Son Volt L-R: Dave Bryson (drums), Chris Masterson (lead guitar), Jay Farrar (acoustic guitar, piano, harmonica, vocals) Andrew Duplantis (bass, harmony vocals), Mark Spencer (piano, wurlitzer, pedal steel, lap steel)
One of last year’s most unexpected pleasures was getting knocked out by Son Volt‘s most recent album, American Central Dust. Just when I thought Jay Farrar had disappeared down a mumbly, monotonous rabbit hole, he totally won me back with country and rock and would you believe, country-rock? Yeah, I know it’s nothing particularly groundbreaking, but I don’t need much groundbreaking from this guy. When you construct the Great Wall of Tupelo, further innovation is unnecessary.
For my money, Farrar spent most of the last decade squandering the goodwill he’d earned in the previous decade. I heard way too much drone and not enough melody and dynamics. That said, perhaps the letdown was inevitable. Precious few musicians can match the Koufaxian five-album run of Uncle Tupelo’s four albums and Son Volt’s debut, Trace, Jay Farrar included. Thus, his move away from that rich legacy was an understandable effort at artistic redefinition on new terms. I didn’t care for much of it, but I get it, and respect the process.
Nevertheless, I submit a modest proposal for my fair readers. If anyone is willing to make me an hour-long comp of Farrar’s past decade — The Best Of The Aughties, if you will — I’m down. Maybe I need to listen to the output with fresh ears and in a new context. Public huzzahs will certainly follow for the creator of said “mixtape.” Unless it sucks. Then, the shaming shall follow. But hey, no pressure.
American Central Dust is such a welcome return to form. His immersion in the experimental folk-rock drone is complemented by what he does best, that wonderful intersection of country and rock. So, while “Down To The Wire” and “Sultana” aren’t my favorite songs, within the context of this album they’re worthy diversions that make perfect sense. Just when I think the album is losing its momentum, there’s a lyrical turn of phrase or weepy steel figure or crunchy guitar riff putting the root down. Speaking of roots …
Son Volt – Dust To Daylight
Amazon
Son Volt – Dust To Daylight
THIS is why Jay Farrar was put on earth. The guy was born to sing country music. While he’s certainly earned the right to do whatever he damn well pleases, there’s no truer sound than his voice surrounded by a fiddle, steel guitar, high, keening vocal harmonies, and a lockdown country pocket. All present and accounted for. From a production standpoint, I like how Mark Spencer‘s steel guitar — an eight-string Fender pedal steel, like the one used by Sneaky Pete Kleinow with the Flying Burrito Brothers — is panned hard right, with Eleanor Whitmore‘s fiddle panned hard left (that’s her pictured left, rowwwr). The two instruments are essentially harmonizing with each other, not unlike the harmonies of Farrar and bassist, Andrew Duplantis.
Song of the year? It’s in the discussion.
Son Volt – When The Wheels Don’t Move
Amazon
Son Volt – When The Wheels Don’t Move
“I was probably in more of a Neil Young vein as far as the guitar tuning I was using, and the repetitive chord progressions. Lyrically, I was thinking about our society’s reliance on fossil fuels and the whole economic structure that’s built on that. At the time, gas was hitting $5 a gallon, Son Volt was on tour, and it didn’t completely wreck our tour, but I imagine that (for) a lot of bands getting started out that it would.”
–Farrar in his hometown Riverfront Times, 7/7/09
The term “americana” gets thrown around a lot, but make no mistake, Dust is as americana as a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. I don’t necessarily mean in terms of genre identification, I mean that the album’s lyrical content is driven by distinctly American images. Beale Street, honky tonks, biker bars, the Fourth of July, and several American cities make guest appearances. There’s references to Leadbelly and Chuck Berry. Of course, the word “American” IS in the album title, so there’s that, too.
As Farrar notes, “Wheels” is a look at America’s reliance on fossil fuels, juxtaposing our road culture with that of decaying ancient Rome, and alluding to a Road Warrior-esque post-gasoline future. Cleverly, that grungy Neil Young guitar sound to which he refers … courtesy of former lead guitarist, Chris Masterson … mirrors the “turbine engines” of which he sings. Similarly, drummer Dave Bryson’s tom rolls add heavy atmosphere, as does Spencer’s wurlitzer … though maybe that’s a pedal steel run through a Leslie??? Pretty sure it’s a Wurlitzer, though.
