Customer Reviews

Wide Swing Tremolo

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Wide Swing Tremolo is another 5 star in my humble opinion. I guess I find it hard to say oh this CD was better than this one when it comes to Son Volt. I just appreciate that they are not stagnant. I first came into contact with Son Volt's music when on business in St. Louis. I was looking for something that was devoid of the candy coated mainstream dribble that is drenching our society today when I walked into a music store. The girl understood I was a Neil Young fan and recommended Son Volt. As a flew home and listened to Trace, I felt I was home once again. As a musician since the age of six I have learned you never compare groups or musicians like comparing the statistics of ball players. Son Volt is for those who actually take time to ponder the lyrics of a song and appreciate, as Jay puts it, "the truer sound".

I can't believe the narrow hole some of the Son Volt fans above have painted themselves into. "This album's better than that album," "we're still waiting for the next 'Trace'" blah blah blah. I understand they're reviewing an individual record, but the fact remains that Son Volt is one of the best bands rock music (not country, alt-country, etc) has seen in a LONG time. Every album stands far above the crowd, including Straightaways. I felt that way about Wilco when I heard them, which is how I got turned on to the whole UT-SV-Wilco band a troi. But nowadays I forget that Jay Farrar was even a a part of that whole thing, the No Depression, alt-country movement. Because Son Volt stands on its own. Right next to Neil Young and other timeless, microgenreless greats. You can read the other reviews above to know what SV sound like, there's great descriptions there. This review though, is to state my opinion that without more bands on the level of Son Volt, I dread the future of rock music. Every "average" (meaning not indie-snob, or musician) rock fan I've let hear Son Volt is immediately struck by the songwriting purity and musicianship. On the contrary to hoping SV "don't become too popular so they'll remain true," as one reviewer put it, I encourage SV fans to turn as many people on as possible. Spread the word--great rock still lives. (And I hope it's just a rumor that there's no more SV--I hope these guys will stay together in this lineup.)

Son Volt is one band that really TESTS its fans. To see them in a live show is like watching a band that seems perpetually on downers. However, what SV and Wilco have done since the demise of the mythic Uncle Tupelo is to keep the dream alive. SV's "Trace" contained classic folk/country numbers like "Tear Stained Eye", an homage to the citizens of Ste. Genevieve, MO, and those who fought the Great Flood of 1993. However, the rock numbers had less of an edge than those on UT albums. Son Volt toured several times, and while not all that exciting, their music wraps up anyone seeing the show into an almost religious fervor over the most simple elements of rock and roll. "Straightaways" was quite a dud, and many fans worried that Jay Farrar was becoming too maudlin or something. The rock numbers lacked any punch, and the folk numbers were somewhat weak and aimless. The length of the album left much to be desired, as well.

Now, "Wide Swing Tremolo" comes out swinging quite well. Jay has picked up where "Chickamauga" and "Fifteen Keys" left off. On "Straightface" the vocal is drenched in reverb, with a strong kick to the guitar lines. "Medicine Hat" is derived from the Alberta city, but refers to a more emotional context. It is one of the more catchy songs, as is "Question," which has a rather heavy sounding guitar passage. The folk numbers are much more 'gothic', with several sound experiments peppering the track line-up.

People had wondered if Wilco would be heir apparent to UT's leagcy, but with this wonderful effort, Jay Farrar will continue to hold the banner of the link to rock and country's past. This is Jay's most direct homage to Neil Young, The Byrds and to Big Star. This is not a bad thing as it has the danger to be. Personally Son Volt should've done "Mermaid Avenue" with Wilco as a UT reunion album. Imagine how good it wouldve been.

I really loved Trace but was extremely disappointed by Straightaways. I feared that Jay had just fallen into a uniform moody sound that couldn't hold my attention in the long run. Well they've kicked it up anotch on this CD and they've produced a great album.

This doesn't have a song that appeals to me as much as Drown or Tear Stained Eye from Trace but I think it has more depth as I like almost all of the songs. Medicine Hat and Straightface are personal favourites.

