironic to review a CD that's raison d'être is to explain - in music - the last decade of writing in the magazine. So listen to the samples, grab yourself a copy, and use this CD (along with the editor's detailed song-by-song liner notes) as a roadmap to a rich musical universe. [©2006 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]

Average customer rating:

my new favorite cd
The Music, The Message, The Excitement

The Great Depression
Defiance Ohio
Manufacturer: No Idea Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

Punk | Hardcore & Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Return to the Sea
The Crane Wife

ASIN: B000FI8M5C
Release Date: 2006-04-13

Tracks:

Petty Problems
Enough
Oh, Susquehanna!
The New World Order
Calling Old Friends
Trip and Stumble
This Feels Better
The Year
Grandma Song
Letter Home
The Temperature is Dropping
Lambs at the Slaughter
Condition 11:11

Product Description

D,OH play fun, politically conscious, stripped-down punk with acoustic guitars, violin, cello, banjo, upright bass... well, you get the picture! They have cruised very DIY throughout their existence, self-releasing their first CD, and touring the USA many times (and Europe as well). They have also worked with a lot of friends' labels with split releases, including a split CD with GHOST MICE on Plan-It-X and a split 7" with ONE REASON on Anti-Creative. We are really excited about this record!!

Customer Reviews:

my new favorite cd.......2006-07-02

If you like Against Me!, but prefer to hear it from DIY punks who still play shows in peoples' garages, you're in for a treat!

First of all, the way they utilize the cello, violin, upright bass, banjo, and harmonica to make punk songs is stunning. Some songs are fast with singalong parts, and others are well-executed folk. What I love about this album, in relation to the older stuff, is the abundance of unaccompanied female vocals;and her voice is incredible, really giving the CD overall more flavor. It does still resemble their past efforts when it comes to the passionate message, and, in addition, they even have a really rad song about skateboarding! I guarantee you will not get bored for one moment because these catchy songs will make you move.

If you haven't heard Defiance, Ohio before, this album would be a great place to start since these songs are musically more well-written, although I do recommend "Share What Ya Got" and their splits. I might add that this CD can be purchased from No Idea Records for $6, and the latter mentioned full-lenghth can be found for $5 on Defiance, OH's official site--this way you can support the BAND.

The Music, The Message, The Excitement.......2006-05-15

Folky punk in the vein of early Against Me! but with violin and banjo. Very nice male/female vocals. Buy all their stuffs from No Idea Records. This band will get tons of recognition very soon.

Average customer rating:

The Life and Works of Joseph Haydn

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000BXBXT
Release Date: 2003-10-21

Average customer rating:

One of my favorite records
the britten is okay, but the rest is much better

Music For Voice & Guitar

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Heavenly Love, Earthly Joy
Dowland: Complete Lute Works, Vol.1-5
English Song Series 3
Peter Lieberson: Neruda Songs

ASIN: B000003FG1
Release Date: 1996-05-21

Tracks:

Songs From The Chinese, Op.58: The Big Chariot
Songs From The Chinese, Op.58: The Old Lute
Songs From The Chinese, Op.58: The Autumn Wind
Songs From The Chinese, Op.58: The Herd-Boy
Songs From The Chinese, Op.58: Depression
Songs From The Chinese, Op.58: Dance Song
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Folk Song Arrangements: The Shooting Of His Dear
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Anon In Love: Fain Would I Change That Note
Anon In Love: O Stay, Sweet Love
Anon In Love: Lady, When I Behold The Roses
Anon In Love: My Love In Her Attire
Anon In Love: I Gave Her Cakes And I Gave Her Ale
Anon In Love: To Couple Is A Custom
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Four French Folk Songs: J'Ai Descendu
Four French Folk Songs: Le Rossignol
Four French Folk Songs: Marguerite, Elle Est Malade
O Mistress Mine
Nocturnal, Op.70

Customer Reviews:

One of my favorite records.......2005-04-18

I'm buying the CD now to replace my very-scratched LP. I'm no connoisseur of vocal music, but I am a big guitar fan (and player) and a Taoist, so "Big Chariot" speaks most eloquently to me... but the entire "Songs from the Chinese" set from Britten was a trememdous discovery to me the first time I heard the LP many years ago. And, as a bonus, you have those great ribald songs on it, like "To Couple is A Custom". Overall, a fabulous, unique find if your tastes run to voice+guitar+sense of humor.

the britten is okay, but the rest is much better.......2003-06-21

most people will get this cd for britten's songs from the chinese, nocturnal for solo guitar, and the folk song arrangements included here, but these works are not among his best. the nocturnal is a little too verbose, and the arrangements of the folk songs aren't particularly distinctive. the chinese cycle is worthwhile, although certainly not up to the caliber of winter words or the michelangelo sonnets cycle. still, all three have moments worth hearing, particularly among the slower sections. examples include "the autumn wind" in the songs from the chinese and the first movement, "musingly", of the nocturnal.

along with these works by britten, the disc also includes other songs for guitar and voice and these are what make the disc worth getting. bream is ideal and masterful. i believe this is one of pears' later recordings, and he gets a little too carried away at times (for example, at the end of "i gave her cakes"), but he really shines in the pensive, lyrical songs of each cycle presented here, recalling his role as peter grimes. of particular note are his performance in seiber's french folk song arrangements, the first half of the walton cycle, the second lute song from britten's gloriana, and the fricker setting of shakespeare.

the sound has a few spots of static where the vocal was too loud, but they may have been present on the original recording. the liner notes don't include any of the texts, which is a pity, nor is the nocturnal divided into 8 tracks for its 8 movements. still, all in all, worth having if you're a pears or bream fan, and if you're a fan of britten you probably have this disc already.

Out of the Blue
Average customer rating:

STUNNING

Out of the Blue
Frank Brown
Manufacturer: RCP
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0009JBJ8E
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

She Just Wants to Be Loved
Always Down
Heartbreak Motel
Don't Say You Never
You Don't Know What You Started
Peace of Mind
Nostalgia
No Resistance
Rocketship
Grey Door
Greatest Love

Product Description

First solo release by leader of Flight of Mavis and Buzz Zeemer.

Customer Reviews:

STUNNING.......2006-01-28

This album is stunning, Frank Brown is a Philly treasure and deserves worldwide acclaim. His previous band Buzz Zeemer was great as well as Flight of Mavis before them. His songs are priceless powerpop gems. BUY THIS NOW. You'll be happy you did. FRANK, play TOP OF THE POPS!

Average customer rating:

Märta Schéle Sings

Manufacturer: Bis
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000001668
Release Date: 1995-12-12

Tracks:

I. La Fl De Pan - Marta Schele
II. La Chevelure - Marta Schele
III. Le Tombeau Des Naiades - Marta Schele
1. La Violette/2. La Begonia/3. Les Fritillaires/4. Les Jacinthes... - Marta Schele/Elisif Lunden
I. Chanson De La Mariee - Marta Schele
II. La-bas, Vers L'eglise - Marta Schele
III. Quel Galant M'est Comparable - Marta Schele
IV. Chanson Des Cueilleuses - Marta Schele
V. Tout Gai! - Marta Schele
Auf Dem Strome - Albert Linder
I. The Big Chariot (The Book Of Songs) - Josef Holecek
II. The Old Lute (Po Chu-i) - Josef Holecek
III. The Autumn Wind (Wu-ti) - Josef Holecek
IV. The Herd-Boy (Lu Yu) - Josef Holecek
V. Depression (Po Chu-i) - Josef Holecek
VI. Dance Song (The Book Of Songs) - Josef Holecek
I. When The Morning Of Life Had Passed - Josef Holecek
II. Wrung With Anguish - Josef Holecek
III. Only In God I Trust - Josef Holecek
IV. Drink Deep, My Friend - Josef Holecek
V. Dull And Sad Is The Sky - Josef Holecek
VI. The Garden Dons A Coat Of Many Hues - Josef Holecek

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