If there is an irony at work here it’s that Farrar’s next musical project was a tribute to Jack Kerouac’s novel, Big Sur, done in collaboration with Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie. Kerouac‘s breakthrough novel, of course, was On The Road, which posited the American road as a symbol of freedom and the gateway to wisdom and maturation. Hey, it was the ’50s. There were lots of crazy ideas back then.
Son Volt – No Turning Back
Amazon
Son Volt – No Turning Back
“Lonely roads and freight trains will keep us sane.”
Speaking of which, “No Turning Back” is an ass-kicking, country-rock tribute to the road in the spirit of Mr. Kerouac. And like “Dust Of Daylight,” this is the kind of song that’s right in Farrar’s stylistic wheelhouse. So much so, in fact, it’s almost silly that he venture away from the country-rock sound for too long. I like the arrangement, with the rhythm section (drums, bass, and acoustic guitar) panned right and the instruments carrying the melody (wurlitzer and electric lead guitar) panned left. I’m curious if Masterson is playing a B-Bender here because the guitar sound has that distinctive bending, steely tone a la Clarence White. Whatever the case, it’s yet another highlight on one of 2009’s best releases.
Welcome back, Jay. It sounds like heaven.
FIVE SONGS
While preparing this post, I stumbled across this amusing email interview with Farrar from last June. It’ll take you all of 2 minutes to finish, but my favorite part is when the author asks Jay about his listening habits. Naturally, given that his tastes run so close to mine, it would’ve been irresponsible for me NOT to create a separate playlist. After all, if it’s good enough for Jay Farrar and The Adios Lounge, it’s good enough for you. BTW, all notes below are mine.
Q: Do you have an iPod? Mind sharing the last five songs that you played (assuming it was on shuffle)?
1. Levon Helm – False Hearted Lover
Dirt Farmer, 2007
Amazon
Levon Helm – False Hearted Lover
2. Professor Longhair – Tipitina
1953 Atlantic single
Amazon
Professor Longhair – Tipitina
3. Doug Sahm – I’m Not That Kat Anymore
1975 Casablanca single
Amazon
Doug Sahm – I’m Not That Kat Anymore
One of my favorite concert moments from last year occurred in mid-May at Roadhouse Rags in Austin. Tortilla Flats was playing their standard tribute to Doug Sahm when midway through the set, who comes up to play a few songs, but Jay Farrar. Now, the bassist in Tortilla Flats is Andrew Duplantis, so it’s not like this collab was completely unexpected. Just mildly unexpected. And totally fistpump.
I’m guessing “Kat” is on Farrar’s list because that was one of the songs they played together. What other Doug songs made the cut that night? According to my archives:
- Mendocino
- I’m Just Tired Of Getting Burned
- At The Crossroads
- I’m Not That Kat Anymore
- Give Back The Key To My Heart (w/Jay on “cocaine” verse)
4. William S. Burroughs – A Thanksgiving Prayer
Dead City Radio, 1990
Amazon
William S. Burroughs – A Thanksgiving Prayer
5. Bob Dylan – Let Me Die In My Footsteps
1962 Freewheelin’ outtake
Amazon
Bob Dylan – Let Me Die In My Footsteps
I’m 99.7% sure that the Uncle Tupelo version of “Moonshiner” found on March 16–20, 1992 is based on the Dylan arrangement from the Bootleg Series, Vol. 1-3.
Great post. I haven't heard the latest Son Volt yet, but I've been digging One Fast Move. I wrote a little bit about it here.
You're right that there's just something about Jay's voice that sounds so good with country instrumentation – fiddles, pedal steel, etc. I don't have all his “aughts” output, but I'd recommend Terroir Blues as one of his best post-Trace.
And I agree about UT's “Moonshiner” being based on Dylan's – it must be, unless both versions were based on some earlier, lesser-known recording.