I've seen them live twice and it's not showmanship that attracts you to them but they are great musicians and both times have had flawless sound. These guys can really play.

Since Trace, Son Volt has been cursed by high expectations. Their debut album was so classically breathtaking that subsequent albums are hard-pressed to live up to it. Straightaways didn't, and neither does Wide Swing Tremolo. But they're both exceptional albums worth their prices. "Medicine Hat" is the instant classic on WST--its catchy melody appeals to a wide audience. But the Son Volt fan grows to appreciate the tracks that embody Jay Farrar's gritty style--"Strands," "Dead Man's Clothes," "Carry You Down," etc. But the band shouldn't have bothered "expanding" their style on such efforts as "Straightface." When William Faulkner was living in New Orleans, a great contemporary of his told him to go back to his Mississippi home and "write about what you know best." Farrar would do well to follow that advice. SV carries the torch for country blues in the 90's; that's what they're best at. WST might have equalled Trace if they would have scrapped Straightface-like songs for their traditional sound. But the album still achieves a spot as one of the top releases of the year in my book.

This is my favorite album of the first three done by Son Volt. It moves a little further away from the "country alternative" and towards the rock of Okemah and the Melody Riot (which is Jay's greatest album). "Driving The View" is one of Son Volt's best songs. Jay's lyrics and singing relates an eerie beauty that is hard to describe in words, it is more of a mood than a sound. Like all Son Volt albums, I suggest repeated listenings before coming to a decision on the album. Son Volt records tend to grow on you, while at the same time, revealing nuances each time you listen. I like this album a lot.

I found Straightaways a total bore. I like Trace but didn't get into it until I got Wide Swing Tremelo. This record rocks! It's more polished than previous efforts and the songwriting is top- notch. I think it is one of the best records I've heard all year! If you didn't like it, give it a few more listens, it grows on you. Trust me!

This band leaves their fans slightly disappointed with each record because they show absolute, stunning flashes of brilliance leaving us wanting more. Wide Swing is no exception.

In any event, this is a very good record; highly recommended. Not quite on the level of Trace for kick-back value, but so much better than 99% of what else is out there - including the very downbeat and maudlin Wilco.

I ordered Wide Swing Tremolo from AMAZON after reading Brad Jones's pre-release rave posted here on 09-26-61. Although I differed with his assessment of "Straightaways", I was intrigued by his enthusiasm for Son Volt's third album. I'm happy to share every bit his enthusiasm.

"Wide Swing Tremolo" bursts with a variety of textures and songwriting styles. Another reviewer noted the "relaxed" feel that this album has, noting its loose feel. This looseness works to its advantage; the album opens up like a storybook and engages the listener afresh each time. Much has been mentioned of the standout songs "Medicine Hat", "Question", and "Flow" (here and in other reviews elsewhere) but I'd like to point out some unremarked beauties: "Strands" is evocative of exquisite loss, and "Streets That Time Walks" is lovingly mournful. Farrar and Son Volt just get better all the time.

I've loved Son Volt's last two records to death, playing them over and over. I actually heard "Straightaways" before "Trace", and love the two albums equally. So for me, hearing "Wide Swing Tremolo" was a make-or-break situation; my opinion of the band was largely riding on what they would accomplish.

I'm thrilled to say that this album forges new territory and, in the spirit of Uncle Tupelo, pays tribute to songwriters of the past while living in 90's America. The songs, especially "Straightface" and "Medicine Hat", are classic Son Volt, classic No Depression music at its finest. Actually, my favorite tracks on this album are the delicate and beautiful "Dead Man's Clothes" and the bouncy album closer, "Blind Hope".

Check Son Volt out, they're a gem. They're also hard to describe. Americana? Roots rock? Alt-country? I described them to one friend as "the music that Emmett Otter's Jug Band would make if they grew up and got serious," and while I was joking, that fits pretty well.