Hi,
I've been a big fan of your blog for the past year or so. I especially appreciate your ongoing Clarence White series…it's, well, awesome. I thought I would respond to your great post about Jay Farrar and American Central Dust by making a Jay Farrar: Best of the Aughties compilation. Here is the link:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2WBWWR4Z
I agree with you that Jay Farrar's output at the beginning of the decade was quite a departure from his Uncle Tupelo albums and Trace. Still, I did like many of the songs on his 2001 solo debut, Sebastopol. I played the songs I included, “Feel Free” and “Barstow” (with the great Gillian Welch on harmony vocals) on my college radio show on WRBC, Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. (Of course, I played a lot more of his Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt songs on my radio shows). The third track is a Tom Rothrock remix of another Sebastapol. It has to be one the *funkiest* songs Farrar's done to date. I saw Jay Farrar and Mark Spencer perform these tunes as a duo on a couple of occasions in 2001-2002–once in a beautiful church in Portland, Maine and once in a gritty rock club in East Atlanta. Next up is a couple of songs from his second solo album and his live album with his-then supporting band, Canyon (Dave Bryson, the current Son Volt drummer was in Canyon too). Admittedly, I didn't listen to either of those albums much.
The next batch of songs, cut with Anders Parker under the Gob Iron moniker are in the traditional American folk song vein. Cool stuff from an album that kind of flew under the radar. Then I added a bunch of Son Volt stuff, including a cover of Alejandro Escovedo's “Sometimes” by the original Farrar-Heidorn-Boquist brothers lineup. I understand that this was the last recording released by the original Son Volt, because all of the original members declined to take part in recording Okemah and the Melody of Riot, released in 2005 by the first iteration of the current Son Volt “2.0.” The more I listen to them, I love Okemah and the band's 2007 album, the Search. I think the 1-2-3 punch of “Afterglow 61,” “Jet Pilot” (one of the cleverest and most blistering critiques of our last president), and “Bandages and Scars” make that album. I also included my favorite Search tunes, the upbeat “Picture” with its horn section, the rocking “Action,” and the mournful, heartbreaking, yet hopeful “Adrenaline and Heresy.” I put on a couple of my favorite American Central Dust tunes, including Farrar's ode to Ketih Richards' reported snorting of his father's ashes. The final songs are some of the recent Ben Gibbard collaborations, a couple of album tracks from One Fast Move and their excellent cover of Bob Dylan's Absolutely Sweet Marie from the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles last October (Spencer on his creston tele, Nick Harmer from Deathcab on bass, and the very talented and hilarious Jon Wurster on drums). I was at that show, and really wish I had a better audience or soundboard recording. I was also at the Son Volt show at the Wiltern in LA last summer. They rocked the house.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the mix and thanks for putting up with my rambling. Keep up the great work with the blog!
–Will
Wow! Will, you are most definitely the man. A lot to digest, but that is exactly what I wanted. Cannot wait to dive into the Farrar mix.
Also, it's interesting that you're a Clarence White fan and had a college radio show in Lewiston, Maine, as that was the town into which he was born. Not that you don't know this, but I find the synchronicity of utmost coolness.
Thanks again and I'm sure we'll be in touch in the future.
Speaking of Lewiston, perhaps you can clear this up for me once and for all. Was Clarence White born in Lewiston or Madawaska? Both are centers of Franco-American culture in Maine, but are in completely different parts of the state. A sizable number of Madawaska Acadians moved to Lewiston to find work in the shoe and textile factories, and returned later. I wonder if that was the case for the Leblanc family.
Either way, to add to the Clarence White synchronicity, I too moved to Los Angeles even though I am from Maine. The only (major) difference is that I'm in LA to do grad school research, not master the guitar and record a bunch of genre-defining albums!
The sad thing is, I hadn't made the Lewiston-Clarence White association until I was out of college and off the radio station. I played plenty of White-era Byrds tunes on the air, along with some of his session work. I just wish I had told my tiny group of radio listeners that they were listening to a hometown musical hero.
I'm curious to hear what you think of the Jay Farrar tunes. Enjoy the mix –Will
Will, first time through the mix and I LOVE it! Serious goodness and I think that Damn Shame remix is my favorite of all. It reminds of that great Mark Ronson video remix of Dylan's “Most Likely You Go Your Way.” Bomb-diggety.
As for CW's birthplace, I think I need to make some calls or something. Once you mentioned Madawaska I remembered seeing that name. Sho nuff, it comes up as his birthplace in a couple places. I also have Madawaska as his dad's birthplace (Eric Sr.), so maybe your theory about moving the fam to Lewiston for work is on the money. Someone get Roland on the phone!
Thanks again, bro.
Oh, you want a Farraughties mix? Well you're gonna get one … er, um, another one, as it were.
Thanks Lex. Looking forward to more time in the Farrar Zone.